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Thursday, October 23, 2025
TopicAuthoritarianism

Topic: Authoritarianism

China, Rwanda, North Korea — How authoritarian rulers manage their international image

I counted 33 authoritarian states that collectively paid PR and public affairs firms hundreds of millions of dollars in 2018 and 2019 to manipulate their image.

Pakistan to Thailand — There is a war on those in exile. And the internet has made it worse

The power of social media is making authoritarian governments silence critics like Jamal Khashoggi — no matter which country they are exiled in.

Erdogan’s Turkey is on Pakistan-Indonesia track. Mixing military greed and radical Islam

By changing Hagia Sophia into a mosque, Recep Erdogan is overturning the brute modernity imposed under Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's rule.

India to Hungary, Covid-19 will make frightened people trade freedom for life

Democracies are in danger during the Covid-19 crisis as leaders like Victor Orban and Ilham Aliyev are going to execute power grabs.

China is controlling social media – by allowing a bit of dissent

Shortly after the initial demonstrations in Hong Kong, the Chinese government distributed vague guidelines to digital platforms about what they should 'censor'.

With Jharkhand, India is telling Modi it wants a ‘majboor sarkaar’, not ‘majboot sarkaar’

Through people’s movements and the judiciary, India has kept majoritarian regimes in check — be it under Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi. Are state elections a new addition?

Authoritarian streak among Indians on the rise and it’s helping BJP’s hard Right turn

Even globally, Indians demonstrate a lower commitment to democratic principles than people in other major countries, as per opinion polls.

The 10-point checklist on how to be an autocrat — and here’s how Modi fits the bill

Most would-be autocratic leaders exploit existing tensions in societies to solidify their support. Modi's use of religious-based nationalism is an example.

Plato was right. Democracy always creates tyrannical leaders

In democratic countries like Turkey, UK, Hungary, Brazil and US, anti-elite demagogues are riding a wave of populism fuelled by nationalist pride.

Unlike American CEOs, India Inc. under BJP is becoming timid & regressive

An excerpt from "Reconciliation" edited by Harsh Mander, Natasha Badhwar and John Dayal, explores the nexus between corporate houses and the Indian government during hate attacks. 

On Camera

In Bihar, BJP is courting upper castes—a clear shift from its 2020 strategy

With two parties led by Dalit leaders now part of NDA, the BJP is hopeful of winning a large number of reserved constituencies.

Boom to bust: Haunted by Ketan Parekh saga, 117-yr-old Calcutta Stock Exchange’s future lies in limbo

CSE, one of India’s oldest bourses, is edging towards a voluntary exit. It could never recover from market manipulation scam that caused a payment crisis at exchange back in 2001. 

From battle of wits and daring air strikes to artillery fury, new details emerge of Operation Sindoor

Fresh details of operation conducted by IAF, Army have come out in gazette notification giving citations of those who were awarded Vir Chakra for their bravery.

CJI, IPS, IAS & Homebound: A wake-up call 75 years in the making

Education, reservations, govt jobs are meant to bring equality and dignity. That we are a long way from that is evident in the shoe thrown at the CJI and the suicide of Haryana IPS officer. The film Homebound has a lesson too.