There is a familiar pattern in today's India. First comes dissent. Then comes the investigation. Increasingly, what follows is not merely questioning or prosecution, but scrutiny of the dissenter's finances. 

The latest example came from Surat, where an RTI activist demanded an inquiry into the finances of the father of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, a retired Maharashtra government employee, on the curious ground that his son had studied in the United States. Days later, another report revealed that the Delhi Police was collecting details of bank accounts used to pay for food for protesters demonstrating at Jantar Mantar. 

These are not isolated incidents. They are reminders that in what the government proudly calls the 'New India', critics, watchdogs, trade unionists, activists and political opponents are increasingly viewed through the lens of suspicion. 

Earlier this year, Uttar Pradesh Police quietly examined the bank accounts of labour activist Satyam Verma after he organised workers' protests in Noida. Selective financial details soon found their way into sections of the media, raising uncomfortable questions about confidentiality and political targeting. Last year, central agencies reportedly examined the finances of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and institutions associated with him during the Ladakh protests. 

Until now, such access to citizens' banking records at least required judicial oversight. That safeguard is now on the verge of disappearing. 

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© National Herald