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New Delhi: From a distance, this is how it looked: the flags of the Congress party merged into those of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s, and their red was indistinguishable from the red caps worn by Samajwadi Party supporters. 

This was what certain protesters had been waiting for. On Monday (October 12), Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s call for a march to the Supreme Court ended in a day when detentions were limited, and the streets were not governed by the Delhi Police and other paramilitary forces. There was the awe of seeing All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora and psephologist-activist Yogendra Yadav seated in the same bus as the opposition leaders – particularly LoP Rahul Gandhi, MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress president Malikarjun Kharge, and SP president Akhilesh Yadav. After days of hitting the streets with the looming fear of violence and detentions, it was a moment of catharsis. 

“Today, everyone is here and there’s solidarity in that. We were getting detained left and right. So, today is the day you can come and take your stand,” said one protester, a woman in her 20s, wearing a batman mask. “It is a clear scene of dictatorship, it’s worse than dictatorship. At least some dictators improve conditions in their country.”

She arrived in the capital this morning, despite having planned to reach Delhi in time for the October 10........

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