India, Sept. 17 -- India takes pride in being the world's largest democracy. Every election cycle, the ruling party proudly proclaims the magnitude of its electoral exercise as proof of democratic health. But democracy is not validated by size; it is tested by strength. And its strength is measured not in votes cast, but in how power tolerates dissent once the votes are counted.

On that measure, India is failing. The recent defamation summonses against Abhisar Sharma and Raju Parulekar are not isolated incidents. They are the latest in a disturbing series of attacks on independent journalism-a trend that threatens to hollow out the very core of India's democratic promise.

From Reporting to Retaliation The facts are clear. In August 2025...