India, May 15 -- The armed forces have always had a lot of prestige and reverence in India. These emotions have been on full display in the aftermath of the recent military conflict with Pakistan. Ironical as it may sound, adulation towards the military is not the default emotion in large parts of the world, especially the decolonised world, where the army has often been seen as a threat to democracy and civil liberties. Pakistan is one of the biggest examples of what the army's toxic influence can do to a country. What makes India an exception on this count?

India's recent public discourse, in fact, has veered further in the opposite direction from large parts of the decolonised world. The current regime, under the Bharatiya Janata Part...