India, Sept. 22 -- A few days ago, newspapers greeted us with full-page ads, all vying to outdo one another in wishing the PM on his birthday. We also watched lavish celebrations and wondered whether we were still a democracy-or whether we had quietly slipped into some ancient monarchy.

Streets were decorated, speeches thundered, and sycophants gushed as if the nation itself had been born on that day.

Now, don't get me wrong. Every birthday is a milestone. Seventy-five is no small feat, especially in a country where life expectancy often struggles to reach those numbers. But should the birthday of a leader, however tall, be turned into a national spectacle?

Isn't it the Republic we swore to honour, not one individual within it?

Democr...