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WHY RAHUL GANDHI, ABHIJEET DIPKE AND NEHA BORA SHOULD BE SMILING THIS MORNING? THERE IS HOPE! IS IT ENDGAME FOR THE RIGHTWING? SERBIA’S STUDENTS HAVE SHOWN THE WORLD HOW TO DEFEAT AUTHORITARIANISM! BRAZIL HAS FOLLOWED BY DEFEATING SOMEONE WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN DONALD TRUMP’S PUPPET (THERE ARE MANY AS WE ALL KNOW). Populist demagogues all over the world who have ruled ruthlessly over years must be in panic. Is it endgame? What a way to start a Monday morning ( IST). What an extraordinary moment for democracy! In Serbia, a fearless student-led movement has defeated Aleksandar Vučić after nearly two years of protests against corruption, violence and authoritarianism. Young people took to the streets, mobilised a nation and converted public anger into electoral victory. 100% democratically achieved success. Students didn’t just protest. They changed history. Meanwhile, in Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has defeated Flávio Bolsonaro, denying Donald Trump another ideological ally in Latin America. Most thought he had no chance after he lost the first round of votes. Two countries. Two powerful democratic verdicts. One unmistakable lesson: political power is never permanent. I have been saying this for long: Don’t fall for the braggadocio on “ We will rule for 50 years etc” from BJP’s Chanakya. It is utter nonsense emerging from vulgar arrogance. Liberal democracy desperately needs this resurgence. Across the world, independent institutions face pressure, dissent is throttled, minorities are targeted and political strongmen increasingly behave as though the Constitution is their personal toilet-roll. Divisiveness has been weaponized, and the critics demonized. It is precisely why India’s Gen Z are on the streets as well; To protect a flailing democracy gone sideways. But let us not get carried away. Having been in the opposition for long, I am circumspect although prodigiously sanguine. The challenges remain. Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future in Israel and Marine Le Pen’s movement in France, which is experiencing a violent turmoil, deserve close attention. They could still win, and we know what the repercussions of their exclusionary politics could be. The silver lining could still be Donald Trump’s likely annihilation in American midterms. A Republican defeat which is being forecasted by most political pundits could dramatically change the global political conversation. But stranger things have happened in America. Remember, the world’s richest man with enormous media clout is funding the Trump campaign. Propaganda is the far-right’s go-to-brainwashing detergent. But for now this morning, from Belgrade to Brasília, the message is electrifying: Fear can be defeated. Young people can change history. The opposition can overcome the institutional capture. Democracy can fight back. The future belongs to citizens, not strongmen. Has the democratic awakening begun? Have a great week ahead. @INCIndia @RahulGandhi @Jairam_Ramesh @Cockroachisback @neha_aisa