“ The state is a Leviathan." When Thomas Hobbes wrote this line, he imagined the state as a sovereign so powerful that citizens would surrender their liberty in exchange for order and protection from chaos. It was meant to be a bargain, not a threat. Three centuries later, on the streets of Ranchi, that bargain looked badly frayed. The state did not protect its citizens from disorder. It became the source of it. Students who had simply asked for a fair recruitment exam found

Urban cities, which were once the centres of commerce, civilisation, and culture, are now increasingly being transformed into battlegrounds of modern-day conflicts. Modern warfare is no longer confined to frontlines, but is now playing out more in densely populated urban spaces. From Kyiv and Gaza to Khartoum and Aleppo, urban cities have become spaces of warfare. This highlights the fact that the lines between war zones and civilian spaces are blurring. Illustration by The