“ 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

Indian political thought has evolved dramatically through the years, due to the influence of social, economic and cultural scenarios at a...