But the very people to whom technology brought home the power of democracy now sanction the dismantling of its institutionsA BJP government was in power in 2000 and it is in power today. The second big change has been the advent of social media, which has converted every individual into a broadcaster. If the '80s and '90s were about making democracy more representative, the 2000s have been about a more personal engagement with democracy; the gradual recasting of democracy as a consumer product. The new nature of politics in India was underlined by the manner in which the 2014 campaign was mounted. It is only post 2000 that the full effects of a market orientation, when combined with new forms of media, are being felt.

Source: Times of India August 14, 2017 18:30 UTC