India, Oct. 14 -- When Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II built the Jantar Mantar in 1724, little did he imagine that his astronomical observatory would one day be synonymous with dissent in the world's largest democracy. Since 1993, the lane behind the site has housed thousands of ordinary Indians with extraordinary dreams - women fighting for a more equal world, victims demanding justice, LGBTQIA+ communities dreaming of dignity, youth hoping for a future free of corruption and students angry at the callous handling of their careers.

The Centre's decision to denotify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site has called time on that legacy. The intentions behind the October 11 order - which also designates three new spots, all requiring tens ...