Srinagar, Aug. 4 -- The protests against the NEET paper leak have once again brought into sharp focus the delicate balance between state authority and the constitutional right to dissent. Supreme Court's clarification that governments may withdraw FIRs against students, provided they have no antecedents involving grave and heinous offences, is a significant step in reaffirming that peaceful protest cannot be criminalised. It underscores the principle that the justice system must distinguish between genuine agitators with violent intent and ordinary citizens exercising their democratic rights.

The protests, marked by clashes and allegations of police excesses, reveal a troubling pattern. Reports of pellet guns, lathi charges, and teargas ...