The Global Peace Index (GPI) Report of 2026, produced annually by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), placed India 127th out of 163 countries earlier in June – a rank lower than her neighbours Nepal and Bangladesh. According to the index, India has declined from its earlier 115th rank to a direct lower-middle tier, which reflects the growing regional instability, varied security concerns, and the larger border disputes in India.Looking at the current picture that the growing unrest in different regions of India draws, the index appears more than valid, in opposition to claims made by certain political beneficiary groups – from state-aligned think tanks to ruling party commentators, anxious to buffer the country’s declining standing on democratic indices. As such, a glance at the distinct but connected instances of unrest across India and the state’s response consequently, proves to be a critical move.A report by Armed conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), stated that India had 19500 protests as of October 2, and among these at least 1200 protests were met with police intervention. At the apex, the student-led protests in the capital demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner in view of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, drew the eyes of global spectators, as the ruling government airlifted security forces from border areas in a desperate bid to tackle the non-violent youth movement, and regain control.The Union home ministry even extended for the second time the deployment of armed police forces alongside the local police, including Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rapid Action Force (RAF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), as well as the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). This extension till October 31 was taken as a precautionary measure against the possibility of “flash protests” in Delhi. The militarisation of civil spacesInterestingly, such deployments, particularly that of ITBP, have recently been seen in and around the Jamia Millia Islamia University campus, a minority institution, where students, contrary to what one would assume based on such deployments, are sitting on a “non-violent” hunger strike, demanding a student union, and advocating their right for effective representation. A critical question that arises is: Does a peaceful hunger strike in a central university, under any condition, warrant or justify the mass deployment of local police alongside border forces? Also read: CJP Extends Support to November 1 INDIA Bloc Protest: ‘For Every Adult Citizen’s Right to Vote’In sharp contrast to a university campus environment, ITBP forces are usually tasked to safeguard the 3488-kilometer line of control shared between India and China. On these borders, ITBP director general Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor confirmed recently that face-offs continue between India and Chinese People’s Liberation Army at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh. A growing concern arises: shouldn’t the ITBP be available for duties at the sensitive frontiers instead of college campuses?Speaking to ETV Bharat, this anxiety has even been expressed by the Alliance of All Ex- Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association over the deployment of personnels from the ITB, BSF and other central armed police forces for citizen protests in the Delhi-NCR region. This highlights that the deployment across areas of peaceful demonstrations comes at a time when the need for increased manpower is felt more than ever, as China incurs into major patrolling areas.Major and minor clampdownsAdditionally, demonstrations have erupted in Arunachal Pradesh against the proposed Multipurpose Siang Dam. Driven by fears of displacement and an environmental cost that they bear brunt of, locals and indigenous groups held protests in East Siang. The protesters were eventually met with heavy security clampdown and use of violent measures such as tear gas and lathis by the police. In yet another underreported northeast region, Manipur, the unrest is still continuing, unabated, entering its fourth calendar year since May 2023. On October 23, thousands of people across Manipur districts engaged in “noise protest”, to express public anger at the failure of the government to restore peace in the region. However, like Arunachal Pradesh, the protesters were met brutally with tear gas shells, highlighting an overachieving and comfortable institutional reliance of the state on force and harsher tactics.Also read: Don’t Be Late, This Time, MilordsAround the same time, a peaceful candlelight protest in India’s financial capital Mumbai was held. At Chaityabhoomi in Dadar, the parents of deceased IIT Bombay student, Sahil Wakode, joined by student organisations had gathered to hold vigil, which ultimately concluded into a detention of 20 to 25 people. The vigil was being held to demand justice and a thorough enquiry in this case of suicide due to alleged caste-based harassment faced by the student at the hands of the campus faculty. Again, the detention of protesters by the state police posed the broader nationwide pattern of state overreach over peaceful gatherings, in order to regain lost control. The situation of employing brute force against protesters across the country is so grave that the UN human rights office alarmingly voiced deep concern regarding the arbitrary detention of over 2,500 to 7,000 demonstrators, student leaders, journalists in India. The UNHRC office urged the government to stop use of excessive force against the protesting citizens, however, such proposed interventions were flagged off as “unwanted interferences” by the government representatives. These instances of detentions of protesting students in large-scale protest rallies to small gatherings of vigil, to deployment of border security forces at university campuses to overcome the rightful demands of students of an union, to use of brute and harsh tactics of protest dispersion in the form of firing of tear gas and even pellet guns (as seen during the July student protest) – shows a trend of disgrace brought to democracy using baton and barrels. Ultimately, the use of such disturbing forces to suppress dissent raises questions about the government’s methods. And the means it deploys perhaps also signal its vulnerability – not its strength.Sharmeen Shah is a Psychology and Political Science student at Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi.