Akhand Bharat STRATEGIC REVIEW OF JANTAR MANTAR PROTESTS June – July 2026 “ The Jantar Mantar protests represent the complex kaleidoscope of an aspirational young generation’s dissatisfaction with geriatric political leadership, democratic realpolitik, and covert external intervention, against the alluring backdrop of an Akhand Bharat . ” – Col RS Sidhu Backdrop India in its earlier avatar of ‘ Bharat ’ was governed by a hereditary monarchy. In this model of governance, the society norms flowed from the ruler, as may be averred from the vernacular paraphrase, “ Yatha Raja, Tatha Praja ” (As is the King, so are the people). Today, India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, with a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-linguistic, and multi-religious civil society. Virtuous political leadership is the key to maintain balance in such a factitious political environment. However, in a democracy, where the reins of power a...