At stake are not only the life, liberty and human rights of the citizens of the country, the democratic structure itself may collapse one day. We saw what happened during the Emergency when, as recorded by the Shah Commission, “the police was used and allowed themselves to be used for purposes some of which were, to say the least, questionable”. The increasing number of persons of criminal background in state assemblies and Parliament are already eating into the vitals of our democracy. Economic development, of which we feel so proud, is also likely to be jeopardised if the law and order machinery doesn’t get the much-needed upgrade. What happened in Haryana during the reservation agitation in 2016, where property worth Rs 20,000 crore was devastated, should not be forgotten.