It is astonishing to see citizens always turn to the judiciary to safeguard their rights. It is even more so because our leaders, decades ago, popularised the idea of Satyagraha or non-violent resistance. What ought to be the last recourse has now become our default mode, our first impulse. It is a truism that citizens can best protect their rights from state infringement through collective action. Their apathetic attitude to citizen solidarity explains, at least partially, why the state cavalierly issued the diktat to mobile phone users earlier this year to link their connections to their Aadhaar numbers or have their services terminated. No qualms about violating an individual’s privacy, no fear that telecom operators could use the data for commercial and other benefits. The state can behave so imperiously because it presumes that a popular blowback is unlikely. Sure, conscionable citizens will appeal to the judiciary, as it indeed has been done in what is called...