Fiery sloganeering against the government might make for good television, but it doesn't help in enforcing accountability on the government for its primary job of governance. What India needs is a coherent and informative voice from the opposition in Parliament on issues of policy and governance. The answer: a shadow cabinet.

A few days ago, the Indian Prime Minister was busy promoting India as a nation of opportunities to Silicon Valley, urging the corporate giants there to invest in India. Make India digital, he roared. Within hours, Indians responded to their leader by jazzing up their Facebook profile pictures with a tricolour filter. The whole world took notice of a "modern", "upcoming", and "enterprising" India. Around the same time, back home, the other face of India was about to raise its ugly head.