In India, the right to dissent is guaranteed by law.

Enough for a while.

Farmers have for months been opposing new agricultural bills.

During these largely peaceful protests, there have been Internet shutdowns, and activists and journalists have been jailed.

Reporter Mandie Ponyo was arrested while covering the protests out on bail.

Now he's accused of assaulting policemen here.

He's seen being taken into custody.

Monday tells me he was beaten repeatedly with batons.

Those of us showing what's really happening on the ground are being targeted by people, in part to intimidate us, he says.

Over the past few years, India seen repeated crackdowns on people critical of the government and its policies.

With these farmers protest, though for the first time since Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2000 and 14, India's actions have grabbed widespread international attention.

Foreign celebrities on governments have urged this country to uphold Democratic rights on freedoms.

Climate activist Greta Thornburg was one of them.

She also shared a file which listed ways of supporting farmers.

Ah, criminal investigation was started over the document, and now Indian police have arrested this 22 year old woman dish a Ravi, for editing the fire.

She's charged with sedition, which carries a life sentence.

Many of those who've campaigned with the Sha took to the streets.

What we're seeing is a central government decides who had, like young people, innocent people on frame them in all sorts of ridiculous charges and also go across the world and frame greater Thornburgh and everyone else who works with her as having a grand conspiracy to destroy India come on.

Accountable and hypocritical.

Near the Rastan is one of India's most prominent journalists.

This government doesn't take kindly to criticism.

It does not take kindly to descend on.

That has been a pattern.

Now, over the last few years, we are the world's largest democracy.

But at the same time, what we're seeing increasingly over the last few years is a is a backsliding off that democracy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi doesn't hold press conferences.

His party didn't want to speak to the BBC foreign destructive ideology In parliament, there was a strong pushback against foreign commentary on what the government says are internal matters for India, but civil liberties are universal, says Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nandy.

When there are young black people that are shot in the United States by police officers, this is a universal human rights issue.

When the junta takes over in Myanmar, when there are free speech crackdowns in my country, that is an international human rights issue.

Many in India continue to challenge the government, but increasingly they're doing so in a climate of fear.

You go tell my BBC news daily.