Ashok Lavasa writes | Jantar Mantar taught us what democracy means, beyond elections

Protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar raise slogans, demanding action in the NEET paper leak case (Express Photo by Arul Horizon) Three hundred and two years ago, a monument was erected in Delhi, the name of which means “instrument used for calculation”. “Jantar” comes from “yantra”, meaning instrument, and “mantar” comes from “mantrana”, meaning “to consult” or “to calculate”. What we witnessed near that monument in the last few weeks was a regime bereft of any instrument to calculate the ferocity of the storm that originated in the virtual world thousands of miles away, and advanced at uncontrollable speed to damage a delusional world of hubris. It broke many a pillar known for not bending and left a supposedly invincible establishment bruised and resigned. If there is one word that define