Non-violent civil disobedience is usually associated with images of a lone, unarmed and grim-faced person standing defiantly in the path of a tank. By contrast, laughter does not lend itself to such stark imagery but it is indeed a powerful tool of non-violent resistance to oppressive power.
At a time when many of the elementary freedoms and reassurances of democratic rights are being undermined, defiant laughter is vital — both for the mental health of those who actively resist and as a challenge to the powers that be.
India’s vibrant stand-up comedy scene, with. . .
