The steady decline of democracy, institutions and freedoms in India over the past eight years has been a matter of great concern to Indians and governments across the world. Interestingly, many of the trends witnessed here are mirrored in the US too – the rise of an aggressive right wing, aggressive religious nationalism, calls to subvert the democratic process and, perhaps most worrying of all, a dysfunctional judicial system. As we celebrate Independence Day, Rohit Tripathi, Washington-based policy advocate who has worked with both the US Congress and the Indian Parliament on a variety of issues, speaks to All Indians Matter.