Those entrusted with the power of the state must always remember that the legitimacy of that power comes from the confidence and trust of the people. The larger questionThe issue is not whether the protesters were right or wrong; reasonable people may differ on that. There is also a fundamental principle that must never be lost sight of: the conduct of the police can never be equated with that of a protesting crowd. Why are Delhi Police personnel in plain clothes, with their faces hidden behind handkerchiefs, treating student protesters like terrorists? The power entrusted to the State is at its strongest when it is exercised with restraint.