Well, this post has been written because of the recent protests in three different places- Punjab, Khusrupur in Bihar and Melbourne Australia.
And while one can easily say that the protests were for different issues, one thing that was common in all three cases was that the protesters were Indians.
In one case, Indians students observed a peaceful protest against the recent racial attacks.
While in the other case protesters at Khusrupur were anything but peaceful. Around 200 protesters setting the station on fire and pulling up train tracks delaying dozens of trains.
And everybody knows about the Punjab issue too...a murder in Vienna...bus truck yahan jala diye...
So, why were the protests different??
Well, it has all to do with the reactions of the governments and government agencies. If the students in Australia or Sikhs in Vienna had dared destroying public property, they would have been made to pay or even put behind bars.
But in India, no mob has to ever think about the consequences. People are not afraid as they know they would not be made to pay for damages or even get arrested...That is a major reason that most protests in India turn violent even if they start as peaceful protests.
Also while people may argue that the Indian government knows that these people will not vote for them if they take action...while the Aussie government knows that the Indians there do not have voting rights...well that’s just the price of being second rate citizens in another country.(and apart from students...I do not know why any person would want to be a second rate citizen in some foreign country...yes, you'll have a high paying job, a nice house, be called an NRI..but still be an outsider in that country.)
And the result of the two protests is evident too...In Australia, the cops lathi charged the crowd and dispersed the crowds and ended the protest whereas in India, they mob got whatever demands they wanted. And though I am not saying that the cops should lathi charge innocent people, but then governments should not blindly give in to such blackmail too.
As in the case of Punjab protests, nobody protested or burnt public property in Vienna, but the mobs had a free run in Punjab and not one of them was arrested.
And while one can easily say that the protests were for different issues, one thing that was common in all three cases was that the protesters were Indians.
In one case, Indians students observed a peaceful protest against the recent racial attacks.
While in the other case protesters at Khusrupur were anything but peaceful. Around 200 protesters setting the station on fire and pulling up train tracks delaying dozens of trains.
And everybody knows about the Punjab issue too...a murder in Vienna...bus truck yahan jala diye...
So, why were the protests different??
Well, it has all to do with the reactions of the governments and government agencies. If the students in Australia or Sikhs in Vienna had dared destroying public property, they would have been made to pay or even put behind bars.
But in India, no mob has to ever think about the consequences. People are not afraid as they know they would not be made to pay for damages or even get arrested...That is a major reason that most protests in India turn violent even if they start as peaceful protests.
Also while people may argue that the Indian government knows that these people will not vote for them if they take action...while the Aussie government knows that the Indians there do not have voting rights...well that’s just the price of being second rate citizens in another country.(and apart from students...I do not know why any person would want to be a second rate citizen in some foreign country...yes, you'll have a high paying job, a nice house, be called an NRI..but still be an outsider in that country.)
And the result of the two protests is evident too...In Australia, the cops lathi charged the crowd and dispersed the crowds and ended the protest whereas in India, they mob got whatever demands they wanted. And though I am not saying that the cops should lathi charge innocent people, but then governments should not blindly give in to such blackmail too.
As in the case of Punjab protests, nobody protested or burnt public property in Vienna, but the mobs had a free run in Punjab and not one of them was arrested.
They say that a mob has no faces- but I say catch some protesters and make them pay the price..and from the next time, such people will never dare to damage public property.
.
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Added as postscript on June 8, 2009 10:15 AM, an hour before my final seminar for PS II.
A Times of India columnist also shared his view on similar lines a day after I wrote this entry. Check them out at http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/clicklit/entry/come-let-s-burn-a . Very well written article.
5 comments:
rightly said..........arrest sum nd rest will stay away
shyte.. i read the topic as "I proest" and when started reading.. i thought.. Boxer kya pee wee aaya hai kya.. then i re-read the topic.. and i realised.. well.. you know :D
@ Sorry- I am nt very sure whether that was a sarcastic remark or not..but I don't want people to stop protesting, I just want them to stop destroying public property while protesting.
@KK- Bhai mujhe itni bhi publicity ki zaroorat nahi ki mujhe blog par "I proest" likhna pade ;) :P
yeah... ob u dont need publicity.. :) Boxer bhai :)
yoyo :)
kya chal raha hai?? PS nearly khatam..ab kya plans??
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