It saddens me when people go about damaging public and
private property in the name of protest, demonstration, dharna, Rasta roko,
chakka jam, etc. Not only they damage the property but inconvenience a
number of people, who may be going to office, work, meeting or even taking a
sick patient to the hospital. This not only results in a loss of man hours but
a loss to the nation as such just because some people did not like a thing or
some political party wanted to set the score right. But do they have any
concern for the common man, who earns his daily living and if he does not work
then his family will go hungry. Sadly these demonstrations do not serve any
purpose for the common man but only causes trouble for them and leave the road
or place in a bad condition and dirty with pieces of glass, discarded flags and
sometimes even national flag, not to mention the pamphlets, polythene bags,
paper cups/ glasses and even used water bottles. Do these people have a right to inconvenience
people cause a loss to exchequer and make places dirty. Sadly no, but they do
so because they are convinced that general public will not protest and they
will be protected by their political bosses or they will simply get away
because the administration or police will not take action against them. Even by
any chance if they are arrested due to some video footage then they will be
released immediately due to political pressure and some might even get posts in
the organization or may even get tickets to fight election and may even sit in
assemblies or parliament to pass legislation or become part of executive. It is
too big an award to pass by and they put on their best or make all-out effort
to make these protests a huge success.
The real reason of these protests is known to their bosses
and these are the very people who hide behind masks and curtains so that their
image remains intact. It is because their bosses think that they do not like a scene in the film or the song or
they are likely to be arrested for a scam committed by them in the past or by
misusing their newly found powers. I am not referring here to the
demonstrations organized by the persons in protest against some wrong done to
them in a peaceful manner without inconveniencing other persons, the
demonstration against Nirbhaya and Jessica Lal murder. But sadly these are the
people who are lathi charged or bombarded by tear gas shells and are bundled
off in buses to detention centers and maybe even cases lodged against them, just
because they have no political boss or they are not under the protection of
some so called big shot. What justice is this when peaceful persons are lathi charged,
but the culprits who damage property, burn buses are allowed to go free. It speaks volume about the political and
administrative mess we are in and will continue to be in it as long as the
police and administration continue to serve their political bosses.
Every person has a right to protest against the injustice
done to him or to any other person or in general against the society, religion,
traditions, customs or nation as such, whether actual or perceived, but the
right comes with certain obligation on the part of individual. We are very prompt to either say or point out
the right but either we do not know or we conveniently choose to feign
ignorance about these obligations. Inherent in these obligations is the concept
of accountability. This accountability of the right lies in the realm of the
administration to enforce, in case the individual forgets it or feign
ignorance. This is where the administration fails miserably and is guided by
the concept of self-preservation rather than public good. Ignorance of law or
obligations are no excuse and the person deserves punishment if he damages
public or private property or inconveniences general public. There are enough judgments
by various high court and Supreme Court where they have declared such protest,
dharnas, Rasta rook, etc as illegal. Two high court among others, who have declared
them illegal and banned them including imposing fine on parties which organized
them are Kerala and West Bengal high court. But sadly these are the two states
where majority of these things happen and people take to streets at the
slightest provocation but choose to keep quite on the big issues like rape,
molestation, scams, etc. Worst either the administration and police are part of
it or they conveniently choose to look the other way either on their own or due
to pressure or orders.
Now with the intelligent use of technology and the presence
of media at such events it will be possible to identify and have proof against
such elements who go around causing destruction to public/private property,
damaging buses and organize chakka jam or rasta or rail rook agitations. What
is now required is to take legal action against them irrespective of who they
are or what position they are holding and give them the maximum possible
punishment. They should be sent to jail to serve their sentences at state which
are far off from their parent states or where the agitation took place and
impose fine on to recover the cost of the damages they have done. These are the people who should not be allowed
to stand for any election to a public post and the political parties should also
ensure that they do not get any part in their organizational set up. Unless a
strong deterrence is created to stop occurrence of these activities the damages
or inconveniencing the public will go on unabated. These are sufficient laws
and decisions by the judiciary in this regard and what is only required is a
strong will power and action on behalf of the administration and police to
strongly imposed these laws and decisions. Besides this it is equally important
to give strong support to those people who take action, so that they are not
harmed /penalized for their rightful duties by their bosses or political
parties.
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