It is Time to Differentiate Dissent from Anarchy in India
#opinion
What happened on this Republic Day at the capital was a matter of shame for all Indians. The Red Fort was besieged, the Tiranga was dishonoured, and what was supposed to be a “non-violent” protest seems to have culminated as a full-fledged riot that injured over 300 policemen. What is even more worrisome is the striking resemblance of these events to the Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) protests. Both of them took the form of mass civil disobedience involving the blocking of highways and roads that stretched on for weeks, and both, unfortunately, climaxed as violent movements that lead to the loss of lives and public property. Hence, it has become necessary to re-examine the nature and validity of protests in India.
To know more about CAA, check out this article:
Know about the aftermath of CAA:
The Constitutional Validity of Mass Blockade Protests
While the right to dissent and protest is guaranteed by the Constitution, it does have its limitations. In the light of recent events, the Supreme Court of India stated that the blockade of public spaces and roads, commonly used in pre-independent India against the British government, should not be tolerated in an independent democracy. It also stressed that public places should not be occupied indefinitely, thus highlighting that the fundamental rights of one party must not infringe upon those of others.
The farmers’ protests reportedly resulted in daily losses of 3000–3500 crores by limiting the movement of goods and people in Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Such long-standing protests should take a cue from the Jalikattu protests and instead be carried out in designated spots with sufficient area. Now, a group of people claiming to be ‘locals’ have clashed with the protestors at Ghazipur citing the inconvenience the protests were causing them.
Some believe that the counter-protestors are backed by the BJP and are ‘politically motivated’. However, the same can be said about the protesting farmer unions as the Bharatiya Kissan Union(BKU) supported the Congress party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and many other protesting unions are affiliated to other parties such as AAP, CPI, etc. In the end, political support should never dictate the ethicality of protests.
These events show that ‘tolerance’ is a double-edged sword and that we cannot be intolerant of others’ lives and livelihoods in expressing our dissent.
The Unholy Romanticization of ‘Revolution’
There is a recent trend of scandalizing the Indian judiciary and accusing it of being biased to the ruling party whenever they give a verdict that is not favourable to some. Illustrator Rachita Taneja faces contempt proceedings over a cartoon that accuses the Supreme Court(SC) of colluding with the ruling NDA government. Expressing disagreement should not be confused with making gross insinuations without proof. However, the real threat lies in what comes after such defamation.
The unproven narrative of an undeclared emergency and that all the institutions from courts to the election commission being under the control of the ruling party inadvertently dilutes the cause for civil and peaceful dissent.
The rapid spread of fake and inflammatory news in this digital era only exacerbates the problem. Anti-CAA protestor Sharjeel Imam was arrested last year for allegedly threatening to cut off the state of Assam from the rest of India. In a video that went online, he says that India and its Constitution were never secular or democratic and that the only solution is for Muslims to mobilize and separate Assam from India! This is the kind of reasoning terrorist groups such as the Hizbul Mujahideen and Maoists use to justify their anti-national activities. The only solution they support is a violent revolution that shakes a nation’s foundation. Bhima Koregaon violence accused and so-called ‘activist’ Varavara Rao once said that Maoists are justified in killing security forces as they do not believe in the Indian Constitution and its laws. These statements challenge the sovereignty of the nation, and therefore, the freedom of speech does not apply! It may be easy for these individuals to make such speeches but the brunt of these actions will be borne by the common man.
In the United States, some Anti-fascist(Antifa) protestors who protested last year over the death of George Floyd now say that they don’t want a new government or justice but revenge! What exactly do they mean by ‘revenge’? How is the dissolution of a country or its democracy going to solve anything? Some people have even gone onto justify looting, claiming it is necessary to bring change to society!
Recently, celebrities such as Rihanna have criticized the Delhi Police for cutting internet services at the protest sites and fortifying them with iron spikes. However, I feel that the state has a right to protect its citizens and property, especially in the aftermath of the Republic Day events. Will any nation allow sword-wielding vandals and weaponized tractors in its streets? It is quite hypocritical for people who were ‘shocked’ by events at the United States Capitol to conveniently turn a blind eye to the violence in India’s capital. Moreover, some of their motives are questionable.
Why is Greta Thunberg, an ‘environmental activist’, opposing laws that sought to restrict the environmentally hazardous practise of stubble burning? The public toolkit that she posted and then later deleted exposed a global campaign against India! Poetic Justice Foundation (PJF), a known Khalistan supporting organization, prepared the document’s campaign material and social media template. It lists a series of actions including Twitter storms and mass mobilization in front of Indian embassies and government offices during this year’s Republic Day! A PowerPoint presentation they shared calls for the disruption of India’s Yoga and Chai image! Moreover, the document does not even have a link to the complete statements of the new laws. This shows that their true target is not the BJP or the farm laws but India itself. Her updated document does not mention the PJF and the Republic Day activities, which is rather suspicious. The last thing India needs is interference from foreign separatists in the disguise of ‘human rights’ activists.
To conclude, anarchy fails to help anyone except those who want to dismantle the nation for their vested interests. Hijacking an entire nation cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. Perhaps, the only permissible ‘mass revolution’ should be that of using the ballot.
Disclaimer: We are a platform which allows all views to be represented without bias or discrimination. This piece is not to be judged upon as the final stance of MUNner’s daily or MEC MUN Society.
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