Protest - The right way Gandhiji the father of the nation not only believed in the purity of end but means as well.
He wanted protests to be peaceful, non humiliating and non violent.
Any method of protest that is short of pure means was a strict no to him.
With the non violent weapon 'satyagraha' he brought down the mighty British empire and created conditions for the British to leave and set us free.
Purpose of protest must be to oppose policies or actions of the person responsible but not against the person himself.
Most importantly protest as a tool must be used against unjust actions or policies.
Protest against just and right actions especially in public domain must be curbed.
Protest is a tool for expressing overt reactions to events or situations.
Protesters often organize protests as a way of publicly and forcibly making their opinions heard so that public opinion or government policy is influenced.
In some cases, protests may take the form of direct action to ensure desired changes.
Nobody can question the right to protest but the present forms of protests to influence changes need to be within the limits of decency and human dignity.
Methods of protests need to be humane, less barbaric and civilized as we all live in civil societies where rule of law and democracy are the thumb rules.
Hence it is not Protest but the methods of protest that need to be reassessed.
Civil societies have recognized various forms of protest as acceptable.
They are broadly 1.
Petitions 2.
Letter writing campaigns 3.
Sit-ins 4.
Rasta rook 5.
Protest Marches 6.
Picketing 7.
Protest Songs 8.
Silent Protests These are broadly the recognized forms of Protest but no where inciting violence making inflammatory speeches that provoke caste/communal/religious or regional tensions is to be included.
As long as the purpose of protest and method of protest and form of protest are within the limits of decency and human dignity there need not be any worry or tension.
But often, especially in India, Protests often cross the limits of civilized societies.
The following methods of protest need to be curbed as they violate human dignity and civilized behavior.
It must be recognized that over reaction to the policies of persons in power or influence is uncalled for.
In democracies, the people are the ultimate masters who decide the fate of the so called leaders by the power of their vote at frequent intervals.
Those leaders who chose unpopular policies risk their political careers.
Protest as a method of opposition to the policies of persons in power is welcome.
Protest the policy but not the person should be the guiding principle of protests.
Protest should not take the form of humiliating, insulting, or abusing or violent handling of persons responsible for policies.
It should be a protest against policy and not the person.
1.
Burning of effigies: When ever a leader's utterances are not to the liking of his/her opponents, it is common practice for the opponents to organize/mobilize their cadre into marching in the streets, culminating in the garlanding of the opponent's effigy with chappals, tearing down his/her photos, kicking the effigies and burning them down.
This is sure humiliating the person and not opposing his policy.
It only leads to hatred spreading to the camps of persons responsible for actions or policies and those opposing them.
2.
Language and actions: One should control emotions while expressing opposition against the policies or actions of persons.
Be it Parliament or State Legislatures or Local Bodies like Zilla Parishads, or Civic body meetings we come across incidents where members throw chairs against each other, break the mikes or use language that is un acceptable in civil societies.
Some times they even make hand to hand fights in thefull glare of the media.
Ifprotesting against actions or policies is the end then they could adopt more civilized forms of protest to draw attention of the public as well as people in power.
It is better if we control emotions and concentrate on opposing the policies or actions forcefully in a peaceful and orderly fashion.
Walkouts etc provide the right tool for protesters.
3.
Destructive protests: Often the protests/bandhs called by people opposing the actions or policies turn violent and lead to loss of property, life and limb.
If the organizers of the protest have no control over the acts of the followers joining the protests, then it is better they chose methods like peaceful satyagraha to draw attention.
Destructive protests directly affect the public and inconvenience them in many ways.
Those needing immediate medical care suffer the most during violent protests as their movements are restricted to the places like hospitals or health care units.
Protesters must ensure that the public are not inconvenienced by their actions.
Influencing opinion is one thing and causing inconvenience is another thing.
Hence our methods of protest must or the means of protest must be as pure as possible as the end of the protest.
It is time for the political leaders of all shades to agree on a code of conduct as to what is a just protest and what is a unacceptable protest.
They have to accept the Gandhian methods as means of protest.
Persons responsible for actions and policies and their opponents must ensure that they agitate for the right cause by right means.
If either the cause is wrong or the means are wrong they should shun it.
If the opponents of policies or actions failed to draw attention even after following peaceful methods as advocated by Gandhiji, they can always to the impartial and independent judiciary against the actions or policies and get the redressal.
Leaders representing various group interest have to bear in mind that their reaction to actions or policies must be civilized.
Otherwise the next generations will not excuse their forefathers for the wrong ways of behaviour that has come to them as inheritance.
To oppose the policies or actions of a person, various peaceful and non violent methods, decent and dignified methods are available.
The judiciary is available to even the ordinary person against excesses of the people in power.
Besides there will be always support for the right cause only if we succeed in understanding the cause rightly.
Lastly the ultimate weapon lies with the public in the form of ballot box.
To quote an example of powerful protest by the public that effectively transferred the power and punished the rulers the poll results in the after math of emergency.
Remember what happened to the congress party and Mrs Indira Gandhi after when elections were held in the aftermath of the emergency.
The election results clearly prove the indignation of the entire nation against the then establishment for the gross abuse of powers and untold sufferings that the emergency brought.
No political leader now what ever is his popularity ever dream of imposing national emergency except under extraordinary conditions.
The election results reflected the best show piece of effective protest against the actions and policies of Mrs Gandhi's Government during the Emergency period.
Hence protests can be decent, peaceful and dignified and yet achieve the means only if such protests are short of violence and uncivilized behaviour of the persons indulging in the protests.
He wanted protests to be peaceful, non humiliating and non violent.
Any method of protest that is short of pure means was a strict no to him.
With the non violent weapon 'satyagraha' he brought down the mighty British empire and created conditions for the British to leave and set us free.
Purpose of protest must be to oppose policies or actions of the person responsible but not against the person himself.
Most importantly protest as a tool must be used against unjust actions or policies.
Protest against just and right actions especially in public domain must be curbed.
Protest is a tool for expressing overt reactions to events or situations.
Protesters often organize protests as a way of publicly and forcibly making their opinions heard so that public opinion or government policy is influenced.
In some cases, protests may take the form of direct action to ensure desired changes.
Nobody can question the right to protest but the present forms of protests to influence changes need to be within the limits of decency and human dignity.
Methods of protests need to be humane, less barbaric and civilized as we all live in civil societies where rule of law and democracy are the thumb rules.
Hence it is not Protest but the methods of protest that need to be reassessed.
Civil societies have recognized various forms of protest as acceptable.
They are broadly 1.
Petitions 2.
Letter writing campaigns 3.
Sit-ins 4.
Rasta rook 5.
Protest Marches 6.
Picketing 7.
Protest Songs 8.
Silent Protests These are broadly the recognized forms of Protest but no where inciting violence making inflammatory speeches that provoke caste/communal/religious or regional tensions is to be included.
As long as the purpose of protest and method of protest and form of protest are within the limits of decency and human dignity there need not be any worry or tension.
But often, especially in India, Protests often cross the limits of civilized societies.
The following methods of protest need to be curbed as they violate human dignity and civilized behavior.
It must be recognized that over reaction to the policies of persons in power or influence is uncalled for.
In democracies, the people are the ultimate masters who decide the fate of the so called leaders by the power of their vote at frequent intervals.
Those leaders who chose unpopular policies risk their political careers.
Protest as a method of opposition to the policies of persons in power is welcome.
Protest the policy but not the person should be the guiding principle of protests.
Protest should not take the form of humiliating, insulting, or abusing or violent handling of persons responsible for policies.
It should be a protest against policy and not the person.
1.
Burning of effigies: When ever a leader's utterances are not to the liking of his/her opponents, it is common practice for the opponents to organize/mobilize their cadre into marching in the streets, culminating in the garlanding of the opponent's effigy with chappals, tearing down his/her photos, kicking the effigies and burning them down.
This is sure humiliating the person and not opposing his policy.
It only leads to hatred spreading to the camps of persons responsible for actions or policies and those opposing them.
2.
Language and actions: One should control emotions while expressing opposition against the policies or actions of persons.
Be it Parliament or State Legislatures or Local Bodies like Zilla Parishads, or Civic body meetings we come across incidents where members throw chairs against each other, break the mikes or use language that is un acceptable in civil societies.
Some times they even make hand to hand fights in thefull glare of the media.
Ifprotesting against actions or policies is the end then they could adopt more civilized forms of protest to draw attention of the public as well as people in power.
It is better if we control emotions and concentrate on opposing the policies or actions forcefully in a peaceful and orderly fashion.
Walkouts etc provide the right tool for protesters.
3.
Destructive protests: Often the protests/bandhs called by people opposing the actions or policies turn violent and lead to loss of property, life and limb.
If the organizers of the protest have no control over the acts of the followers joining the protests, then it is better they chose methods like peaceful satyagraha to draw attention.
Destructive protests directly affect the public and inconvenience them in many ways.
Those needing immediate medical care suffer the most during violent protests as their movements are restricted to the places like hospitals or health care units.
Protesters must ensure that the public are not inconvenienced by their actions.
Influencing opinion is one thing and causing inconvenience is another thing.
Hence our methods of protest must or the means of protest must be as pure as possible as the end of the protest.
It is time for the political leaders of all shades to agree on a code of conduct as to what is a just protest and what is a unacceptable protest.
They have to accept the Gandhian methods as means of protest.
Persons responsible for actions and policies and their opponents must ensure that they agitate for the right cause by right means.
If either the cause is wrong or the means are wrong they should shun it.
If the opponents of policies or actions failed to draw attention even after following peaceful methods as advocated by Gandhiji, they can always to the impartial and independent judiciary against the actions or policies and get the redressal.
Leaders representing various group interest have to bear in mind that their reaction to actions or policies must be civilized.
Otherwise the next generations will not excuse their forefathers for the wrong ways of behaviour that has come to them as inheritance.
To oppose the policies or actions of a person, various peaceful and non violent methods, decent and dignified methods are available.
The judiciary is available to even the ordinary person against excesses of the people in power.
Besides there will be always support for the right cause only if we succeed in understanding the cause rightly.
Lastly the ultimate weapon lies with the public in the form of ballot box.
To quote an example of powerful protest by the public that effectively transferred the power and punished the rulers the poll results in the after math of emergency.
Remember what happened to the congress party and Mrs Indira Gandhi after when elections were held in the aftermath of the emergency.
The election results clearly prove the indignation of the entire nation against the then establishment for the gross abuse of powers and untold sufferings that the emergency brought.
No political leader now what ever is his popularity ever dream of imposing national emergency except under extraordinary conditions.
The election results reflected the best show piece of effective protest against the actions and policies of Mrs Gandhi's Government during the Emergency period.
Hence protests can be decent, peaceful and dignified and yet achieve the means only if such protests are short of violence and uncivilized behaviour of the persons indulging in the protests.