A linguistic minority passes a resolution in a local government body that it wants to merge with a neighboring state which is home to its language. A great regional language actor, who is adored by many, passes away a natural death. A religious minority takes out a protest march to condemn an event in a far off country which is followed by a procession by another community in the same localities for totally another reason. And then, a national tribunal gives its verdict on a water dispute against this regional state’s interest.
What all these events have in common is that, they happen in the same state within a span of a year and each one is followed by protests to start with, followed by ‘a bandh’, violence & arson leaving the capital city in fear, anger and sheer helplessness. Welcome to Namma Bengaluru (Our Bangalore).
We all feel frustrated, angered and sad due to many of the happenings around us. But does that mean you go out and torch a state government bus? Go out and pelt stones at people because they were trying to catch their train? Go out and break the glass windows and glass coverings of the buildings which dared to be open in spite of the bandh call? Get into people’s houses and torch their vehicles because they bear the registration mark of the state which you demise? Or worst, go on lynching people of the other religion?
First of all, all forms of violence and arson should be intolerable for any society. But the most ironic part of the story is that by calling bandhs and indulging in arson and violence, you end up punishing the very people whom you pretend to be standing up for!
By burning the state government bus, we are losing our state capital, by stopping trains, busses and making people shut shops, we are incurring a huge economic loss on our own state! And the bad publicity, image loss and fear which all this brings with it has a long lasting impact on the state’s future.
This very illogical idea of self-hurt prevails all across India, from Mumbai to Kolkata.
I sincerely appeal to all politicians, administrators, linguistic and religious groups to put our state’s interest on top. There is no point in closing out our own businesses and taking the law into our own hands as it inflicts a loss on our own people and it makes no difference to the world which looks at us as a downtrodden primitive society.
Let’s stand up to the ethics, principles and values of our mother nation. Let’s make our world a better place to live in. Lets save namma Bengaluru.
What all these events have in common is that, they happen in the same state within a span of a year and each one is followed by protests to start with, followed by ‘a bandh’, violence & arson leaving the capital city in fear, anger and sheer helplessness. Welcome to Namma Bengaluru (Our Bangalore).
We all feel frustrated, angered and sad due to many of the happenings around us. But does that mean you go out and torch a state government bus? Go out and pelt stones at people because they were trying to catch their train? Go out and break the glass windows and glass coverings of the buildings which dared to be open in spite of the bandh call? Get into people’s houses and torch their vehicles because they bear the registration mark of the state which you demise? Or worst, go on lynching people of the other religion?
First of all, all forms of violence and arson should be intolerable for any society. But the most ironic part of the story is that by calling bandhs and indulging in arson and violence, you end up punishing the very people whom you pretend to be standing up for!
By burning the state government bus, we are losing our state capital, by stopping trains, busses and making people shut shops, we are incurring a huge economic loss on our own state! And the bad publicity, image loss and fear which all this brings with it has a long lasting impact on the state’s future.
This very illogical idea of self-hurt prevails all across India, from Mumbai to Kolkata.
I sincerely appeal to all politicians, administrators, linguistic and religious groups to put our state’s interest on top. There is no point in closing out our own businesses and taking the law into our own hands as it inflicts a loss on our own people and it makes no difference to the world which looks at us as a downtrodden primitive society.
Let’s stand up to the ethics, principles and values of our mother nation. Let’s make our world a better place to live in. Lets save namma Bengaluru.
4 comments:
the most ironic part of the story is that by calling bandhs and indulging in arson and violence, you end up punishing the very people whom you pretend to be standing up for
Takes the cake. Thanks.
A surprisingly driven post in a time of cynicism. felt nice to read it.
That being said... if you think about it, 'bandhs' are the only civil action that can be taken by the masses in opposition to the authorities/ the system. (Not that I am condoning the violence and arson that go with it of course). Our 'mother nation' as you call it was born out of several such bandhs against imperialism. The whole idea of the bandh (or satyagraha) is inherently Indian.
The irony is that in a democracy, no one can ever decide (or no one SHOULD ever decide) what is worth a bandh and what isn't.
So as I see it, peaceful protests that cause economic shutdowns are the real price you pay for living in a (even marginally) free society...
To sum up - violence is bad, in all forms, but bandhs are the price of doing business :)
Sorry... couldn't resist playing the devil's advocate...
Dear Hrishi, Thanks for playing the devil’s advocate, made me think some more.
1. Considering that the protest is for opposing the authorities / government, there is a difference between having a right to 'differ' , 'protest' and the hegemony to shut down businesses. Most of the bandhs we see today do not have much mass appeal. This is very much evident from the shopkeepers desperately trying to sell from half shut shops, employees in a dilemma whether to bunk office or stay at home based on security concerns rather than ideological support. Schools and colleges voluntarily shut down solely on the basis of security concerns. Bandhs in our country are largely driven by goons backed by politicians trying to show their muscle strengths and making a political point many a times which has a very less appeal among the general public.
2. If you see the reasons why bandhs were called lately, you can see that the bandh made no point at all! What difference it made to Tamil Nadu or the Water Disputes Commission in Delhi by closing down Bangalore for a day? Bangalore had lost a legal battle; there are legal and political ways to tackle that, which they would do anyway. By putting a bandh call, all Bangaloreans suffered. Everybody loved and adored Dr. Rajkumar. But a bandh because he died a natural death? What sort of a protest is this? Whom is the protest against? What for? All these questions have no rational answers. Something happens, have a bandh, make people suffer and forget about it. In the meantime, anti-social elements have a field day.
3. And lastly, a peaceful total bandh is not possible just because, for it to be peaceful, it needs to be voluntary and for it to be voluntary, it cannot be total.
So my opposition and resentment is not for the protest. It is for the forceful closure of the cities which brings economic, physical, social and psychological devastation. And today, this devastation is not against a foreign power, it is against us, and this is misguided democracy. True, it has become a price of doing business, but great political will can change all that which currently seems to be absent ;(
Aah, now you walk perilous close to the dark side, young padawan! :)
"...it is against us, and this is misguided democracy. True, it has become a price of doing business, but great political will can change all that which currently seems to be absent"
Who decides what is "misguided democracy"? Why/ how should people (such as you or me) who THINK they know better bend the majority to their "political will"?
The fact that democracy is based on simple majority is a major flaw with it - the majority needn't always be right! Another flaw with democracy is that it in no practical way compensates for the "might is right" principle... or at least, it doesn't do so well enough in the real world.
And finally, democracy comes built in with the temptation to become a dictator/ hegemon for anyone who is smarter than the "average man".
:) The price of doing business indeed...
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