Comments - Delhi Protests against Sexual Violence against Women

Take the movement forward peacefully - DNA, Page - 4, 25th December 2012, Pune Edition

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=4&edcode=820040&eddate=2012-12-25

The protests in Delhi display the anger of the public, especially the youth, on the increasing crimes against women. Peaceful demonstration and mobilisation of the citizens to protest against gender-based violence and threats to the Indian women are a legitimate mode of seeking suitable state response to address the crisis.

While the Delhi government displayed a lackadaisical approach and missed an opportunity in the beginning, not perceiving the anger and anxiety of the masses, now it is time to ensure that all the agencies of the state carry out their respective duties in order to ensure that the case reaches its logical conclusion.

However, the protests have displayed threats of translating itself into a violent and anarchic movement due to the infiltration of anti-social elements who have tried to vitiate the environment by launching attacks on the police personnel and destroying public properties.

Instead of spilling their anger on the streets of Delhi, the protesters should strive towards taking the movement ahead in a peaceful manner by forming a robust pan-India association that seeks to check and curb violence against women across the country. Hence, the violent protests, in other words, are a great disservice to the countless women who are victims of unabated sexual violence in this country.

Response to - When victim turns into a saviour! by Sunita Aron

http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/hindi-heartland/2010/06/29/when-victim-turns-into-a-saviour

A friend of mine strongly recommended that I must visit your blog.

Your write up on ‘Communal Harmony’ was an interesting read with some innovative thoughts, yet it slithered into a self indulgent note in the later course, since the core issues related to the crisis were simply not broached upon.

Firstly since you claim that you were witness to an unpleasant exchange at Aligarh circa 1992, it is quite evident that you must have discovered that communalism is a grave threat and a perennial crisis confronting the nation. It’s certainly not a folk tale to be discussed in air conditioned room, with the usual potshots at the RSS or Deoband. They aren’t decision makers nor participants in the crisis, at times they indulge baring their ‘opinions/world view’

Moreover there has been a trend which has been legitimized by sections of upper caste controlled English media, some uninterested academicians and hordes of NGO activists who otherwise display poignant ignorance on issues like democracy, governance, caste violence or empowerment of women. Communal violence for them is confined to Gujarat, no other violence howsoever bigger, in terms of causalities captures their attention, since in an age of free market economy, funding decides issues of importance. So any right thinking Indian with a heart of gold like you should be cautious, while approaching the issues concerning the images of the victim – be it an innocent Manipuri caught in the ethnic conflict, kashmiri pandit in J&K, hapless tribal near POSCO or a villager in Nadigram. This would help one from not gravitating towards selective amnesia or towards the discourse of predominant groups in the power structure.

People of India aren’t interested in knowing the success of market ridden IPL cricket or suicides by disgruntled models, they are rather affected by the widening gulf between the rich and the poor and the sub human conditions of a large section due to lopsided state policies, wanton killings in the name of religion, caste, ethnicity or khap panchayats or displacement due to development.

Finally the prevalence of tolerance and syncretism in the Indian society is an inalienable part of the Indian society, for ex one can find in kerala and Tamilnadu, married Christian women wearing the magalsutra which has a minor difference, i.e. the holy cross instead of signs of hindu gods, or Meo Muslims calling for a hindu astrologer to make the horoscope, whenever a child is born in their family. The renowned Nadaswaram player Late Sheikh Chinna Mullah was an extention of the lord Ranganatha temple in Tiruchirapalli. So the examples are innumerable.

The crisis not only emanates due to the active role of the political parties in the crisis but a convoluted application of secularism over the last few decades that has alienated the masses rather than unifying them.

These are some of my observations that do not intend to discredit your opinion nor question your well justifiable concerns.

Regards

Radhakrishnan

Comments - Live Life Worthwhile published by Pustak Mahal

The book Live Life Worthwhile published by Pustak Mahal consisting of 70 lessons or 70 ways of enjoying and responding to the challenges in our life is a very timely intervention. The author Murali Chari, represents the common concern of humankind and the crisis that the present generation is confronted with – short cut to success, abysmal intelligence and a declining rate of integrity.

Author: Murli Chari

Format: Paperback
Language: English
ISBN: 9788122313574
Code: 9788R
Price: US$ 8.00
Published: 2012
Publisher: Pustak Mahal

While the general public in India grows pessimistic about the malaise like corruption, nepotism, criminalization of politics and lack of a dynamic knowledge base in the country, what is particularly overlooked is the connivance of the very same common masses resulting in the breakdown of institutions of governance? Hence the book by Murali Chari is a welcome move which appeals to the conscience of the common populace without any compunction and seeks to encourage one and all irrespective of age, gender, creed or adherence to any belief system. 

Live Life Worthwhile is written in a very simple style and would appeal to the readers cutting across the society, and what makes it very readable, is the lucid language and wonderful addition of anecdotes to substantiate the main theme. The varied themes followed by anecdotes dealing with history, mythology, corporate sector, sports etc vindicate the enormous amount of labour put in by the author in gathering valuable information for the 70 lessons and ways.

The themes chosen by the author are everlasting in terms of their relevance for the humankind.  They deal with a wide range of issues like emphasis on integrity, freedom from prejudices, self development, respecting the symbiotic relation with the earth to adhering to justice, fairness and for upholding ethics. What is unique in this entire exercise of dealing with human perseverance and challenges of frailties are the very logical amalgamation of themes with anecdotes that are insightful, thus taking each lesson to its logical conclusion. Each lesson is dotted with anecdotes in the end that cover a wide span of historical and contemporary personalities, which is instrumental in presenting a better understanding of each lesson and its significance for the society in general.

This book will indeed go a long way in helping the young generation (GenNext) in addressing the challenges that they are confronted with, in a holistic manner. It also promises great potentiality towards guiding the readers in discovering the most important aspect of themselves – their inner voice.

Revisiting the Mahatma

Every 2nd October, when Gandhi Jayanthi is commemorated, the show begins on a sombre note in the Indian official calendar, with the usual proclamations and dedications in the name of the Father of the nation. Television channels blare out on the significance of his arrival in the nation's social-political landscape; print media splash his images, in their various avatars. While the advertisers seek to lure their clientele by offering sops, make lofty claims of emulating the Mahatma, his frugality, austerity and principles even while marketing things otherwise ostentatious - as the issue of Mount Blanc luxury pens surfaced some time back.

Gandhi and his metaphors continue to captivate the nation subconsciously, while at the same time lawlessness, dismal governance, official apathy and public policies with their usual ham headed approach continues to derail the aam admi’s day to day existence. In the present context one may ask as to what is uncommon in the present commonwealth games? The games held at a magnitude bereft of any credibility, defy all established norms, exposes all the chinks in the official armor of the Indian state and its sporting establishment. The spirit of Gandhi ji would have been left traumatized, with the appalling conditions, cold indifference and the inflated bills for organizing such events. The recent instance of the treatment meted to the Ugandan delegates who met with an accident at the venue is a case to be carefully studied. Our Afro-Asian solidarity and Gandhian principles on resisting unequal racial relations, his experience in South Africa, has come in for close scrutiny and censure, given the official apathy towards the accident victims.

What perplexes the common masses is the propensity to invoke Gandhi and yet indulge in un-Gandhian activities. The Gandhians' feel that it is the Indian state and its people who have failed Gandhi. While others and some skeptics, who question the ‘officially designated’ Gandhians' feel that it is the Gandhians' who have let down both the Indian people and Gandhi ji. They point out that these ‘angels’ who invoke Gandhi from their official precincts, never walked under the blazing Indian sun (Dandi yatras’) nor undertook any arduous journey as undertaken by people like Vinoba Bhave, Baba Amte or Sunderlal Bahuguna. So one may conclude that Gandhi ji remains a totem, which is omnipresent yet missing within the social and spiritual domains of the Indian populace at large.

While one may strongly agree in spite of the tumultuous times that we are witnessing, that Gandhi ji remains a pivotal point for questioning all kinds of inequality and injustice in any part of the world. Incidentally the Palestinian movement tried to invoke Gandhian tactics but failed, whereas late Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela could come out with remarkably successful results. The mobilization techniques deployed by Gandhi ji still remains relevant, notwithstanding the changes that have taken place over the last six decades.

The fact that an average politician howsoever grudgingly, comes to our doorstep to seek our vote, in spite of his/her ‘social standing’, is also the part of the legacy left behind by the saint of our freedom struggle. Gandhi ji was a master diplomat, an able statesman and a great political strategist who invoked religious values and spiritualism with a universal perspective, for the betterment, lest it polarize people to its narrow confines.

Yet this Gandhi Jayanthi too leaves us with many unanswered questions about the state of the nation, the discontent within the society, empowerment of the weaker sections, rotting food grains in state go-downs, while poor die of starvation, judicial recourse in day to day existence, matters of faith seeking to call the shots, after the parliament having pandered to it once, around two decades ago. Hence ‘revisiting’ the Mahatma and also waiting for one seems to be the perennial ritual in the annals of the nation.

Anomie and the spirit of Independence

The hurling of a shoe at the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, during the celebration of national independence, created ripples in the corridors of security and governance. Such acts have emerged as a nomenclature for a vehement assertion of prevailing disillusionment of individual and groups in the nation.

Annoyed, agonized, distressed, irritated, visibly victimized and alienated seems to the standard lexicon describing an average inhabitant of the valley. The conventional answers emanating from civil society actors, intellectuals, disenchanted politicians arrive at the usual explanation of alienation of the large section of the society, responsible for targeting the Indian state which is seen as the source for causing distress due to bad governance.

Interestingly poor governance is not a peculiar phenomena confined to any particular region rather is all pervasive afflicting the average Indian citizen. The statistics on law and order, safety of women and children, poverty and inequality clearly highlight their uninhibited prevalence across the nation, and not immune to any particular region.

The continuous splash of the images of funeral procession and stone throwers clearly portrays a land in turmoil but refuses to elaborate the issue any further. As perceptions and opinions galore from people not even remotely connected with issue, geographically and emotionally, the issue clearly boils into an image of a local protest translating into a civic unrest. While emergency meetings between the central government and various political groups have taken place to resolve the crisis, what is surprising is the fixation to deem the disturbances as an independence movement questioning India’s sovereignty.

The move by the central government to resume dialogue with Kashmiri leaders, including pro-Pakistan clearly projected an image of an embattled state apparatus with the separatist leaders taking potshots at this initiative. Such selective choice clearly generates potential fears of mob fury and violence gaining legitimacy with political groups encouraging the protesters in order to maximize their interests.

It must be noted that much of the televised debates acknowledge that the proposal for autonomy is not only obsolete but also fraught with several limitations. The Indian constitution clearly envisages resolution and safeguards concerning implementation of fundamental rights and autonomy to various regions, taking cognizance of their distinct identities. Such lopsided approach towards the crisis has the potential to trigger similar protests in regions affected by high handedness of law enforcement agencies.

Hence it is rather preposterous to start the political expedition on the beaten path when the common masses of India are confronted with acute price rise, unemployment and threats from terror outfits of various denominations.

The shoe pelting came as a political misnomer when the nation was bracing up to commemorate its sixty fourth year of independence and assert its image as a vibrant and responsible democracy. Similarly the recent incident of killing of farmers, protesting against land acquisition in Uttar Pradesh clearly highlights the present challenges to the state in addressing the aspirations of the common masses. Hence perceiving the issue as a threat confronting governance and security based on a lopsided understanding of the crisis.

Bandh and its Metaphors

A strange sense of euphoria was on display, by some of the political groups who felt that a Bharat Bandh was the most potent method to confront the government on the issue of the increase in the prices of Petroleum products. The hike certainly would have an impact on the prices of the essential commodities that will add to the existing woes of the common masses, who are already reeling under the vagaries of price rise.

So a series of cover stories were splashed in various newspapers and TV channels vied for very comprehensive coverage of a bandh which went on to be projected as a new national festival. So a panoramic view of various political parties, their supporters and cheer leaders on the TV screens tried to provide some 'succor' to the famished masses of India. The daily wagers got some space to narrate their ordeal, while the air travelers lamented the lack of governance and order, whilst seeking to emerge as a responsible power in the international order.

The bandh got translated into a 'national festival' foisted by the anger of the opposition, alleged indifference of the state, growing civic unrest, rising gulf between the rich and the poor and poor management of the nation’s economy. It was debated on the lines of having witnessed a carnival akin to the soccer world cup mania that had gripped many Indian fans eagerly remaining awake all through the midnight to watch their favorite teams and icons in action. The bandh not only witnessed governance going for a toss in some regions, but resulted in the issue concerning law and order being treated like a ball that was repeatedly tossed around by various actors in the political arena.

With disruption of train services, trucks and buses off the roads, educational establishments and markets shut down, life came to a stand still in various parts of the country in order to register a protest against the hike in fuel prices. While the response to this bandh varied from state to state, the most striking point which turned into an appetizer for many media channels were the 'similarities' in the impact of the strike called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left parties in the states governed by them. Hence a scenario of an alleged political alignment of the Left and Right captured the attention of many analysts, pontificating on the utility and futility of such hypothetical political ideas.

The barometer for this bandh was being defined by more visuals of desolate road, empty market places, students not being able to go to their schools and colleges, anguished faces of daily wagers outside offices, malls, multiplexes and other places across India.

These developments were complemented by another set of visuals highlighting the challenges to governance in the nation. A chain of incidents ranging from the para military personals getting ambushed and passenger trains being derailed by naxalites, khap panchayats giving diktats against lovers opting for inter-caste unions and same gotra marriages to angry mobs in Jammu and Kashmir pelting stones to express their outrage over killing of protestors also competed to capture the attention of the aam admi.

A nation at the cusp of a new economic order, seeking a long awaited recognition in the comity of nations as a responsible regional power can ill afford to let signs of disorder linger and has to ensure adherence to the norms of good governance and an adequate space for the civil society to tackle the tremors emanating from within.