Protesting is better than rioting
2011 has been a year of protests not only in India but also all over the world. There were protest in Cairo, New York, Athens, Madrid, Moscow and even New Delhi. People in general have been on the march and protests to oppose injustices. It is clear that people in not only India but also those all over the world have become aware of their democratic rights. They have developed confidence in democratic methods of bringing about a change. They realize that peaceful march and protests can achieve results that violent riots cannot. That's a good change in the attitude of general public that we are witnessing.
Causes for protests haven't been the same everywhere. In some places protests have been against autocratic rule. This led to leaders in four major Arab nations getting toppled this year. It is clear that the days of other Arab dictators are numbered. In Russia too people have begun to embrace democracy since they have become aware of the power that lies in democratic methods. Hence they too resorted to protests against the arrogance of power displayed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. They are totally against the idea that Putin should run for president, and remain in power for a decade
In the West, protests were against economic mismanagement and deteriorating material condition. In India, civil society protests have focused not so much on the absence of democracy but rather on the limited choice made available by political parties within the democratic space. Here scams after scams were unearthed this year. It has become clear that the government has no fixed ideology as such and just believes in indulging in corrupt practices. In the matter of economic policymaking, no party is offering any real alternative. An average India has lost confidence in the government and he or she is fed up of slow growth and spiraling inflation. The government is just not able to come to grips with the problems and they just hold debates and discussions in Parliament and are not able to arrive at a decision that can please the masses. This is what has led the civil society to protest against this political order. Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement is an example.
Our country suffers from leadership deficit. Our leaders are not able to fulfill the needs of an emerging, aspirational, predominantly young India. Such type of agitations will continue if fundamental rights of common man continues to get trampled. If normalcy has to be achieved, it is the common man who should get justice and whose fundamental rights should be respected.
2011 has been a year of protests not only in India but also all over the world. There were protest in Cairo, New York, Athens, Madrid, Moscow and even New Delhi. People in general have been on the march and protests to oppose injustices. It is clear that people in not only India but also those all over the world have become aware of their democratic rights. They have developed confidence in democratic methods of bringing about a change. They realize that peaceful march and protests can achieve results that violent riots cannot. That's a good change in the attitude of general public that we are witnessing.
Causes for protests haven't been the same everywhere. In some places protests have been against autocratic rule. This led to leaders in four major Arab nations getting toppled this year. It is clear that the days of other Arab dictators are numbered. In Russia too people have begun to embrace democracy since they have become aware of the power that lies in democratic methods. Hence they too resorted to protests against the arrogance of power displayed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. They are totally against the idea that Putin should run for president, and remain in power for a decade
In the West, protests were against economic mismanagement and deteriorating material condition. In India, civil society protests have focused not so much on the absence of democracy but rather on the limited choice made available by political parties within the democratic space. Here scams after scams were unearthed this year. It has become clear that the government has no fixed ideology as such and just believes in indulging in corrupt practices. In the matter of economic policymaking, no party is offering any real alternative. An average India has lost confidence in the government and he or she is fed up of slow growth and spiraling inflation. The government is just not able to come to grips with the problems and they just hold debates and discussions in Parliament and are not able to arrive at a decision that can please the masses. This is what has led the civil society to protest against this political order. Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement is an example.
Our country suffers from leadership deficit. Our leaders are not able to fulfill the needs of an emerging, aspirational, predominantly young India. Such type of agitations will continue if fundamental rights of common man continues to get trampled. If normalcy has to be achieved, it is the common man who should get justice and whose fundamental rights should be respected.
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