Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'MNS should learn from AAP' that was published in Newsband

MNS should learn from AAP

The recent attacks by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists on toll booths in Maharashtra invited varieties of comments from different quarters.

The Central government has been promoting the levy of toll as an important tool to finance road construction. It now considers toll as being indispensable to attract private investment. The existing rules permit investors on road projects to charge users for an agreed period and retain the amount collected.

Toll-strategy by the government to entice private investors is a welcome step considering the paucity of funds to finance huge infrastructural projects. But, the process should aim at transparent oversight of revenue-generation (to thwart unreasonable collections) and allow sufficient benefits for the commuters (in terms of commuting and reasonable monetary impact) without compromising on the interest-factor on part of investors.

There is a need to strike a fine balance between the need to attract investors and social obligation to safeguard interests of commuters

If you see from a certain angle, the protest of MNS is justified owing to the fact that the ordinary citizens, who hardly use the large flyovers that have come in Mumbai, are forced to pay toll. People who stay in the Suburbs on the fringes of Mumbai like Thane, Dahisar, Vashi bear the brunt of the toll, although their commute may hardly be 4-10 kms into Mumbai. Others staying in South Mumbai go scot free. It is ironic that the poor and middle class who stay far from their offices have to shell out toll, while the super rich class do not pay any toll. To compound traffic woes, the toll plazas are kept at busy junctions and near octroi posts, causing heavy traffic jams lasting 2 hours and leading to waste of fuel, time and numerous instances of road rage.

The MNS style of protesting is not appreciated by many. But considering the fact that the judicial process takes a long time to resolve a question and is very expensive, people take the seemingly easy path to resolve the dispute. This approach often leads to unsavory incidents and goondaism.

It is true that any such violent disruption is certainly not in line with the Constitution of India. Taking law into own hands is not right in any case. MNS should learn from Aam Aadmi Party about how to stage effective protests.