BANDHS and PROTESTS
Bharat bandh against price hike and FDI and numerous other problems? Ugh! How does a bandh solve all these problems. You'll tell me it's not meant to solve problems but it is a mark of protest against central government decisions.
Fine, you protest but at least let me do my bit. Your protest means burning tires, breaking window panes of cars and other big vehicles, hitting people on bikes or puncturing them. You think these are rich people and they should suffer for being rich! But what about the poor rickshaw puller and autowallahs? Why do you target them?
Ah! you have no answer. The poor person may have earned a dime or two on this particular day but your bandh leaves them poorer!
Yesterday a bandh was called by the NDA and other opposition parties. As luck would have it, I was out travelling. At places scenes of burning tyres greeted us, crowds looming with 'lathis' in their hands forcing people to go back. Whats interesting is the equation in the crowd: young men and kids apparent that they came from very poor background (the lack of clothes said it all) but wrestling hard on the streets. I live in a state ruled by the NDA and its alliance parties. The government is supporting the bandh - no police any where on the streets! I wish the same government had ordered the closure of all government institutions which would have made the government employees easily support the bandh by staying at home and would also have been a mark of protest against the action of the central government.
But the government does no such thing. All employees are expected to report for duty, or lose a CL. How does an employee in such conditions get to the work place. Private vehicle good but what about those who do not have private vehicles and do not want to waste their CL unnecessarily?
It's time to 'rethink' Gandhi's non-cooperation. People talk of violent non-cooperation and of Gandhi in the same breath. Time to change, time to think and rethink and work out new strategies........
Fine, you protest but at least let me do my bit. Your protest means burning tires, breaking window panes of cars and other big vehicles, hitting people on bikes or puncturing them. You think these are rich people and they should suffer for being rich! But what about the poor rickshaw puller and autowallahs? Why do you target them?
Ah! you have no answer. The poor person may have earned a dime or two on this particular day but your bandh leaves them poorer!
Yesterday a bandh was called by the NDA and other opposition parties. As luck would have it, I was out travelling. At places scenes of burning tyres greeted us, crowds looming with 'lathis' in their hands forcing people to go back. Whats interesting is the equation in the crowd: young men and kids apparent that they came from very poor background (the lack of clothes said it all) but wrestling hard on the streets. I live in a state ruled by the NDA and its alliance parties. The government is supporting the bandh - no police any where on the streets! I wish the same government had ordered the closure of all government institutions which would have made the government employees easily support the bandh by staying at home and would also have been a mark of protest against the action of the central government.
But the government does no such thing. All employees are expected to report for duty, or lose a CL. How does an employee in such conditions get to the work place. Private vehicle good but what about those who do not have private vehicles and do not want to waste their CL unnecessarily?
It's time to 'rethink' Gandhi's non-cooperation. People talk of violent non-cooperation and of Gandhi in the same breath. Time to change, time to think and rethink and work out new strategies........
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