Minding protests
Protesting against human rights violations or for that matter any genuine cause or concern is ok, but then one also needs to be careful about other people’s rights and sensibilities. One cannot go on protesting lack of certain rights and liberties of some people by undermining the rights and snatching away the liberties of other people. One has to draw a line between what constitutes a protest and what makes for an unruly behaviour. For instance, taking to streets can be a justified action only as long as it does not violate other persons’ rights, their liberties and their safety. However, it is unfortunate that more than anything else, it is sheer anarchy that has become the characteristic feature of most of the protest demonstrations that are held in Kashmir. No doubt the provocations are certainly there and the governments both in the state and at the centre cannot escape blame of pushing the people of Kashmir to the proverbial wall every now and then, but then it is also in the interest of the people here to educate themselves about the nuances of protest. They cannot go on protesting in a manner that turns away their most ardent supporters and sympathizers to the other side.
For instance, blocking the all-important arteries leading to the premier health institutions like SKIMS can never be a justified act. Irrespective of the importance of the issue that is being agitated for or against, the protestors, at least, need to show some respect to the emergency medical needs of people who have to reach to the SKIMS, SMHS and other hospitals. But when the roads leading to the important hospitals are blocked for protests, it risks the lives of the people who may need immediate medical help. Mind in, in case of disturbed situations, the load on emergency units of all hospitals records a surge, as so many people suffering trauma during protests and clashes too have to be ferried to these hospitals. Needless to say that thousands of other people who need to attend their ailing near and dear ones undergoing treatment in hospitals too have to bear great mental trauma when they are not able to make it to the hospital.
Same is the case with education of the children. No sane person could condone a situation which brings children out of schools and colleges every now and then for deadly street confrontations. General public as well as the political leaders share the blame of unconcern in this regard. While the general public have, over the years, perfected the art of silence, they prefer to be mute spectators to every fair and foul action, hardly ever bothering to utter a word even against the worst of traits that are settling into being a permanent feature of our collective behavior. As for the politicians, they are ever involved in a rat-race in taking lead in provoking youth to come on to the streets for protests. Blinded by their narrow political interests and obsessed with showing their writ on the street sentiment, they use every cruel tactic in provoking violence on the streets. Provoking mob fury is easy, what is really difficult is channelizing this rage into something constructive and productive. But this seems to have never been anybody’s priority here.
In such a situation, wherein everyone is out there to exploit the sentiments of the youth for their own vested interests, it is for the young people to realize how and why they are being used. A river is a river, full of life and promise only as long as it respects its banks and remains confined within them. It becomes a flood and brings death and destruction the moment it overflows it legitimate limits — the banks. This simple reality is there for the youth to understand. If they are not able to read through the selfish designs of those who do their politics over their heads, history will never forgive them for their naiveté. Instead they too will be remembered as a party which pushed this otherwise simple society into unending vicious cycles of spiraling structural and political violence.
