Tussle within Delhi

What appears to be problematic is the fact that the state agencies are doing nothing about it. It happened at the time when demonitization was announced and countless people who depended on the cash economy, not for double crossing the government, but for their daily paltry needs, were suddenly left with no clue as to how they could survive the hunger of the next day. And so had begun the long wait and climb to the banks for depositing amounts that were not causing any loss to the economy and for withdrawing funds that were much needed for their daily lives. Albeit the official record is that there is no official report on the number of people who died due to demonitization, there were enough news reports of deaths due to either failing to get adequate nourishment due to lack of “proper bank notes” or for long waiting’s in the lines for people to deposit their hard earned money which was in the form of then cancelled Rs. 100 and Rs. 500 bank notes (25 deaths in a week: PM Modi's demonetisation drive takes a toll on aam aadmi, https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/demonetisation-deaths-in-country-352059-2016-11-15).

This was just the prelude though. Now came the Fee Hike at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the coming into effect, within a day of the passing of the bill, of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. Without going into the arguments of the correctness or validity or rightness or fascism like governance, what I am talking about is the death toll that has steadily been increasing. Be it of people striking against the fee hike at JNU, who many consider to be against their right to freedom to study, or that of the citizens protesting for repeal of an Act which they consider as against the very fundamental and basic structure of our Constitution. Loss of these precious life, of persons who are just expressing their opinion, their views, their beliefs and their fight for their value system, by forms which can at best be stated as expression of their freedom of speech and expression, the fundamental right that has been enshrined and assured under the Constitution to the citizens, goes against the very fibre of my being.

I am not a political person and nor am I expressive about my opinions. In most cases I am not confident about my political opinions and thus like to keep to myself, always believing that my core value system cannot be influenced or affected by what goes on around me. Maybe on some level, I am a follower of ‘live and let live. And herein is the root of this outburst. Live. That is paramount. How can someone be so scared of someone else’s right to live that they are willing to hurt and kill that someone else.

The mayhem and rampage that erupted in JNU last night did not at first affect me the way it did my close friend visiting home after staying in a country where peaceful protests are part of the daily life. I tried to understand her need for going to protest marches and although I was unable to go myself, I did understand the need of protest. And her distraught over the JNU incident, made me start questioning about it. And here I am writing this to state that who is right and wrong is not the issue. The issue is about the policemen, those responsible for ensuring safety of the common man, to just stand by and watch as the events unfold! Were they scared of the goons that were rampaging inside or were they instructed to aid the goons rampaging inside or were they just scared of the association of the goons rampaging inside with the ruling government. All or one of these have to be the reasons for their inaction in aiding the citizens who were being beaten inside. I don’t care who started the first blow. That does not matter when the live action before the police was that of one man hitting another. At that point of time, all that a policeman is concerned with or should be concerned with, is to protect the weaker one. To ensure that the apparently stronger one in the fight does not take the law in his/ her hands and strike against someone, for whatever reason/ cause. That right alone resides with the judiciary. Not with those who have a personal grudge to settle or are only retaliating or are just on a vengeance path. The police should have protected those were being beaten. The police should have protected the doctors that were trying to save the harmed, the police should have stopped the un-named, masked goons from vandalizing and physically harming people.

The Delhi that I belong to cannot have a police force that is weak and is subservient to those that are flexing their muscles, be it physical or political. The Delhi that I belong to should have a police force that aid in protection of its citizens, whatever be their political affiliations.

The Delhi that I belong to needs to be that haven of democracy where I can say what I want without any fear.