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Protests

The bus comes to a screeching halt. I open my eyes ever so slightly. Its somewhere near Hanakere. The road is blocked. We are the first vehicle to get stopped. Che, we should have started 2 mins early!

There are very few villagers near the road blockade. Only a few teenage tapori looking guys orchestrating the road block. One guy with a gaudy t-shirt and a faded cap, looks like the leader of the group. Yaakkh thoo! He spits on the ground, emphasising the sense of ownership he feels for the road. The group starts making some jokes and laugh loudly. They hardly convey the pain and distraught you would expect from the farmers. They get a good number of old tyres, collecting which might have taken some effort. They distribute two tyres per person and start burning it on the road quite religiously. The fire brings a festival mood among that group. I could easily visualise the leaders of futute generation in them.

Honestly speaking, I am not aware of the complexities and the extent of difficulties the farmers might face because of the Kaveri verdict. Does the middle aged uncle playing a lousy song from RHTDM on his radio know? Does the girl in the corner seat who is reading the palm of her neighbour know? I seriously doubt it! But, I am very sure that this is not the way to protest. I can somehow understand that road block is some means to get the attention. Fine! But, burning the tyres? What does it mean? What does it really achieve? I also don't know the answer as to why 20 bikes were burnt in mysore yesterday. If people are angry with the government, whats the point in breaking the glasses of government buses? As questions in my head keep growing in geometric progression, the tyres are almost fully burnt, damaging the road. I somehow remember the quote - "A society always gets the kind of government it deserves"!

Can't the protests be carried out in more efficient ways? Instead of blocking the roads, why dont they go to their representative's house and block his home till he pressurises the government? Or better still, why dont they come to Bangalore and do dharna in front of CM's office? May be I am very naive. Or plain stupid, who aspires the world to be utopian. At that moment, I realize why a completely childish and immature movie like "Rang De Basanti" is considered a cult classic and appeals to the people of this country as a revolutionary movie.

Comments

Vedu Joshi said…
Be glad that they burnt only those tyres!

Vasu, The intelligence of a group is inversely proportional to the size of the group. Try controlling and making 10 people do what you want to, it would seem like hell of a task.

The point is to get most attention to the world in easiest of ways.

I used to think similarly when Rajkumar was kidnapped and Infy buses were stoned. It simply didn't make sense. But thats how a uncontrolled mass of humans react. Everwhere.

You are neither naive nor stupid, but you want to take the easy path as well..like all of us..to vent out your frustration and live normally as if nothing happened.

And BTW, we in BengLur will never know the difficulties of farmers, because we dont really care to find out. BengLur will always get its water-supply, unless somebody breaks the Kaveri pipelines.
Anonymous said…
Nice post... unfortunately these protests are a way for the local politicians to flex their muscles...
Anonymous said…
Ah finally somebody who agrees that Rang De Basanti was a total crap movie..

I am not sure why they were nominating that movie for Oscars and Bafta.

Honestly corporate (without songs) was a much better sensible movie :)
Anonymous said…
Hmmm...I agree with what Vedu says.I sometimes wonder whether Kaveri issue is about water shortage or the ego hassles of two states..or just a trick of corrupt governments to ward off serious matters!
Krupa
Anonymous said…
DHROHI .. PAAPI
VAASU GE DHIKAARA!
VAASU GE BAHISHKAARA!

VAASU IPOD SUTAAKI !!
VAASU KEYBOARD MODHLU SUDI !!

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