Dr Chibenthung Yanthan
Assistant Professor, International Relations Programme, North East Christian University
For a government that doesn’t accommodate the idea of dissent or the essence of democracy, force is used as a readily available resource. Unfortunately, dissent has been synonymously equated with attack and a threat to their status quo even going to the extreme of tagging dissenters as ‘anti-nationals’ and ‘terrorists’. Whatever has transpired in the capital of India echoes the hollowness of the present government running the show. Perhaps what Lord Acton said about power in 1887- that ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’ is still a lived reality experienced by the citizens of the country ironically misused by the democratically elected representatives.
The ongoing protest at the Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of the Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leaks and the irregularities related to exams in India should not be simply dismissed and isolated as a protest of few individuals and parties with vested interests. Much like the narrative created by the government and its party karyakartas (workers), further amplified by the mainstream fourth pillar of democracy, this particular movement is different. The numbers of protestors on-site may not be as large as the online following of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) led by its founder Abhijeet Dipke, but beyond the politics of numbers, their voices mirror the impending dissent of the larger masses. It is a movement that is compelling the citizens to question the complacency of the Indian voters, who for the longest time have been influenced and driven by the narratives of development and political gimmicks. The uniqueness of the movement is not to be defined by the visibility of popular political figures and leaders in different capacities, but by the faces of the common people- primarily the younger citizens with the right to adult franchise. Gathered from across the country’s geographical spectrum and driven by the determination to see a change, the protestors are not divided by religious identities, caste, regionalism, gender, or its stereotypes.
Safeguarding Democracy and its Values
The forceful intervention of the Delhi Police to remove climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk from the protest venue, Jantar Mantar on the morning of 19 July, and his subsequent detention at Safdarjung Hospital, reflects the limited space left for democracy and its values in India. It demands for a time of critical reflection regarding the direction our country is headed towards. While the state managed to whisk away the physical body of a determined citizen on peaceful hunger strike for 20 days- on who questioned the wisdom of the leaders in power, the reality is that voices of truth can never be suppressed by any agency. But much to the dismay of the government, the state’s coercive action emboldened citizens to speak the truth and seek to fight the forces that demonize democracy. They continue to challenge the forces of the state with peace while upholding democratic values. Perhaps a new and unbiased political consciousness is in the making- one that is willing to counter the false narratives built thus far. The creation of disunity based on religion and the audacity to define the parameter of nationalism will be questioned rationally by the right-thinking and, most importantly, educated voters of this country.
Revival of the constitutional values
Having witnessed an incessant defiance of the representatives to be an unbiased agents for the governed, the frustration of the younger generations with hopes and aspirations are seeking to reclaim authority over their fate. The issue is not just about consistent paper leaks by the authorities concerned, who do not understand the trauma of reliving the emotional and mentally straining process of examinations. The pressure on an aspirant to live up to the societal and family standards to be successful and escape their judgments is beyond the comprehension of the government. The increasing suicide rates related to exam stress are some of the immediate and visible implications. Beyond that, the movement is also a call for accountability of the representatives, led by the Education Minister in question. They seek for a country that upholds the constitutional values such as justice, liberty, equality and the preservation of our secular fabric. There is an urgent and desperate call for the revival of the constitutional values that seems to have drowned in an ocean of tyranny.
Learning the art from the masters of using symbolic nationalism, the protestors have relied on the use of the national flag, the constitution, the slogan of ‘Inquilab Zindabad,’ and the singing of the National Anthem. As Sonam Wangchuk continues to be forcefully kept in detention at the hospital- which he calls ‘illegal’, the deafening silence of the government in power has been questioned. Instead, when the CJP called for ‘Sansad Chalo March’ on 20 July, the peaceful protestors were met with the brutality of the state. However, despite the adamancy of the government not to budge even an inch to the increasing pressures, the silver lining of this movement is that the healing of India has begun. India will be healed from the cycle of fear and oppression. The echoes from the pedestal of Jantar Mantar will be heard across all corners of India. Every lash of the police batons, every drop of blood spilled, and every tear shed will translate into votes of resistance and change for a better India.
El pueblo unido jamás será vencido! (The people united will never be defeated)
