To ‘protest’ is fundamental right; Define ‘protest-led inconvenience to public’
Bhopal: In Feb 2012, the Apex Court upheld the right to protest in a peaceful way as an elementary right of speech and assemble. The judgment came after the Ramlila Maidan incident where in Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev and his supporters were beaten up by Delhi police on the intervening night of June 4-5, 2011.
Way back in 1906, Mahatma Gandhi introduced the term Satyagraha in a South African news-sheet Indian Opinion. The basic ingredient of Satyagraha was not aggression, but Ahimsa.
However, the ongoing agitation of Jats demanding reservation hike in government jobs and educational institutions under the OBC category is a complete reverse and whatever may be the outcome at the end it is presently disrupting the entire public system.
Haryana and its adjoining areas came to a standstill with the protestors destroying homes and belongings of hundreds of local hapless people facing the anger of marauding mobs even as the family of state Finance Minister Captain Abhimanyu Singh was airlifted to safety. Schools in Sonipat, Bhiwani and Hisar districts declared holiday. University students blocked highways with tyres and branches; and disrupted Rohtak-Delhi rail route as a result many trains had to
be either cancelled or diverted. Several passengers remained stranded on the railway and bus stations as news oflarge number of women and
lawyers also joining the stircreeped in. The supply of milk, vegetables, fruits and other essentials has also been affected.
If the apparently floating figures are to be believed, Indian Railways lost almost Rs 100 crore
Just within 5 days of agitation. About 20,000 crore rupees property (mostly belonging to non-Jats) has been destroyed in the last few days and the death toll is 16 people. Even the footfall of Magh Poornima Ardh Kumbh pilgrims to Haridwar received a jolt. This resulted in deserted ghats, railway and bus stations, disappointed businessmen and small-time traders who were looking forward to earn a few extra bucks.
Not only this, people living as far as in Madhya Pradesh – especially women – too are facing the brunt of Jat agitation. Those with professional or business commitment have had to postpone/cancel their trips or request seniors to spare them.
The Jat agitation is not the only one in question, there have been many agitations that have left states, cities and lives paralysed for weeks and months, but the million dollar question is whatever may be the reason or the method of protest – who gives the right to cause public inconvenience.
–Windowtonews
