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Aftermath of a protest

What was heartening to see, turned out into the very thing, that people were worried about right at the beginning. Probably this was one protest where people willingly participated and more than being a war zone bubbling with emotion, it had also a festive mood to it. People from as far as tamabram and chrompet visited Marina beach with cartons of biscuit and food items to support the protestors and to be a part of it. The protest had rekindled that long lost fire that lay dormant on each of them and the tamil spirit was at its glorious display for all of those days when the students where at the war front.

With their clear decision on not to allow any political parties anywhere near the protest zone, which was one of the sole reason for so many people joining them and also the dignified way in which they conducted themselves, cleaning up the place, taking care of each other, protecting the kids and womenfolk, the students won the hearts of all. Yaar kann patutho. The events of the last 2 days became nasty to say the least. Anti social elements entered silently into the crowd and started creating mischief. It turned out into a full fledged war between Police and the "protestors" and the video garbs show both parties in not so great light.

Why the people refused to budge even after the news came on the ordinance?
Well..for one reason the protest was against the very people who didn't act till push came to shove and they didn't trust the politicians at the helm

Why they stayed back even after the bill was passed?
Of the lakhs of people who turned up, not everyone had a single point agenda. Many had their own reasons to join the protest and the bill against the ban wasn't their only cry for concern.

What initially was looked at in amazement turned out to be the downside as well. With no designated leader to gather the crowd, yet so many turning up every single day, people were left wondering do we really even need a leader going forward. But the aftermath proved them wrong. A rod, however long it may be, is only as strong as its spear head. With no one to push them for a single cause, they didn't know how to end the protest. And there was distrust amongst the crowd themselves that there may not be another one of this much in magnitude and hence wanted to push for every point of concern.

While watching some of the videos taken during the protest on social media was getting goosebumps looking at the josh with which girls were shouting slogans and how they were several steps ahead of guys in belting them out. Was worried on one side that they might get targeted post the protests and something of similar nature has taken shape now. The most famous of the lot, that girl has been identified as the daughter of the opposition party member, the mom of whom has even kept a huge billboard in honour of her daughter. What was an apolitical event got painted and tainted leaving a bitter taste.

Whatever said and done, its an event that made the entire nation take a look at the people down south in awe and even the entire world for the manner in which our students conducted themselves. This would and definitely should be the template for any future civilian  participation in voicing out their concerns. Proud of you folks.

Comments

Ramesh said…
The parallels with the Tiananmen Square protests in China in 1989 are striking to me. Almost the same thing happened in terms of the why and how of the protests.

Thankfully it stopped in Chennai without the bloodshed of Beijing. These sort of protests are like playing with fire - they easily go out of hand.
Aarti said…
I was on the train Monday morning and there were a few sitting around me who were part of the protest. They couldn't stop talking about how nice people were, how there were few who kept asking them if they had eaten [ one guy said even my mom doesnt ask me that often] but they were sad there were few causing trouble.. and how monday morning suddenly things turned for worse and they were beaten up and chased away... :/
Venkat said…
பிà®°à®®ாஸ்திà®°à®®் எப்போது பயன்படுத்த வேண்டுà®®் என்à®±ு தெà®°ிந்திà®°ுக்க வேண்டுà®®். போà®°ாட்டம் என்பது à®’à®°ு பெà®°ுà®®் சக்தியை உடைப்பதற்காக மட்டுà®®ே பயன்படுà®®். பிரச்சனைகளுக்கு போà®°ாட்டத்தின் à®®ூலம் தீà®°்வு காண்பது, வலிà®®ையான ஆயுதம் இல்லை. 7 கோடி மக்கள் தங்கள் நேரத்தை பிரச்சனையை வெளிப்படுத்த செலவிட்டு, வெà®±ுà®®் 10 - 50 நபர்கள் மட்டுà®®் தீà®°்வை தர நேà®°à®®் செலவிட்டால் இது எப்படி progressive nation (செயல் திறன் à®®ிக்க) ஆகுà®®். à®’à®°ு நாள் போà®°ாட்டம் எவ்வளவு productivity இழப்பை நாட்டிà®±்கு உண்டாக்குகிறது. we must fight progressively, protest is regression. à®…à®±ிவின் à®®ூலமாக à®’à®°ு பிரச்சனைக்கு தீà®°்வு காணப்பட வேண்டுà®®். பிà®°ிச்சனையை எடுத்துக்காட்டுவது எளிது, ஆனால் அதற்க்கு உண்டான தீà®°்வை (solution) காண்பது கடினம், நாà®®் இளைஞர்கள் தீà®°்வை நோக்கி நம் à®…à®±ிவை திரட்டி, அந்த பிரச்சனை சாà®°்ந்த à®…à®±ிவை படித்து, கலந்து ஆலோசித்து அதை நோக்கி à®…à®±ிவை பெà®± உழைத்தால் மட்டுà®®ே பிரச்சனை தீà®°ுà®®். இங்கு நாட்டின் தேவை பிரச்சனைக்கு உண்டான à®…à®±ிவியல், ஆளுà®®ை, à®®ேலாண்à®®ை, செயல்à®®ுà®±ை தீà®°்வு, போà®°ாட்டம் அல்ல. நமது அரசியல் வாதிகளிடம் தீà®°்வு காணுà®®் à®…à®±ிவு இல்லாத காரணத்தால் செயல் பட à®®ுடியாத நிலைக்கு தள்ளப்பட்டு இருக்கிà®±ாà®°்கள், அந்த செயலின்à®®ை (incompetence) தன்à®®ையை மறைப்பதற்காகவே அவர்கள் தவறான செயல்களை செய்து திசை திà®°ுப்புகிà®±ாà®°்கள். ஜல்லிக்கட்டு போà®°ாட்டத்தில் நடந்ததுà®®் இதுவே எல்லோà®°ுà®®் பிரச்சினையை பேசினோà®®், அதை எப்படி தீà®°்ப்பது என்à®±ு à®’à®°ு சட்ட வல்லுனருà®®், மற்à®± அதிகாà®°ிகளுà®®், à®®ாணவர்களுà®®் பேசவில்லை, à®®ுதல்வருக்குà®®் வழி தெà®°ியவில்லை. தீà®°்வை கூà®±ியிà®°ுந்தால் à®®ுதல்வர் பொà®™்கலுக்கு à®®ுன்னமே அதை செய்திà®°ுப்பாà®°். ஆகா நாட்டின் தேவை தீà®°்வுகள், இளைஞர்கள் குà®´ு à®…à®®ைத்து ஓய்வு நேà®°à®™்களில் ஒன்à®±ு சேà®°்ந்து, தனக்கு ஆர்வமுள்ள பிரச்னை ஒன்à®±ை மட்டுà®®் கையில் எடுத்து கொண்டு, அதே ஆர்வம் உள்ள மற்à®± இளஞர்களுடன் சேà®°்ந்து குà®´ுவாக à®…à®±ிவாà®°்ந்த தீà®°்வை நோக்கி வாà®° விடுà®®ுà®±ைகளில் உழைக்க வேண்டுà®®். 100 இளைஞர்கள் à®’à®°ு பிரச்சனைக்கு à®…à®±ிவுத் தீà®°்வு தேடினால். பல 100 இளைஞர்கள் பல பிரச்சனைகளுக்கு à®’à®°ே நேரத்தில் (at same period) தீà®°்வு கொடுக்க à®®ுடியுà®®். அந்த தீà®°்வை அரசு நிà®°்வாகிகளிடம் கொடுத்தாலே போதுà®®் அல்லது பொது இணையம் ஒன்à®±ில் பிரசுà®°ிக்கலாà®®். இது தான் சரியான வழி. போà®°ாட்டம் என்பது à®®ுக்கியமான விஷயங்களுக்கு மட்டுà®®ே பயன்படுத்த வேண்டுà®®். எல்லாவற்à®±ிà®°்க்குà®®் போà®°ாடினால் நாà®®ுà®®் கெஜ்à®°ிவால் ஆகி விடுவோà®®். நமது போà®°ாட்டமுà®®் வலு இழந்து விடுà®®். knowledge is power.
Venkat said…
I was thinking deeply why this protest went into wrong hands, mainly because its an open protest anyone can participate without bothering about their identity to be revealed. Now on other hand if they have to register their aadhar card before entering venue and venue should be fully closed and monitored with CCTV cameras. it will be much safer to avoid outside trouble makers entering into the crowd, also it will be easy for policemen to take action when a small incident occurs. when people reveal their identity they will be more discipline. I suggest court should make a law, how a protest to be conducted and what are all the arrangements should be made from police department side to protect citizens.

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