Agitations are the marks of a vibrant democracy, we are told. Dissent is the heartbeat of Parliamentary Democracy, it’s often reiterated. So to mark dissent we have agitation, communists enlighten us. Fair argument. Except that no agitation or dissent was ever permitted in China, Cuba or USSR? So let’s study agitation.
I was forced to apply mind because of the happenings in India. From every day bandh in high literacy Kerala to alternative day hartal in argumentative Bengal to the new entry to afitational politics in Tamilnadu which seems to have agitation once every hour. What were it’s roots and has agitations , violent agitations ever helped in reformation or were just rebellions?
Have you ever felt disturbed? Agitated? What do you do then? Blow your top or calm down? It depends on your character. Agitations, public agitations are about blowing your top. Simply demonstrate your dissatisfaction. Again you can convey your agitated mind or your agitation purpose calmly as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King did. Or you can get violent as during French Revolution which saw thousands slaughtered or during Stalin/Lenin/Mao era that erased lives in the most gruesome way under high decibel altruistic rhetory.
India was a forerunner in managing agitations from within. Non violent. Mahatma Gandhi protested calmly, totally in self possession, without malice and with a smile. Satyagraha he called it, The purpose was to change the circumstances by undergoing suffering within. The fate of Iron Sharmila who fasted over many years and was unable to influence either the government or the people for whom she brought is a reminder that even non violent protests fail to make desired impact.
Whatever may be the propagated purpose of any agitation, the secretive purpose was to overthrow existing power and the agitationists assuming power. Every other reason was an excuse and a bugwash. The success of an agitation lies in its propaganda of standing up for high ideals and motivating people to protest against existing powers. No society, no nation, no community was an exception.
What’s the anatomy of an agitation?
Mild discontent exists anywhere.
Fuel this discontent with fake information.
Create insecurity and fear leading to confusions.
Provoke hatred.
Connect issues to language, culture, heritage and race.
Intense propagation deepening confusion, defeatism and reaction.
Organise people for physical exhibitions of protest.
Use media to create instant heroes of those who break law.
Appeal to people to break law & use youth to set example.
Mayhem.
Achieve Power.
The famous Cultural Revolution of Mao, the Communist movement in USSR, the Cuban revolution are contemporary proof that post these revolutionary agitations, conditions got worse with people losing the freedom to choose. So much so, Maoist China has now embraced capitalism, USSR was dissolved and Cuba was seen trying to escape from the influence of Castro family after bitter experiences with agitational movements.
In India, agitational Movement was born in South India with one Ramasamy Naicker. After failure to divide South India as a separate nation during India’s independence, he launched the Dravidian movement. He found meek Brahmins as easy targets to spread hatred as they held high offices in British India. Half baked interpretations of epics of Hinduism was used propagated to confuse and create insecurity. Violent rowdy protests on every issue enabled DMK assume power. Having achieved power, lies after lies sustain the parties connected to him. Much much worse than the past but unwilling to accept facts painting whatever achieved by personal efforts of individuals as success of the movement.
Thanks to the genetic mutation caused by Dravidian movements, the occupants of Tamilnadu state who have a huge disconnect with their past have become easy victims to rumours, gossips, conspiracy theories and hate propaganda. The fear of law enforcement by Modi government in the centre makes them react to every genuine development project with suspicion as loss of control over the state. Mean media like @vikadan which claimed Modi Govt was planning to mine the whole state after winding up all agriculture was totally nasty. Media is flaming rowdyism and agitations in the name of freedom. Church has entered politics along with moulanas to achieve power. Political power at the expense of the kingdom of God.
No agitation or protest ever brought a lasting solution or peace anywhere. It needs maturity to understand this but now some seek is political gain at the expense of people and posterity. Sterlite protests remain an example.
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