SOCIAL ISSUES AND PROTEST POLITICS

Protest politics is a gift of Europe to humanity. French and Russian revolutions have inspired other nations to use the revolutionary tactics to overthrow native rulers or to get freedom from the clutches of other nations or empires. But the rosy promises of revolutionaries that their will be justice, harmony, peace and development in human world after revolution proved to be only their wishful, impractical and immature thinking. Even the benefits of change due to revolution have not reached to all judiciously as has been promised by these revolutionaries. Not only this but, due to the counter-productive results of revolutions, humanity instead of growing morally, intellectually and spiritually is growing in negative qualities also. Present humanity is the most impatient, violent, disobeying and immoral humanity. And the credit of this decay goes to nothing else than to the ideology of revolution. Humanity is the victim of the ideology of revolution since revolutionary era.

It is a fact that some nations, who have observed or experienced the negative impacts of violent revolutions, have adopted so-called non-violent revolutionary tactics in place of violent one. But, humanity has to understand, whether violent or non-violent, revolution is a revolution. Revolutionary way has in its nature that it makes people more right conscious, impatient, impractical and unbalanced. And this is what we have been seeing in the world since revolutionary era. Violent and non-violent rallies, protests and strikes have become handy tools to blackmail governments. In addition to fighting for freedom and eliminating human rights violation, all other social problems like enhancing salary; increasing transport fair are being addressed by present humanity through these very tools.

Due to the ideological support to revolutionary tactics, masses – instead of consistent dialogues and criticism – are using these negative practices like rallies, strikes and protests to solve their problems. But, democracy if is to grow then residents have to be patient enough to behave democratically. Humanity must be intellectually mature and brave enough to choose lesser evils in place of larger evils. Those persons or groups who do not learn to live with lesser evils are forced by nature to live with larger evils. This is what is happening with supporters of revolutionaries in democratic countries also. It is a fact that democracy has it own evils but it is also a fact that evils of undemocratic practices are larger evils comparatively. So it is a wise thinking and behaviour to live with these evils.

Leaders are justifying revolutionary tactics on two reasons. First, protest is a democratic right. Second, elimination of corruption at the higher level will eliminate corruption from whole society. But, both these assertions are wrong. The first assertion that protest is a democratic right is an emotionally appealing slogan but an illogical statement. Revolutionaries should seriously revisit their thoughts and ask themselves a question that if people will not obey their own chosen representatives then what the fun of choosing them is. The second assertion that elimination of corruption at social level is possible only by eliminating it at higher level is to reject history, consciously or unconsciously. It is a historically proved fact that system level reformation has never succeed in its aim. Violence, wars, growing immorality and poverty is the proof of the failure of system level reformation.

It is a fact that democratic governments are expected to work according to wishes of their citizens. But for proper functioning of democracy if on the one hand it is important that social issues should be addressed in accordance with suggestions of residents then on the other hand most important thing is that democratic norms should be followed by residents in the event of differences with governments. Humanity has to understand that to run governments is not the business of residents but it is the business of chosen representatives. Residents have only four roles in democratic political setup. One, they can communicate their suggestions to government. Two, they can criticize government publically if they feel that government is going on a wrong road. Three, they can change government in next election by casting vote against it. Four, they can use judiciary to fight legally with government.

Blackmailing our own representatives by protest politics is only the reflection of our immature democratic spirit. As protest politics harms the process of human level reformation, so it harms both individual and society. The people with revolutionary mindset only blame others for any crises but never accept their own flaws. Protest politics is nothing else than the use of unwise and undemocratic means, so it has neither any place in mature democracy nor any place in human society. If revolutionary way is emotional way of doing things then democratic way is spiritual way. Humanity has to understand that if by behaving democratically we are to bear corruption and wrong policies of government then by behaving undemocratically we are to bear immorality; immaturity, disharmony, violence, disobedience, wastage of time, money and energy.

Social reformation comes only through human level reformation, because it is humans who follow any system. Unless there are morally, spiritually and intellectually mature people the dream of good human society is impossible. Though human level reformation and System level reformation both are needed in society but system level reformation is not so important that we sacrifice the real democratic sprit and human level reformation. System level reformation if is to come it should come through the road of dialogue, criticism and court. So, let us join the mission of human level reformation and make this world a better place to live in. Let us move towards harmony.

http://www.harmoniouslivingorganisation.in/