Are we heading for a time when political parties and other pressure groups getting supporters to the streets to fight for their causes will become the order of the day?
The 12 years of the National Democratic Front (NDA) Government rule under Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2014 has been largely built around stability. Old timers like me who have seen Governments come and go, coalitions made and broken welcomed the era of long term stability. In this regard, this article by Harish Salve a former Solicitor General of India, is informative. Besides, the economy showed great promise by rising as it did over the last decade. It is established beyond doubt that public infrastructure has changed beyond imagination. The ruling dispensation seems to enjoy the support of the majority of people if you go by the number of elections won and lost by them. It is foolish to assume that there is no Opposition worth the name.The Indian National Congress (INC) the principal Opposition won in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana on their own and Keralam, with their allies.
Recently, Bharat Bhushan wrote in The Deccan Herald that Rahul Gandhi’s new protest playbook redefines the grammar of dissent. He writes, ” A political protest is no longer about a mass gathering at one site but a confrontation that creates dramatic optics, captured on camera, and spread online.” The key word that caught my attention was “confrontation”. More often than not, in India, confrontation on the roads leads to a chain of violence and destruction of public property. Frequently, violence results in injuries to many on both sides at times even fatally. Needless to say, political violence is not new to India. The politics in West Bengal for example has been characterized by violence for many decades. In the old days, violence acts reinforced the myth of ” might is right ‘. Poll violence, stealing of ballot papers and ballot boxes following elections were common place in states like Bihar for example.
We remember the events of July 20, 2026. There was violence when an unplanned march to the Parliament followed a protest meeting at Jantar Mantar organized by the Cockroach Janata Party. (CJP). This resulted in injuries to protestors, police personnel and the public at large. Ajaz Ashraf writes in Frontline, , ” On July 20, the CJP made history by breaking the climate of fear that had kept citizens off the streets under the Modi regime. It showed that organised public protest is possible and politically effective.” Accusations flew thick and thin from both sides. Many protestors, including women were hurt, so too were policemen who faced mob fury especially if they were caught isolated.
Possibly, the Leader of the Congress and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha , Rahul Gandhi realized that the cockroach approach may just work for him too. In the last few days, there has been tension in some parts of Delhi, India’s capital city. There were dramatic scenes too- which leaves us wondering what is to come next. Rahul Gandhi was seen pushing a woman constable in an inappropriate way. Certainly such conduct is and not in keeping with his high stature, especially when recently he lectured on the need to ” smash patriarchy”. Also, his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP from Wayanad in Kerala was seen strongly elbowing a woman police constable during the protest.
The right to protest is enshrined in our Constitution. However, if it leads to violence as it invariably seems to be the case, one wonders where this new “playbook of dissent ” will lead to. A former leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and later an influential member of the National Advisory Council during the previous Congress/UPA regime, Yogendra Yadav said, “Future of democracy in India will be settled on the streets and not in parliament or through elections. We saw a glimpse of it on July 20.”
So, is this going to be the way issues will be dealt with in the near future? Is the future of India going to be shaped not in the courts or in Parliament but on the streets? The next test will be on October 10 when the CJP has called for a protest in Delhi once again. With the Government refusing permission for the Cockroach Janata Party to hold this protest, we will have to wait and see what happens.
