Something Non-violent...

Pic Source: Merinews.com

I did not know much about the happenings in FTII. I wasn’t actually interested in it but today after a conversation on the topic, I Googled everything about it and it feels like Why?! Just Why?.

But that’s not all about it. It’s not just a mere clash of policies or ideologies. This 70 day protest, which began with the wrongful appointment of Mr. Gajendra Chauhan as FTII President, hints at something far more repugnant and repressive to come.

As I see it, this is a failure of the non-violent methods of protests propounded by the father of our nation and this might just be the beginning for the end of days for non-violence. The basic idea of non-violence, as everybody knows according to the definitions is to ‘affect the opponents’ heart’ and making a desirable change without opting for arms. But that’s just the superficial part of it. In reality, it was the popularity of a protest that led to its victory. No peaceful protest could’ve been successful without  effective use of media to pressurise those in power.

In any case, to feel the building pressure, a person must have some sense of moral or ethical consciousness, But today, in case of our right wing organisations, whose stake in Governmental decisions is substantial, you cannot expect any such thing as ethical consciousness. Moreover, these people have mastered the art of manipulating media. In short, the two basic things required for a successful non-violent protest is already in their favour.

For example, in the FTII issue, why would they let the protests continue without any kind of reaction unless they want the TRPs to go down on the topic and let media and people forget about it. If not anything else, the success of the Modi Government is that they are almost in complete control of media in the country which was not the case with UPA. In fact, UPA’s downfall started from the extensive media campaign of Anna Hazare.

Information Technology, with the abundance of information, has made the importance of any news slight and restricted to a very short timeframe. If any action, at all, has to be taken, its relevance too is constricted to that timeframe. So, not giving attention to an even and letting it pass is the best way to counter any non-violence protest. And this is precisely what is happening in FTII. This is not going to be the first time that such a protest would get ignored and let banished into oblivion.

I couldn’t help but think – what other options do we have other than nonviolence? Though I hope that we won’t have to choose those options, I believe we will one day be forced to. Obviously it would lead to further turmoil and so on and on. The only doubt I have is what Orwell once put into words – 

‘Is it possible that human beings can continue with this lunacy very much longer? You know the answer, of course.’

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