NEW DELHI: The city was held hostage for second day in a row with yellow police barricades, guarded by thousands of police and paramilitary personnel taking over street by street in central Delhi. Stormy wasn’t just the weather; Delhi’s political climate too painted a similar picture.
What would otherwise have been a bustling Sunday, saw groups of protesters attempting to assemble and being swiftly intercepted by police. Even though the norms were relaxed and shops in and around Connaught Place were partly opened, the deserted look wasn’t familiar to the eyes, especially in the festive season.
Throughout the day, placards went up; slogans rose above the traffic; uniformed personnel closed in. At intervals, clusters of demonstrators broke through police barricades and dashed down the streets, prompting officers to give chase. Their attempts to evade the police were short-lived: they were quickly intercepted, surrounded and taken into custody. Some were pulled along the road by police personnel before being pushed into buses stationed nearby. Yet nothing dampened the spirit.
The tricolour waved high at the heart of the city, and so did the series of grievances. The difference between the state and the demonstrators is substantial, but the streets had become the place where that disagreement was being expressed visibly.
For a city accustomed to political demonstrations, the atmosphere offered an unsettling inversion: a designated protest venue remained difficult to reach, while the surrounding roads became the stage for scattered expressions of dissent. The effort to prevent a large gathering did not silence the movement.
The state’s responsibility to maintain public order and the citizens’ right to challenge decisions they believe threaten democratic participation stood at crossroads. The collateral damage was the crawling traffic, the restricted movement, a disrupted weekend and a city almost under siege. Although the internet services were resumed, the heaviness of the empty streets was difficult to comprehend.
The barricades could restrict movement, and the buses could carry protesters away. Whether the underlying questions about electoral transparency can be resolved so easily is another matter. For now, the city questioned its right to disagree and dissent.