End Kerala's culture of violent protests
Protests are crucial in a civil society. The freedom to express dissent, besides being a sign of healthy democracy, can help shape public policies, hold decision-makers accountable for their actions and uphold the rights of the people. But to draw legitimacy and support, the protests must remain non-violent and cause little inconvenience to public life. In contrast, the road blockade organised by the Congress in Kochi on Monday, while protesting the increasing fuel prices, held up traffic on the busy Vyttila stretch for hours together. It also turned violent when actor Joju George, after being stuck on the road for some time, chose to question the archaic mode of protest that inconvenienced thousands of people. The actor was subjected to verbal abuse and his car was vandalised. Subsequently, several Congress leaders were booked for the violence and causing a road blockade. While the incident and the police action triggered a public debate on the need and modes of protests, the fact is no political party in Kerala can claim an exemption to having helped breed, nurture and propagate this culture of violent agitations. Here, to protest is not a matter of choice, but often a compulsion. It’s a state where a bandh—conveniently renamed ‘hartal’ after the Supreme Court declared it illegal—is enforced quite forcefully, often violently, and protests are a part of routine life and need no real reason.
The thriving but disruptive culture of strikes, protests, bandhs and hartals has caused much harm to Kerala’s image, progress and development, and yet there has been no effort to put an end to it. Blaming the Congress alone for the latest episode will not help. The CPM, its allies in the ruling LDF, other political parties, and affiliated student, youth and trade wings have a history of adopting violence as a legitimate mode of protest. The 2015 Assembly ruckus is an example. The parties must rethink the methods they have normalised as part of Kerala’s political culture and realise that destructive actions, however genuine the cause may be, will not help them gather public support. Protesting for the sake of it can indeed harm the cause. While to dissent is healthy and to express it is normal, to indulge in violence and hold the public to ransom under the right-to-protest camouflage is blatantly criminal.