Democracy Tax

The withdrawal of cases enmasse by the government has taken the predictable road of controversy. Not surprisingly. At a time when everything is seen through myopic political lenses it is indeed foolhardy to take a magnanimous or a dispassionate view.

Let’s face it. Every protest has its set of violent advocates. Every time we have had a strike or a public uproar, there has been damage to public property. It is all very fine to recite platitudes. It is also comfortable to do so from lofty heights and other luxuries of distance. The fact of the matter is the hand that takes the stone or wields the stick does so after a period of time.

Let’s restrict our observation to the case on hand. People have not taken to protests overnight. Two general elections in the state have in some manner revolved around the issue of a separate state. To quote Luke “No man when he hath lighted a candle putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on candlestick, that they wish come in may see the light”. Collective protest in a democracy is not only about aggregate interest it is also about focusing attention. Redressal is a part of democratic function.

Protestors who destroy public property are not necessarily correct. Surely destruction has no defence. However it craves for understanding. It a mature society it also calls for tolerance. We continue to fault by seeing violence as the cause. It is the effect. The agitators are agitated. They have taken to the roads because other democratic forms of convincing the power that be have failed. Let us face the reality: the Telangana movement gained momentum only when violence became the language of expression.

At the end of every strike governments habitually concede to the demand of such striking sections to withdraw cases against them. Invariably governments and authorities concede to withdrawing cases of such nature. This is a historic process with rare exception.

A friend wondered if such withdrawal, in the present context, is not a clear sign encouraging violence. I would believe, no. He also asked: Who will pay for the destruction of property? Is it not again a burden on you and me as tax-payers?

I believe violence is an integral part of democracy in any system and particularly ours which bears no allegiance to the philosophy of the Mahatma. Violence begets violence just as indifference begets clamour. The state that suppresses is also a state that compels the citizen to adopt a language of violence. remember the Bard who said:

“We still have judgement here, that we but teach.

Bloody instructions, which being taught, return

To plague th’ inventor: this even handed justice

Command the ingredients of our poisoned chalice

To our own lips”.

The seeming perpetuators of violence – the angry, 19 year old who sees no chance for a slice of the cake is an image. Let there be no social refractive error. The violence of the student community (defenceless as it seems) is a product of a disguised hurting format of violence by officialdom. The street is the theatre of democracy. We citizens have a price to pay for democracy. Those who crib that we have lost public property may do well to remember that we don’t pay Democracy Tax. To threaten severe action is a necessary con-commitment of the government and a minimum insurance to a society in order. However magnanimity in an hour of crises and statesmanship by the power wielding is a facet of good governance. I believe that the student community deserves the tolerance of society. That’s the way countries grow. We often forget the democracies don’t function by the auditors report. Perhaps one of the best decisions taken by Kiran Kumar Reddy after becoming the Chief Minister is the announcement withdrawing the cases. If only, he had done it before the drama, it would have won him more admirers. Unfortunately in our present day theatrics catcalls and whistles are more important than applause and praise, brownie points more vital than genuine success. Let’s get back to work and perhaps spend another hour at work and collectively contribute to make-up for the value of the lost property. Let’s answer the wolf-criers with Shramadan as Democracy Tax.