{No doubt the official machinery has starting troubles - reach site, visit the spot, get a fed on solid data, interview the personnel etc. Whereas the on-the-spot analyst relies on known information from similar mishaps. ChintaMany diary -page 4}
Why would anyone protest? And how does anyone find a reason or cause to protest? What is the deep-down motive for this? Is anyone capable of putting up multiple protests? How is conflict of interest avoided in protesting from too many platforms?
Imaginch, ever the progressive thinker (pardon his imagination), did not agree with the axiom that an idle mind is the devil's workshop. Rather, he believed that the axiom maker didn't foresee the possibility that it could also be a playground - for devils’ advocates! He did not consider this as a protest.
Idle mind or not, he wanted to appear and argue, as a pro bono advocate. For this purpose, he need not have to travel to a court's premises. With a pen and papers, he can let loose the arguments, for or against, to his heart's content.
Without actively searching for an issue – “protest"- presented itself, as clear as a day. He earnestly embarked on a fourth estate journey of print, electronic and mushrooming social media platforms to familiarise himself with the issue of protest. Pro bono is free service but, hard work. A bumper harvest of ‘protests’, including the agricultural variety, soon filled the storage space in his mind. A picture of plenty of arguments – for and against, emerged mirroring the conundrum of present-day protests.
Relentlessly, he whittled them down as saleable or back-to-earth manure grade stuff.
When farmers in a few countries stage protests on roads, like armed soldiers going to war, they bring a convoy of farm machines. After all, these very machines that support them in the fields, should they not get a chance to participate in the protests of their owners?
What is the agenda? A section of farmers protest against low prices, high input and regulatory costs, cheaper imports and sales by supermarkets, contracted purchases, scarce operating funds etc. Whereas another section of protesters demand guarantee laws, monthly dole, free and subsidised input materials and waiver of norms with an inclusion, a seller determines the price and quality of the produce, at the procurement points.
Agricultural products produced at lower costs satisfy the supply and demand economics in some nations. On the other hand, higher production cost is a catch-22 situation owing to self-preserving environmental protection regimes. This is a self-inflicted wound, foisted upon the nation by their own protesting environmentalists, now grievous farmers point a bandaged finger elsewhere. How can one from this set-up blame the others in a different setup?
There is a third-party involvement, at least during some phase of protests - academics, sympathisers, retired officials, wannabe opinion makers. Vested interests, as the name suggests, support to fuel the protests. None of them have ever tilled a piece of land or suffered losses as a farming community but have enough wisdom to share around. With enough media coverage the protesters and negotiators reach out and stay stalemated. This is a vicious circle and both sides get tossed around till such time the 'who blinks first moment' comes and goes and only to reassemble after a year. This periodicity, predictable and curious, coincides with National elections, gets even foreign press coverage.
The world is a global village is a much-hyped advertising stunt. Here the hidden agenda is an outreach to exploit. Public-spirited protesters will travel to the protest site to lend moral support and set up media frenzy. Though their knowledge about that country is limited to Google Maps, if this agenda serves them to gain popularity, so be it! The protesters turn a blind eye to the fact these tool-kit Samaritans earn- make hay while sun shines. Is it not a farm activity!
For some nations, fueling protest is always a fair game, if on their back-foot. A fertile field for disruptive influences, to drag everyone down the path of helplessness, misery and sufferings. Their mechanism, to create a crisis, is to fund standby groups, that wreak havoc on the silent majority of the world.
The mighty gets the armaments mill rolling to keep their home front benefitting - earn money without spending any in active combat. This is a proxy war. As soon as attacks and counter attacks begin, aligned, misaligned countries engage to broker peace deals, even if it involves terrorism. Public spirited protestors, for and against, go full throat in discriminatory rhetoric with guaranteed publicity.
The population which is not affected eagerly waits for updates on loss of human life and cost if materials are destroyed. Strangely, the environmentalists wisely do not voice concerns or start their own protests, maybe because their meek voices will be drowned in the cacophony of a conflict.
The answer for the question when protests will end and when will it raise its head again is in how demands, denials and dabbling heed the wisdom of reasoning.
Everyone has a demand thinking that the other has the key to the deadlock. Stepping into the other’s shoes or bare feet may help in better understanding of issues in proper perspective. If only all involved could step aside from the conflict zone and allow reason to speak - a fighting chance! Now, don't we have the key?
Having finished his write-up, without any other issue cropping up, Imaginch started searching for news outlets. Op-Ed, invited article, Opinion, independent opinion or under any other category to carry his views in print. Some public exposure...well he is not averse to it. Not even in his sleep, he played any part in any such protests.
What sustains a protester?
The foundation is feeling wronged. Personal, empathy with or sympathy for others with a cause. This could end with a long protest march.
Then, what ticks? For or against, positive or negative, discerning or swayed leads to two paths. One protesting for and the other one against. Put both sides in a spot, you have an agitated crowd. Add a few miscreants to this simmering pot, eruption of violence is imminent. This sort of protests leaves a scar.
Protesters have a set of rules. If the public are not happy with it, they come up with different set of rules.
This like taking a complex problem and breaking it down to find solutions. Then combine all the individual solutions, you end up with the solution that is far more complex than the original problem.
The campus protesters, even if you are students of political science, will do well to remember - they got or been given an opportunity, undoubtedly denying someone else's chance. By protesting now, you are only wasting away your future, when you might be in a position to do something about issues. Can you protest against your parents, in the present time and get away with it?
Nations at war, launch missiles, hurl explosives causing immense environmental damage. It is no wonder or mystery the vociferous environmental protesters take evasive measures and flee to safety. Though protest can be mounted at any time but not when missiles are raining down. Non-resident activists are like a painter with a bucket of paint and brush; smear the wall of protest with ugly strokes and retreat.
Parties face elections with time tested formulae and taking a cue, the protesters on various issues go with field-tested demands, time and again. No one wants to come up with a different formula. From the height of vocal towers, parties speak of agrarian distress and unemployment tsunami. Not even in dreams they think about doing something about them by investing personal efforts. A farmer is land locked with his crop but what prevents the farm workers from developing alternate skill sets to get employed. On the surface, it will look like creating competition among other wage earners. In reality it will not be so as use of mechanised farm equipment has already created unemployment among farm workers.
Geopolitics is complex and to vent your frustration don't protest - use that energy for your progress. A problem might have a simple solution that is, neat, biased - and may be wrong.
Protest is not a substitute for a profession. What will be the magnitude of chaos, if people start protesting against protests and protesters for (infringing on their right) heavily impacting their means of livelihood?
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