Florine Roche
Mar 17: "Agitations cannot hold the nation to ransom and be a reason to vandalise public property. Organisers of such agitations will have to pay the cost". This is what the Supreme Court said recently following the destructive Jat agitation of February this year. The Jat stir demanding reservation quota had turned violent resulting in killings, burning, looting of shops and mobs destroying canals and other public property resulting in loss to the tune of almost Rs 35,000 crores. The railways also had suffered a loss to the tune of Rs 55 crores during the Jat strike. Apart from loss to public and private property the jat agitation had brought trade, industry, transport and small business to a grinding halt thus completely stalling any economic activity.
Now once again the cultural capital of Karnataka Mysuru was burning with the bandh called in protest against the killing of BJP RSS leader on March 13, 2016 turning violent. During the bandh on March 14, BJP supporters resorted to burning and ransacking of shops, vehicles and causing harm to public and private property. The cameras have captured the scenes of these goondas and lumpen elements going on the rampage hitting out at fruit stalls, shops offices and other establishments and also torching vehicles. The loss caused by this vandalism is yet to be ascertained.
During Mysuru bandh on March 14
This is the third such incident in India in the recent past where we have watched as silent spectators when the states were burnt. Earlier Gujarath had witnessed violence resulting in huge property destruction during the Patidhar agitation and it is said that some political parties were responsible for instigating the agitators to resort to violence. The Jat agitation saw unprecedented damage to public property, something which does not usually happen during state level agitations and once again it is said Congress leaders instigated the Jats to indulge in violence. Now Mysuru has borne the brunt of the acts of a few goondas of the BJP taking law into their own hands. Apart from causing large scale amage what is alarming is the manner in which the political parties, organisations and individuals go scot free after causing huge damage and inconvenience to the common people.
Recently the Supreme Court has come down heavily on the agitators following the Jat stir turning violent saying that those who indulge in violence, burning and ransacking must be made to pay for their actions. It also said that the leaders or organizers of the agitation must be held responsible for the consequences. This is a very welcome move for the simple reason that the parties or outfits that give a bandh call remain in the background but the grass root level workers become vulnerable to prosecution or action. Hence political parties will think twice or many times before they instigate the mob to act. By expressing its concern on the large scale destruction of public property the Supreme Court has given a timely warning to the political parties and other outfits that organize such bandhs and also to the people of this country, not to be silent spectators and bear the burden for the vandalism caused by them to reap political benefits.
Every time such incident occurs we express concern, lament the loss, write comments on reports and react emotionally. But within a few days the issue is forgotten until we wake up one fine morning with another such incident of much graver intensity. Supreme Court has issues a series of guidelines from time to time including a suo motto cognisance in 2007. Now that the Supreme Court has given a warning in this direction as a fallout of the Jat agitation, it is time we the ordinary citizens of this country, who actually bear the brunt of their whims and fancy in the form of more taxes and rising costs, wake up from our Kumbakarna kind of sleep and ask for strict action against such anarchic elements.
Should those who justify such massive loss to the country be allowed to go scot-free? Should we allow them to get away and bear the burden of their acts under the garb of freedom of expression? The people of this country who are already reeling under the rising cost of essential commodities including food grains, cannot shoulder more burden especially at a time when we are making every effort to improve our economy and perk up the standard of living of our people. No doubt bandhs, hartals and protests are essential ingredients of a vibrant democracy to express dissent and displeasure. But we cannot condone the violence that comes with bandhs and agitations and the immediate and long term hardships it causes to the common people. The perpetrators should be given severe punishment so that it acts as a deterrent for others.
Many of us may not be aware how much we the people of this country are forced to pay for such irresponsible and cowardice behaviour of a few people. Many of us are not aware that public property means it is our property. May be we need to educate the public in this regard that public property is the property of the people of this country. The government is only the custodian of this property and any damage caused to it like causing damage to our own personal property. It is true we don’t feel the pinch of this destruction directly unlike when we buy personal things that we require at home. That is why there is an urgent need to create public awareness on this aspect.
At the same time the Union Home ministry should bring in an amendment to the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act 1984. In 2007 following the Gujjar agitation the Supreme Court had initiated a suo motu proceeding against such bunds, agitations and had appointed two different committees. One committee was to propose strengthening the provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Properties act and the others to fix the responsibility of damage on the leaders. The Justice K T Thomas Committee who dealt with the second proposal had made certain recommendations to deter prospective violators from ravaging public property and these recommendations were accepted by the government and had issued a circular in this regard in May 2015 inviting suggestions for the proposed amendment. It must be acknowledged that any amendment cannot be passed in a hurry and an amendment of this stature certainly calls for careful inspection and will take its own time. But the government should expedite the matter realising its significance and the urgency with which it needs to be amended.
It is true that effecting an amendment to this act is not easy considering that it might be used as a tool against political opponents. Agreed, it should not be misused against opponents. Let us apply the same yardstick and say any amendment not jeopardise the rights of the common citizens to protest. At the same time such agitations should not cause any change or hardships to the common people who usually get affected the most. We must bear in mind that rights of some people to protest should not mean the right of the common people to live or lead a normal life are to be sacrificed or their livelihood can be taken away due to widespread destruction.
It is time the long rope given to the political parties, religious and other outfits to destroy public property and get away with it is tightened at the earliest.