“We, the people” — of a beyond vibrant democracy

We are not, simply, the people who seven decades ago, riding on principles of ahimsa and satyagraha, broke free, loosening the shackles of colonialism. We are not, merely, as we augustly present, the biggest democracy that recognizes individuality yet projects unanimity. We are not solely a representational democracy “of the people, by the people and for the people”. We are also not just a functioning democracy with legislative, executive and judiciary or the “hallmark of thriving democracy” with peaceful dissent. We are well beyond those contemporary definitions and expectations of democracy.

We are not the Gandhi of Champaran or Jayaprakash of Bihar or Anna of Ramlila Ground. We are not those people outpouring emotions for Nirbhaya at the feet of Raisina. We are not them, for we do not have a belief system. We are not them, for we do not demand reforms, speak against social injustices, move public sentiments or influence government policies. We have no such objectives, for we have objectified ourselves. Objectified to bring to bow a government surmounted by the trust of hundreds of millions. We are the people of protest and dissent.

We are the organizers of tens of thousands of campaigns in the national capital each year. Each time we march it’s in anticipation of a revolution but we return in revelation. We are not one of those spontaneous protests on the streets against a justified cause. We do not organize satyagraha or anasans. We organize months-long sit-in dharnas on highways. We aim at the maximum disruption to the society around us. But dare society ask us “How have we done you any wrong? Why do your ways cause us so much trouble?” Advancing we then take to anarchism. However, we cannot be criticized, since we do hold no accountability.

We are the people who need no issue, we craft them meticulously. We take pride in creating one and moving towards its swift justification. We are the people who defend by attacking in anticipation. Furthermore, we are not the people who can be reasoned with. We are audacious while questioning but are gutless when it comes to listening to them being replied to. Nevertheless, we do not entertain our opposition. Dare if anyone approach and question, “I do not agree with you and I am not on the streets, should my voice, despite being a majority, should not be heard?”. That is what we are. Not a construction opposition but an obstructive one and on occasions even a destructive one.

We are the advocates of rights and freedoms. Right to assemble peaceably. Right to move freely. And of prime importance to us is the right to freedom of speech and expression. But we do not care to venture forth to read those next articles that allow the government to put reasonable restrictions upon them. Since we are also the advocates of the principle of rights for us and duties theirs. Freedom for us and responsibility theirs. Those form the core of our ideology. And dare you ask “What if I come to you asking for the same rights but against your protest and objectives. Will you ensure us ours?”.

That’s not all we are! There’s more to us!

We are the people who exploit the volatility of India’s memories, of those who indeed are not just forgiving but forgetful. We do not remind them of the time when “10,000 policemen and rapid action forces raided the grounds when most of the protestors were sleeping. Tear gas shells and lathi charge was used, tents were set on fire, and water was thrown over power generators to create complete darkness.” We are the people who talk of police brutality after thrashing them with rods and sticks and swords. And be warned to question, “Had it not been for your loots and deceits, you would be still holding the scepter. Wouldn’t you?”

We are the people who manipulate the kindness and innocence of children for our environmental activism. We do not explain to them that “the modern world is complex and different”. We do not explain to them that in this world “people in Africa and many Asian countries want to live at the same wealth and prosperity levels as in the west”. We put their charismatic youth vigor upfront and then rally behind them. We are impudent, if they ask, “You may rightly pitch us against the ‘fairy tales of eternal economic development’, but why do you not tell us your idea of the path forward?”

We demand clean electricity but we stand against hydroelectric and nuclear power as alternatives. We want convenient means of transportation but protest against metro car sheds. A tenfold plantation is unacceptable to us. We talk of alternatives but provide none for those same projects we hindered. We then satisfy our egoistic self by eying lands proposed for their dream projects of high-speed rails. We talk of “Garib, Dalit, Soshit, Vanchit” and label them as capitalists but duck aside when asked, “You talk of wealth distribution without proposing ways of its creation. Plead we, teach us, how do you divide a pie when you have none?”

We are not “anti-nationals”; we cannot be. Rotten apples are present in the best of species. Do they become oranges? We are, certainly, of the nation, but doubtful it is, are we for the nation? We are everywhere, we are all over them. Scavenging upon it, in the darks and the limelight, we break every stride the nation puts forward. Prohibit yet we, the question, “Why do you collude with separatists and foreigners? What interests of the nation does this protect? Why do you continuously show the nation in poor light? Why do you demean it through false narratives?”. When asked, bold enough we tag “intolerant”, “fascists” and primarily “our rights!”.

We are the people who approach courts for justice guaranteed by that same constitution which makes us a democracy. Yet we do not respect or have faith in those constitutional positions, authorities and processes that the same constitution establishes. For, we are the people of this beyond vibrant democracy, where rights and freedom are ours, duties, responsibilities and accountability theirs. Where we audaciously ask questions but gutlessly turn blind to answers. Where they may hold power, but we still control the narrative. We are the people of this beyond vibrant democracy, where laws shouldn’t be made by elected representatives in parliament but dictated by self-proclaimed leaders from the streets. Where we might not see a path forward but we have already chosen a side. In this democracy where we are going well beyond the contemporary, they can only wish we still are the people who may “disagree vehemently with you, but defend to the death your right to disagree with me”.