One Evening at Raisina Hill

[Disclaimer: This is a detailed account of a personal experience, and may contain minute details uninteresting to you.]

After witnessing the outrage over Twitter against the heinous incident of rape and attempted murder in the capital city of India, I found myself to be in the same place for 4 days. I could not loose this opportunity to witness, participate, and engage in one of the largest spontaneous uprisings of young boys and girls that I can remember. So there I was, walking out of Central Secretriat Metro Stn at 6pm on Saturday, observing the various shades of Indian youth trying to assert themselves.

While I moved towards Rajpath, I saw one young agitated guy trying to damage an already fallen police barricade, and running came another one (his friend, possibly) stopping him furiously, and asking him whether he is here to damage public property or demand justice and safety of women. A smile appeared on my face, as I saw a small but significant example of self-correction and self-restraint. The barricade was lifted and put on side of the road, and I moved ahead.

As I walked towards Vijay Chowk, the centre of all action and attention, I saw many small groups of young boys and girls - the same ones, I guess, who you can see hanging out at CCDs and McDonald's - raising slogans at their own pitch and pace. What united them was the call for exemplary punishment to the rapists and a safer Delhi for its daughters and sisters. With time, more people trickled in and the small groups merged into a larger one - sitting peacefully on the cold surface - some had candles in their hands, some had banners, while some like me were empty-handed contributing just by voice and actions.

Moving further ahead towards the aisles of power that be (Rashtrapati Bhawan, North Block and South Block), I heard small circles of protesters giving heated statements to media personnel - some of which made sense to me, while some didn't. As I moved closer, I was stopped by a group of policemen. Showing that I was unarmed and meant no harm, I was allowed to walk around. And I was standing in front of the last barricade - separating the two Indias - young, energetic protesters on one side, and battalions of police and paramilitary forces with heavy bundobast of water canons, anti-riot brigades, tear shells & guns on other side protecting the seats of power. Shouts of "Sheila Dixt Haye Haye" were suppressed spontaneously, and were replaced with slogans of "We Want Justice".

Amid all this, everybody heard some sort of "Akashvani" - the summary of Home Minister's press conference was being read out by ACP Mr. D C Shrivastav, further asking that the protesters should end the protest since their demands have been listened to. A few girls also joined from top of police van, saying that they were randomly selected from the protesting crowd to meet the Home Minister, and were asked to convey his message to the public. The public lost its calm and asked aggressively why Home Minister could not come to address the public himself - genuine question in my opinion, "Why do our leaders and representatives need messengers to interact with aggrieved citizens, and expect us to feel satisfied with it?" They must be really afraid - I thought.

I joined a group of young men talking to ACP D C Shrivastav about the status of investigation in this particular case - DNA tests, identification parade, medical reports - and that law would take its "due course". Everything looked calm and quiet, until a rogue element started hurling abuses at the ACP. The ACP called upon to catch hold of the person, which the police force took as a signal to jump the barricades and beat the protesters - even those peacefully sitting. I saw policemen hitting out at mediapersons' cameras and pulling out their wires as they captured their faces. I stood there amazed at what just happened in a matter of few seconds.

I was pushed away by 2-3 constables to go back home and not come back, as the protests are over. I started walking slowly, but the constables were not satisfied with my unafraid demeanor and I received a blow of the cane on my legs asking me to run away. I turned and shouted at them angrily. I was joined by some others, and within next few minutes, the police was back behind the barricades and the protesters were back to the same spot. We identified the policeman who beat me, and asked for his identity. The "fattu" man hung his head in shame and ran behind the wall of his fellow policemen not to be seen again. The crowd became agitated asking for the reasons of the sudden crackdown. The slogans turned from being anti-rape to anti-tyranny. Most policemen claimed innocence saying that their baton has not hit one single innocent person throughout the day. What chameleons - I thought!

With time, the protesters regrouped and situation became normal. With increasing cold at 10pm, only some highly determined ones held ground while others started moving back. The police contingents also started dispersing with orders to report back at 6am the next day. Things attained normalcy in some time and while I walked back to Metro Stn, agitated and tormented inside at the state of the nation, wondering what kind of crippled democracy India has become, whether this is just a low in the story of India and whether the Indian youth will fight back for a brighter future. Only time will tell.

Rang De Basanti

An epic movie with extra-ordinary direction, acting, songs, background music - simply everything. But technicalities apart, there are some unforgettable lines throughout the movie bursting with patriotic and nationalist feelings, which keep me pumped up. Recounting some of them here.

"अब भी जिसका खून न खौला, खून नहीं वो पानी है

जो देश के काम न आये, वो बेकार जवानी है."

"I always believed there were two kinds of men in this world, men who go to their deaths screaming, and men who go to their deaths in silence. Then I met a third kind."

"कोई भी देश perfect नहीं होता, उसे perfect बनाना पड़ता है. पुलिस में भर्ती होंगे, military join करेंगे, IAS बनेंगे, politics का हिस्सा बनकर इस देश की सरकार चलाएंगे. ये देश बदलेगा, हम बदलेंगे इसे."

"जिंदगी जीने के दो ही तरीके होते हैं. एक - जो हो रहा है, होने दो; बर्दाश्त करते जाओ. या फिर, ज़िम्मेदारी उठाओ उसे बदलने की."

So, in case someone has given up on India feeling that the future is dark, stop and think again; for each one of us can make a difference, and together we can do a lot more.

Signing off with a poem, every line of which is a quote in itself:

सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ू-ए-क़ातिल में है।

ऐ वतन, करता नहीं क्यूँ दूसरी कुछ बातचीत,
देखता हूँ मैं जिसे वो चुप तेरी महफ़िल में है

ऐ शहीद-ए-मुल्क-ओ-मिल्लत, मैं तेरे ऊपर निसार,
अब तेरी हिम्मत का चरचा ग़ैर की महफ़िल में है

वक़्त आने पर बता देंगे तुझे, ए आसमान,
हम अभी से क्या बताएँ क्या हमारे दिल में है,

खेँच कर लाई है सब को क़त्ल होने की उमीद,
आशिकों का आज जमघट कूचा-ए-क़ातिल में है

है लिए हथियार दुश्मन ताक में बैठा उधर,
और हम तैयार हैं सीना लिए अपना इधर।

ख़ून से खेलेंगे होली अगर वतन मुश्क़िल में है
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है।

हाथ, जिनमें है जूनून, कटते नही तलवार से,
सर जो उठ जाते हैं वो झुकते नहीं ललकार से।

और भड़केगा जो शोला सा हमारे दिल में है,
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है।

हम तो निकले ही थे घर से बाँधकर सर पर कफ़न,
जाँ हथेली पर लिए लो बढ चले हैं ये कदम।

ज़िंदगी तो अपनी मॆहमाँ मौत की महफ़िल में है
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है।

यूँ खड़ा मक़्तल में क़ातिल कह रहा है बार-बार,
क्या तमन्ना-ए-शहादत भी किसी के दिल में है?

दिल में तूफ़ानों की टोली और नसों में इन्कलाब,
होश दुश्मन के उड़ा देंगे हमें रोको न आज।

दूर रह पाए जो हमसे दम कहाँ मंज़िल में है,
सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है।

जिस्म वो क्या जिस्म है जिसमे न हो ख़ून-ए-जुनून
क्या लड़े तूफ़ान से जो कश्ती-ए-साहिल में है

सरफ़रोशी की तमन्ना अब हमारे दिल में है
देखना है ज़ोर कितना बाज़ू-ए-क़ातिल में है।

A Week of Victory and Hope

The last 7 days or so have been unprecedented. Never before in my life have I seen two different reasons for people to come out on the streets within a week. Last Saturday, the world witnessed the long-awaited world cup victory for Indian cricket team, which India celebrated with unseen fervour. If I believe hearsay (I missed it myself), about 50,000 persons gathered at the India Gate on the same night itself to celebrate the resurgence of India in the world of cricket. Right after, when everyone expected a week full of lull and boredom (IPL4 was still a week away), something happened which touched the Indian people from within. An almost unknown Anna Hazare pledged a fast unto death to demand a joint-committee to draft an almost forgotten Lokpal Bill. As all the euphoria that followed, some very remarkable and unparalleled things happened.

Firstly, Anna Hazare represented a beacon of hope in an otherwise helpless society who had given up in front of the rotten system and had accepted corruption as a way of life. Government’s acceptance of all demands of Anna gives people hope that a strongly determined will of the people can ring bells in ears of the deafest of regimes. A well-inspired movement can enforce participation in even the most insensitive of representative democracies. I am filled with optimism that it is still too early to give up on the Indian system. Indians are seeking a worthy leader and as and when they would find one, the support would be voluntary and overwhelming.

Secondly, this crusade was driven by the eagerness of the common man, even the silent middle class, to leave their comfort zones, to sacrifice their petty interests and come out in support of something they believe in. Being present at Jantar Mantar on both days when the fast began and the fast ended, I observed around me united support to fight the common cause of resentment, coming from across societal, geographic, economic and generational lines. Before this, the cynic in me thought that the only motive that connects every Indian is cricket and no other reason would be important enough to strike the chord in all of them. But, the cynicism had to make way for positivity.

With the official notification of a joint committee to draft a strong anti-corruption law, the struggle towards a better future has just begun. I hope with a bit of apprehension that the enthusiasm and oneness that people displayed during a short protest doesn’t get diffused in the long run, and the faith in power of united effort to change and improve the system is not lost. 

हो गई है पीर पर्वत-सी पिघलनी चाहिए,
इस हिमालय से कोई गंगा निकलनी चाहिए।

आज यह दीवार, परदों की तरह हिलने लगी,
शर्त लेकिन थी कि ये बुनियाद हिलनी चाहिए।

सिर्फ हंगामा खड़ा करना मेरा मकसद नहीं,
मेरी कोशिश है कि ये सूरत बदलनी चाहिए।

मेरे सीने में नहीं तो तेरे सीने में सही,
हो कहीं भी आग, लेकिन आग जलनी चाहिए।

 (by Dushyant Kumar)