Rajat Subhra Chatterjee
0059
I am not a political wizard, not even a columnist. I don’t have any intention to be either. Yet am a politically conscious person, though I hate dealing with modern day party politics. Rather I love to explore field of Sports and little bit in spiritualism in my own humble way. But I really love to pen down anything interesting on sports where I believe I may contribute meaningfully. Dwelling in sports related matter offers me a sense of contributing.
This piece is also related to sportspersons. But differently. What has been going on in / on the streets of Delhi for last several months involving medal winning athletes of India, has been, least to say, the most shameless and callous treatment of the powers that be. And what has happened on Sunday, the 28th May when police had bodily obstructed and lifted these daughters and sons of Mother India brutally that defied any sense of logic, humane touch and betrays the very sense of understanding. Rather this barbaric act on the part of police on innocent sports persons in the backdrop of the inaugural ceremony of new Parliament Bhaban, not far away at all, showed the audacious authoritarianism of the administration.
This is certainly not the ” Aacche Din ” so profoundly announced and repeated on our face for last many years. Shame on Delhi Police. Sad day for India.
I, on a personal level, have been utterly pained at the turn of events that have forced these medal winning prides of the country to take a course of action that brought them in the streets to protest. I have a simple question to ask. Really don’t know, to whom this may concern. Yet my question is who is to be blamed for this uncalled for mess ? A non political incident has been skillfully dragged into a political issue !!
Let me assume, just assume, that the protesters are wrong and the so-called offender is not guilty. Fine. Well, then some one, around was expected to come clean to steer away this mess! We have in our country – the four pillars of democracy- the Legislature, Executive, Judiciary and the Media. Each pillar must act within its domain but must not lose sight of the larger picture. The strength of a democracy depends upon the strength of each pillar and the way pillars complement each other. However, all the pillars of democracy must respect their Lakshman Rekha …not to overlap and not to cross the line.
Here I see with dismay, with no malice to any one and with utmost respect where only it is due, that neither of the four pillars seem to be bothered at all to at least attempt to know why, why these athletes have been protesting in streets ? Let’s not talk about the electronic media. Like the idiot box, they also have remained idiots in spite of existing for last so many decades in India. They are bluntly proving the proverb wrong, that ‘pen is mightier than the sword.’ Though print media only is trying to cover this issue with adequate facts.
Curiously enough, I switched on, last evening, to several All India English news channels in electronic media ( I don’t have any trust on any of the local media channel ) and to my horror I could watch the live footages of the ghastly murder on open street in Delhi of a young girl by a fellow in the presence of so many passers by !! That continued whole evening in almost all the channels. Yes it was an important issue which exposes once again the ineffectiveness of the police in our country in general and in Delhi / Noida area specifically. But showing the live footages of the ghastly incident, repeatedly, had been so awful to that extent that I had to switch off. I firmly believe that showing of such footages live on electronic media might escalate and encourage the crime and criminals more only. Coverage of such incident is absolutely fine. But showing of such footage is not.
I actually intended to search if any footage or discussion was taking place about the Athletes’ ‘Dharna’ and the barbaric attack on them by the Delhi Police. But again to my horror, no one, not even in a single channel ( well I was live for an hour or so on these channels ) I could find any one coming up with that issue ?
This ‘Dharna’ by the men & women wrestlers for last five months on the streets of Delhi, who have brought laurels and medals for the country, is being seen world wide. Some stray protests from few reputed athletes of India apart, there has been a general silence by vast majority of so called intellectuals and complete ignorance by the Pillars of democracy. Now that it is clear that Legislature will not do anything, the remaining two, Executive & Judiciary are now expected to act sue motto. Can we not expect that some one, somewhere in this vast country will rise and take up this issue to first know the problem, then act to resolve this once for all. Let the honour for all concerned remain in tact and let us hope for an immediate solution. A touch of empathy perhaps might act. Else, if a lunatic utterance of ‘firing on them’ actually takes place, that will be the end of the road for all concerned. God Bless.
Victory belongs to the most tenacious.