Mid-Day Opinion: Public protests must be orderly and peaceful

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

A number of pronouncements and announcements about upcoming protests in the city seem to have put Mumbai on edge. Organisations, leaders, activists have all called for some or the other protest against the Election Commission, then UPI charges and we have also seen a number of gathering elsewhere in India with reference to violence against women.

Protest, voicing opposition, calling the government to be accountable is part and in fact, the foundation of democracy. Yet, protesters and this may be for any issue, and any political party must begin on solid grounds, find merit in claims and think about motives and truly believe in the cause before joining the protest.

Importantly, every protest or morcha/agitation whatever one may label it must be conducted in a manner that does not harm ordinary residents or destroy infrastructure. There is a belief that unless you do something ‘dramatic' (read create anarchy) or attention-seeking (again bordering on anarchy) nothing will ever change. This does not mean you have free rein to hurt people commuting through the space the protest is held on. It does not mean holding a city to ransom, where people who have some emergency, a medical one perhaps, simply have to beg for help.

You will have more listeners if you are orderly, have correct and civil representation and are peaceful during protest. Do not upend lives, create chaos and upheaval. This city, spinning madly on its axis, will lend an ear, understand and may empathise too, if a protest has respect at the heart of it. You may be surprised at the result it can bring about.