While flipping news channels to gather some headlines, I paused on the India Today channel because they were showing how Delhi police and para military forces were clearing up the Shaheen Bagh area. Shaheen Bagh had gained fame or notoriety depending on whether you agreed or disagreed with them, during the anti-CAA protests and the protestors, mostly women refused to clear up even after the Corona Virus pandemic broke out.
Am all for protests and disagreements with the government or any civic body in a democracy. That’s what keeps governments in check. What I completely and vehemently disagree with is vandalism during these protests and damage to public property. The honest taxpayer pays for the government buses and the subsidies that are doled out … burning buses and houses etc is totally unacceptable. I like the UP government’s decision to make the rioters payback the government for the damage done to public property. That’s the way to go.
At Shaheen Bagh, as the police were clearing the place up, what was disturbing was the filth under the tents!! The place looked like a garbage dump. Were the protestors comfortable in these conditions? If yes, its very worrying. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan seems to have been forgotten. You can protest in clean surroundings, it doesn’t require filth. The TOI e-paper says 5 truckloads of debris removed from Shaheen Bagh and its a one kilometre stretch ! God help us.
#SwachhBharat #ProtestisOKFilthisNOT
