Post-apocalypse, a country is formed that consists
of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. The people in
the Capitol region rule over the 12 districts and live a life of luxury in a
highly protected environment where the common people are not allowed to enter.
The common people in the other poor districts have to work hard to provide the
resources to the Capitol region so that the rulers/leaders can maintain their
luxurious lifestyle.
The country is ruled from behind closed doors, a
building without an address or a telephone number. The people in that building
do not allow the leaders they appoint to actually lead and put in place a
puppet leader, while they control everything behind the scenes.
The ordinary
citizens from the other poor districts have no access to any healthcare or law
& order and have to struggle to make a living. Any uprising or discontent
is brutally suppressed by the police forces sent by the rulers in the Capitol.
The President of the Capitol tells his council
members that it is okay to give the districts hope but that too much hope can
actually be dangerous.
If this sounds familiar it is the story of the “Hunger
Games” which was a hugely successful movie recently. But while watching the
recent protests of the enraged public to the brutal gang-rape of a young woman
in New Delhi, I got a feeling of Déjà vu. This was an uncanny parallel to the movie
where battalions of police are mobilized
to protect the “Inner Circle” of the Capitol where the VVIP’s live and the
citizens- girls, women, old people are beaten and tear-gassed for having the
audacity to come to this sacred sanctorum, meant only for the privileged
people. You want to protest, fine! Go and protest somewhere else – NOT here!
Ordinary people are not allowed here! This is the message that we get from the
authorities as they seal off the New Delhi district and shut down the Metro
services.
It is always scary when Life imitates Art or is it
the other way around. Either way the message is clear - this is the comfort
zone of VVIP’s and how dare you presume to enter this area!
In PART III of the
Constitution of India under FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS is the Right to Freedom which says -
(1) All citizens shall have the
right—
(a) to freedom of speech and expression;
(b) to assemble peaceably and without arms;
(c) to form associations or unions;
(d) to move freely throughout the territory of India;
So here we have a revered location where in a few weeks the nation will
be celebrating the birth of the Constitution of India for the 63rd time! At
this same location we are witnessing the murder of the fundamental provisions
of the Constitution of India!
For over 60 years we have mostly the same political
parties and politicians in power and they have not done anything for the
dignity & safety of women in India. We cannot expect any change from these people. It is an
insult when these politicians come out to make statements when horrific
incidents like this happen and claim to understand the pain of the victims as
they too have daughters. Do their daughters travel in public transport and get
groped and have to listen to lewd comments? Do they walk around like the other
women do in markets and go to work every day? No they do NOT! They are
protected by VIP security, travel with escorts, study in privileged schools or
abroad! These pathetic attempts to get sympathy just because they have daughters,
is an insult to the citizens of India.
What we
need is a massive change in a system which fosters & breeds connivance
between law-makers and those who are supposed to implement the law. We need to
throw out a system which hides personal accountability behind “Committee of
Enquiry” or “The Government. We cannot allow a system where politicians make
hurtful and derogatory remarks and then claim they are being “misquoted” or “this
is a political conspiracy”!
We
desperately need ACCOUNTABILITY! And it is apparent we will not get it from
this present system.
"Insanity
is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different
results."
So can we
expect an “Indian Spring” where hopefully out of chaos will arise a new order
or can we expect the current unrest to be brutally beaten by “lathis” and
tear-gassed into submission! Or perhaps the response will be stonewalling by “The
Government” until the public anger subsides and the protest end in a whimper
much like the month of March.
My money is
on a brutal response to break the back of this public outrage much like the
British response used to be to similar protests by ordinary citizens fighting
for freedom for India.
In
conclusion I’d like to quote an old Italian proverb –
“After the game, both the King and the pawn go into
the same box”~ Italian proverb
(Is there some irony because its
Italian – oh not at all)
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