|
Chandan It is a very strong
note – very scathing of the netters. I do not know how the rest of our netters
react to it. I would not like to indulge myself in such a game; I would just
deal with the salient points – solutions if you really want
it. This bondh is a
strike, a demonstration of sort. I am avoiding scholarly semantics. Strike is a legitimate form of protest
in democracy. The Assam bondh is not unique in the world. In the streets of
Paris, France, it is possible to see strikers in procession with flags and
slogans practically every day. However, unlike Guwahati, normal life seems to
continue, the roads carrying
pedestrians and vehicles, the pavement cafes delightfully occupied, the shops busy with customers and so on.
Nevertheless these are strikes or bondhs. The shops and Government offices at
Guwahati remain closed and communication by road and rail affected, I think, in
anticipation of scuffles and violence. The Municipal
authority and the Government have all the powers they need to control these
strikes. It is a matter of law and order. The Conservative Government in Britain
practically immobilised the trade unions by harsh laws. Demonstration of any
kind within the city has to be approved by the Municipality or the Corporation.
By a very recent legislation demonstration near the Parliament palace in UK
was completely banned. The Act made
an exception in the case of a man who continues to demonstrate in an adjacent
square against the involvement of the UK Government in war with Iraq. He escaped
punishment because the law cannot be applied retrospectively. Is not that
interesting! |
_______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
