*Shame on the ABVP, Shame on us* * *
*Ashley Tellis *wonders why we only know how to react to violence, never to prevent it in the first place The ABVP goons of Delhi University have struck again. And once again, all we can do is react and react late. We will hold yet another meeting at Vivekananda statue, take out another spontaneous procession which will enthrall us with its numbers and we'll be high for a day and then we'll forget it all and go back to our pathetic little lives. Till the ABVP strikes again. How long will Delhi University stay in this reactive mode? How long will the ABVP take the initiative, do unspeakable things like spit in the faces of speakers, disrupt meetings and break windows before we prevent these things from happening in the first place? That the feudal and corrupt Delhi University will do nothing about it of course should not come to us as a surprise by now. They did not do anything last year and they will not defend the secular nature of the educational institution again. They are not afraid of the ABVP; they are in cahoots with it. But what are we going to do about it apart from our usual symbolic protests? Isn't it time to realise that we have to take a proactive stand and nip this sort of violence-based, goonda politics in the bud and send out a clear message that we will not tolerate it? As secular citizens, we only make asses of ourselves when we are caught on the back foot, making liberal noises about tolerance and acceptance while fascist organizations like the ABVP get away with the brazen acts of arson and disruption. Every time some incident like this galvanises us into action, we must know that we have already lost the battle. Our action has to predate such events; not come after them, like the police in the movies, when it is too late. There should have been police protection for this event, there should have been a large number of secular students placed as security to prevent the ABVP students from insulting a man already insulted enough by the state, shot and who has still stood by the idea of Indian democracy and justice. What were the audience doing? Why are we all passive in the face of such brazen disrespect for secular individuals and democratic processes? It is time for us to ask some hard questions and organize to fight against this dastardly culture of Nazi violence perpetrated by the goons of the ABVP. We have to keep them in check and ensure that such events never ever happen again. -- Ranjit --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
