Basant ban : Only way to bell the ‘cat’?

Extreme measures and exaggerated mass scale injunctions to resolve disorder created by a few miscreants have several grave implications. Not only do they effectively jeopardize the basic human rights of ordinary people, they also paint them in the same colours as the real mischief makers. The myopic vision of the administration to employ brute force tactics to counter simple problems leads to a sense of injustice in the population. A steady buildup of such emotions can result in anarchy, chaos and lawlessness because the law to suppress civil liberties itself appears to be unwarranted and unlawful to a majority of the people. It also leads to cynicism in the abilities of the governing bodies to handle situations of genuine crisis, which require foresight and decent analytical skills. Such antics to apply quick ‘fixes’ draw severe criticism and are perceived as politically motivated stunts to divert the attention of people from other crucial issues and policy failures of the administration.

The majority of our population is economically treading a gloomy and narrow path, leading to a perpetual vortex of misery and frustration. Most of the entertainment in our society is available to a relatively select class of people. Playgrounds for ordinary citizens are rapidly decreasing, being replaced by high end theatres, franchised and posh local restaurants, expensive shopping centres, elite golf courses and big parking lots to accommodate the vehicles of those who can afford to enjoy such luxuries. Polarity between the rich and the poor is on the rise. The ominous results of such a disparity in social and financial stature have already started to manifest themselves in the general behaviour of the masses. Protests are getting more violent, giving a clear indication of the disillusionment of the masses. The law itself has become a tool to be manipulated and exploited by people enjoying superior rank in the government, who believe themselves to be above the law. Ironically those still ‘below’ the law, are getting more resistant every day to follow it due to its inefficacy in focus, direction and implementation to deal with the real issues.

In the backdrop of all this, the authorities time and again try to tempt fate by making yet another decision that can have deeper repercussions than most of our policy-makers seem to appreciate at this moment. A case in point is the complete ban on flying kites of any kind. The majority balked at the injudicious decision to curtail the privilege of any person to fly a kite, without exhaustively examining the underlying causes of the recent events which instigated the ban.

Recently a trend has emerged to use chemically reinforced twine that has proved to be virtually unbreakable and people preferred its use because of this quality. However, in retrospect it turned out to be quite hazardous as it resulted in slitting the throats of several people and causing fatalities. A sensible strategy to remedy this situation would have been to make such twine illegal to manufacture, as well as for ordinary use. This should have been followed by a crackdown on the lawbreakers who persisted in making and selling this thread of death and then dealing with them without mercy. A few arrests and punishments focused on the people who kept flying their kites with this twine would have knocked sense into anyone who was tempted by its resilient qualities.

This would have also created a safe atmosphere for avid kite flying fans who are extremely passionate about this fairly innocuous activity, which has been the part and parcel of our culture for a very long time. From the Havelis of Nawabs to the homeless, everyone could have continued to enjoy this relatively low-cost entertainment provided the correct measures were taken to rectify the minor hiccups in kite flying. It also provided a great opportunity for the administration to step up and shoulder responsibility and make its importance felt by carefully eradicating the hurtful stones from the old and well-trod path of the kite flying tradition.

However, by imposing a blanket ban the government achieved just the opposite, causing the people to flare up and rebel. Fortunately the resistance, as yet, to such thoughtless and unjust acts has been disorganized. It can nevertheless at any time prove to be a catalyst in our volatile society, which is on the brink of frustration due to lawlessness, nepotism, lack of meritocracy, and increased poverty among the poor. In a nutshell, there are several easier and more effective ways to bell the cat and adopting an imprudent attitude is a sure recipe for disaster.

Written for The Post. Original article is archived here