Why should protesters disturb the very authorities they are protesting against? The privileged need a more convenient arrangement. Move the protest sites far enough from the corridors of power to ensure that those in power can carry on undisturbed. Let protesters raise their slogans, hold their placards and exercise their democratic rights somewhere well out of sight and, preferably, out of earshot.
Relocate protest sites to places where they cause the least inconvenience to the people they are meant to reach. There is just one small detail to resolve. If the people being protested against don’t need to listen, what exactly is the protest supposed to achieve? Fortunately, there is a solution to every problem.
People go to the jungle to see lions and other wild animals. Perhaps we could adopt the same arrangement for democracy. Instead of allowing protesters to come anywhere near the people in power, why not take the latter to the protesters? People go on jungle safaris to see lions. The animals are not expected to turn up at the visitors’ convenience in the city. Perhaps democracy, too, needs a safari arrangement. Why should protesters be allowed to approach those they wish to confront? Let the authorities visit them instead, at a time of their choosing, far from the corridors of power.
We could call them protest safaris. The protest sites would remain exactly where they belong, nowhere near the people being protested against. The protesters can raise their slogans on schedule, the authorities can observe them from a safe distance, and everyone can return home satisfied that democracy has been duly witnessed. A little organised excursion for the privileged, whenever they feel inclined. Whenever a protest is scheduled, the authorities being protested against could take a guided tour to the designated site, conveniently located somewhere far from the city. Those unable to spare the time could attend a Zoom meeting. Democracy, after all, must learn to accommodate busy schedules.
The protesters could be allotted a fixed time slot, a designated location and, if necessary, a token number. Everyone would get their turn. Order would be maintained. And nobody important would have to encounter an inconvenient crowd on the way to work.
A few ground rules, of course. Everyone being protested against must keep their video and audio switched on. No muting uncomfortable questions. No switching off the camera when things get awkward. And certainly not leaving the meeting just when the protesters begin making sense.
With protests safely relocated, the city can concentrate on its more important business: VIP movements, ribbon-cuttings, photo opportunities and keeping the roads clear for people who matter. Delhi already has enough traffic jams. There is no reason to let democracy add to them. Democracy is important; the convenience of those elected to serve it is a little more important.
The protesters can raise their slogans on schedule, the authorities can observe them from a safe distance, and everyone can return home satisfied that democracy has been duly witnessed. No need to listen, of course. This is a safari, not an encounter.
Photos and text by Prerna Jain.
