Violent Non-Violence

I have my own share of weird things; unique and to some extent funny things which happen to me. Recently, I was walking down Parliament Street in New Delhi, looking for a building belonging to a certain institution, its position and probable location given to me by my mother, who also happened to drop me at the above place, when a certain weird and funny thing happened. 

My mind was preoccupied with my task, as I walked along, craning my neck this way and that, looking for the building. But still from the corner of my eyes I did happen to notice a lot of uniformed fellows from the Delhi Police wearing helmets, carrying sticks and batons and cane shields apparently waiting for someone or something. Well since their positions around me looked a bit disorganised I didn't mind them (as a matter of fact - they didn't seem to mind me walking in their midst too ! ). I also happened to walk past three barricades (well by their sides, not through them) and also happened to notice a blue fire-brigade-like water tanker behind those barricades standing right in the middle of the road. But as I already mentioned, my mind was too preoccupied with my current "objective", so I didn't give these thingies a second thought and ambled along....

My search for the building seemed to be in vain, because in spite of my mother's directions I couldn't locate it. Just then, as I walked a bit more further, I noticed a crowd, waving some banners and flags, marching towards me ! Naturally I was confused a bit... And then in the back of my mind the fact registered... the presence of the huge security blanket behind me, the barricades and the water cannon (that's what the fire truck really was). 

Problem was, I was still walking... towards the protesting and oncoming crowd ! Slow that my brain cogs are... Well they did fall into place finally and I stopped ! Looking behind, I saw the cops had now formed a Human Wall amongst themselves, ready with their cane shields and batons. Looking in front, I saw the approaching crowd (should I call them a mob yet?... )... And Me, right in the middle of the empty road in between these two "monstrosities" !! 

Funny situation... ain't it !! Well you should be there to know for yourself !

If I turned right I would have walked into the parliament street police station premises. Turn left - passing some barricades and policemen, into an office complex. Well since I don't like the Delhi police I decided for the latter! Reasons for my retreat?? Well I didn't think the oncoming mob's ideologies could be same as mine, plus the situation was too comic. Guess a TV reporter should have videoed me or at least photographed me.. it would have made a fine blooper ! And even if our ideologies were to have been common... I was least interested... my only thought at that time... My mother wouldn't like to see me broken bodied in some hospital ! So as I passed the cops and one of them said to me in an undertone "Jaldi se cut lo yahan se!" (meaning - beat it from here quick), I didn't need prompting twice !

Later as I reached home and narrated the whole incident to my mother, she informed me that the road led to the "Jantar Mantar" (a tourist spot and a collection of astronomical instruments - like a huge sundial for instance), which in-spite of or maybe because of what and where it was, was a frequent meeting place for all kinds of political and non-political protests and other such marches in Delhi ! No wonder the Delhi Police was so pre-prompt !

Well.. that was the incident and here I have a thing to add... 

These political marches... violent or non-violent.. gained popularity in India when Mr. M.K. Gandhi used them as his way of "protesting" against the British rule in India in the previous century. And that's where my point lies.. well an after thought more like...

Mr. Gandhi... known as a "Mahatma" among many Indians and foreigners alike. Cos of his "non-violent attitude" for everything. As pointed out by Mr. Haldane in one of his essays Gandhi liked the Bhagavad Gita as his favoutrite "poem", but this same "poem" was actually used by Lord Krishna in order to incite violence in Arjuna during the war of Mahabharata, at the same time giving "Dharma" as its reason. 

Wow.. Too true.. Now why didn't I think of it before!! It could have always been my argument against non-violent Gandhian principles of gaining independence and for my support of Bhagat Singh, Chandashekhar Azad, Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Subhash Chandra Bose and lots of other "violent" pro-independence Indian Martyrs and their ideologies !

And as an afterthought, Mr. Gandhi did like "violent" Indian Gods and did worship them too. The all too popular chant "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" sung at all the Gandhi Ashrams all over India, is an ode to Lord Ram. And as we all know Lord Ram was a violent King. Again Dharma is given as a reason for Lord Ram vanquishing Ravana and conducting the Ashwamedha Yagna, in which a lot of "inferior kings and kingdoms were destroyed (also where Rama met the wrath of queen Jana for killing her son and so cursed to be killed by His own sons; as did happen later, where he was killed by Lava and Kusha, his sons, to be again revived by Sage Valmiki, who btw wrote the original Ramayana, not Tulsidas, as most Hindus nowadays tend to believe). 

And I think righteous violence in the name of freedom for our motherland India is always right,as thought the violent freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Subhash Bose. If Arjuna should have fought violently for the Dharma of regaining Indraprastha from the Kauravas and Lord Rama should have fought violently for the Dharma of regaining His wife Sita from Ravana and violently fought wars in the name of Dharma of supreme emperor-ship by the Ashwamedha Yagna, so should have all the freedom fighters "fought" violently for the Dharma of freeing our motherland India from the British. I don't think Dharma applies to Gods only and not for or to mere humans like Bhagat Singh and Lajpat Rai et al. 

Too hypocritical of Mr. Gandhi don't you think so??... (You still don't? Well then do give it a thought and do read the Gita and Ramayana fully to gain better insight...!!!)

As for me, I still would, for the remainder of my life, be totally supportive of Bhagat Singh, Bose et al., and would think the reason that the Indian masses joined Gandhi in his "freedom struggle" was that they were cowards (were afraid of righteous violence) and had the same thought that I had during the incident I described above (My mother/family wouldn't like to see me broken bodied in some hospital).....

As always I am open to debates and open to views to prove me wrong...!!!