Dubya not welcome here : Reasons behind the protest

Yesterday, thousands of individuals all over the country protested against US President Geirge Bush’s visit. Their agitation was not only against Bush’s visit to India, but also against the American policies in the world.

Many think this to be just another ploy on the part of political parties who want to get noticed and be a part of the limelight. Some think that the protest made no sense, simply because the President was no where around to even see it.

No matter what others thought and no matter what hidden agendas did the participating political parties have in mind, for many, being a part of the protest march meant voicing their opinion and making themselves heard.

A very interesting article written by Mr. Mahmood Farooqui in today’s Mid-Day, gives us an insight on the reasons behind the protest and it’s significance.

Go back, Bush!

By: Mahmood Farooqui
March 3, 2006

When Shankar, the father of modern Indian cartooning, drew a cartoon of the Governor of Bombay, Lord Willingdon, in the 1940s, the latter was so impressed that he obtained the original copy and had it framed. Those were days when rulers and their critics could inhabit the same space and share civilized banter.

Today, however, in order to protest George Bush’s visit to India we have to take special permission from the police and carry special badges for our cars. Even then, they would not let us anywhere near him, lest the sight of protesting Indians upset the beloved president and lest he revoke the special side shelter he is to provide us under the American sky.

Nevertheless we went out and marched, even if Bush could not see or hear us. At least those who saw us marching, through Connaught Place, through Ajmeri Gate, through Jantar Mantar, people in their homes and offices, people struck in traffic, probably cursing us, they saw us at least.

The importance of protest lies not merely in achieving your aims but in registering a dissenting voice, particularly before those who are the supposed beneficiaries of this Indo-American entente, the great Indian middle class.

The corporate media, where it deigned to notice them, was right to characterise it a Left-driven protest. But saying merely that they were Left-driven does not tell you about the dozens of mostly elderly Sardars who had traveled to Delhi from Ludhiana to participate in the rally.

Rest of the post, here.

UPDATE :

Also take a look at Akshay’s excellant photo-post on the protest march, here.

Aparna as always presents her own lyrical take.

Abrar Siddiqui’s take on “Do Indians Also Hate President Bush?”.

• Government, India, Mumbai, World Crisis
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