Editorial
The violence on Monday
Protests and their handling must be peaceful
The clashes between the police and workers of the Jamaat-e-Islami in the city on Monday were a clear pointer to the increasing volatility coming into national politics. What is indeed surprising is that the Jamaat was able to send its young members and followers into the streets in such ferociously organized form, enough to leave as many as 28 vehicles torched and hundreds of others damaged in various degrees. Much more difficult to fathom is why the police found themselves in a position where they were overwhelmed by the protestors, who were demanding the release of their leaders now in prison. The Jamaat had spelt out its programme days earlier and so the police ought to have had strategic measures in place to tackle the situation.
Which takes one back to the disturbances on Monday. There is little question that the mob was in a state of desperation and went about damaging everything it came up against. We can only voice our strong protest against such unwarranted behaviour not just because it sparked violence of a severe sort but also because those who organized the protests should have borne in mind the legalities involved in the detention of the Jamaat leaders whose release was being demanded. That is an important lesson of democracy. Protests are a constitutional right and must be voiced through peaceful means. A resort to violence by any individual or party can only defeat the objectives of a pluralistic society.
That said, one cannot but be disturbed by the ham-fisted attitude demonstrated by the police as they sought to quell the protests. Images of policemen raining down blows on the protestors certainly did not go down well with citizens. It is not a matter of whether or not one agrees with the nature and aims of a protest. But it is surely expected that law enforcers will, even as they come up against provocative behaviour, exercise maximum restraint as they deal with a difficult situation. A liberal use of truncheons and a roping in of protestors, literally, only complicate an already difficult situation.
Protest is a democratic right to be applied through democratic, non-violent means. Equally important is the responsibility of the state in handling protests in judicious, cool-headed manner.
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