Lathicharge culture has its origin from British, nay brutish colon (See, Shashi Tharoor, An Era of Darkness), a culture nurtured for the sake of oppression and terrorization, to divide and rule. Violence, as a means behoves to those pre-civilizational era where law and language had no role to play, in fact, 'might' was the sole instrument for the survival amidst conflict ridden state of nature. Very essence of modern day civilization lies in politics of right, politics of justice, and politics of good governance, but unfortunately politics of violence and counter-violence has become a norm of the day in public space. In Greek civilization, division between Oikos and Polis (private and public space) was meant to ensure a public space, governed by freedom of speech and persuasion in solving various conflicting interests, however a private space was preserved where slaves, and animals were subjugated by violence. Public space ensured public participation and voluntary exercise of freedom of choices for common welfare. To the contrary, in modern day civilization, private and public space has almost obliterated; consequently, Gandhian method, i.e., Civil obedience is being frequently used to coerce authorities for unethical demands, at the same time, administrators behave like a divine king, ready to inflict injury if someone has a louder voice to raise; most of the people are abusive towards foreign ideas; the large majorities are guided by reflective judgments over determinant judgments (See, Kant, Critique of Judgment), looking every case in perspective of urge and disgust; a bureaucratic culture, inherited from Englishmen, has destroyed a sense of community we Indians had in ancient India (See, Gandhi, Hind Swaraj). It was an era of expropriation (See, Weber's inquiry on Indian Society, See also, Marc Galanter, The Displacement of Traditional Law in Modern India) of fraternal spirit Indians were known for; unfortunately, modern day politics in India is more or less replica of formalisation, rationalisation, and bureaucratization (See, R M Unger, Law in Modern Society) what Englishmen invented in the leaderships of Hobbes, Bentham, Austin, and of course, Macaulay.
BHU administration has done exactly what is being carried on by most of the authorities, in modern India. Why to blame a few political parties; this shame is on us; when will we (Government, or citizens) behave like a mature democracy where freedom of speech is invaluable and nonnegotiable over instinctive and prejudiced violence? Stop abusive cultures and behave like a civilized being, otherwise no flight on Moon or Mars will escape you from commonly observed animal fate (Might is right)!
Posted by Mrityunjay Kumar Singh
Assistant Professor, University of Delhi
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