Protests should not cross limits

No one is denied the right to protest in a democracy, but protests turn violent in some cases. No political party can be exempted from this. In every state, both the ruling and opposition parties have carried out violent protests. To a large extent, protests turn violent because violent protests attract the attention of the media and the public more than peaceful protests. Moreover, there is a general feeling in society that no one is going to pay attention to or solve the problem if the protest is peaceful. To a large extent, the political parties that have carried out violent protests here are the ones responsible for this.

Some isolated individuals also rarely resort to violence to protest. This should not be encouraged under any circumstances. Using excessive words, even when criticising, is a violation of decency and civility. If everyone starts crossing such boundaries, the peaceful life of the society will become a mirage. In that sense, the attempt made by a lawyer to throw a shoe at the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court BR Gavai, is inglorious, despicable and can create a stain on the country. The senior lawyer made the move to throw the shoe shouting “sanatan dharma ka apmaan, nahi sahega Hindustan” (‘India will not tolerate insults to sanatan dharma or Hinduism’). When he was stopped by those nearby, he threw the case files in his hand.

The incident took place just after the bench sitting, which included the Chief Justice and Malayali Judge K Vinod Chandran, began at 11.30 am. When the security personnel caught the lawyer, he shouted that he was apologising to Justice Vinod Chandran and that he had targeted Justice Gavai. However, the Chief Justice continued the court proceedings, saying that we are not distracted and these things do not affect him. The Chief Justice's forgiveness, despite the fact that it was a legally sensitive issue, was exemplary. The act of this lone lawyer has become a stain on the entire legal community. It should be said that the suspension of this lawyer by the Bar Council of India has become a precaution to prevent such actions from being repeated in the future.

Every word spoken by those holding high constitutional positions on religious issues is often given a greater meaning by society than they intend. Therefore, it is advisable for those in high positions to avoid provocative and controversial remarks on such issues. Similarly, Sanatana Dharma is not something to be protected by throwing shoes. It is those who do not have even a particle of that Sanatana Dharma who are trying to become self-proclaimed guardians of that Dharma through such actions. Sanatana Dharma is not something that changes in any way because someone criticises or praises it. The inner meaning of Sanatana Dharma is the true essence of the soul, which is beyond human interpretations. Politicians criticise and praise it only for temporary gains.