The Right to Speech - Are we using it right?

We stay in a country where we are able to speak. We are able to voice our concerns and comment openly on public blogs and websites about how we feel. We are not scared of some government hawks pouncing on us for having said something against some of their policies. Some of us even go to the extent of condemning the presiding governments to the dungeons and asking for an out and out communist rule and still get away with it. And how do we use this awesome freedom which we don’t realize we have since we have always had it (ask your friend in China and he will tell you about this freedom which he does not have)?

Let me take some examples of how we “use” our democratic rights:

1. Children were attacked in a Bangalore suburb by stray dogs to the extent that they were unable to go to school. They wrote a letter to the BBMP (corporation) commissioner but nothing happened. Some people went and poisoned some of the dogs because not only were these dogs numbering few 10’s of packs of 10’s of dogs in each pack attacking helpless children and elders but also tearing up clothes and barking through the night due to which people were not able to sleep. What happens? PETA activists started screaming and shouting wanting the people imprisoned irrespective of the fact that these very dogs had torn to shreds a few months old baby some days back. Of course none of these activists had been around at that time.

2. Jats are a community in Haryana which till recently was unknown. Suddenly, headed by a retired army officer, the community went on a protest asking for inclusion in the 28% reserved category of OBC’s for getting government jobs. They decided to “seal” Delhi borders and ensured that people and material had a horrendous time coming into or going out of the capital. When the government did not heed to their demands, the leader (ex-army as I mentioned) actually said that even though this agitation is non-violent, the government will be responsible if it turns violent!!!!!! He even said that he will further seal the borders and deprive the capital of water, electricity and oil! WOW!!!!!!!

A small reminder to all these and many many more such “extortionists”….try this in an anarchy or a communist country like China and you will have a Tiananmen Square for which only you will be responsible.

Democratic rights are very very good but only when used properly. Unfortunately, nowhere is there correct use happening. Few years back, while I was based in the North East India, my mom called me and asked if I was fine since she heard on the news about a bomb blast in a small town called Jorhat in Assam. I was in Jorhat and there had been no blast in anyone’s recent memory that we could recall. The news channel seemingly had added a news made in the news room to fill up a slot!

We all are eating out of this democratic buffet feeling that we can use these rights in whichever way we like. Don’t we realize that we have a bill to pay in the end? And it will come with VAT and Service tax.