Stealth Emergency in India as Fundamental Rights of Citizenship are Suspended Selectively: Baba Ramdev Episode

Democracy is not a free ride. All those who feel that they can “sit through” the whole journey of nation’s life without participation cannot remain on the bus called Democracy for long. And if, there is large enough mass of people on the bus who regard participation in Governance and questioning and demanding the answers from the elected representatives and protesting trampling of their basic rights of citizen – as something “beneath” them, then the bus will cease to be one of democracy.

Blind, passive, humble to a fault and masochist multitude is only fit for and a citizen of an Autocracy, Theocracy or an Ideocracy. There is little difference between a Theocracy and what I call an Ideocracy – a rule of Ideologues. Both have an idea with sanction of a higher power – whether it is of a definition of Human Good by Humans who represent God or Idea of a Human Good by Humans who purport to represent everyone’s conscience. Both are essentially rule over many of a few. The Theocrats use God as a go-between and morality as a tool, the latter do away with God but install themselves in that role directly and use “Human Principles”, which have the EXACT same womb as the morals – minds of a few!

When Democracy is threatened, the first thing to go is Freedom of an individual. When Democracy is killed, the first sign is crushing of the Freedom of Individual in full view of media along with an open challenge to everyone:

“See what happened with him? Don’t even DARE that again!”

Assault on Baba Ramdev, after days of heckling by Digvijay Singh and others in the Congress – with media houses and Psedo-seculars (whose hearts selectively beat for their idea of “Freedom”) as cheerleaders – was one such “DON’T DARE THAT AGAIN!” moment.

An assault by Rapid Action Force (RAF) battalion – yes, Battalion – on Peaceful protesters who were involved in various forms of Yogic activities – from Fasting (Tap), to Hawan, and Chanting – later, there were scores of people hurt, one lady in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Many lost their possessions. And, Baba Ramdev was man-handled and finaly taken away as he was let go outside of Delhi. Delhi police, a proxy for the Congress at the moment, meanwhile has banned Baba Ramdev for 15 days from entering the city of Delhi. [look for pictures of the injured at the LokNayak Jay Prakash Narayan Hospital and the story from Tehelka at the end of the post]

What is Rapid Action Force and What is it used for? The Rapid Action Force (RAF) is a specialised wing of the Indian CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force). It was established on 11 December 1991 and became fully operational in October 1992, to deal with riots & related unrest. (link)

Writer’s Note: Now you know why the “Delhi Police” is insisting that there was a “terrorist threat” to Baba Ramdev. Otherwise, they cannot justify the use of RAF!

Only ONCE since the end of British Colonial rule and establishment of democracy, has a citizen’s RIGHT TO MOVEMENT in his OWN country been contested by the Government. The last time it happened was during the emergency in 1975, when the Government EXPLICITLY SUSPENDED the Fundamental Rights of the Citizens.

That it happens to one in a democracy, it happens to all. It happened to him because he ASKED questions. He questioned that the money he and his organization pays as taxes and when that money is usurped by the politicians, and deposited outside, be brought back and used for what HE PAID THAT MONEY FOR – Nation building!

While the Fundamental Right of Indian Citizenship have been COVERTLY SUSPENDED, some people are arguing innanities:

Does Baba Ramdev have the right to protest or not, because he is a Hindu Sadhu, who says things the writers don’t agree with.. et al? (Pranayam was Never so Painful)
Was Baba Ramdev’s agitation having so many followers good or not because such a large crowd is equivalent to “extravagance”? (Medha Terms Baba’s protest biased and extravagant)

There is a instructive story of a Frog.

When a frog is put in a boiling water, he jumps up and saves himself. When he is put in tap water and that is heated slowly, he keeps adjusting, until he is boiled.

Citizens of India are being given the same treatment as the second frog got. Emergency has been enacted – surreptitiously and selectively. It needn’t be for everyone, does it? Just use the same draconian laws and standards for your opposition, as Indira did for JP Narayan, RSS, and Jan Sangh… and you are fine. This time, however, they are using the media extremely well also.

Since yesterday, I have shared my thoughts on Facebook wall, with quite a lot of participation from my contacts. Thought its best to share all that here for others to read and interact on.

Other Media headlines:

Facebook Sharings:

Arundhati – a fiction writer – can be an “authority” on everything from Kashmir to Dams to Nukes. Ambika Soni and Brinda Karat – converted Christians – can be an “authority” on Hindu Culture.. Kapil Sibal, a lawyer, can be an “authority” on IITs and IIMs.. but the Elites – masquerading as “Comrades” – are up in arms when Ramdev asserts as a citizen and his tax money stashed outside back.

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?”…police swooped down on Baba Ramdev a little past midnight and detained him after firing tear gas shells and resorting to lathicharge on his supporters to end his day-old indefinite hunger strike on black money issue.”

Is it General Dyer days all over again? Will we need another Udham Singh?

Midnight police swoop on Ramdev, detention ends protest

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The congregation was doing Hawan and Tap or Fasting. Which, Ramdev explained to the clueless Congress and Media idiots – was part of the word called “YOGA”. If some Redneck in Texas believes Yoga to be postures, he can be excused.. but we have a Parliament & Press Club full of clueless Rednecks.. what do you do with such morons??

The “expert opinion” of what can and should be Spirituality comes these days from “Guru Digvijay Singh”… “Swami Rahul Gandhi”… “Mata Ambika Soni”…. and Acharya Kapil Sibal.

This is what we have come to now!

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As Benjamin Franklin left the Independence Hall after the second draft of the Constitution, he was stopped by a woman who asked “What manner of Government have you bequeathed us, Sir?”

He replied “A republic Ma’am, IF YOU CAN KEEP IT.”

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The responsibility of a country is NOT in the hands of a privileged few.. we are strong…. and …. We are free from Tyranny as long as each one of us remembers his or her DUTY… as a citizen. Whether it is to report a pot hole at the top of your street or lies in the state of the Union address. SPEAK OUT! ASK THOSE QUESTIONS!

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Tehelka Report:

UPDATE: Reacting to Baba Ramdev’s charges of police excesses on his supporters on Saturday night, Dharmendra Kumar, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), has said that the police did not cane-charge at the Ramlila Maidan. He said that the police went to request Ramdev to wind up the camp, as he had no permission for a gathering of that size. He said that at that point Ramdev jumped into the crowd and asked the women supporters to encircle him by making a a protective ring around him. He said that bricks had been stored near the stage and Ramdev’s followers started hurling them at the police, in which some people received head and cervical injuries. Some time after Ramdev jumped from the stage, the police claimed that they saw him trying to escape in women’s clothes and arrested him and escorted him to a guest house near the airport. From where he was put on a special flight to Dehradun. He was then taken in a car to Haridwar. The police have registered a case of rioting against Ramdev.

Tehelka was the first media network to get to LNJP hospital at a time when the government was alleging that no serious injuries were reported. The reporter – Revati Laul was speaking to the injured when the Chief Medical officer of the hospital asked her to leave, despite the fact that the injured wanted to give testimonials of the police brutality they faced. Tehelka photographer Naveesh Tejpal was not allowed into the hospital building with his camera. Therefore the correspondent Revati Laul had to take these pictures on her mobile phone. They serve as evidence of police brutality on June 4th, 2011. One woman – Rajbala is critically injured with multiple fractures to her spine and all four limbs paralysed; two others have serious head injuries. Over 60 of those injured are at LNJP hospital.

(Photos: Revati Laul, at the LNJP hospital)

(CLICK ON THE IMMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW)

RAJBALA, critically injured in the cervical spine, all four limbs paralysed, at LNJP hospital, she is a yoga teacher from Gurgaon, Haryana, was fasting on June 4th with everyone else at ramlila maidan (Photo & Text: Revati Laul)