Shaheen Bagh Shows the Way – Even after it perishes

Bhaskar Majumder

Through the pen of many thinkers in India and abroad I have been learning what democracy is. Learning also includes unlearning – not because of my convenience but because of the trajectory put forward in front of the innocent people. People are on the streets since Jamia episode – but Jamia was only a tip of the iceberg. The question was/is much deeper and embedded in India’s civilization.

Why abruptly Shaheen Bagh? Most of the innocent people and people weak in Geography had no idea where Shaheen Bagh was. Now many of them have come to know – expectedly much more will come to know for state-response. What is new with Shaheen Bagh? It is primarily because the home-makers – women – are on the streets since more than past one month – uninterrupted by natural disaster like chill weather, rainfall and all that. It is new for many of these women were also accompanied by their children! Where do children go if mothers are on the street?

These women are on the street to protest – against what? And, do they understand? These questions are robust that I am not totally competent to answer. As I understand they are protesting against the CAB-converted CAA and all that. I shall not undermine the protesters opining that they do not understand for I did not ask the same question when they cast or they are guided to cast votes in the political processes.    

The fact remains that after a month or so of protest, response-differential is pouring in – social response through opening of food court for the protestors and state response through empowering the police to vacate the space called Shaheen Bagh – but it is late. Shaheen Bagh is ceased to remain only a geographic space – it has become the grammar of protest in independent India. If that grammar is to be demolished, a new grammar has to be constructed by the state. Here I exclude the civil society and JNU from the state.  

Every action may invite duality or dichotomy – here one welcome initiation (from the viewpoint of the protestors, though not expressed) is opening a langar (free meal service) on 15th January, 2020 by a group of Sikh farmers who had come all the way from Punjab to stand with the protestors in solidarity. Food has no religion – by production and consumption. This I understood in both Belur Math (near Kolkata) and Golden Temple (in Amritsar) where I took lovable dish. And food cannot escape anybody – food touches the untouchable even.

There is an infinite sequence of what history (of democracy) is not about. But because of my incompetence I share here only the idea that hunger-led protest has no colour (of skin), no militancy, no gender, no caste and all that. So the initiators who took the step to feed the protestors are by no means to be branded as terrorists-militants-leftists-Maoists and all that. Now it seems more than the episode of branding. In India’s Great Epic Mahabharata, heavyweight Duryodhana asserted, “Vina Yudhye Nahi Divo Suchagrya Medini’’ (will not give up earth measured on the tip of a thread) that gets echoed in the power of the vocal cord of India’s heavyweight Minister, “won’t go back an inch’’ (referred to CAA). One stalwart (lightweight?) providing food for the protestors asserted not to go back half-an-inch as long as “Shaheen Bagh ki auratein’’ were there sitting on the streets. The game is on.

I would like to convey one or two episodes before the state takes a judicious decision on Shaheen Bagh ki auratein. The Great Epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, and also the tragedies abroad, different love stories, stories of strife between men remind us repetitively to take care before women are touched. It was not Draupadi alone who took birth from fire itself to disseminate that fire – but others, call them by Draupadi or Deepika (D after all) may cause irreparable damage (D) for the society if not respected properly. After all, it is they who carried us – what we call civilization today is their gift. So, the state, be respectful to the women for they are more than the state. If you allow me, I found them in forests (in Bihar and Nepal, in Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh,.....). They love and they have the capacity to kill. I would request the state authority not to arrest them – they are not only Muslims – they are women – I believe women have no religion and no caste.

In case the state does not like to listen to me, it may take the decision to engage women police force to uproot the protesting women (and children). That may be unlearning of Manthara or Kaikeyi as in the Ramayana. Women in uniform (not to be accused) are different from natural women – for the former are under stress! In my understanding, uniform itself is a stress.

What is the moral of the story then? One, to learn from the protests. Two, to respect women. Three, talk to them. But every answer invites some more questions. Who the state sends to talk to? If the final decision on CAA has been taken that the protestors are of the view that the provisions violate the pledged Preamble of the Constitution of India, then who comes forward to open up?

The Republic Day of India is knocking at the door. It does not help if some states or artists in some disobedient states are excluded from the Tableau show in the capital city of India. It does not make sense to arrest some more male individuals branding them as Urban Naxals-Maoists-Anti-Nationals-Tukde Tukde Gang and all that. Overextension has its own limits – what British Empire taught. I mean, it becomes difficult to attack all at the same time like J-J (Jamia-JNU), or D-D (Didi-Deepika) and all that.

Whatever is learnt or unlearnt, one history as an integral component of civil society movements has budded with Shaheen Bagh.  Shaheen Bagh  cannot perish even if it is re-named, even if “Shaheen Bagh ki auratein’’ are driven out for it has become synonymous with national identity that is above the identity by any social category.           

Bhaskar Majumder, Professor of Economics, G. B. Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad - 211019

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Jan 20, 2020