Employing brute force to crush dissent is not the answer to solve social ills. State terror as an instrument of policy is a poor substitute for reasoned dialogue and level-headed discussion. Beatings, tear gas, boots, truncheons only inflict pain on the body but they can never pulverise the spirit of a people determined to seek justice. In the Arab world, the people have shown dogged resistance against the might of repressive governments and, against all odds, beat back the tide of state-sponsored aggression. They taught the world a lesson in the power of unarmed people to root out uncaring rulers. The state may have an arsenal of weapons at its disposal but they are useless against a popular uprising.
The march against racism on Feb 27 is nothing compared with the days of rage that shook the Arab regimes to the core. But that is beside the point. The fury that drove the people in West Asia to take on the might of the state is no different from the anger that propelled the marginalised minority in Malaysia to brave the wrath of the ominipotent government. Their action may not have inflamed the whole country but they have sent a strong message to the political masters: do not play with the fire of racism. Racial discrimination is abhorrent. It is a poison that can destroy both people and country.
But the leaders are not listening to the strident cry for justice. Or are merely paying lip service. They treat the minority race with contempt as exemplified by the actions of the police who looked upon every Indian on the city streets as enemies of the state. Their ruthless assault on the defenceless protesters is indeed an act of rank racism. The demonstrators were seen as criminals instead of a disadvantaged group who merely wanted to right the wrongs perpetrated on them. Their cause is righteous but the powers that be saw fit to tar and feather them all the same. In their eyes, the marchers were all trouble-makers. They refused to acknowledge the justice of their cause.
Were all those men and women a threat to national security? They certainly were not. They did not attack the institutions of law and order with guns and Molotov cocktails. They did not burn, loot or harm properties or persons. They did not run riot on the streets. They simply gathered peacefully to tell the rulers it is wrong not to remove a much-aligned book from the schools and morally wrong to pursue flawed policies that sidelined other races. Their grievances are geniune. Their hurt is deep. But their pleas were lost in the burst of senseless police violence. The robotic police, doing the bidding of their cold political masters, are indeed a menace to the exercise of freedom of expression. The politicians, who listen to their own counsel, represent an even bigger peril to the very institution of democracy. The people including the marginalised group elected them to high office but they have turned the government of the people into a government without the people.
It is unlikely that the political bigwigs will back down from their entrenched position. Power is in their hands and they will do everything to beat down any challenge. They will continue to use the race card given the dominant position of the majority race. In time to come they might even throw overboard all their partners and the rule the waves alone – and become more overbearing. But the country still believes in the benefits of democracy. The spirit of persecution alone cannot sustain the wellbeing of a nation for long. A nation in perpetual strife cannot stand united. Violence will only breed more violence. Only in democracy – and the power of the ballot box – can the poor and downtrodden find the ammunition to topple unjust rulers and end the reign of blind terror.
A general election is looming. It is a crucial battle that will decide the course of the country in the next five years. The marginalised citizens will have the chance to make their stand known loud and clear. They may not carry a big clout but by aligning with forces sympathetic to their cause, they can make a big difference in the outcome. They may even play the role of kingmaker and install a government better suited to the temper of the people. In their thousands they can come out and cast their ballots. They do not require a permit to choose their leaders and there is nothing the police can do to stop them from exercising their rights. If their voice was snuffed out in public, their votes will do them justice in secret. Power that issues from the weapon of suffrage is a better safeguard of liberty than power that comes out of the barrel of a water cannon.
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