In recent years large-scale protests have become more numerous and geographically widespread. We are witnessing people to expect announcement of new initiatives in different sectors like education, health, entrepreneurs, business, sports etc. We also witness to expect that the progress of ongoing projects and programmes will be completed well on time, expecting to see our state progressing like many other parts of the world.
But in contrast the NEWS starts from a Dharna or protest and ended on the same note. These dharnas or protests are not political but increasing in alarming rate. People from all walks of life across the state are on streets willingly or unwillingly. Whether it is a demand of release of salary or increase in salary, construction of bridges or completion of incomplete bridges. All on streets or roads to full fill their demands. It seems that our system in place is so weak that our genuine simple demand attract a dharna or a protest to address, which is a concern. It is not only the people who are without salary from the years together or the people without a proper “job policy” are on roads. Even it is the People without drinking water and bridge connectivity also on streets for their genuine demand. Why this is happening? Where is a fault? From a simple issue to a big controversy, people find it easy to address the issue on street. It happened because when people do not find a proper authorized forum to address their demand /(s).Is it merely from part of Administration or the people’s desire to full fill their demand has changed?Can we say the people’s demand needs immediate attention on part of the authorities? In this competitive atmosphere People want immediate redresses of their grievances and the authorities has to attend to it as per the expectations.In order to minimize these protests and dharnas, the authorities have to activate all the officers / personnel working at different capacities and authorize them adequately as per the requirement. The officers and personnel working in different departments also belongs to our society, therefore the higher authoritiesneeds to take care of theirfamilies of employees. One more concern that due to lack of co-ordination and collaboration few departments are working under pressure cooker situation. Similarly, few employees working under tremendous stress. We witnessed a human loss of the employees of our departments, who worked under pressure, from the last few years or so. Punctuality, sincerity and honesty remains a concern in our valley which can be improved by imparting different trainings and depute the personnel in programmes outside the state or country. It has been seen with dismay that organizing opening ceremony of any type of outlet and programmes becomes a fashion and that too by cutting a ribbon by a responsible dignity. The said dignity will spend this precious time in other important administrative matters. People also need to raise their genuine demands through proper channel at right forum. Besides NGO’s, the Union and Associations of our different departments, business establishments and education institutions needs to work hard generously so that the problems faced by the people shall be addressed appropriately. The unionist shall take their job responsibility as a noble cause without looking into
In previous periods, of course, witnessed bouts of protest. Today’s wave of protests is relatively unique, however, in effecting all regions of the world, with similar patterns of revolt spanning diverse national and cultural contexts. Several surveys and databases show a sharp spike in protests in 2011-2012, followed by a lull, and then a renewed intensification of citizen revolts from 2015-2016. It is possible to identify a number of overarching features of the current surge in global protest. A key characteristic is that today’s protests are driven by a diversity of issues, grievances and popular concerns. Some protests aim very directly to eject a government or regime from power. Some revolts push for other types of less dramatic democratic reforms like the protests in Iraq in 2016 that pressed for a fairer power-sharing democracy or those in Latin America seeking more extensive rights for indigenous minorities. Some focus more on cases of corruption like in recent Brazilian and Indian protests being two of the best-known such examples. In contrast, some protests are responses to very specific, local grievances and have relatively modest aims.
There remains a tendency for activists and analysts to see protests through the prism of their own particular set of concerns. For those working on or exercised by corruption, the current protest surge represents a global struggle against corruption. For environmentalists, it tends to be interpreted as an outgrowth of campaigning on natural resource exploitation and mining rights. Social justice activists emphasize the idea of protesters demanding greater social justice. The same protest ends up being portrayed in very different ways by different parts of the media or expert communities.
The results of the current cluster of protests have been mixed. Some have succeeded in pushing corrupt ministers from power or in getting governments to unblock political, social or economic reforms. There is no easy explanation of why some protests succeed and others fail. The evidence questions an often made assertion that certain features of a country’s political context determine whether or not contestation occurs and how effective it is. In recent years, protests have erupted in highly autocratic states, in well-established democracies, in imploding conflict-states and in apparently well-managed semi-authoritarian rising powers.
Let us all cultivate the working culture together in a well-organized manner and not to scruple.
Shabir Ahmad Shah writes on Socio-Economic issues and can be reached at shabir_anas@yahoo.com