Enough rasta rokos

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">BANGALORE: Too many holidays. Too many <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">rasta rokos</span>. One agitation too many. Sure, Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna can''t open the sluice gates of ours dams unless our farmers agree to it.<br />And, as for the legal wrangle and its ramifications, the law sure will take its course.It''s neither dependent on the quantum of rainfall or the intensity of sunlight.<br />What matters is that we are being shoved into a corner for no fault of ours.<br />The other day, 300 riff-raff claiming to be fans of some ancient film star came running to the busy Trinity Junction and blocked traffic for over an hour. It was chaos for miles around.<br />A friend with a broken leg being rushed to hospital in an ambulance spent over two agonising hours as the vehicle wound its way through the traffic snarl.<br />The cops on duty just shook their heads. ``Can''t beat them or chase them away saar, they are fighting for Cauvery.''''<br />That''s all we need. Righteous indignation from the mob.<br />What are we, some kind of banana republic?<br />Some years ago, a neighbouring state went ahead and banned all bandhs.<br />It proved a costly joke. For militant trade unions organised anti-anti-bandh protests that spiralled into terrible violence.<br />Our popular `People Power'' column indicates that citizens are not against peaceful modes of protest against asinine government policies. But they sure bristle with anger when asked about agitations that turn violent. ``The leaders who organised the procession or bandh must be penalised,'''' they say.<br />But pray why should protesters always choose crowded roads and business districts to take out processions? Why have bandhs at all? It''s not as if we have launched a movement to force Pakistan to withdraw from POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir)? This is a river water dispute between two states which should never have hit an impasse.<br />National Law School of India University Director Mohan Gopal says, ``We should be careful not to risk constraining the right to peaceful protest.''''<br />Very good. Very democratic.<br />Maybe, the government should locate a couple of acres of empty land somewhere in the city where protesters of all kinds can hold their protests?<br />Controversial judge Michael Saldanha did hit the nail on the head when he ordered that our precious Cubbon Park was out of bounds for all agitators, whether they be the great unwashed or white collar.<br />These days, protesters of all kinds have begun ruining the lawns of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Park as well as the stretch of green near the Queen''s statue, while the police look the other way.<br />Considering that most agitations are against the government, maybe all agitators must congregate on the steps of the Vidhana Soudha or still better in front of the houses of our numerous ministers.<br />Ha, but our netas will have none of it.<br />The anarchists are free to roam our streets and make our already benighted lives just a tad worse.<br />If only strike meant a guided missile homing in on you-know-who. </div> </div>