A protest!

This rider decided to protest publicly by pushing his bike through the main streets in the town, against daily increase in the fuel prices. The petrol price is awfully high, the highest I have ever known! With the government leaving the price regulation to the petroleum companies, there is a rumour that there is profiteering!

There were protests by bringing bullock carts in a procession to the streets in the past. But this person decided  to make a solo protest peacefully, however drawing the attention of many in the streets. I found him reasonable and effective in his approach!

When would a protest be effective! I presume when it involves  personal inconvenience without inconveniencing anyone else!

I remember my first experience when I had to resolve this for myself! The interns in the Medical college where I was doing my internship decided to go on strike when their demand for increase in the monthly stipend from Rs 125 to 250 was denied by the government. Soon the residents and post graduate trainees also offered to participate in the strike, which meant that a hospital with 2000 out-patients and 1200 in-pateints would have its service derailed!

I felt compelled to dissociate from the strike and continued working for forty one days till the strike was called off! It was a trying time with friends persuading me to join the strike. I was willing to abstain from day time meals but continue working, which was what I did. To me inconveniencing patients was a compromise on our calling to 'give primacy of attention to patients'! I lost friends and companions for a while!

Subsequently while in post-grdaute training in the same college, there were three other strikes. About one third of the interns, residents and post- trainees dissociated from striking as a means of protest! 

It is good to find a way of protest to draw attention on matters of importance when all representations or dialogue have failed! In a democratic dispensation, it is good to find ways to have our voice heard and noticed on issues of significance! But the bench mark is: inconvenience yourself when you protest, not others at any cost!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo