Only A Security Breach?

Amidst the investigation into the security breach in Parliament -- which I emphasise, should be done -- let us not forget the grievances raised (this is, of course, assuming the protestors were there to put the spotlight on said grievances and not for any other purpose).

For questionable laws, unemployment, Manipur, authoritarianism; all these are contemporary worries among sections of the public, points Shyam G Menon.

What happened on December 13, 2023, will remain an embarrassment for the Bharatiya Janata Party government, known to be very conscious of its image.

Two persons managed to jump down from the visitor's gallery to the floor of a Parliament in session, hop from desk to desk and set off smoke canisters.

Given previous instances of poison gas used in public places abroad (remember the Tokyo subway attack of March 1995?) and it being the anniversary of the 2001 terror attack on Parliament, panic struck the House briefly.

Two associates of the protestors within, who were parked outside Parliament, also set off smoke canisters. All four were arrested.

By December 15, roughly half a dozen people linked to the episode were in custody, two organisations were reportedly under the scanner and media reports said that at least some of the activists involved wished to emulate what the revolutionary Bhagat Singh had done in the British-India period.

Thanks to the media, although the entire incident was dubbed a 'security breach' -- and correctly so -- what stayed more in mind were the slogans/messages raised by the protestors, which (as per media reports) ranged from demand to withdraw certain laws, to growing unemployment, the Manipur issue and opposition to dictatorship.

Probably because of December 13 being the anniversary of the 2001 terror attack and recent threats issued by extremists overseas, the dominant tenor in the reaction of MPs and the media, was one of security breach.

The Opposition lost no time in highlighting that the visitors' pass used by the protestors had been obtained from the office of a BJP MP.

The BJP, on its part, tried to connect some of the protestors to political outfits arrayed with the Opposition and with at least one of the activists reported to have earlier participated in demonstrations against the farm laws, the direction of drift was obvious.

In the days following the incident, the media illustrated how the protestors had smuggled the gas canisters in, using cavities in footwear; a ploy, spy thriller-buffs would easily recall. Meanwhile, some Parliament staff were suspended for the security breach.

With the alleged ring leader in custody, the police have commenced investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the incident.

Their preliminary submission (according to media reports of December 15) was that the 'mastermind' wished to create 'anarchy' in the country.

A point to note from this whole episode was that aside from the spectacle of a man hopping over desks and portions of the Lok Sabha hosting smoke, nobody (except perhaps the activists who may have got roughed up) was injured (in contrast, the 2001 attack involved five armed assailants and left nine persons dead).

But the seriousness of a security breach in Parliament stayed, the building being where the elected representatives of the Indian people gather to discuss and debate matters related to the running of the country.

Our Parliament is a sacred symbol of our democracy. Any violation of its dignity is a serious issue.

The 2001 terror attack, which inspired the panic associated with the developments of this December 13, had occurred in the old Parliament building built in 1927.

An impressive structure and a symbol that has been central to India's evolution as a democracy, it gave way to the new grander building inaugurated with pomp and controversy in May 2023.

The latter, meant to showcase contemporary India and its ambitions, was where the spectacle of desk-hopping replete with smoke canisters and the raising of slogans against authoritarianism, played out.

It was quickly branded a security breach, which it was first and foremost, although a perusal of the slogans reportedly raised -- none of which had anything connected to the conventional substratum of terrorism -- would make one wonder what compelled the demonstrators concerned to adopt a step that would surely see them incarcerated.

Indeed, their capture too was pretty quick and devoid of dramatic chase, intrigue or resistance.

An effect of the absence of such drama was that the memorability of the issues they raised on camera may linger longer even as the whole episode was cracked down as a security breach with cases slapped leveraging severe provisions in law.

The same day as the security breach enveloped the lives of parliamentarians in Delhi, the Indian electorate was having another regular 24 hours.

Among the many happenings nationwide, at the Burdwan railway station in Bengal, a water tank built in 1890 and having a capacity of 250,000 litres, collapsed on a passengers' shed killing three persons and injuring 34.

Nobody screamed security beach or breach of trust of any sort at the Burdwan incident, although it is the votes of the electorate that dispatch elected representatives to the safe and sanitised environs of Parliament, where a bit of smoke and slogan qualified to be security breach of the highest order.

The Indian public knows it -- people are a forgotten lot except when elections are near.

Amidst the investigation into the security breach in Parliament -- which I emphasise, should be done -- let us not forget the grievances raised (this is, of course, assuming the protestors were there to put the spotlight on said grievances and not for any other purpose).

For questionable laws, unemployment, Manipur, authoritarianism; all these are contemporary worries among sections of the public to which the BJP government has largely accorded condescension from the high seat of majoritarianism.

We live in times of intervention delayed for power and profit.

Around the time of the December 13 incident, yet another climate-related summit had just concluded in Dubai and the landmark achieved after years of palpable global warming and extreme weather phenomena was an understanding that most countries will transition away from fossil fuels.

In many parts of the world, particularly places smashed periodically by altered weather conditions, people would stare in disbelief and maybe amusement, at the pace of progress shown by governments and industry lobbies in sculpting solutions.

That's why when it comes to the incident of December 13 too, the grievances are as important as the security breach highlighted in the immediate aftermath.

Not forgetting to check on the grievances while still keeping track of the security breach, would be a graceful thing to do.

Shyam G Menon is a freelance journalist based in Mumbai.