Last week the Srinagar Municipal Corporation literally was pushed on back foot for its anti encroachment drive. The people especially social media warriors were aghast after a short video clip went viral in which a man was pleading to the team of SMC officials not to seize his material.
The officials were loading his material in a vehicle since he had put it on a road obstructing the way for hundreds of people on a daily basis.
He was not alone facing the action from SMC. In fact the drive for sometime is continuing in Srinagar and elsewhere in Kashmir by the government against encroachers to evacuate public properties. In this case however the man was pleading with folded hands claiming to be very poor and having two daughters to feed back home.
This emotionally charged video shook the conscience of thousands of people who fell for this ‘poor man’ and strongly criticized the government for denying him his livelihood.
Under duress the SMC officials released the video to debunk his claims. The video and pictures released by SMC shows a man brazenly occupying the space on the main road blocking the way for vehicles and pedestrians.
But sanity was taken over by emotions and many people justified his encroachment on the grounds that some powerful people were involved in land grabbing. To remove the vendors from roads and walkways, they demand the evacuation of land from the influential people.
A bizarre argument! When the government is not acting people accuse them of inaction and some don’t even hesitate to call them corrupt. When they act, they instead appreciate trying to look for faults.
This mindset prevails unfortunately among the influential calls of people those who pass sermons to the common people effectively. The problem is not actually on the roads but certainly with their mindset.
They vent their anger against the regime by encouraging illegitimacy and lawlessness on roads. They satisfy their anger against the political class after encouraging people to encroach roads. Modi and his politico are chosen by the people of India. So are the SMC corporators elected by the people of Srinagar?
Democratically you can have differences with anyone in the power and that is your constitutional freedom. But you can’t appreciate the people who take laws into their hands and misuse public property. Sanity shall prevail and people shall have guts to speak against the wrong acts from any part of society.
No one is against the vendors to earn their livelihood but certainly they are not legally allowed to obstruct commoners’ path by putting stalls on the roads. This trend of appreciating and normalizing illegal activities will set a wrong precedent for our future generations. And time has come when we should come out of this victimhood mindset.
