By Alex Joseph
When the Chief Minister of a democratically elected Leftist government asks, “What did they gain by protesting!” - it’s more than bizarre. In fact it’s condemnable, as it goes against the will of the people.
The journey of Jishnu’s family from Kozhikode to Trivandrum was the result of a promise not fulfilled. The police chief’s words - “Arrests will be made in a week’s time” - did not materialise. The Chief Minister’s words - “All that is possible will be done” - were also like writing on water.
It is in this context that Mahija decided to go on a protest demonstration along with her family members at the DGP Office premises.
The Indian constitution guarantees people the freedom to organise protests demanding justice in a democratic manner. But when Jishnu’s family exercised this freedom, it was considered public nuisance, and they were dragged away by the police.
The claim that the police did not drag them, but were helping them get up, is laughable, especially when visuals of the police action were on TV for all to see.
It’s beyond the wild imagination of Keralites that a mother demanding justice for her son’s death would be treated with brutal force by the police. For any mother, enduring the loss of a child she carried in her womb and nursed to adulthood is an unbearable paid. In such a scenario, a people’s government must ensure that justice is done to the mother who is demanding punishment for those who caused her son’s death.
But instead, if the police is let loose by the government to trample her, it’s more than callous.
The action against Mahija hurts the collective conscience of Keralites.
What wrong did Jishnu do to for justice to be denied to him? Is it because he questioned practices in the educational system which he found unacceptable? The ultimate aim of education is to help individuals question systems, to encourage progressiveness, and achieve societal development.
Unfortunately today’s education focuses only on the creation of puppets who would work for mighty corporate organisations. The purpose of education is getting defeated when the aim is restricted to getting a job. Society requires questioning voices like that of Jishnu Pranoy. When those voices are muted in torture rooms, education itself becomes meaningless.
History shows the first government in Kerala, a Communist government, had taken action against misdeeds of the owners of educational institutions. Is the LDF government 60 years later wagging its tail before the managements of private educational institutions, disregarding that history? Supping with the hunters and claiming to be with the hunted, is abominable.
Mahija, Jishnu’s mother, has been upholding Leftist ideology throughout her life. Jishnu adored Pinarayi Vijayan like Che Guvera. In spite of these facts, if their voices are not heard, there is a serious problem.
And if problems like these are not resolved, the Leftist foundation will start shaking very soon.