Road Bandhs For Political Advantage?
We are staying in one of the Bentonville Apartments-THE LINKS at RAINBOW CURVE- and the temperature outside may be anything less than zero degree Celsius. Sometimes, there is snowing-heavy or light- and at other times, ice may be seen. The roofs of the buildings are seen white and the roads are not safe to drive. No human being anywhere to be seen. Of course, there is heating inside the room and thus we maintain the room temperature.
I remembered the Thermal Theory of Crime causation and I studied it for the first time during 1971-'73 when I was doing B.A. with Criminology and Forensic Science Major at Karnatak Arts & Science College, Dharward. The theory proposed that the CLIMATE was a cause of crime. In other words, during the cold season, crimes against property were more than crimes against persons/human body. And during the hot season, crimes against human body were more than the same against property. One of the explanations was that human interactions were more during the hot season and that was the reason why there were more offences against human body/person reported. I was born and brought up at Manjapra, a remote village in Kerala State and I could not ever see the changes in climate in Our God's Own Country and therefore was not able to understand and assimilate the Thermal Theory then. Now, I see the real change in climate and can understand appreciate what is precisely meant by 'cold season' and the 'Thermal Theory', although I do not agree with the contents of the theory. I may emphatically assert that it is not the climate that causes crimes. The climate may be a facilitating factor for the criminal to commit crimes and can never be the causative factor. The criminal factor in the real criminal is entirely different.
Going back to my State, Kerala, I observe road bandhs, human chain, street corner meetings, staying- in- on road strikes, jhathas or demonstrations on roads, religious processions of all kinds blocking vehicular traffic, political protests and what not on roads? People used to get annoyed at them.Recently, the High Court of Kerala prohibited street corner meetings and road blocks as they were found to be violating the fundamental rights of the citizenry to movement-to FREE movement. The Supreme Court of India upheld the judgement of the Kerala High Court when the original verdict of the Court was appealed against by Kerala Government. Some political party leaders were really annoyed at both judgements as they could ever misuse or abuse the roads for their political advantage.
Seeing no one on roads at Bentonville,I used to think" Where have the people in Bentonville city gone?" and I have the answer ready in my hand. If at all they want to be on the roads, they can't, for the climate in freezing temperature is not at all favourable to them to create road bandhs and road blocks .Yet, the people in U.S.A. make their protests and get their rights protected. Why can't the political leaders who advocate road blocks and street corner meetings accept the truth that their freedom of opinion/expression(another fundamental right under the Constitution of India) can well be protected even without creating road blocks and bandhs, road shows, road drammas and dharnas ? Why don't the so-called or so-named leaders understand that the rights to be free in opinion/expression should be protected at the appropriate forums and places and not on the center of the roads? The favourable climate in the God's Own Country should never be converted as a licence to block the roads or as a weakness by the politicians to serve and protect their vested interests.(to be continued.)
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