A Criminologist's Diary-50

A Criminologist’s Diary-50

Account Criminology and Criminal Ju...

Slogan Culture

“If slogans in various spheres of life and areas of activities are collected and published, we will have a slogan series publication without any hard labor”- I used to feel so often. In my view, several books can be published if slogans in India are put together. There exists a ‘slogan culture’ in India. India is the largest democracy in the world and precisely therefore, there are demonstrations, dharnas, jhathas, bhands and hartals, picketing, strikes of many descriptions such as hunger strikes, pen-down strikes, road blockades, paralyzing government functions, human chains, students’ strikes, employees’ strikes, strikes by vested interests of various categories and thus the list is indeed very long. All such activities need a variety of slogans and we have expert slogan writers and ‘hired jhadha workers’. For, conduct of demonstrations has itself become a way of life for some. They too have a lot of ready-made slogans with them. They also sell slogans if that is necessary. Slogan shouting has become a performing act.

Little children of tender years of age play games by shouting slogans on holidays and they organize strikes in schools with pleasant to hear slogans. Shouting of slogans has a psychological effect too and the more one shouts slogans, the more excited, elevated and enthused he becomes. Slogans become inspiring to some who cannot resist their impact. When they hear these slogans, they move consciously or unconsciously to shout slogans. The question here is: “Do we hear such slogan shouting in other parts of the world?” I do not think so. Even in other democracies of the world, people organize demonstrations for which they use placards containing their demands or slogans and not slogan shouting. In India, we make use of mikes and loud speakers of any number for shouting slogans. Sound pollution is tolerated by the Indian folk or they are forced to. There is rhythm, dancing and chanting when slogans are shouted.

Just like causing physical destruction of property during a demonstration, people utter filthy slogans and slogans containing abusive words which decent people do not want to hear or utter. This is called verbal aggression in psychology. Little children who develop their personality in such a culture are likely to have perversions. The verbal aggression transferred via slogan shouting is infiltrated to the developing personality of little kids and children.

Slogans may be innocent, pious, aggressive, moderate, abusive etc., and they depend upon the persons shouting the slogans and the situations. Slogan shouting is not an offence in India, but slogan shouting followed by stone-throwing, arson or other destructive activities become offences. It becomes a law and order problem and the politicians cash on it. If destruction is caused, it is justified by politicians saying that it is but natural human reactions to the emotions of the demonstrators. How unfortunate it is to see that sometimes, the police initiate actions against the destructive demonstrators only if and if only the politicians show green flag to it. Even religious leaders and spiritual men have exploited the slogan shouting to their advantages. Though slogan shouting is not an undesirable thing, it is not at all advisable to have such a slogan shouting culture developed in India. For, a culture means a culture and a culture that is developed into a destructive one cannot be encouraged at any cost in any society including democracies where demonstrations are permitted without any control.