Alexander Pope’s line – “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread” – is almost a cliché nowadays but still nobody seems to learn. The latest example is Rahul Gandhi claiming that the reason for the intrusion into Parliament is the frustration among youth caused by unemployment. This is like saying a rape was committed because a man could not get a wife. He came to this conclusion without having spoken to any of the perpetrators or having any knowledge about their circumstances. The investigating agencies are wasting their time looking into the incident and should have asked him instead. It would have saved everybody’s time.
There can be no justification offered for violating the sanctity of Parliament as it represents the democratic heart of India’s sovereign existence. It is this democracy that offers anybody the mechanism to have grievances redressed. If the system is lacking, it is the responsibility of all citizens to work on fixing it. Attacking Parliament is certainly not the way to do it. It is in this context that the Prime Minister has asked the Members of Parliament to refrain from politicising the issue in any way.
With so many elections taking place almost every few months, why should other means be employed to show dissatisfaction with the lack of employment? If it is the government’s fault, vote it out. Vote for those who have an answer to the problem.
It can be presumed from the facts that have emerged thus far that the reason for the attack has nothing to do with politics. Much more likely, it is the result of a modern-day malaise, the desire for visibility, which has been enormously stoked by social media. People are willing to do anything for fame, to gather likes and supporters even if it comes from even risking one’s life. Examples of this can be seen everywhere. Even more, people can be influenced to do things they would not do in saner moments. This is a threat that needs to be addressed in a comprehensive way. It is not just the psychologically vulnerable who are under threat, repeated involvement in online activity can cause even the otherwise stable to tilt increasingly in certain directions. Nobody notices because much of it happens in closed eco-systems. Society at large only comes to know when the delusion is acted out. This is already greatly manifest in the more developed countries. It will be easier to enhance Parliament’s security, more difficult to protect the individual psyche.
