Unwavering resolve is a common factor amongst anti-CAA protesters, whether it be women staging sit-in protests on the cold tarmac of Shaheen Bagh or the iron-willed students in vandalized university campuses such as JMI (Jamia Milia Islamia University).
Beaten, abused and ridiculed, they fare through the Machiavellian strategies adopted by the current administration to hush their resistance.
“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”
― Albert Einstein
The implications of nationwide implementation of NRC clubbed with CAA are quite clear and being apolitical in such volatile times equates to acceptance of the officially held position of the administration.
While multitudes of men and women have taken to the streets in protest, various innovative tools such as WhatsApp forwards, street art and poetry are also being used to express dissent.
This Instagram Account Uses Innocuous WhatsApp Forwards To Show Dissent
Not all rebels appear to be in plain sight, some work behind the scenes. One such group of troublemakers call themselves the “New WhatsApp University”. Operating through an Instagram account called ‘@sodonechilling’ they curate WhatsApp forwards such as good morning messages embedded with political lingo.
It is aimed to influence the older “boomer” generation who in this particular context are infested with “political correctness” and disregard the efforts of millennial dissenters. Outside the comfort of their apartments, they squirm at the thought of expressing uncomfortable points of view.
This lot also has an insatiable need to spam your gallery with cringe-worthy messages every morning at seven. Sodonechilling turns the tables on this complicit generation in a refreshing and unique manner. Political messages are superimposed on backgrounds such as an image of the rising sun or a deep blue ocean.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6XPDNUJ5Lq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
What better way of calling out a ‘bigoted’ administration than pitting their own words against them. Modi’s claims of serving the interests of Indians irrespective of their social and religious background are being put under the scanner.
This one in particular emphasizes the need for a secular society for the smooth functioning of a democracy, in the words of the alleged ‘authoritarian’ himself.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6VeSyIp0iS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Read more: An Artist’s Work Needs To Be Seen As Art, Instead Of Appropriating It To Serve Our Means And Spreading Hatred
When the context is plain as day, “educate, agitate, organize” can only mean dissent. Many millennials influenced by their peers or their favorite celebrity often overlook the most essential part of dissent: knowing the cause that you champion.
‘Educate yourself’ is the go-to response for many protesters when they fail to substantiate their political convictions. But are they well-informed themselves?
The quotes of revolutionaries such as Ambedkar and Gandhi, are better suited to Indian public and has a greater appeal to the older generation.
Gandhi being a revolutionary himself understood the consequences of uninformed political agitation and the ability of political and religious leaders to misguide the youth.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6VASmdp3BZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
These WhatsApp forwards are either ignored or met with rage from angry uncles on family groups. The experiment can either strike up conversation, forcing people to think or enable them to further their poorly thought out political ideology.
Even though the response has not been positive, the awareness of the current political turmoil seems to be spreading.
Art Used As Ammunition Against ‘Fascism’ And ‘Bigotry’
Art has always played a key role in political discourse. A stroll in the streets of Delhi will certainly lure your gaze toward catchy graffitis induced with political overtones. Many of these draw a parallel between Modi and the Nazi homicidal maniac Adolf Hitler.
On the other hand poetry has been used to keep the spirit of dissent alive. Besides the national anthem, Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s, ‘Hum Dekhenge’ has become a favorite amongst millennial protesters. The central message of the poem is ‘Revolution against Tyranny’ and has become crowd-pleaser during anti-CAA protests.
The ‘nazm’ was tagged as being anti-Hindu by some members of faculty at IIT Kanpur due to a few controversial verses, but many media personalities such as Javed Akhtar called out their ‘literary ignorance’ and attempt to manufacture controversy.
Anti-CAA protesters are unfazed by these accusations and continue to sing it proudly as an anthem of ‘liberation from authoritarian policies’.
Dissenters are pulling out every trick in the book to make their case against CAA and NRC heard by the vast majority of Indians. To maintain the widespread public support for the NDA government, the administration must find a solution that dovetails their policy with the interest of the dissenters.
Image Source: Instagram, Google
Sources: Times of India, Instagram, Hindustan Times
Find the Blogger @introvert_muse
Hi, the whole thing is going well here and ofcourse every one is sharing information,
that’s in fact fine, keep up writing.
I know this web site offers quality depending articles or reviews and extra material,
is there any other site which offers such things in quality?