It is beyond doubt that the Janlokpal bill proposed by the India Against Corruption Civil Society team which consists of Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Santosh Hegde, Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Anna Hajare is a despicable set of laws which will make life difficult for common Indians and will increase the chances of corruption and exploitation. However, the whole idea of agitation behind this movement isn’t futile and one can observe some great things that happened during the last few days. These current happenings suggest the basic strength of human nature and they also evidentially prove the quintessential need of freedom for individuals.
The very first thing about the proceedings of this ongoing movement headed by Arvind Kejriwal and Anna Hajare is the fact that everything remained non-violent. This is very important point in current circumstances when just a few days ago, everyone was looking to kill and rob each other in London streets in the United Kingdom. It must be noted that United Kingdom strictly follows gun-prohibition laws and Britain is the country where the number of illegal guns is the least. Yet, People got violent, many people were killed, many girls were raped and many shops and departmental stores were robbed. What caused violence in the United Kingdom especially when the police was highly alert? It was the absence of guns which caused so much bloodshed and injuries in London and other cities.
Gun control sincerely increases the chances of violence and death. Disallowing guns for common men is just like snatching the fundamental right of defense. Everyone is naturally inclined to defend their life. It becomes so easy for an honest and peaceful non-aggressive person to defend himself against any sort of hooliganism, mass rapes and robbery if they are allowed to have their private arms to protect and defend themselves. Brits didn’t have any chance to save themselves against the ill-minded sick hooligans who enjoyed attacking, raping, killing and robbing innocent people across the country of Britain. Even the police of Britain didn’t have guns to protect their own life and they had to appeal against the authority to be allowed to use wooden batons against the hooligans.
Indian mass movement against Corruption remained completely peaceful and safe. Was it because of some spiritual power imposed by Anna Hajare, Swami Agnivesh, Baba Ramdev1 etc? No, it wasn’t anything like that. The only reason for the complete peace in Delhi when more than two lakh people were roaming around the streets and roads of that unsafe city which is popular for the high crime rate and extreme rape cases was the presence of guns and people on road everywhere in and around the city.
It was not like there was no ill-social or anti-social element in Delhi during the days and nights of 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th August. Yet no girl was abused or sexually harassed in the same city whose police commissioner complained against the girls of Delhi that while Delhi is a safe place, girls should avoid coming out of their home late at night, otherwise, they cannot blame the police for being harassed, robbed or raped. Not only Delhi police but many common citizens were possessing guns for their protection and hence, no anti-social element dared to disrupt the peaceful proceedings of Anna Hajare’s peaceful fast. Delhi and the surrounding NCR area are famous for being the area with maximum density of illegal gun holders. Yet, hoplophobes were proven wrong that illegal guns may increase violence. On the contrary, illegal guns and the legal guns combined reduced the chances of any sort of violence in the city during the same time when the London streets were burning out of the irresponsible hooliganism of those hoplophobes who hate guns the most. Brits have never supported the idea of right to self-defense and freedom to own guns and they willingly deny opting for illegal guns, yet they proved to be more violent than us, poor Indians who surely loves to hold guns; either legal or illegal guns.
Despite the registered worries of Delhi government about the safety of Delhi public and property, it was proven that even in absence of police action; the city can remain peaceful and well protected. Hence it also proved that the late night attack on Swami Ramdev and his supporters on fourth of June 2011 was nothing but a police brutality.
The agitation during which people remained out of their home for whole night also proved that if shop-closing laws2 are aborted, the cities like Delhi will be safer because it will allow and encourage shoppers and consumers to remain to come out of their homes for business purpose which will allow them to be vigilant of their own property, life and dignity even during night. Delhi is a city where police has literally accepted that it cannot safeguard women, elders and kids against the persistent criminals. Yet since last five days, not a single crime was reported in such a precarious city.
The point to be noted is; Indians should oppose gun prohibition laws and gun control by government. Allowing guns for honest peaceful citizens will allow them to be vigilant against the criminals and terrorists and it will provide much required safety for the Delhi city against those terrorists who enjoy holding illegal guns. While Indian police and security forces have consistently proved their incompetence and irresponsibility by failing to protect Indian citizens and property against terrorist attacks, allowing guns and the right to defend oneself will not only reduce chances of any terrorist attack like that happened at Taj Corridor in Mumbai and it will certainly work for protection and security of women and girls against rapists, kidnappers and eve-teasers3 .
The recent movement of Anna Hajare and India Against Corruption team has strengthened the idea of repealing gun control and shop-closing laws in Indian city. The shoppers and consumers must be free to open their shops and pursue their deals at anytime without any intervention from government. Police is certainly not needed for protection and security. Shoppers will confirm safety of their shops and the roads and streets that will be used by their consumers by employing private security who will work as vigilant just like the people who were ensuring peace and safety for everybody during the last few nights in Delhi.
