Dahanu chikoo farmers show the savoury side of dissent

Chikoo farmers held a brief silent protest at Tarpa Chowk, Dahanu, on Monday. Pic/Hanif Patel

Recently, the chikoo farmers at Dahanu held a protest, which put the chic into chikoo. Scores of chikoo growers from Dahanu gathered at a prominent square to dissent against a steep hike in crop insurance premium.

Close to 300 farmers were on the streets of Dahanu, gathering at Tarpa Chowk. They formed a human chain, to protest the rise in insurance premium. Yet, the state government did not raise the insurance cover.

While that was the purpose of the agitation, what is impressive though was the manner in which it was held. The farmers did not disrupt traffic. The protesters wore masks. They also practised social distancing. Their protest was brief and they dispersed when the police told them to do so.

They proved that even protests are not above pandemic guidelines, never mind the anger or the cause. They also won over the people simply because they were disciplined and showed respect for others by adhering to rules during dissent.

This is so much more effective than raucous mobs running riot during protests. They burn buses and torch private vehicles. They disrupt traffic for hours. Stone pelting and poster burning means the dharna for any cause has devolved into a showpiece of violence. The reason for the protest is lost. In an attempt to get two minutes of eyeballs, to call attention in a world where attention spans are incredibly short-lived, one has to shock. Aggression is one way to do so. Yet, the bigger picture is lost. The focus is not on the problem but the method of protesting. Violence is talked about; arrests are made but often the real reason and public sympathy is gone in the morass of myopic tactics. That is why this protest rates high. In demonstrations let us look for the Dahanu chikoo farmer in us.