Right of way: the right debate at the right time

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.“Don’t underestimate the power of the common man.” These words were popularized by Shah Rukh Khan with a slight twist in his film Chennai Express.I wonder why the common person’s power is visible exclusively during the elections, religious functions and marriage celebrations? Why don’t they rise in defiance?However, I was pleasantly surprised by an unknown woman from Mumbai.Last Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was rallying against the defeat of the Nari Shakti Vandan (Amendment) Bill in Parliament.The local police, despite adequate arrangements, couldn’t avert a traffic jam. Many were stuck. Resentful people were surprised to see a woman suddenly appearing and directly confronting Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan.

She lashed out at the police officers for failing to clear the traffic.She has been christened as ‘Shouting Woman’ or ‘Worli Commuter’. Many have lent their support to her. The chairman of RPG Group, Harsh Goenka, wrote: “This woman said what millions of us feel.

Stop obstructing the roads for political agenda.”Maharashtra government’s response was muted. Mahajan accepted the woman’s anger was justified, but said her language was ‘intemperate’. The state’s mature response emboldened the police to register a case against the organizers for obstructing the road.

My happiness was shortlived because I thought the matter would end there. But by Friday, the Mumbai police had registered a case against the woman under different sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The complainant against her was also a woman.Can we hope that the woman will not be harassed?Usually, those who raise their voice against injustice become victims.