From Gandhi to Hardhik Patel’s campaign for his namesake community, India has become a creative nation in voicing their opinions to authorities. Below are a few short examples illustrating just how far we can go when times get tough.
In 2011, Hakkul a snake charmer from Uttar Pradesh dumped more than a dozen snakes including cobras in a government office leading many officials to climb onto tables and chairs. He was frustrated that local officials were delaying his petition for a plot of land to conserve his snakes despite higher authorities giving him permission.
Nanjudaswamy, an artist who was frustrated with the authority’s lack of commitment to repairing roads in Bangalore created a fake but life size crocodile in a water filled pothole. The life like model scared some residents but jolted the bureaucrats into action with contractors appearing at the site a day later.
Hindu hardliners who were irritated by the pub going women and those who celebrated Valentine’s Day were taken on by the Consortium of Pub Going, Loose and Forward Women in 2009. They launched a “Pink Chaddhi” Campaign and sent 2000 pink chaddhis to Pramod Muthalik, Chief of right wing vigilante group Sri Ram Sena after he raided a pub and beat up women patrons.
Farmers in the eastern state of Jharkand showed their anger at the new controversial land acquisition bill which is seen to be anti-farmer and pro-industrialist. The men printed copies of the proposed bill, bared their bums and defecated on them on the side of the road.
India was proclaimed by renowned author V.S Naipaul as the “land of a million mutinies”. That is surely seen to be the case with these examples.