| When Muntadhar al-Zaidi hurled his shoes at the then | | | | integrity, commitment is on the wane and worst |
| US President George Bush, little did he know that his | | | | victims are the millions of countrymen. They have |
| method of getting a point across would soon | | | | hardly any right to speak against existent |
| become viral across continents. | | | | discriminations, exploitations, repressions, corruptions |
| In India too, the trend seems to have caught on. For | | | | and harassments. What can they do except hurling |
| indeed, the humble footwear has become the | | | | shoes? Recently Congress MP Naveen Jindal and |
| preferred weapon of choice among a section of | | | | BJP’s projected prime ministerial candidate LK |
| Indians who wish to voice their resentment and be | | | | Advani had the taste of same in election meetings. It |
| heard over the din of political platitudes being | | | | is said more are on the cards and the politicians are |
| mouthed by leaders in the face of the Assembly | | | | getting nervous witnessing this latest expression of |
| Elections. | | | | fury. It may be some of protesters are efficient in |
| First, Jarnail Singh (photo here), a journalist, hurled | | | | targeting. What will happen then? Is the Indian mass |
| one of his sneakers at the Union Home Minister P. | | | | getting more conscious? |
| Chidambaram. He was upset at the CBI giving a clean | | | | That the act of shoe-throwing had become a symbol |
| chit to Jagdish Tytler, one of the key accused in the | | | | of people’s expression of frustration with their |
| 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. Tytler had by then already | | | | political leaders was also reflect by Youth ki Awaaz, |
| been nominated as the Congress candidate from | | | | which said: |
| North-East Delhi, a step that had angered the Sikh | | | | At press conferences and political campaigns, |
| community that had been waiting for over 25years | | | | throwing shoe has emerged as a sign of being aware |
| for some kind of closure. | | | | yet neglected. |
| Jarnail Singh and his shoe have woken us all from our | | | | However, discussions also veered towards the rights |
| slumber and reminded us of the crimes committed 25 | | | | and wrongs of the political system and also of the |
| years ago, in our Nations Capital against the Sikh | | | | action itself. |
| community – at a time when there was no | | | | Had Jarnail Singh or another frustrated individual gone |
| Television coverage and media as we know it today | | | | the wrong way a bullet would have been in the place |
| - a crime for which in Chidambaram’s words | | | | of Shoe. Is the current government converting |
| “not enough people have been punished”. | | | | humane people like Jarnail into frustrated individuals |
| The shoe missed it’s mark, but the protest | | | | who are ready to resort to violence ? I think more |
| registered. It triggered off a larger expression of | | | | than the government it is the polluted politics. |
| anti-Congress sentiments among the Sikh populace, a | | | | The answers to justice may not lie in throwing shoes |
| sentiment that soon gained momentum. Finally, the | | | | but lies in coherent action and action(or initiative) has |
| Congress bowed to public pressure and withdrew the | | | | been taken by Jarnail Singh. Right or Wrong is up to |
| candidatures of Tytler and another similarly accused, | | | | you to decide. |
| Sajjan Kumar, in an attempt to pacify the | | | | Flinging shoes at known and senior politicians is |
| community’s anger. | | | | certainly unethical and must be dealt with seriously. |
| Thanks to Muntadar al-Zaidi, the citizen of this world | | | | Being against someone or protesting is not bad, but |
| have a new way to vent out their anger. Even | | | | the way the protest is carried out must be kept in |
| though it came very late for George Bush, it came at | | | | mind. One must never cross the limits. Their are a |
| an appropriate time for the Congress. Jarnail | | | | number of ways through which we can address a |
| Singh’s act of throwing his Reebok shoes and | | | | person, but certainly not by throwing a shoe. |
| the subsequent protest from the sikh community has | | | | This act must be done away with. |
| forced the Congress to pull back the candidature of | | | | Politicians have now become wary of the very |
| Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar. | | | | people they are supposed to be representatives |
| However, the shoe did not stop there. Soon | | | | leaders of. Fearing a shoe-attack, they are taking |
| shoe-throwing incidents became common fare. | | | | preventive measures at their meetings and rallies. |
| Politicians and electoral candidates such as Navin Jindal | | | | Bewildered politicians are scrambling to find effective |
| and BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate, L. K. Advani, | | | | solutions to protect themselves. According to various |
| each received their share of shoe-ing. | | | | reports Indian politicians are seeking security measure |
| Zaidi has inspired a new generation of Indians and has | | | | to help them from these flying weapons of mass |
| taught them how simple and benign shoes can be | | | | destruction dubbed as Shoegate by Indian media. |
| used against the State power. | | | | Perhaps, it is a wake-up call that the masses are no |
| […] | | | | longer willing to be passive and detached but wish to |
| Bear in mind that Indian political class’ culture, | | | | be heard loud and clear. |