Play Hockey With The Fascists

There has been another attack on women who visit pubs – this time in Bangalore.

It is therefore heartening to hear that free citizens of this fair city are forming a human chain on Valentine's Day to peacefully protest against the moral policing that BJP goon squads, hand-in-glove with the local police, have unleashed upon the state.

The protest is being led by a professor of IIM-B, and there will be human chains formed in many parts of the city to allow freedom-loving people to vent their anger against those who seek the Talibanization of Indian society.

But as this latest attack shows, the enemies of Liberty are violent people. Non-violent protests against such people is risky. There is no telling what will happen on V-Day if the goon squads attack peaceful protesters. There is no telling which side the police will be on.

Whereas I certainly do not suggest violent protests, I do believe that, given the violent nature of the enemy, citizen protesters should look for ways to defend themselves in case of attack. I therefore suggest that every single citizen participating in these human chains be armed with a hockey stick. The hockey stick is cheap, handy, easy to wield, and an excellent weapon in such situations.

So speak softly, but carry a hockey stick.

That is my suggestion.

Actually, in the BJP's fascist agenda, there is deeper motive behind their opposition to "foreign culture." Let us not forget that the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch is an integral part of the BJP. Their fascist ploy therefore goes deeper: they seek to isolate India from the winds of international commerce, maintain a "national economy," and hand over a closed market for exploitation by their cronies. Note how many of our cronyists, from Ratan Tata to Anil Ambani, are salaaming at the altar of the BJP.

Therefore, there is much more to achieve through these citizens' protests. Talibanization is small-scale fascism compared to the deeper agenda of economic nationalism. Today's modern Indian is better off compared to 20 years ago only because the country has opened up somewhat to global trade. We are all better off because of videshi businessmen. The BJP says we cannot love foreign goods – and that is just like saying we cannot love the partner we choose.

The next public rally must therefore be in favour of unilateral free trade.

As long as foreign goods and foreign culture are freely allowed into our land, the fascists will be on the back foot. The fascists want a closed society and a closed economy. And closed minds. This is the method in their madness. They must be defeated.