AAP's tutorial centre for protests: Well, why not?

New Delhi: Can there be a Trotsky Centre for revolution? Or a Charu Majumdar Institute for armed protest? Or a Lohia Centre for socialist sloganeering? Or a Gandhi training centre for non-cooperation? Well, why not? The Aam Aadmi Party has already shown the way by coming up with a Centre for Protest Arts in the National Capital. The centre is designed to provide tutorials to people on various forms of protest and how to go about these in a cost-effective way. Others can follow the lead. Probably, the novel idea struck no other party or political outfit earlier, otherwise they would have generated more volunteers and cadre of supporters. But let’s give it to the AAP. It’s uniqueness lies in its innovative approach to things since its formation – be it registering its strong presence on social media or the chief minister taking his oath at Ramlila Maidan or later quitting the government in 49 days. [caption id=“attachment_1668103” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational Image. AFP[/caption] “We’ve come up with this centre in memory of our friend and colleague Santosh Koli on her first death anniversary. It will teach people various forms of protests and help them deliver the message in an effective manner,” AAP member Ankit Lal, the brain behind the initiative, told Firstpost. The Santosh Koli Centre for the Protest Arts, which is likely to start from mid-September, will be open to all – whether a student or a trade union member, an RSS functionary or a Left party activist. “It’ll be open to all with a nominal fee and we’re working out the financial model and web content for this Centre,” Lal said. Though Lal claims that the proposed Centre has nothing to do with AAP, it has party members on board. “First of all, without the knowledge or approval of Arvind Kejriwal, no such initiative can be taken up by any AAP member and second, it seems that it has been well-timed to be in limelight, as the AAP is apparently gearing up for fresh poll campaigning,” observed Rakesh Agarwal, a former AAP member with a decade-long association with Arvind Kejriwal. It is important to note that the former CM and AAP convener Kejriwal today announced party’s signature campaign for a fresh poll. Not many party workers convinced about the initiative though. “Santosh Koli was a brave activist, who raised issues related to ration mafia and corruption, but she was never known as a rabble-rouser. So, why has the centre been named after her?” asked a party member on condition of anonymity. Is the Centre going to supply hired protestors to political parties? “It sounds a bit comical. It’s a bad idea. From Naxalbari movement to several other protests by farmers, labourers, students, prisoners etc. till date, none needed a coaching kind of thing. Protest is a reaction to a particular situation or circumstance; it’s explored and experienced, but it’s not a technology that can be learnt,” social observer Shiv Visvanathan remarked. A recent example is that of the Arab Spring. Billions of people in the Arab world felt it was time for a change from deep inside their hearts. They were not trained to come out in large numbers. Protests have indeed succeeded in bringing down governments, and even bringing an empire to its knees. The most seminal example being Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha, the most evolved form of an organized protest. He had himself perfected it and didn’t run a chain of schools to bring millions of Indians to his fold. His call touched hearts, igniting their passion and they came out in large numbers against the British rule. “I like this idea of AAP, but a centre to train people in lieu of a fee sounds commercialization of the whole process. It’s the passion to bring a change in the system that drives activists or people to protest. It just can’t be another career option – that’s problematic,” said activist Shabnam Hashmi, sister of slain activist Safdar Hashmi and founder of socio-cultural organization Anhad. Theatre activist Safdar Hashmi – who’s chiefly associated with street theatre and was the founding member of Jana Natya Manch (People’s Theatre Front), was brutally murdered near Delhi while performing a street play Halla Bol in 1989. Even today he is considered an important voice in the area of political theatre in India. So, can there be any institute or centre to teach the tactics of street protests in Safdar Hashmi’s name? “No, not at all,” Shabnam Hashmi added. One wonders if this centre would arrange campus placements for its alumni, where parties of all colours and ideologies could go to for recruitment. What about uniform for students? Well, that’s for another day.