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B. S. Raghavan

THOSE were the words the US President, Mr George W. Bush, spontaneously and cheerfully uttered when he was rather rudely asked by a correspondent at a joint media conference with the UK Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, at London for his reaction to the huge demonstration going on against him. The number participating in that milling, massive throng at Trafalgar Square has been put at 1,10,000, although the organisers themselves claimed that it exceeded 2,00,000. The crowd was carrying posters containing brusque slogans such as "Bush, go back!", "Bush - the world's No.1 terrorist" and the like. The protesters snaked their way across Westminster and Whitehall and when they went past the Prime Minister's residence, catcalls, boos and whistles rent the air. The climax of the rally was the toppling of a 30 feet high papier mache statue of Bush, parodying the toppling of the statue of Saddam Hussein by US troops in Baghdad following the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Can you think of a response similar to Bush's from any of our tin pot potentates in a similar situation in this country?

What was on display at London on November 20 was the good-humoured tolerance and ingrained respect for the democratic rights of the people and the willingness of the political and governing classes to let them express their dissent through peaceful demonstrations. This is the crowning glory of true and genuine democracies. Remember these people were virulently denouncing their own Government for its blind support for US militarism at a time when Mr Bush was a state guest. Remember, too, the police and security agencies in the UK were stretched beyond limit by having to protect a head of state and government on official visit who was the prime target of terrorist groups everywhere. And still, they permitted such large numbers to assemble at the very heart of London, and even to cock a snook at the most security-sensitive areas. The same attitude of accommodation and understanding was shown in February last as well, not only by the UK authorities, but also by France, Germany, Italy and the US, in respect of giant rallies of two millions or more in each country against the Iraq war.

In proportion to the population of these countries, the participation has been around 4 to 5 per cent. It is the equivalent of a demonstration by around 50 million at Delhi. Is commitment to a public cause of this magnitude imaginable at all in this land? And even if it is, will our politicians and police have the moral courage to face the people's wrath as serenely as Messrs Bush and Blair did? Is there any prospect of protest on such a vast scale passing off so smoothly and without violence and bloodshed, in India? Isn't there plenty to ponder and learn from other democracies?

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