December 08, 2020, has been announced as the day of "Bharat Bandh” which means a nationwide shutdown, which was called for by the farmers currently protesting the farm laws by the Centre.  

The shutdown will remain in effect between 11 AM to 3 PM as transport services, offices and most of the shops in states like New Delhi and Haryana will remain shut.

It is also expected that numerous highways and toll booths will also be blocked by farmer groups in the form of a ‘peaceful protest’ and that emergency services like ambulances will not be disrupted.

Farmers stop train in Maharashtra as part of Bharat Bandh, detainedhttps://t.co/WwJq2W4sJn

On this occasion, Indian yogi and author Sadhguru’s interview from 2014, brings out some rather interesting talking points about such peaceful protests and the tendency of the protesters to block roads and highways.

Six years ago at an event, Rang De Basanti actor Siddharth asked Sadhguru for his opinion on whether certain sections of the society have a disastrous habit “always pointing out problems but never participating in creating solutions,” as written in the description of the YouTube video shared above.

And here’s what the yogi had to say:

“If you try to do anything in this country, they want to stop it. You want to build a dam, there is a protest, you want a nuclear project, there is a protest, thermal project protest… but everybody wants everything. In their homes, they want all the gadgets, they want 24-hours power.”

“This is only because we are only looking at the problems and we have not taken the challenge of creating solutions in our minds. I think this is a kind of a pre-independence hangover because Mahatma Gandhi brilliantly designed a revolt against the British not by killing them, not by shooting at them… but simply but stopping activity.”

Calling for ‘bharat bandh’ is continuing the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi’s satyagrah methodology of registering ur opposition to policies of those in power! It is just another way of implementing ‘non-cooperation’.
It is the job of those in power to prevent violence & spread justice

“Bandh, hartal, satyagraha came from there. It was a brilliant device for those days because we were conquered.”

“Suppose you want to become a political leader, don’t try to build a road or build a dam. Gather 100 of your fans and block a highway. Make our lives miserable and you will become a leader,” he says in a sarcastic tone. “If you make something happen, you will be ignored, of course.”

“Making the nation go and making the nation stop are two different kinds of technologies. Mahatma Gandhi mastered the art of making the nation stop and it was contextually the right thing to do for those times because we are being ruled by somebody else but we are still doing the same thing.” 

No netas on stage, say farmers as 11 state governments back Bharat bandh

Read: https://t.co/JLnC5d3vvt pic.twitter.com/WwY0dCOD0y

“State governments are demanding that they must have a right to call for a bandh. Bandh means closure. I cannot understand how an administration can call for a bandh (laughs) but they are actually saying that it is their right to call for a bandh.” 

“Close down something and you will rise in your prominence,” he says. “This must change. We should never identify people who stop something in this country as leaders. This must be done by all the citizens. Whoever stops something in this nation should never ever be our leader. Whoever makes things happen in this country, he must be the leader, isn’t it?”

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