Meter Jam – It has the potential of becoming the next ‘Dandi March’

All of us at some point or the other have been refused to be taken to our destination by an auto – rude and uncooperative behavior by the airline staff – extremely bad service in the restaurant – felt totally cheated when we went to a resort based on their website –we were molested for no reason and so on - the list is endless. In these circumstances, an individual is left high and dry to sort out the mess all by himself without any support from any quarter. All that one can do is to fight for your rights alone. There is absolutely no guarantee that your efforts will pay dividends. In the end you give up not because of lack of conviction – but due to host of other reasons- shortage of time, lengthy legal process, bureaucracy – very tough opposition etc.

The other day the doctors at the AIIMS went on strike to protest against bodily harm from patients and their supporters. In Bangalore the autos went off road to pressurize the government to increase the minimum fare, the sweepers decide to hold the city to ransom by resorting to ‘down with brooms’, the bus drivers stop driving buses – everybody wants to stop doing whatever they are doing and hurt the person on the street -POS .

People who can protest and make their fair or false grievances felt with utmost impact are the ones who have their own association, group, union or forum.

What can the POS do to project their problems? – They can collect all their problems and keep it safely in the store and wait for the next general election thinking they will vote for a party which is responsive to their needs. By now we have understood that all parties are the same but with different names. Waiting for the elections, then voting for a different party has not solved any of our problems.

The ‘Meter Jam’ – boycott of autos in Mumbai was a very innovative and novel way of registering POS protest. The response on ground may not have been great but it certainly increased the awareness. Using electronic channels, web and social networks such as Face Book and Twitter, the campaign was able to reach a very huge audience – more importantly it reached the educated- tech savvy – employed – urban youth – the society which matters and which has the ability to enforce change in the way common people live. The ‘Meter Jam’ campaign is a very powerful tool capable of providing justice to the common people. The campaign has the potential of becoming the next ‘Dandi March’

Electronic channels, web and social networks such as Face Book and Twitter has now become our association and ‘Meter Jam’ the tool to register our protest. For the first time we have a with us a very powerful tool to seek justice and set things right.

With this success let us STRIKE back not only at the autos but all forms of injustice affecting common people and the person on the street.