WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE?

One of the first impressions of Hong Kong was during my first overseas visit to the United States with an overnight layover in the city. When we landed at the airport I think it took me a full ten minutes to get my bearings, completely awestruck as I was at all I saw, was seeing, including the touch screen pads that were all over. Mind you this was way back in 1999 with our airports, Calcutta especially, that were still firmly ensconced somewhere in the prehistoric ages.

I guess I will never forget the experience, from exiting the airport, into the city with its dazzling strum of lights and bustle; everything so neatly laid out, buses and cars the likes of which I had only seen in movies. You guessed it right, I was the proverbial country bumpkin, soaking in the sights and smells, thinking to myself, what a fantastic new world…

Unfortunately I have never made it back, except for a brief layover in the airport a couple of years ago but I can imagine I would still feel that sense of awe and wonder if I ever get the chance to visit it again. There might be others, seasoned travellers and Hong Kongers as well, who would beg to differ but like they say, there’s nothing quite like first impressions.

But again, I am not here to gush over a city I barely visited.

Today is September 9th, exactly three months since the citizens of Hong Kong took to the streets in protest against an extradition bill, the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019.
The amendment meant offenders could now be extradited not just to Taiwan but also mainland China; a seemingly innocuous law meant to endorse that justice would be meted out, but of course, with far reaching consequences for the people of Hong Kong.

While the situation remains largely focused on the bill, it is the manner of protests and the way in which these protests have been tackled by the police is what stands out.

For one thing, the protests in Hong Kong have held center stage steadily for the past three months, unwavering, consistent in every headline and ticker at the bottom of our television screens. Just to highlight how effective this has been, the local newspaper here, The Telegraph, has had a paragraph almost every single day on the situation there. Apologies (or not) to the US, but even the President of the most powerful country has not had that much coverage.

In a world that is focused on a maximum 2 day (if at all) attention span, the people of Hong Kong have seized the day, every single day, making certain that the world does not, will not brush it aside. People from all walks of life, in signature monochrome shirts, an unending sea of humanity, a stark visual that cannot be denied.

To be fair, protests have occurred and continue to occur in different parts of the world all the time. Against bills, against horrific crimes, against gun violence, against ruling parties; people demanding their voices be heard, farmers, students, men, women, children, with placards, giant inflatable balloons, candles, flowers. People thronging sidewalks, chanting together, bound by a common cause or so it seemed.

So why is this different?
For the people of Hong Kong it is not just about the extradition bill anymore. I do not think it is. For them and for most of us, it is a cry from the heart. Enough of the politics, enough of the sound bites, enough of taking us, the common man and woman for granted.

About a month and a half ago, I had read a post by the Chief News Editor of the South China Morning Post and in it, he had shared a picture of a young woman in signature black, in zip ties standing in between two policemen.
You can read the post here - https://www.facebook.com/YondenLhatoo/photos/pb.1681890512026918.-2207520000.1568083770./2446213378927957/?type=3&theater


This young woman, as Yonden Lhatoo had said, could have been anyone and that is exactly why this protest has stood out.

Because it is the anyone, the everyone, who have and continue to congregate every single day. Why?
Because they know, if not now, never.
If not them, then no one.
And never and no one is a future that let’s admit, none of us want.

The other layer to this is then, how is this being portrayed or conveyed to the rest of the world?
Across the visual and the print, we are now seeing a sharp polarization of what is essentially supposed to be a neutral platform, the news media. It does not matter which part of the world you are in, there is now a clear divide as to how news is to be reported, or not.

In the world’s largest democracy as also in the world superpower, the lines are clear.
Dissent and disagreement are being branded as anti-national, unpatriotic. Even if there is an essence of good or right on either side, there is no compromise. Everything on the ‘other side’ will always be false or as is bandied around so often these days, fake news. The rant has become so shrill now, so much so, that like the classic cry wolf, we fail to pay heed, until it is too late, the hound having left a wake of devastation behind whilst we argued on the semantics of it all.

And so the people of Hong Kong have done what has never been done before, grabbed control of what can be deemed newsworthy or not.

Of course, there are always slants to the news being reported on the ground, with some media houses focusing on single images to highlight their own interpretation of what has led to this massive breakdown. But one cannot deny the images we see every day, the sheer magnitude of people, the ability to move such massive crowds swiftly from one venue to the other, all the while with hundreds of media personnel recording for posterity every single action, every multiple statutory warning, every egg shell, water cannon and pepper spray.

And then at the other end, we find the police force. As always stuck between a rock and a hard place. Nowhere else but in Hong Kong can we see that displayed in full, as they arm themselves with riot gear and face the onslaught of every single day.

Irrespective, the police are expected to be upholders of the law, sworn to provide justice, protect the weak, fight against crime and corruption, all the while maintaining a fair and balanced view, even when people are spitting at you, yelling obscenities, and oh yes, getting shot at.
For all those reporting about the heavy handedness of the Hong Kong police, methinks they need to understand the term ‘heavy hand’ especially when you compare them to their counterparts in other parts of the world, mine included.

For one thing, there would be a lot more body parts missing, not to mention the body counts itself. At the end of the day, the police are people, just like us, tasked with the extraordinary job of maintaining peace whilst allowing people their fundamental right to protest. They are required by law, by their own police codes to ‘protect and serve’ the very people who wish them harm.

Numerous countries have special amendments to Acts that allow the police to use brute force and to make arrests ‘when deemed necessary’ but more often than not, these have been misused with impunity, citing national security concerns and what have nots. The north-east region here is an unfortunate example of that, as I had mentioned in an earlier post, one where there have been numerous civilian deaths perpetrated by the army and the police in ‘encounter’ killings, some genuine, the majority the result of trigger happy soldiers with a go free pass, courtesy the AFSPA.

The HK police on the other hand have had to bear the brunt of the wrath and frustration of the common man but in so doing have shown remarkable restraint, and in many cases, appealing to and issuing several warnings before finally clamping down with the necessary measures to control the rioting demonstrators.

A stark contrast in more ways than one to what is happening here. It has now been over a month since the government repealed Article 370 in Kashmir and in so doing, have also shut down every single form of communication.

There has been no public outcry to this, rather a resounding triumphant voice echoed in various news channels and whatsapp messages, that we are all now ‘one’. The paramilitary forces have their boots firmly on the ground, almost all leaders of the opposition placed under arrest. And till date, an eerie, deafening silence from the beautiful valley, broken only by the cacophonous voices of prime time television, mouthing every topic under the sun except that which is important.

Meanwhile in the east, over 4.1 million people can no longer call themselves citizens of this country, including among many, veterans and long serving public servants.
Stateless.
Overnight.
Just like that.

What is even more frightening, however, is the fact that all of this seems to have been easily digested by most of the populace, the classic chalta hai, jaane bhi do pill we have voluntarily swallowed. Nothing fazes us anymore and whilst others may say otherwise, we are being fed a daily diet of Orwellian Two Minutes (and more) of Hate.


The people of Hong Kong have shown us that it is possible to have your voices heard. And consistently.

The situation in Hong Kong have shown us that we cannot simply always allow those whom we have elected to dictate as they see fit. That is not how it works. Period.

The police force in Hong Kong have shown us that yes, there is a right way to police. And that it is not all blind, brutal force, even if the politicians have left you hanging out to dry.

And cliched as it sounds, if you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll always find an excuse.

To all of us who are watching, hoping and praying for a change, for better things to happen, what’s your excuse?