Student Protests In The Uk

[AK-47]

Hi Guys

I know this doesn't sound like a Sikhi related topic, but hold on.

Im interested in your views on the student protests in general and whether you feel they are justified in that the cost of education should/should not have gone up to £6k - £9k.

Do you think the violence at the protests was neccesary both from the student perspective and the police perspective?

The reason I ask is that on many occassions where Sikhs have protested against things which made us angry, we have almost automatically been labelled extremists, fanatics etc etc. If violence has occured then the press seems to start looking for 'so called links' to militant groups etc. What I found interesting was that some of the press said that the violence was because students were 'outraged and angry'. On the radio last night people spoke about how proud they were that students were taking a stand (violent!) etc.

Press has spoke about the violence but that its small elements and anarchy groups etc. But is the language used the same as for other groups?

Do you think that the press coverage towards non-religious and or non-white (majority of students will be white) is different to others and that the public perception follows suit?

I personally believe that human rights and torture is worth getting more angry about then fees, yet if human rights protestors used violence, then it would never be justified as 'angry expression'. Also do you think the majority really care or is it just a bandwagon and a desire to have some involvement in politics while for others its just an excuse to fight against the cops?

Just keen tp see how others are viewing this?

[whyhellothere]

I see the video footage on the news and all i see is hell- demons and chaos, I 'm shuddering just thinking about it.

[misl shaheedan]

Support them fully. Tired of the rich exploiting the poor and the poor always getting the short end of the stick

Lets break down this entire "degree" business

Even if you are a smart kid, if you are poor and cant afford to spend 3+ years for a piece of paper you are considered nothing by society, will most likely work in factories, etc. Its your money that counts in this capitalist society not your brains. Thats y spoiled rich folks (not saying all rich kids are spoiled but u get wat im trying to say) always get to go to university and the middle/working class has to either take on massive debt or not go to university at all. This is much more visible in the US and Canada.

Kids much less deserving will get these degrees and live more comfortable jobs because they could afford the piece of paper.

To balance this out and give those unfortunate an equal chance at an education we have scholarships and reasonable tuition fees. Lately we see an attack on anything that can uplift the poor by the powers that be, whether that be social services or tuition fees. The reasoning behind this is that the corporations and governments want an exploitable population at their disposal at all times. If all had the opportunity for an education that would be detrimental for the capitalist system and corporations which thrive on exploitation of the poor.

Sikhism is all for uplifting the poor and giving an equal chance to all to realize their full potential. One of the many examples of this is, for example, Guru Sahib ordering Banda Singh Bahadur to destroy the zamindaari system and stop the exploitation of the peasants of those days. , Guru Sahib Himself giving or having other Sikhs (Ex Bhai Kanaiya) give free education and medical assitance to anyone needing it, establishing Taksaals to give free education etc etc

I will make a bold statement which might draw fire from some: Sikhism at its roots is an Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Consumerism religion. The philosophy preached by our Guru Sahib is proof of this. We are encouraged to not wear jewelery, live simply, be content with what we have, wear Bana, keep bibek, eat home cooked meals and out of Sarbloh, give 1/10th of our earnings to the Gurdwara or to the poor, etc etc. This is completely contradictory to the ideals of Capitalism and Consumerism which, if you have in depth studied this system in University, thrives off destruction and exploitation. Whether that exploitation takes place in your home country or in third world countries from which you cant hear the cries of the exploited is up to the Government in power.

History has proven that peacefull protests have rarely accomplished anything. It is only violent expression that shakes the tyrants. According to me Education is a Human Right and raising these fees will deny this right and fair chance at a comfortable life to many less privileged then myself. Governments have never done anything out of benevolence so anything that changes their anti-middle/working class policies is ok in my book.

My only critique would be that the students should have tried some more peacefull tactics before resorting to violence as Guru Sahib teaches us.

Based on this i support the students and any other social issue that is championed by the working class. Whether fellow Sikh brothers/sisters agree with this is up to them and i am not here to start an internet war. If i was in the country in question i would also join the students with my fists clenched.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

[GurSa Singh]

Sorry if this is off topic, but someone sent me the above link some time back. Shows how some Students in Michigan University co-ordinated a silent walk out protest. Pretty impressive impact. There is an approach to non-violent protesting that can gain public support.

As Sikhs we have the right to express our serious concerns via non-violent protesting. There may be an element of bias/racism in media coverage, but I personally think a significant element of adverse coverage in relation to Sikhs protesting boils down to how the protest campaign is carried out, the transparency of the protesters and the marketing of the protest. Many articulate Sikhs are still media shy and not willing to come forward to represent Sikhs when something adverse is being reported or we put the wrong people forward to represent the Sikh perspective (Behzti play was a prime example of this). This then allows negative Sikh reporting to succeed.

[VanHelsingh]

In this day and age, the only way to get sympathy for one's cause is to pursue matters in a non-violent way. The mass public have been brainwashed to such an extent, that even someone who has justification to rise-up violently is immediately and forever labelled as a terrorist or insurgent. Then, no matter how just the cause or reason for protest, the media actively encourages the mass public to turn against those making the violent protest just so that the protesters can be shamed into silence.

Let me make one thing clear - I'm not approving the killing of innocent people to further one's cause. If one must struggle violently, then fight with the forces of the government & the police - the very people who are in the business of oppression. Cowardly acts such as bombing buses, trains, markets, etc., by suicide bombers is NOT the way to fight back.

The Western world (and governments and media) is very hypocritical when it comes to issues like these. They seem to be in love with idealists like Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, the latter who I have no respect for since his disparaging remarks about the achievements of our glorious 10th Guru. Anyway, I digress.

This "happy happy joy joy" approach of everyone holdings hands, and marching in solidarity may be appealing to the eye and soothing to the soul, but long-term it gets nothing done. At most, it becomes a footnote in history or generates a few days worth of headlines. Blood needs to be spilt for progress to be made. I know its an easy thing to say and I'm not saying I'm readily capable of such things, but even our own history tells us that Guru Har Gobind Sahib Ji realised this very issue when he turned the Sikh faith from a passive, entirely spiritual religion into a martial faith. Had he not taken such steps, we would now probably have been assimilated into Islam or Hinduism, depending on who got to us first.

One of the respected brothers on sikhsangat.com (dalsingh) made a similar point in a thread last week, when he highlighted the missing martial spirit in modern-day Sikhs, and how we must return to those classic ideals of being ready to give one's life for a just cause. I was very cautious about this approach, and I stated it was easy to make such bold declarations from within the comfort of our homes. BUT having had time to reflect on certain issues (and learning more about Sant Bhindrawale Ji's life), I'm inclined to agree 100% that there is something severely lacking in our collective psyche.

This maybe an unpopular notion in this politically correct world of today, but as the classic saying goes "You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs".

The central issue is this: How to fight back? It was easier when the world was less advanced and when horses, swords, small-arms, etc., were the only "weapons" available in order to fight a war. It also meant an organised group could mount a successful campaign if they also had access to the same horses, swords, etc. Now, governments have missiles, nuclear-powered weapons, chemical weapons, etc., meaning it is impossible for anyone to rise-up and challenge their might. Effectively the corrupt can now rule indefinitely as they have the weapons behind them to rule with force - only the illusions of democracy, freedom, elections, etc., stop people from revolting as it offers the false illusion that we have a choice in selecting the people that rule us. If those who rule us wish to oppress us, they can do so and there's nothing we can do about it. Such practices are happening, but in a very sly and subtle way so that we ourselves are giving our governments the permission to reduce our freedoms - and we don't even know we're doing it!

Anyway as for the original poster's question, the media has reduced the student fees protests to a very murky, questionable course of action. Images of the Cenotaph being urinated on, and the future King and his consort being attacked are deliberately circulated to prevent sympathy for those protesting. Unfortunately the mass public falls for this subtle smear campaign, and even a cause that is entirely just, i.e. protesting the rise in student fees, is immediately viewed as troublesome and unnecessary.

That's why I believe that for a modern "war" to be fought successfully, the media is arguably the most important battlefield. Only when our people (I'm referring to Sikhs) become articulate with the pen and the spoken word, and savvy in the ways of the modern world, can any progress be made.

[JasSinghKhalsa]

There was violence in Westminister - but hold on - Were they really students?

They were wearing woolen masks and students said in interview laters - we ourselves don't know from where a bunch of gang came to create some violence? But this violence didn't benefit the real student's non-violent protest, which lost sympathy from people?

So, were these really students?

If YES, then they lost a big battle (by loosing public sympathy) by smashing a couple of windows!!! If NOT, then some serious aspects as to who sent them and who gained the most from all this violence ( as the whole movement has lost all grounds).