HokKolo-robbery and more

Disclaimer: 

This post represents my personal opinions. I have not been provoked by anyone to write this.

With apologies to Nemai Ghosh

Dear fellow HokKolorobbers:

Congratulations on giving it back to them. I am way, way senior to you (to the extent that you are closer in age to my daughter than to me), but I guess respect has nothing to with age.

However, you must realise that the power you are up against does not really abide by logic, or do not really believe in fairness. In a way the power you are up to is worse than Lord Voldemort.

Note:

There are two reasons for bringing up Voldemort here:

1. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, for once, Voldemort admitted he honoured bravery (though he probably lied).

2. The people in question will be utterly confused: it will take them ages to figure out whether Voldy was a Maoist.

But that is not the point of this post, though some day I would love to discuss Tom Riddle (see what I did there?) with the next generation.

We cannot help you directly. We are tied up by commitments, professional and otherwise, that have put up geographical barriers strong enough to stop us from helping you. Worse, we lack your zeal. It is embarrassing, but it remains the fact.

However, we may come of help, and by that I do not mean candle marches. We will share everything you update us with. There will be help, financial or otherwise, from people who love to do things for a cause. As Dumbledore (mwahahahaha!) said, “help will always be there for those...”

It is time, however, for you to understand and appreciate certain aspects:

You have been doing a phenomenal job, but without any serious plan. Did they outnumber you that night? Probably not. So what went wrong?

You did not have a Plan B.  It is time you have one. As long as the revolution continues, continue to have Plans B, C, or whatever letter of the English alphabet you choose. Move on to Chinese once you are through with them, since I have been told that they have a lot more letters.

This probably means you need to think ahead of posters, rallies, and social media. These may serve the purpose in the long run, but will not help you in direct physical combat with the administration. If it comes to direct physical confrontation, make sure you are ready. And as you know, it has, and will come to that at some point of time.

This time it may not stop with lathi. They will not hesitate to take things a step further. You know that, do you not? If you do, prepare yourselves accordingly.

By that I certainly do not mean you go out and hit people. That is certainly not something the civilised do. At the same time, defending yourself and your friends is extremely crucial when they come at you. Again. And try to trample you brutally.

That is all I want to say. Remember the golden rule of combat: the side that has more survivors wins. We cannot afford to see you being trampled by brutes. We cannot afford to see you manhandled.

Go all out. Rip them apart. But more importantly, defend yourselves and your friends. Do not let go of the hand of the person beside you, but as the pretty air-hostesses say, please adjust your own oxygen mask during emergency before helping others putting theirs on.

But more importantly, use your greatest weapon: unity. Do not give up on each other. Take them on. Remember, you have the power that we never head — that of social media that can make your revolution global in minutes. Make use of that.

Combat with unity. Combat with education. Combat with technology. Combat with a plan. 

And, amidst all this, do take care of the girl whose molestation had triggered #HokKolorob. I do not know her, but she is feeling guilty. Reassure her that you are only being human.

Stay well. Make life miserable for them unless they give in. But at the same time, stay safe. Revolution often comes at the cost of blood, but it should ideally come at the cost of blood of your opponents. Shedding blood is cool, but making your opposition shed blood is way cooler.

A well-wisher.

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PS 1: They do not earn Rs 112 a month anymore. It is a ridiculously outdated slogan.

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PPS: We care.