The trial of the chicago 7

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 Yesterday, I was watching the movie “The trial of Chicago 7”, and I was enchanted by sheer force of it. There is a group of people who come together and plan to protest against ending the US war at Vietnam during the Year 1968. It seems that several US citizens had lost their dear lives. The movie is based on the trial of 8 people in the US court.

As someone living within the territorial boundaries of the largest democracy, I am curious - the movie is based on an example from the territory of the oldest democracy. This makes me wonder. The theme runs on course of the freedom of dissent at that point of time in Uniter States. Nowadays, I keep hearing the news of some of the other protests happening across the country and worldwide. If I only see the past 10 years, I could recall several such news.

I take cognizance of the Indian freedom struggle and later how the constitution come into force. The articles that gets written come into practicality at the larger challenges thrown by the complex situations such as protests. This is India. Through movies, we travel time and get a certain idea of the conditions then.

Why do some people protest? Ideally, they should be deeply hurt by something and no formal source remains for them to speak their mind. Looking at the current milieu, is it a  right situation under any constitutional democracy? It looks like a larger question. I can write with a certain bias. I have never protested on the streets. But protest can be anything. You go on the Instagram and write an opinion, you discuss your say with a group of people, you think about any topic, you decide to vote against a party or a party candidate…

There exists mechanisms under any sovereignty. Humans can get frustrated. Humans can get hurt. Sometimes, citizens form a group and share an opinion. If this mechanism exists in your country, if your government offers you a chance to hear you peacefully – it’s a form of respect.

Going by the literature & movies, United States has a history of racial discrimination. In the movie, the judge appears to be hostile toward one black guy. The guy was denied legal assistance and he would continuously abrupt the proceedings in between. He was charged with several contempt of court by the judge. At one point, he was gagged by the security personnel by the order of the judge. Later, the lawyers point it out to the judge which I found a reflection of the spirit of the nation – “you have gagged a guy in the US court” and that caught me in awe. How does the brand – ‘the land of United States’ work. How free you are there? How free you are in your own country? It is something about the treatment of the humans and the respect to the individual.. And I relate.  

I observe people during my commute to work. I read newspapers. I watch movies. I try to remain in the world and I try to map my country and countries in the news. Where does the world stand? How have the socio-political lives of the humans evolved? I quote an example - at another day, I read that the UK Prime Minister voluntarily resigned because he under-performed. Relinquishing your power in such manner is a strong sense of duty and a sense of accountability that is attached with the people of the country. People feel empowered by it. Can every country perfectly aspire to be like this? It may not. There are challenges. There are always challenges in the continuum of history. Different nations are at different point of their political maturity. If a government falls in a comparatively stable country, the panic among the masses could be minimum. At other place, the repercussions could be greater – in terms of economic losses, human unrest, and so on. However, the aspirations must exist.

During the ending of the movie, the judge specifically asked a person in trial if he could remark a favourable statement, then the judge would look upon his sentencing mildly. The guy repeats the words of the judge in shock and in deeper reflection. He grabbed a dairy from a fellow guy and started to read the names of all the fallen US soldiers in the Vietnam war. Everyone stood and raised their hands in solidarity and respect, while the judge had gone haywire! 

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