Listening to youth is ‘most powerful force’ to prevent protest violence: Supreme Court
The remarks were made by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant while hearing a petition seeking action against the Cockroach Janta Party.
The Supreme Court emphasized on Wednesday that listening to young people and offering counsel is the "most powerful force" to prevent violence during protests. A bench, consisting of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, made this observation while considering a petition seeking action against organizers of the July 20 "Sansad Chalo" march in which violence erupted.
The court directed that the plea be combined with other petitions already pending concerning student protests and alleged police excesses during demonstrations.
The petitioner, Manish Solanki, a former Indian Air Force officer, sought accountability and remedies against the organizers and alleged rioters involved in the July 20 march. Solanki also sought directions to identify individuals who made derogatory remarks against police or security personnel and required them to perform community service. During the hearing, Solanki's counsel argued that while governments and police were under scrutiny for accountability, the protest organizers had not faced any questioning.
The bench acknowledged that the approach to handling young protesters should be one of restraint and counseling, rather than confrontation. Counsel noted that stone-throwers and those engaging in violence could not escape accountability simply because governments might withdraw criminal cases. The bench expressed concern that allowing stone-throwers to evade punishment could set a dangerous precedent and lead to similar incidents in other states.
The court stressed that democratic protests must begin peacefully and that authorities should also exercise restraint in the face of isolated incidents. It emphasized that the most effective method to address such situations is through listening and understanding the protesters' motivations. The court also indicated its openness to hearing all sides and opinions, and suggested that law enforcement agencies would decide on operational matters on the ground.
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