Saturday, April 11, 2009

Reebok ... Just do it ...


Iraqi journalist Muntazer Al Zaidi gave the world a whole new way to protest when he hurled not one but both his shoes at the President of the United States of America, George Bush in Baghdad on Dec. 14 last year. After that it seems like a complete clan of shoe-throwers are out on the loose. The others who have also got a sniff of dreaded shoe are the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, Iran prez Ahmadinejad and Indian Supreme Court judge Arijit Pasayat. The most recent reciepient of the shoe treatment was the Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
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A Journalist with the hindi daily Dainik Jaagran, Jarnail Singh "JUST DID IT". Not with the Nike but his size '8' Reebok, when he hurled it towards the Home Minister P Chidambaram at a press conference on 9th April at New Delhi. The throw was underarm which gave Chidambaram time to get out of the way. Apparently, Jarnail Singh just wanted to stage a protest and not hurt the Home Minister.

India's very own "Shoe Movement" happened when Jarnail Singh questioned Chidambaram about the CBI report on the involvement of Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-sikh riots case. When Chidambaram tried to evade the question by giving an answer that did not satisfy Jarnail Singh, he blurted "I protest." and gifted his shoe to the Home Minister. Even more startling was the fact that after the incident he sat down calmly with his pad with an intention to continue with the conference when the security guards rushed in to take him away.

Shoe or no shoe, the common man is finding out ways to get himself heard and with the media ever so alert he is getting attention too. But its a pity that we actually have to do these wierd things to get ourselves heard. It would be so much better if there existed a system wherein a common man could be heard and would not be forced to - 'Just do it.'
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