23 June 2013 - QA 16

The recent demonstrations in Brazil has impacted all aspects of life here. How does one deal with it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When people do not get justice, or when they are tired of corruption in the society, it’s natural that they get agitated. People gather to demonstrate, they agitate. It’s a good sign that the people are waking up.
One way is to take everything as it comes, not be bothered about it and be a part of a corrupt system. The other way is to wake up and stand up against corruption, stand up against injustice, stand up against that which you think is not right. This is a welcome attitude. We must really appreciate that.
One thing that we need to really attend to is that the mob should not turn anti-social and violent. We need to see that the demonstrations are peaceful, that they are for a cause and not against a person, because people change and everyone has the ability to transform himself or herself. We must recognize that people do change. So we must maintain the decorum of such agitations and demonstrations with peace and purposefulness..

When we are not peaceful we also lose the purpose and target. I would say that non-violence should be the guiding force of any agitation. It should be for the cause and not directed against a person. No damage should be caused either to people or to properties. That is what should be the guiding line.

Well-meaning people start an agitation and then it becomes hard to keep it focused on the goal because some anti-social elements enter and create violence. This is where people should be aware of the harmful effects of violence and destruction.
If nonviolence is kept on the forefront of agitations and demonstrations, it should be welcomed. If violence happens then there is no other way but to quell it by using force. It becomes very difficult. I again emphasize that we should have a peaceful revolution, a non-violent revolution. This is much needed in today’s scenario.