I went to the fast conducted by Satta Panchayath Iyakkam (SPI), a remarkable NGO (no foreign funding, so relax). It was to submit 10 demands to the TN state, most important to remove the State Chief Information Commissioner, Mr.Sreepathi IAS from the commission. The TN state information commission is, in general, doing a really bad job.
Anyways, at the end of it the activists decided to proceed with a lock to symbolically "lock" the office of the Information Commission. Police were there in massive numbers.
I stood in a corner, gaping at the spectacle, while my head was swimming from the 8 hours fast. I have no idea how people do this for many days. I wanted, craved, sambar idli for some strange reason.
Suddenly the police came marching in our direction, asking all of us to get into the van. I stayed still, hoping they could not see me. But there was nothing to hide behind, and an Inspector who looked like a Software Project Manager came in my direction with a few constables.
He said, "Why are you standing here?"
I said, "I came here for the fast."
"Do you want to get arrested or leave?" he said, like Bruce Willis.
I said "Leave" without ANY hesitation.
"Then go," he said, as if a massacre was about to happen.
But as I ran to one side of the road, it was blocked! I run to the other side and that is blocked too! So I run from one to another like a caged rat, thinking, "That Inspector WAS a software PM, because he gave me a command and closed all ways of executing it."
By this time everyone was in the vans and they were all basically watching me go from one end to another. So, with as much dignity as I could muster, I went into the van.
We were taken to the Chepauk guest house through a circuitous route so that nobody could follow us. This place is like a open air jail. I think they call it "guest house" as a joke, because the MRTS train passes right above you every 20 minutes. No man could survive there.
We all sat in plastic chairs. There was a nice breeze.The walls were high and i thought my only chance of escape was to time the MRTS trains over the next 10 days and get on the last car somehow, like Papillon.
But then they asked us to sign something and leave. The signing sheet said "Arrest detail" so then I understood I was actually arrested.
My only advice to you is to get arrested with 60,70 people - that too pumped up activists, because then nobody cares about your sorry, timid self.
Anyways, at the end of it the activists decided to proceed with a lock to symbolically "lock" the office of the Information Commission. Police were there in massive numbers.
I stood in a corner, gaping at the spectacle, while my head was swimming from the 8 hours fast. I have no idea how people do this for many days. I wanted, craved, sambar idli for some strange reason.
Suddenly the police came marching in our direction, asking all of us to get into the van. I stayed still, hoping they could not see me. But there was nothing to hide behind, and an Inspector who looked like a Software Project Manager came in my direction with a few constables.
He said, "Why are you standing here?"
I said, "I came here for the fast."
"Do you want to get arrested or leave?" he said, like Bruce Willis.
I said "Leave" without ANY hesitation.
"Then go," he said, as if a massacre was about to happen.
But as I ran to one side of the road, it was blocked! I run to the other side and that is blocked too! So I run from one to another like a caged rat, thinking, "That Inspector WAS a software PM, because he gave me a command and closed all ways of executing it."
By this time everyone was in the vans and they were all basically watching me go from one end to another. So, with as much dignity as I could muster, I went into the van.
We were taken to the Chepauk guest house through a circuitous route so that nobody could follow us. This place is like a open air jail. I think they call it "guest house" as a joke, because the MRTS train passes right above you every 20 minutes. No man could survive there.
We all sat in plastic chairs. There was a nice breeze.The walls were high and i thought my only chance of escape was to time the MRTS trains over the next 10 days and get on the last car somehow, like Papillon.
But then they asked us to sign something and leave. The signing sheet said "Arrest detail" so then I understood I was actually arrested.
My only advice to you is to get arrested with 60,70 people - that too pumped up activists, because then nobody cares about your sorry, timid self.
