Hong Kong: The March Towards Democracy Continues

Taking a closer look at the unending protests in Hong Kong

- Suranjit Das

Everybody was kung fu fighting Those kicks were fast as lightning In fact it was a little bit frightening But they fought with expert timing!

These opening lines from the iconic Carl Douglas single 'Kung Fu Fighting' best portrays the Hong Kong of this summer, a quite unusual of its kind in recent history when the world has discovered the ‘unbecoming’ of this former British colony which is strikingly tiny yet enviably prosperous. It’s the beginning of October now marking the completion of four months of uninterrupted protests in the quest of democracy, which have graduated from just slogans and street fights with the riot police, all displaying lung power and martial arts expertise, to some more inventive and characteristically violent means where arsenals consist of the likes of petrol bombs, bricks and other similar sorts. The unprecedented and protracted nature of protests have also baffled most observers who have only anticipated a ‘natural death’ of these demonstrations keeping in view the usual Hong Kong milieu where citizens are known singularly for their quest of success in the arenas of trade and commerce and workaholism, above anything else. But even if it was hardly fancied that the clamour for the democratic way of existence could reach such dizzy heights, it’s true and as days approach, these ‘outlandish features’ in all probability will get more conspicuous.

The Long and Short of History