There has been absolute turmoil as Mumbai has been brought to a screeching halt for days because of Manoj Jarange and the Maratha agitation. The city, always spirited and resilient, seems to be crushed by the upheaval caused by thousands of supporters who moved towards SoBo and have now camped there. We are witnessing a cataclysmic, never-before moment. The uncertainty is heavy, and even the hardiest of Mumbaikars seem to be wilting now.

Food piled up in bins and strewn across roads by ‘poor’ Maratha protesters near Azad Maidan

Any protest cannot be allowed to cause the kind of upheaval we are witnessing. While a protest march may be allowed to express dissent and dissatisfaction, it must have discipline at its core. One cannot hold a city to ransom, blackmailing a government to give in. The leaders of these protests, including the top cadre, have themselves to blame for the mayhem, filth, inconvenience, and thuggery that we have seen on the streets of the financial capital.