New Delhi: On October 23, human rights activists, student unions, farmers and other citizens came together to protest under the banner of ‘People Against SIR’ in the heart of Delhi. Their attempt to march to the Election Commission of India was prevented by the police and other paramilitary forces, and a number of protestors were once again detained.What was particularly moving about the day was the number of senior citizens who had come to register their protest. I helped three of them cross the very busy roads at the Gol Dak Khana roundabout.An elderly lady walked slowly past a line of Rapid Action Force personnel, purposefully waving a small tricolour. It was an image that will stay with me forever. I am glad I was able to capture it on camera. ‘The more dictatorial the government, the longer it takes them to start the dialogue, which is why we need to keep persisting with peaceful protest till they reach that point.’ Photo: Rohit Kumar.I managed to locate her in the 500-strong crowd of protestors. She told me her name was Neeraj Khanna and she used to teach English at Delhi University.“I am here to defend my democratic rights. My democratic right to vote and to choose my government is in acute danger because they have messed it up. They have introduced this SIR which is a sinister move to disenfranchise people and our fear is that gradually we may lose all our liberties and be forced to live under a fascist dictatorship or autocracy. That’s why I am here, for myself, as well as for generations to come.”She spoke slowly, thoughtfully and clearly, much like a teacher making sure the listener understood every word.Anil Dubey, who has worked as a journalist with Navbharat Times for 30 years and is now a human rights activist said, “SIR is not just ‘anti-people’, it is a war declared by the government on its people.”He was unsparing:“It needs to be condemned and rejected. 13 crore people have been disenfranchised. It is shameful that the people have to justify their existence to a government that has not been able to provide them with employment, education and healthcare. So many educated, young, aspiring doctors and engineers are ending their lives by suicide. Our generation’s time is passing, so the least we can do is stand in support of Gen Z!”‘We need to stand with our youth,’ was a refrain I heard again and again during the course of the day.Unlike the ‘WhatsApp Uncles and Aunties’ who tend to gang up against any form of dissent in their RWAs and family groups and who are quick to demonize Gen Z for their attempts to restore democracy, these senior citizens were concerned enough to come out on the streets and stand with the young.WhatsApp uncles and aunties, sadly, remind of a passage from the Book of Job: “Age should speak, and advanced years should teach wisdom, but the old are not always wise, neither do the aged always possess understanding.”Also read: What (Extra)ordinary Citizens Said at the Lehra Do Tiranga Protest in Connaught PlaceBut the elderly protesters present on Gurdwara Bangla Sahib road that day not only showed a deep understanding of the events taking place in the country, they also took the opportunity to share that wisdom with the others present. A silver haired gentleman, for example, spent the afternoon distributing pamphlets about the dangers of the Special Intensive Revision to auto rickshaw drivers and bus drivers standing nearby (some of whom no doubt had been designated to drive the police’s detention buses).S.S. Nehra, a Supreme Court advocate standing with tricolour in hand, explained: “A protest is a dialogue. The bigger the protest, the more important the dialogue. The government and the Election Commission need to stop running away from this dialogue.”I said, “But this government is not known for its ability to dialogue…”To which he replied: “The more dictatorial the government, the longer it takes them to start the dialogue, which is why we need to keep persisting with peaceful protest till they reach that point.”There is something to be said about the quiet, hopeful wisdom of those who have witnessed and participated in many battles for democracy. Politician and former general secretary of the National Federation for Indian Women (NFIW), Annie Raja, pointed out: “Every protest is important, regardless of whether one person comes out to protest or a thousand. The important thing is to speak up against wrongdoing wherever you are and remind this fascist government that the country belongs to us. Our constitution is our lifeline and we will give our lives to uphold the constitution, if we have to! All the streets in the country are ours. Even if they deny us the permission to protest at Jantar Mantar, wherever we stand with our tiranga will become Jantar Mantar – from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from northeast India to Maharashtra and Gujarat!” Development economist Jayati Ghosh, who also makes it a point to attend as many people’s protests as she can, said: “There is repression and there will possibly be more repression and things may get worse before they get better, but I definitely see hope.” ‘Every protest is important, regardless of whether one person comes out to protest or a thousand.’ Photo: Rohit Kumar.A 77-year-old former civil servant who had come early and stood quietly through the protest holding the national flag, summed up the day well: “For 12 years I have lived in anguish. As an old man on wobbly legs, I thought the least I can do is stand here and show my solidarity with these young people. I am reminded of a poem by Seamus Heaney, the great Irish Nobel laureate:‘History says don’t hope on this side of the graveBut then, once in a lifetime The longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up,And hope and history rhyme.’” After the protest had been dispersed by the police, I drove down to nearby Connaught Place to meet a friend at a cafe. As we waited for our order, Louis Armstrong’s well know song began to play on the cafe speakers:‘Oh, when the saints go marchin’ inOh, when the saints go marching inO Lord, I want to be in that numberWhen the saints go marching in!’I thanked the good lord that I had already had the chance that afternoon to be in that number.Rohit Kumar is an educator, author and journalist and can be reached at letsempathize@gmail.com