Civil Disobedience against Covid Lockdown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lXAA7ZOROc

Lord Sumption: civil disobedience has begun

The retired Supreme Court justice believes we have no moral obligation to obey the law.
He asserts that it is becoming morally acceptable to ignore Covid regulations,
and even warns that a campaign of “civil disobedience” has already begun.

Śrīla Prabhupāda: …Regarding the government injunction, that is the worst situation of this age. The so called democratic government means some of the sudras, rascals without any knowledge of the highest aim of life. By hook and crook they get some votes and get the responsible chair in government. Naturally they can whimsically enact any law which is against the interest of the people in general. According to the Vedic literature, the government’s first duty is to see whether people are following the rules and regulations of varnasrama dharma. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita also. Without coming to the system of Varnasrama dharma there is no question of human society. (Letter to: Madhudvisa Kenya 15 September, 1971)

On civil disobedience:

“Sometimes the most public spirited thing that you can do with despotic laws like these is to ignore them. I think that if the government persists long enough with locking people down, depending on the severity of the lockdown, civil disobedience is likely to be the result. It will be discrete civil disobedience in the classic English way — I don’t think that we are likely to go onto the streets waving banners. I think we will just calmly decide that we are not going to pay any attention to this. There are some things you have to pay attention to: you can’t go to a shop if it’s closed. On the other hand, you can invite friends round for a drink, whatever Mr Hancock says. People are doing that to some extent already.

“Everyone will have their own different threshold. But I think that in the eyes of many people who disapprove of the lockdown, and some people who approve of it, we’ve reached that point quite a long time ago.”

On the ethics of law-breaking:

“I feel sad that we have the kind of laws which public-spirited people may need to break. I have always taken a line on this, which is probably different from that of most of my former colleagues. I do not believe that there is a moral obligation to obey the law… You have to have a high degree of respect, both for the object that the law is trying to achieve, and for the way that it’s been achieved. Some laws invite breach. I think this is one of them.”

You can read what he really thinks below. And watch our interaction on Lockdown TV — it was a fascinating conversation.

https://unherd.com/2021/03/lord-sumption-civil-disobedience-has-begun/

Śrīla Prabhupāda: This kind of election is rascal election. It has no meaning. Therefore the public must know whom to elect and how to elect. That should be our propaganda. Because nowadays it is democratic government, teach people how to select the real leader. Real leader means who does not commit mistake, who is not illusioned, who does not cheat and who has no imperfect senses, who has, or, other words, one who has got perfect senses. So if you say, “How it is possible for the conditioned soul?” “Yes, it is possible if you follow the perfect.” Just like we are doing. We are following Kṛṣṇa. He does not commit mistake, He is not illusioned, His senses are not imperfect, and He does not cheat. We are following. Therefore, although we are imperfect, because we are following the perfect, our proposition is perfect. A child may be illiterate, but when he’s taught, “Write A like this,” and he follows that, he becomes literate. This is the policy. (Śrīla Prabhupāda Morning Walk Conversation December 12, 1973, Los Angeles)

Democracy means ‘Demon Crazy‘

Democracy is defined as a system of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. However, a people in general cannot choose who is fit to be their leader as they lack the intelligence. Especially in the present times, everyone is born a shudra (a person without much intellectual understanding). Therefore Srila Prabhupada called democracy as government of the shudras, by the shudras, and for the shudras. What is needed is government of Krishna (God’s Name) and for Krishna. As Krishna is root of all existence, pleasing Krishna takes care of everyone’s needs. As everything in creation belongs to Krishna, so everything must be utilized for His satisfaction. Such a government can only exist under the direction of a pure devotee (of Krishna). A devotee is naturally sympathetic to all, including all classes of men, plus all other living entities, and he also has the intelligence given him by Krishna, as to how he may serve all by engaging them in God’s service. Thus a government by a devotee/devotees is the only acceptable form of (or even option to) democracy. Otherwise in the name of democracy we have only systems where one class of people is fighting another at international, national, communal, neighbourhood, familial or individual levels, because nobody is satisfied (under the present day form of democracy). In fact, if people of the world became Krishna Conscious (lovers of Krishna), then automatically they will accept the directions of a superior devotee (of Krishna), whether in a monarchy or in a democracy. In the absence of this scenario, however, Srila Prabhupada has rightly called democracy as ‘demon crazy’.

Every state and its administrators, regardless of the nature of the administration—monarchy or democracy, oligarchy or dictatorship or autocracy—have the prime responsibility to lead the citizens toward God realization. This is essential for all human beings, and it is the duty of the father, spiritual master, and ultimately the state to take up the responsibility of leading the citizens towards this end. The whole creation of material existence is made for this purpose, just to give a chance to the fallen souls who rebelled against the will of the Supreme Father. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.22)

Unfortunately, in the present age of Kali, the head of government does not follow the instructions given by the saintly persons; therefore neither the citizens nor the men of government are very happy. Their duration of life is shortened, and almost everyone is wretched and bereft of bodily strength and spiritual power. If citizens want to be happy and prosperous in this democratic age, they should not elect rascals and fools who have no respect for saintly persons. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.14.14)

How can the people be happy without religion and God consciousness? The rogues exact taxes from the citizens for their own sense enjoyment, and in the future the people will be so much harassed that according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam they will flee from their homes and country and take shelter in the forest. However, in Kali-yuga, democratic government can be captured by Kṛṣṇa conscious people. If this can be done, the general populace can be made very happy. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.16.4)

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) Dāśyu-dharma. Their business will be how to plunder. Because at the present moment the so-called democracy means, to tell the truth, all cunning, third-class, fourth-class men, they are doing. They have no sympathy for the general public. Their only aim is, so long he’s in the office, gather as much money as possible. Am I right or not?

Prabhupāda: At the present moment, the people in general, they are engaged in service, in factories, in big, big office, big, big establishment. So they’re all śūdras, fourth-class men. And the fourth-class men select their representative. So they must be also fourth-class. Democracy means selected, I mean to…, voted, elected. So because they are being elected by the fourth-class men, the leaders are also fourth-class men. The fourth-class men cannot appreciate the first-class men. And there is lacking of second-class men. So the result is that at the present moment, the whole world is being managed by the fourth-class men. Therefore, there are so many anomalies.

Prabhupāda: Because democracy means by votes. So the votes are given by the rascal śūdras. So what is the meaning of electing somebody if the vote givers are also rascal and fool, and the vote-taker is a big food, big rascal, that’s all? He manages something, somehow or other to take the votes. Therefore, you see, dacoit is going on. The government is there, and at night you are not secure. You have to take care of yourself, whether dacoits are coming or not. And they are coming. So what is the meaning of this government? If the dacoits are there, rogues are there, thieves are there, miscreants are there, so what is the meaning of government? No. At the present moment the government means that the same rogues and rascals come to become minister and take fat salary and sleep, and you take care of yourself. That is going on.

Prabhupāda: Government means they are full of rascals. Government by the people. So you are all rascals, the government is also rascal. Your democracy means government by the people for the people. So all the people are rascals, beginning from the Pope down to the common man. Therefore the government is rascal.