The Politics of Egg-Throwing

 

As heated as the political arena is, so are the languages of protest. Sometimes slogans in processions, sometimes black flags, and sometimes broom processions. But above all, the thing that has made world politics and Bangladesh's electoral context 'lively' in recent times is an insignificant poultry product—eggs. Although seemingly a nutritious food item, its role in the political arena is now explosive. Some see it as the last weapon of the exploited, while others see it as the ultimate degradation of democratic etiquette. Is egg-throwing just an expression of immediate anger, or is there a psychological or historical legacy hidden deep within it?

To find the history of egg-throwing, we have to go back to the days of the Roman Empire. According to historians, the custom of throwing rotten eggs or vegetables at a speaker in a public meeting is several hundred years old. In medieval Europe, when criminals were publicly tied up in the pillory, ordinary people would throw rotten eggs at them to express their hatred. In modern times, this has become an unwritten custom in British politics. Even Winston Churchill himself, to the present-day Johnson or Harold Wilson, everyone has had to endure this ‘egg-throwing’ at some point. Bangladesh is no exception. From court premises to election rallies, eggs are now a political tool everywhere. Psychologically, egg-throwing is a type of ‘symbolic violence’. When a person feels that he is unable to express his anger through conventional democratic means—such as voting or discussion—he chooses something that, without causing any major physical harm to his opponent, severely overwhelms him mentally. When the sound of an egg breaking and the sticky liquid inside it hits a powerful person's expensive suit or Punjabi, it hurts his 'ego' more than his personal health. It is basically a 'power game', where a common man makes a powerful person helpless in public, even if only for a moment.

Its 'uncleanness' is a major reason behind the social stigma of egg-throwing as the ultimate insult. When the inside of the egg touches the body, it not only makes it dirty, but also releases a pungent smell that does not go away easily. This 'stink' is mainly used as a symbol of public hatred for the political ideology or behavior of that leader. From a sociological perspective, it is the initial stage of social exclusion. When society rejects someone on an ideological level for their actions, it is reflected in the throwing of such raw or rotten eggs. It becomes more than a violation of etiquette when it takes an artistic or dramatic form of the accumulated anger of the masses.

When analyzed with scientific and evolutionary theories, it is seen that the primitive instinct of man is to throw something to ward off danger. But in modern civilization, eggs have been chosen instead of stones or arrows because of their ‘non-violent violence’. People do not die when an egg is thrown, but the embarrassment that the target person experiences makes him or her laugh in public.

Science says that humiliation or insult stimulates the part of the human brain that is activated during physical pain. As a result, when an egg breaks on someone’s forehead, the pain signal that goes to his or her brain is no less than a blow from a stick. This is basically a psychological warfare strategy, where the opponent is mentally bloodied without bullets.

Eggs are now a ‘viral content’ in politics. In the digital age, the sight of an egg being thrown at any big leader spreads on social media in an instant. As a result, the purpose of egg throwing is not limited to protest, but it becomes a promotional stunt.

There is nothing more readily available than an egg to attract media attention. Through this, the attacker becomes an overnight hero to a section of people. This culture of going viral has transformed egg throwing into a cheap weapon, which often diverts people's attention from the main political issue.

Incidents of egg throwing in court premises are a symbol of a kind of extreme distrust in the legal system. When the trial seekers or the common people feel that political influence is working more than justice, they forget the sanctity of the court and resort to eggs. This severely disrupts the judicial environment. Although it is a punishable crime according to the law, many times it is not tried. This begins the triumph of muscle power instead of the rule of law. Throwing eggs in the courtroom is not only insulting an individual, but also egging on the country's judicial system, which in the long run undermines judicial dignity.

Egg throwing has now become a frightening culture in election campaigns. When facing voters or holding public meetings becomes risky for a candidate, it is clear that the health of democracy is not good. Egg throwing is often planned so that the opposing candidate can be proven incompetent or isolated.

From the perspective of food security, egg throwing is an extreme waste. This culture of egg throwing also introduces a kind of ‘elitist’ or opportunistic mentality, where wasting resources as a language of protest is considered trivial. However, the labor and production costs involved behind an egg are thrown into the garbage dump due to political whims.

There is no guarantee that egg throwing will be limited to eggs. What is an egg today, may be a stone or something more deadly tomorrow. As a result, it is an alarm bell for security analysts. Egg throwing incidents force the security forces to be stricter, which often hinders the normal movement of ordinary people. This further increases the distance between the leader and the people, which is not at all conducive to democratic engagement.

Eggs are acting as a fuel for the spread of hate politics. When one political party insults the leader of another party by throwing eggs, then ‘revenge politics’ begins. Today your leader was egged, tomorrow our workers will dip your leader in rotten eggs – this mentality is destroying political courtesy. As a result, the practice of muscle power increases within political parties.

Promoting egg throwing as ‘heroism’ or bravery is romanticizing violence. In the long run, this is creating a generation who rely more on thrown objects than dialogue to resolve differences.

However, there is a flip side to the coin. Some claim that when people’s voices are stifled under authoritarian rule or one-party rule, egg throwing is a ‘safety valve’. It gives people an opportunity to express their anger in a less harmful way. If this opportunity were not there, the anger might have taken a more violent form. But how much does this argument hold up? In a civilized society, does the language of protest have to be only ‘dirty’? Aren’t posters, leaflets, cartoons or peaceful gatherings sufficient in healthy politics? Egg-throwing is actually not an alternative to protest but a distortion of protest.

Dramatic events like egg-throwing often hide the real crisis. Major issues like the country’s economic crisis, inflation or corruption get buried under the headline ‘Such and such leader has been egged’. The media is also often busy presenting this juicy news, as a result of which issues of public importance remain neglected.

Finally, politics that is projected like egg-throwing can in no way be the identity of a rich democratic culture. It may be a symbol of anger, but the medium of expressing that anger should be constructive. The political arena needs to be filled with the fragrance of reason, not the stench of eggs. If we cannot break out of this cycle of personal attacks, humiliation and revenge, our democracy will remain just a shell, empty inside. The real place of the egg should be on the feet of the people, not on the political stage. Maintaining political etiquette and showing respect for dissent can free us from this ‘egg culture’ and build a truly democratic society.


Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain is an essayist
and President of the International
Anti-Drug Organization - Freedom International Anti-Alcohol. He can be reached
at [email protected]