Choking on Irony: Why Delhi’s Pollution Protest Praised a Maoist Killer

Paromita Das

New Delhi, 26th November: Smog has once again blurred Delhi’s line of sight-not just the skyline, but also the lines between activism and anarchy. The city, gasping under the weight of toxic air, has again become a stage for a performative protest. But this time, the slogans rising above the haze weren’t just about clean air or climate justice-it echoed something far darker. Among chants demanding action against pollution were cries that glorified Hidma, the Maoist commander who killed over 150 security personnel, including the gruesome ambush of 76 CRPF jawans in Dantewada in 2010.

In a shocking twist of logic, sections of the so-called “red salute” brigade—cloaked in environmental concern—turned the pollution protest into a platform for political provocation. If Delhi’s Air Quality Index is dangerously high, this was a reminder that its intellectual toxicity might be higher still.

When Protest Becomes Performance

Protesting for clean air is not a right but an imperative. No democracy can flourish without dissent. But when that dissent becomes a performance of misplaced sympathy, it stops being activism and assumes the dimension of ideological theatre. The recent protests in Delhi against air pollution were hijacked by people glorifying a man whose hands were stained with the blood of innocents.

Hidma was no environmentalist, nor was he some kind of revolutionary who was fighting for justice. He was a Maoist insurgent – a commander who led ambushes, kidnappings, and brutal killings of CRPF soldiers and civilians alike. And yet, at the heart of Delhi, surrounded by cameras and smoke, some protestors raised slogans mourning his death.

It begs the question-what sort of warped ideology celebrates a killer under the guise of compassion? Is this environmental activism, or political opportunism masquerading as moral outrage?

A Democracy Tolerant to Intolerance

No democracy in the world would allow such open support for a known terrorist or Maoist to be given a place in the public square. And yet, in Bharat, under the banner of “freedom of expression,” such sentiments find defenders in certain liberal and academic circles. These are the same voices that once shouted, “Afzal hum sharminda hain, tere qatil zinda hain,” or called for “Azadi” by tearing at the fabric of the nation.

Now, during a pollution protest, here’s the same ideological playbook: hijack a public issue, inject some political venom, and then posture over moral superiority when confronted. This is not dissent; it’s the desecration of those very values that dissent is supposed to protect.

Tear Gas, Pepper Spray, and Political Theatre

What made this episode all the more alarming was not just the slogans, but the violence that followed. When Delhi Police tried to contain the mob that had strayed far from its declared purpose, protestors turned their aggression toward the officers-some even resorting to pepper spray attacks. Several policemen had to be hospitalized due to eye irritation and breathing problems. Ironically, those who claimed to be victims of pollution ended up becoming the source of it-both literally and metaphorically.

And yet, these protesters term this as their “right to protest.” Yes, protest is a right, but assault is a crime. These premeditated attempts to create chaos on the pretext of environmental activism belie a political design rather than concern for Delhi’s air.

Selective Outrage and Convenient Activism

Perhaps most telling in this episode is the selective outrage. When an extremist ideology is exposed, or universities are linked with radical activities, there is silence. When a terror module is busted, not a single placard is raised. But the moment a government crackdown targets left-wing extremism, or a Maoist leader is neutralized, a section of society cries “state oppression.”

Where were these environmental crusaders when Delhi’s air was choking for a decade under the Aam Aadmi Party government? Did they ever march to the CM’s office, demanding accountability? Pollution didn’t suddenly emerge in 2025. But the protests did-just when the political narrative needed a diversion.

This pattern exposes a deeper malaise-activism which is not issue-based but ideology-based. For some, the enemy is not pollution; it is the government. And as long as the government is nationalist, their activism will find reasons to rage, regardless of the issue at hand.

From Slogans to Strategy: The Politics Behind the Smog

Behind every protest, there’s a narrative. The plot here was fairly straightforward: discredit the government, romanticize extremism, and rebrand the red ideology under the green banner of environmentalism. An intellectual ecosystem that once celebrated figures like Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid will now seek to manufacture new “heroes” out of insurgents like Hidma.

This is even more disturbing, considering how these movements are grooming young minds, filling them with cynicism toward the state while glorifying anti-establishment violence. What this is not about is saving the planet, but seeding discontent.

Cleaning the Air Starts with Cleaning the Mind

Delhi’s air can be filtered, its smog can be cleared. But the pollution of the mind—one that justifies violence, romanticises extremism, and blurs the moral line between activism and anarchy—is far more dangerous. The real crisis is not environmental; it’s ideological.

It is time Bharat redefined what protest means. True dissent uplifts, questions, and reformulates; false dissent destabilises, deceives and divides. Those who are shedding copious tears for Hidma while turning a Nelson’s eye to his crimes represent not the cause of the oppressed but the pollution of reason.

The Real Detox Bharat Needs

Eventually, Delhi will find a way to bring its AQI levels down. The air may clear, and the winter winds may shift. But this ideological smog that clouds judgment, glorifies hate, and rationalizes violence in the name of protest—that is the pollution which will continue unless we confront it.

To detox Delhi, Bharat needs to detox its discourse first. It is now time to call out this hypocrisy masquerading as activism and to remember that there is nothing mutually exclusive about patriotism and environmentalism. After all, no protest for clean air can be credible when it’s filled with the stench of moral decay.