Prime minister Manmohan Singh can be faulted for many things but not when it comes to dignity. And that is one value he spoke of in his Independence Day speech. Addressing the nation, he said: “Criticism has a place of its own in a democracy and in a progressive society. However, criticism should not be undignified.”

While he was particularly referring to “harsh and unpleasant words” from political rivals (remember the “son-in-law” comments from Nitin Gadkari?), this advice could be directed at all protesters and protest groups. In Monday's newspapers you see photographs of a variety of protests: a suspended policeman hurls a shoe towards Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah during the I-day event in Srinagar, 'devdasis' march semi-nude in Mumbai to demand BPL ration cards and pension, and near Mathura  hordes of farmers demand more compensation for their land – with three of them getting killed in police firing. Some of these protesters have arguably crossed the boundary line of dignity.

Is the prime minister right when he says the use of harsh and unpleasant words – and by extension harsh and unpleasant protest tactics – are “against our tradition of generosity, humility and tolerance”? While the political parties, part of the formal political discourse, should discipline themselves, what about people who are at the receiving end of “harsh and unpleasant” state policies? Is dignity a factor when police fire at protesters – as we have seen on so many occasions in the recent past?