Politicisation of Hong Kong society should be welcomed

The usual suspects are gathering to bewail the terrible politicisation of Hong Kong life. Unsurprisingly, they are quick to criticise the government's growing band of opponents for making everything political.

Tut, tut, they mutter, things have got so bad that even variety shows, radio and television stations have been drawn into the political furore. And then there's education, countryside issues and goodness knows what else.

It appears that the excitable critics of politicisation don't even know the meaning of the word.

Let's remember that politics simply relates to anything concerned with government and public policy and other aspects of civic life. For many decades, Hong Kong was saddled with the problem of too little participation in the political sphere, reflecting widespread civic apathy and a worrying detachment of the people from the political process.

This is no longer the case, and it is strange that growing community involvement should be castigated. Surely this is, at least in part, a reflection of the maturity of Hong Kong society. It also reflects the reality of a largely immigrant community being transformed into a more stable community with stronger roots in Hong Kong. People get involved in public policy because they care. Is this a bad thing?

What most of these critics really mean when they talk about politicisation is the kind of politicisation that they dislike. They would prefer Hong Kong's political engagement to be limited to passive acceptance of dictates from above. Even here, there is something new in the air: some pro-government forces that feel the need for greater activism are mobilising to protest against the protesters.

Meanwhile, we have a government that has become the recruiting sergeant for mass protests. It has done so in part through sheer ineptitude and by pushing policies that are obnoxious.