"Jasmine Revolution" is a phrase which we all have been familiar with since the last few months. Most Arab countries have been ruled by dictators since the past few decades. The movement started in Tunisia against the 23 year rule of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali with mass protests against the curtailing of basic rights, dignity and freedom. The Tunisian revolution had great success and spunk which spilled over its boundaries to ignite its neighbours resulting in the ouster of the former Egyptian President of 30 years - Hosni Mubarak; and the ongoing protests in Libya against Muammar Gaddafi's 41 year rule. The same revolutionary attempt has again sparked in China. Such attempts have not been infrequent in China over the past half a century, but due to the fantastic emergency mechanisms of the communist elements of China, they have never succeeded. Just a small whisper of the word "Jasmine" and the Chinese establishment goes ballistic !!
Now, all the above cases have a common link.
That common link is of the vast power of the internet. The revolutions were launched over the internet and they gathered steam over the internet and eventually succeeded in cases of Tunisia and Egypt. The shift in winds do suggest one thing - Social Media is empowering the masses. Just a few days back, there was a news report that the Indian Government is mulling over a gag on bloggers. The report still is in its preliminary phases but the fact is that the world is waking up to, as I like to call it, the modern-era weapon of change. The current phase is still over the comments aspect of blogging sites but we never know what would happen, so I better keep my eyes, ears and mind open !!
While I am indeed stating what is happening and highlighting the tremendous force of the internet, I have confidence that such a kind of blog gag would never come in force in a nation like ours especially with the Congress at the helm and I have reasons for that which I will share on this blog. After the successful revolution in Egypt, many news channels, papers and print media on and off the internet were flooded with comments and letters drawing parallel lines between Egypt and India. Most of those stressed on the similarity between the two and warned of similar kind of uprising in India as well. Yes, people got a little pumped up and everything but what we need to realize is that there is no comparison what-so-ever between Egypt and India --
Firstly, Egypt had been an absolute dictatorship while India is an absolute democracy. (Stark contrast right up-front !) While both are different forms of political organizations and have their respective pros and cons, one alone is a recipe for disaster and hence have out-of-phase solutions to their respective negatives and problems; may that negative in dictatorship be of a despot in charge - Tragedy of the Commons or that in democracy be of every Tom, Dick and Harry deciding the fate of the nation - Tragedy of the Anticommons! (above hyperlinks refer to economic theories of Garett Hardin and Michael Heller respectively and would make sense if one can relate it to the current scenario in this nation).
Secondly, I will explain why I believe the Congress would never go for the gag (and thus a need of street protests/armed revolt not arising along with its practical implications and effects ) with a flashback into the 19th century. After the 1st War of Independence in 1857, the British learnt a very important lesson in governance. We all are aware of the pressure cooker. There is a whistle at the top which is provided by the manufacturer to release steam when the pressure inside the cooker builds beyond certain acceptable limits. Now, imagine if there was no whistle; what would happen then? The steam would build up and after a certain stage would blast open the cooker due to pressure beyond tolerance levels of the product. The same thing happened back in 1857, the entire country (cooker) blew up with the levels of oppression (pressure).
"If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather itself such power that the day it bursts through, it will blow up everything in its way."
Emile Zola
Above wisdom quote was what the British administration learnt post 1857 and hence they decided to introduce "a whistle" over the cooker to periodically release the built up steam and prevent recurrence of the 1857 uprising. It did take them nearly 28 years to realize that and it led to the establishment of the Indian National Congress by Allen Hume with the approval of the then Viceroy of India Lord Dufferin. The motive was clear for the INC. They used to go on stage, shout a few slogans and protest against the British Rule and "request" for Independence. INC was the whistle of the pressure cooker of India installed by the British. It led the masses to believe that "someone" was fighting for their Independence when in reality it was a shrewd, calculated move to forestall another war of independence. With the INC being the staunch students of the British throughout the years in history, along with the tactic of "divide and rule" it also learnt the concept of "a whistle" and subsequently installed it when it came to power in 1947. Now that whistle is the freedom of speech and expression; it is the liberal media. If one does not stand in the path of the released high-pressure steam, one is not harmed by it. By providing loop-holes and cushions in the political establishment, INC has ensured it stays out of the path of the outpouring steam whenever that does happen. This exact non-understanding of the concept of "a whistle" was the mistake of the Mid-Eastern regimes and hence the dictators there had to quit in recent times. Our Old men and women are quite shrewd and intelligent to not let that happen here !
Thirdly, while guns do win wars, they are meant to be used in wars to protect one's nation from any internal/external threat. As Veer Savarkar had rightly pointed out, an armed revolt is not to be launched against one's own government, in effect one's own nation; it is a movement against foreign aggression and oppression. This very belief led to him dissolving Abhinav Bharat after we won independence. Any organization then would pick up arms against the Government if the above were not to be true and where would that lead us? We have the example of North-East ULFA, The Kashmiri Terrorism and the Red corridor Naxalism for this question. The need of an armed revolt in Libya or the street protests in Egypt arose because of the suppression of freedom which is not the case in our country. The protests in Egypt bore fruit as it was an unprecedented outcry and upheaval which surprised Mubarak into resigning; plus the International pressure played its part. Egypt has just gained freedom from Mubarak, but it would take supreme efforts to save the nation from falling into the hands of radicals and rebuilding it with the proper goals in place. Holding out candles and shouting protests is something most can do if asked; the real challenge is when one has to undertake the task of change. We abuse the politicians, bureaucrats and the very system; but one hint of a choice of fighting the war against the seasoned bastards and we scurry like rats from a sinking ship! Here in India, we have an option - joining Politics and effecting a change if we dare.
Thus, there are positives to be taken and incidences to be learnt from. We have to be heartened by the rise of the power of the internet but need to acknowledge the variance in ground rules and tricks of the game with a change in country and location. The armed revolt in Libya or the protests in Egypt do not mean the same is applicable here in India. An Egypt like revolt would not work here as the government would once again evade the gushing steam and let it drop in energy. A Fish thrives in water, you can't ask it to swim on land !! What we really need is for someone or something to hold their heads squarely in the path of the steam and ensure some sense builds in it or let them be blown apart !! The need is to place a mechanism which ensures that not even the Prime Minister ever dares to say that Caeser's wife must be above suspicion and instead dares to send one's own brother to death for violating law if need be just like Lord Ram demonstrated by sentencing Laxman to death in Ramayan. Now who does that is the question; it can be me, it can be you or it can be "us". "Us" are growing in number; what about joining it ?
Jai Hind !
Now, all the above cases have a common link.
That common link is of the vast power of the internet. The revolutions were launched over the internet and they gathered steam over the internet and eventually succeeded in cases of Tunisia and Egypt. The shift in winds do suggest one thing - Social Media is empowering the masses. Just a few days back, there was a news report that the Indian Government is mulling over a gag on bloggers. The report still is in its preliminary phases but the fact is that the world is waking up to, as I like to call it, the modern-era weapon of change. The current phase is still over the comments aspect of blogging sites but we never know what would happen, so I better keep my eyes, ears and mind open !!
While I am indeed stating what is happening and highlighting the tremendous force of the internet, I have confidence that such a kind of blog gag would never come in force in a nation like ours especially with the Congress at the helm and I have reasons for that which I will share on this blog. After the successful revolution in Egypt, many news channels, papers and print media on and off the internet were flooded with comments and letters drawing parallel lines between Egypt and India. Most of those stressed on the similarity between the two and warned of similar kind of uprising in India as well. Yes, people got a little pumped up and everything but what we need to realize is that there is no comparison what-so-ever between Egypt and India --
Firstly, Egypt had been an absolute dictatorship while India is an absolute democracy. (Stark contrast right up-front !) While both are different forms of political organizations and have their respective pros and cons, one alone is a recipe for disaster and hence have out-of-phase solutions to their respective negatives and problems; may that negative in dictatorship be of a despot in charge - Tragedy of the Commons or that in democracy be of every Tom, Dick and Harry deciding the fate of the nation - Tragedy of the Anticommons! (above hyperlinks refer to economic theories of Garett Hardin and Michael Heller respectively and would make sense if one can relate it to the current scenario in this nation).
Secondly, I will explain why I believe the Congress would never go for the gag (and thus a need of street protests/armed revolt not arising along with its practical implications and effects ) with a flashback into the 19th century. After the 1st War of Independence in 1857, the British learnt a very important lesson in governance. We all are aware of the pressure cooker. There is a whistle at the top which is provided by the manufacturer to release steam when the pressure inside the cooker builds beyond certain acceptable limits. Now, imagine if there was no whistle; what would happen then? The steam would build up and after a certain stage would blast open the cooker due to pressure beyond tolerance levels of the product. The same thing happened back in 1857, the entire country (cooker) blew up with the levels of oppression (pressure).
"If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather itself such power that the day it bursts through, it will blow up everything in its way."
Emile Zola
Above wisdom quote was what the British administration learnt post 1857 and hence they decided to introduce "a whistle" over the cooker to periodically release the built up steam and prevent recurrence of the 1857 uprising. It did take them nearly 28 years to realize that and it led to the establishment of the Indian National Congress by Allen Hume with the approval of the then Viceroy of India Lord Dufferin. The motive was clear for the INC. They used to go on stage, shout a few slogans and protest against the British Rule and "request" for Independence. INC was the whistle of the pressure cooker of India installed by the British. It led the masses to believe that "someone" was fighting for their Independence when in reality it was a shrewd, calculated move to forestall another war of independence. With the INC being the staunch students of the British throughout the years in history, along with the tactic of "divide and rule" it also learnt the concept of "a whistle" and subsequently installed it when it came to power in 1947. Now that whistle is the freedom of speech and expression; it is the liberal media. If one does not stand in the path of the released high-pressure steam, one is not harmed by it. By providing loop-holes and cushions in the political establishment, INC has ensured it stays out of the path of the outpouring steam whenever that does happen. This exact non-understanding of the concept of "a whistle" was the mistake of the Mid-Eastern regimes and hence the dictators there had to quit in recent times. Our Old men and women are quite shrewd and intelligent to not let that happen here !
Thirdly, while guns do win wars, they are meant to be used in wars to protect one's nation from any internal/external threat. As Veer Savarkar had rightly pointed out, an armed revolt is not to be launched against one's own government, in effect one's own nation; it is a movement against foreign aggression and oppression. This very belief led to him dissolving Abhinav Bharat after we won independence. Any organization then would pick up arms against the Government if the above were not to be true and where would that lead us? We have the example of North-East ULFA, The Kashmiri Terrorism and the Red corridor Naxalism for this question. The need of an armed revolt in Libya or the street protests in Egypt arose because of the suppression of freedom which is not the case in our country. The protests in Egypt bore fruit as it was an unprecedented outcry and upheaval which surprised Mubarak into resigning; plus the International pressure played its part. Egypt has just gained freedom from Mubarak, but it would take supreme efforts to save the nation from falling into the hands of radicals and rebuilding it with the proper goals in place. Holding out candles and shouting protests is something most can do if asked; the real challenge is when one has to undertake the task of change. We abuse the politicians, bureaucrats and the very system; but one hint of a choice of fighting the war against the seasoned bastards and we scurry like rats from a sinking ship! Here in India, we have an option - joining Politics and effecting a change if we dare.
Thus, there are positives to be taken and incidences to be learnt from. We have to be heartened by the rise of the power of the internet but need to acknowledge the variance in ground rules and tricks of the game with a change in country and location. The armed revolt in Libya or the protests in Egypt do not mean the same is applicable here in India. An Egypt like revolt would not work here as the government would once again evade the gushing steam and let it drop in energy. A Fish thrives in water, you can't ask it to swim on land !! What we really need is for someone or something to hold their heads squarely in the path of the steam and ensure some sense builds in it or let them be blown apart !! The need is to place a mechanism which ensures that not even the Prime Minister ever dares to say that Caeser's wife must be above suspicion and instead dares to send one's own brother to death for violating law if need be just like Lord Ram demonstrated by sentencing Laxman to death in Ramayan. Now who does that is the question; it can be me, it can be you or it can be "us". "Us" are growing in number; what about joining it ?
Jai Hind !
2 comments:
The thing is... To whatever extent a Government may claim to be 'Democratic', it cannot tolerate any kind of opposition... even if that 'opposition' is peaceful or even 'just'...
Every politician, because he is a politician, has to save his skin... you cannot make a martyr a leader... only a new blood-line is generated out of a sacrifice.. paving way to the 'heir' in politics...
Change is of course required... but only 'growing in number' cannot satisfy the need of hour... What is required is to provide a platform to organize th thoughts together... as you said-To keep the steam gushing... And indeed you are doing a good job...
Best luck.. :)
But that is the exact point I am making, Rajat. History is a proof enough dt organizations which hv tolerated opposition tend 2 survive longer dan dose who suppress it (pressure cooker analogy). On the 2nd aspect, growth in numbers is the step prior to building and providing platforms. There cn b no use f d latter widout d former jus lik rungs of a ladder...so, u r rite 2 state dt only d former is insufficient n hence my appeal 2 my fellow Hindustaani Youth 2 join 'us' in building d Platform !
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