From Temple Trees to D Chowk

The recent crisis in a nearby country has been hailed by many of us as an act of revolution that we ought to stage in our country on an urgent basis. If it were possible, we would have imported that crisis/revolution from Temple Trees and arranged for its exhibition in the D chowk. Slogans, anthems and poetry about blood revolution, rebellion and resistance are trending, again. All we want is to climb the walls of government buildings, throw away the gates, break the furniture, dance in those exotic bedrooms and sing while taking showers in those fancy washrooms. We believe that this way we will be able to abolish the existing system, put an end to our sufferings and rise up as a new better nation.

Our superficial and irrational patterns of thinking and lack of detailed knowledge about famous historical revolutions make this imaginary scenario seem so wholesome that we fail to acknowledge an established reality that revolution at best may just be a portal or a bridge between two systems. In the end, it is always the system that prevails because it is long-term and ensures the functioning of a state. So, the necessity to have a smoothly functioning system in place surpasses the need to bring a revolution almost every time when a nation suffers a trial. Dying for a cause is our national fantasy but in reality, living for the betterment of the system is always more beneficial and crucial.

Our obsession with revolution is partly due to the romanticism associated with this act. Activists are hailed as heroes; ceremonies are held, poems are dedicated, songs are written, their outfits are adopted by the youth, children are named after them and if they die during the act, tombs are built on their graves. In addition to being romantically heroic, this act is also a shortcut; wake up one day, bring a revolution in a day or two and mission accomplished. Such a one-time commitment is always easier to fulfill than a lifetime dedication to the betterment.

Moreover, it offers a chance to act without limitations. It has been made acceptable to go rogue and wild during this act. We can escape road blockings, breaking vehicles, looting shops, stealing from ATMs, setting buildings on fire and even beating or killing someone. The possibility of acting without any boundaries and limitations is exciting and an escape from our boredom. Furthermore, it provides a sense of purpose to our otherwise meaningless lives. This also brings a feeling of self-importance.

All these factors combined make the concept of this idea so compelling that even the wisest of us may flow along the tides of emotions. But when the silence starts setting in after the music of celebrating a successful revolution has stopped, we start looking around for the change we fought for and then we realize that all we could manage to achieve was a few different faces, a few alternate terminologies and now we have to bear the undesirable after effects too.

Without an objective-oriented preparedness for all of its phases and some form of constructive education regarding the cause to convert a mob into a community, revolution is just anarchy. Blood of the ignorant can feed anarchy but it can never nourish a revolution. And even with years of preparation and effort, the consequences of the movement are always unpredictable. We can analyze the consequences and after-effects of the greatest revolution of our national history by comparing the death toll caused by our then illegal rulers from 1857 to 1947 and the number of lives lost at each other’s hands just during the week of partition in August, 47.

We are ready with our coffins wrapped around our heads and anxiously waiting for a call to revolution but we still have no alternative system because we fail to understand the difference between alternative political administrations and a different politico-socio-economic model. We still believe that changing the people sitting in the cabinet is the real change because we have never been informed about, have never asked for and never tried to understand the political manifesto of any of our political parties, be it our favorite one or the one we think should be banned right away. Is it not possible to achieve better results if we invest the same magnitude of effort into changing the system in a peaceful systemic way that we are willing to fuel the revolution with?

I believe that all the efforts for changing and modifying a system towards further betterment should first be exhausted before going wild on the path to revolution. In my opinion, which is going to be very unpopular, if we do not start trying to bring a positive change in the system in every possible legal way and in every possible capacity as an individual and as a part of the community, our future will be same no matter how much and how many times we create anarchy.

A true revolution is not an impulsive act but a systematic process. An organic revolution is not imported as it comes from within. It also needs a firm ideological base, a roadmap guiding throughout the process, discreet goals and a practical strategy to achieve the goals. With regular and consistent input and feedback, it will grow, develop, modify and refine over time and will be able to achieve the desired objectives. And most importantly, succeeding in establishing a community-friendly system founded on a people-oriented constitution is the greatest revolution.