Arvind Kejriwal is the man of the moment. He has successfully rallied the masses against the corrupt, self-serving rule of our politicians and has demanded reinstatement of the ideals of liberty, equality and justice, ideals on which this great democracy was founded. The middle class sees him as their saviour. Youngsters see him as their ideal. Many feel that finally someone has raised cudgels against the venal establishment that leads this nation. We are simply wowed by his commitment to his ideals, his recently formed "Aam Aadmi Party" and its impeccably worded constitution.
I, for one, choose to be a bit cynical. Mr. Kejriwal's statements have been less than democratic on many occasions and I seriously doubt his commitment to democracy. He seems to forget that India, for all her inherent strength, is deeply divided on multiple counts. A 'one size fits all' kind of a approach is unlikely to work in our country. While Mr. Kejriwal's tirade against corruption may have won him support throughout the nation, it is highly unlikely that any policy decisions of his would gain widespread support unless he chooses to pursue the democratic path. What is needed is an emphasis on returning to the democratic ideals of discussion, deliberation and respect for the opposition. Over the past 60 years, we have succeeded in putting strong democratic systems in place, the need of the hour is to strengthen and sustain them. What India needs today is continuous evolution, not a revolution!
Maximilen de Robespierre was a nondescript character who came to the fore at the time of the French revolution in 1789. A skilled orator and an avowed revolutionary, he galvanized the masses, sickened as they were by the misrule of the King Louis XVI into creating a revolutionary France, governed by ideals of "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity". After having dispatched the King to the depths of hell, he turned his attention to the counter-revolutionaries in their midst. A reign of terror was instituted and thousands of men and women alike were guillotined on flimsy charges. Idealism turned to a thirst for blood. All opposition became counter-revolutionary. The Guillotines in France worked overtime. The revolutionaries were now devouring the masses who had supported them in the first place. Any sign of dissent would land you on the guillotine. How did the madness end, you ask? The revolution ultimately consumed its own. Robespierre was guillotined by his own former supporters for having compromised the ideals of the republic. And the republic, where did it go? It would go down the drain as France, once again would became an empire, under Napoleon in a few years' time.
Mr. Kejriwal is no Robespierre. At least not today. But Robespierre was no Robespierre as we know him today when he first appeared on the political scene. India does not need a revolution today. It seeks stability, continuity and continuous and incremental change. It needs democracy to survive, It needs acceptance of problems and joint efforts for devising solutions. That is the only way forward.
One of Robespierre's quotes that resonates through history: "Citoyens, vouliez-vous une révolution sans révolution?" (Citizens, Did you want a revolution, without revolution?)
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