Cockroaches Teaching Us How To Fight And Survive Turbulent Times
· Free Press Journal
I know it’s too early to predict or conclude that India is at the cusp of a revolution, but I strongly feel that something is definitely changing. I can feel the change in the air. I feel it when I talk to people and when I interact in a WhatsApp group. I feel it when I read social media posts. Now people are restless, bolder, and full of anxiety. People are looking for a change. Earlier, people were hesitant, unsure, and angry but muted. Their viewpoint has changed, their demeanour has transformed, and their speech is more optimistic. The era of despondency is over. They are more articulate and positive.
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Agitation Reflects The Change
The agitation we see on the ground reflects that change. And for this, cockroaches should be sent a big ‘thank you card’. Earlier, people had given up, lost in the wilderness. A while ago, hopelessness was written on the walls, but not anymore. Cockroaches have taught us to fight; they have filled us with optimism that victory can be achieved, battles can be won, and change can be reengineered. The idea is not to exaggerate but to read between the lines.
The question that should be asked is what has been instrumental for this change? The answer is simple. The government that stays in power for long automatically invites anti-incumbency against itself. Governments are not gods; they are human creations. They are never perfect. As the years pass, the gap between the promises made and the deliveries done increases. It’s normal; it’s routine. That is the time when the shadow of opposition grows longer and larger. A clever leader waits for such opportune moments. There was a time when people were not willing to listen to a word against the Prime Minister. Rahul Gandhi was seen as good for nothing. But now it’s the other way round. Rahul Gandhi is welcome, and the Prime Minister is seen with a more critical eye. People are watching and commenting; now their criticism is more balanced.
Democracy And Course Correction
The world is still divided, the Indian polity is still deeply polarised, but the gap between the two thought processes is bridging. This is not a miracle; it is normal. It’s part of the historical process. But that does not mean that regime change is near. That does not mean that India is going to return to the pre-2014 era when the world was freer, the media was more independent, institutions were more neutral, and governments were more tolerant. That time will come back, but not in the immediate future. India has just witnessed turbulent times, a fight within. Sometimes, for a course correction, such disturbances are needed and may be inevitable.
The way the founding fathers chose constitutional democracy evolved over seven decades, and we as a country did as well. We took democracy for granted, except for a brief period of Emergency; we got very casual about it, and we, the citizens, got into a comfort zone. We forgot how valuable democracy is and why citizens should fight for it. After the economic reforms, we became too consumerist, and our life mottos changed drastically. Our relationship with the Constitution became transactional. Politics turned into business, Parliament became a centre for power-grabbing, and elections mutated into a game of chess. Authority without morality is hollow; it is no longer a vehicle for the greater good; it opens the door to demons, and the edifice starts to crumble. This is the beginning of the end. This is the time when a good and mature democracy sends a signal, talks to its citizens, rings warning bells, and tries to wake up its stakeholders and inspires them to rise and fight for the cardinal values and universal principles that sustain society and drive good politics.
India’s Democratic Responsibility
India is the inheritor of a great civilisation. It cannot wander beyond a point. It has a great responsibility to lead, to take the world out of darkness, and to show light to human beings of all kinds. But in the past few years, our confidence in democracy has been shaken; the bitterness around us has been too much; the politics of identity has created walls between citizens; and hatred has been the leading currency. We transformed into a nation of forgetfulness, unworthy of our core values. We forgot to react, we forgot to fight for our rights, we forgot to die for our principles, and we forgot to live for a greater and better future. We started living in a delusional world, we were chasing a fantasy bubble which was hanging in the air, with a brittle foundation made of lies and half-truths. We forgot the real meaning of religion. We forgot that the concept of brotherhood and harmony drives great nations. We forgot that we, as a civilisation, have always craved Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (the entire planet is a family).
Youth Take Charge
This forgetfulness was dangerous. When the older generations pretended to be deep in sleep, the youth woke up from their slumber, took charge, and did what they were supposed to do. They became a beacon of hope, took the responsibility to take the nation out of the woods, and drew us out of darkness to a world of light. I am not being poetic. I am diagnosing the hard reality. I am writing prose that has rough edges, which has scarred souls whose demise is certain if they still pretend to sleep.
Let’s not forget revolutions are not made in a day. They are not made of clay. They are not the ornament of cowards. Like Gandhian non-violence, like Martin Luther King’s commitment to truth, and like Nehru’s dream, they demand sacrifice. Suffering is the call for collective redemption. Without suffering, no promised land is attainable. India attained its freedom with great suffering; we, as a nation, redeemed ourselves on August 15, 1947. Let’s redeem ourselves once again.
The writer is Co-Founder, SatyaHindi.com, and author of Hindu Rashtra. He tweets at @ashutosh83B