Muhammad Jamil
SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Revolutions tend to occur when the basic needs of people are not met vis-à-vis access to food, clothing, shelter, etc. Another element is violation of basic human rights, which creates the right environment for revolutionary leaders to unite the people to bring about revolution. In Pakistan, due to ineptness, profligacy and corruption of our leaders more than 40 per cent of population is living below the poverty line, despite the fact that Pakistan is endowed with resources to ensure a decent living for its people. One can listen to their shrieks of despondency, frustration, disappointment, joblessness, inflation and lawlessness. The circumstances exist for a revolution but in the absence of revolutionary leadership, the environment is not right. Yet some optimists believe that the country is ready for revolution not realizing that revolutions can happen under the leadership of a revolutionary party. Of course, about 1435 years ago, the world had witnessed the first revolution when Islam heralded the end of the ancient world of oppression, inequality and injustice, of pride and privileges based on distinctions of race, colour and creed.
In Pakistan, we have been listening to the vows by the politicians about long marches; but those raising the slogans did not understand the meaning or real significance of the long march. The historical Long March started by the great Chinese leader Mao Zedong was in fact a retreat. It was relocation of the Chinese Communist Party soviet from Jiangxi to the northern province of Shaanxi in 1934-35. Driven from Jiangxi by Nationalist Army of Chiang Kai-shek, the Red Army and the CCP leadership undertook a year-long journey through western and northern China. It was completed almost entirely on foot and took a year to complete. The journey spanned around 3,700 miles or 6,000 kilometres. Approximately 160,000 Red Army soldiers and CCP cadres embarked on the Long March; fewer than 15,000 made it safely to Shaanxi. However, the Long March was emblematic of supreme sacrifice, perseverance and determination, which proved as a stepping stone towards revolution. By studying comparative study of revolutions, one can find the real causes of various revolutions.
Nevertheless, some similarities in circumstances existed wherever revolutions occurred. At the time of French Revolution in 1789, France practiced feudalism; the nobles and clergy enjoyed special privileges; and it was difficult for the common masses to keep their body and soul together. The common people hated the privileged classes and were revengeful. Apart from dismal conditions of the people, the ideas and writings of Enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau had inspired the people of France to go against their king. The hungry Parisians, who suffered from bad harvest, attacked the Bastille prison for political prisoners. The Fall of Bastille started the French Revolution and spread out to other parts of France. In 1789, the French Revolution overthrew the monarchy and absolutism. Of course, Napoleon learned a lot from the revolution, and The Napoleonic Code was established under Napoléon I in 1804, which did not allow privileges based on birth, ensured social welfare of the people, allowed freedom of religion, and stood for giving government jobs on merit.
In 1776, more than a decade before the French Revolution, there was American Revolution. The second para of the declaration started with these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, had profound influence over the French and the people throughout the world at large. In 1917, the world witnessed October Revolution in Russia under the leadership of the Communist party, which replaced the monarchy and the economic system in Russia. Scared of the revolution in Russia, European countries introduced reforms in their societies by adopting reasonable wage structure and providing social security to the workers. By pursuing pro-labour and pro-people policies, they were able to create balance in their societies and avert bloody revolution. In a society imbued with democratic traditions and values, and where social justice prevails, nobody entertains ideas of having an autocratic or military setup.
But when feudal culture and outlook pervade all strata of society; when politicians consider their parties as personal fiefdoms, and the state apparatus fall victim to personal whims of the ruling elite, the people start pinning hopes on anyone who promises to emancipate them from economic misery and want. For the last six decades, the ruling elite did not care for the problems faced by the people of Pakistan. It was in this backdrop that almost every government became irrelevant for the people. And even today some commentriat presage the Martial Law, though the present military leadership is against any such adventure. Unfortunately, elected leaders and military dictators in the past disappointed the people in equal measure, as the military rulers had promised to cleanse the system, but under the banner of Muslim league catapulted discredited politicians into power. However, people of Pakistan want a better deal, and are crying for a change in the system.
The government claims that it has taken measures to bring prosperity to the people, but the change is not being felt on the street. Recent demonstrations against price hike and electricity outages indicate the mood of the people, which is indeed furious. “For a revolution to happen, it is not sufficient that the mass of the people is unwilling to go on living in the old order; it must have become impossible for the old order to carry on in the old fashion”, said Lenin. In France, the Encyclopaedists had made it impossible for the old order to carry on in the old fashion. Only then tocsin began to ring on 14th July, 1789 and the masses took destiny into their own hands. Since no revolutionary party exists in Pakistan, then the political parties in Pakistan should use their collective wisdom to extricate the country from the present mess through soft revolution. They should resolve to end corruption, ensure socio-economic justice in the society, otherwise they will be thrown into the dustbin of history.
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