The Protestor
Humankind would remember the year 2011 for the wave of protests cutting across the political boundaries of the globe, though varied in nature, scale and impact. From Tunisia to Spain, from Manhattan’s Liberty Square to Cairo’s Tahrir Square – the world witnessed an unprecedented phenomenon of people awakening and asserting to change the small world around them. It was not surprising when the Time magazine declared the ‘The Protestor' symbolising the global movements (that includes Arab spring,TheIndignant's movemement,The Tea Party movement, and Occupy Wall Street movement among others) as the ‘Time Man of the Year’.
The protests across the different countries erupted because of the varied reasons mired in the local problems - protest in Middle east was against the repressive regime and for the right to participate in deciding the policies that would shape their future, Occupy movement was against the economic policies of America (policy of laissez faire etc.) that had strengthened and empowered the hands of 1% population and created huge economic disparity among the various sections of the society. India also experienced its first televised mass protest against the corruption of the political class. Among the multitudes of the protests ‘The Arab Spring’ emerged as the most impactful voice of the rebellion that created the ripples around the globe and redefined the role of people courage and conviction in changing the destiny of the nations. Slogan of the demonstrators ‘ash-shab yurid isqat an-nizam'(the people want to bring down the regime)ignited a fire in the desert.
Desert on Fire
People of Tunisia would never forget the twenty six year old young university graduate Mohamed Bouazizi who set himself on fire against the repression of the President Ben Ali regime of Tunisia. The fire did not extinguish with the death of the young crusader in the capital city of Tunisia-riding on the wind of change ,fuelled by the stories of anger and anguish shared on the social networking sites ,flamed by the passion of the young generation it engulfed the Arab World encompassing the North Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Sight of the people with steel like heart and rock like spirit, demanding for their rights at ‘Habib Bourguiba Avenue’ in Tunis , at ‘Tahrir Square in Cairo and on the streets and lanes of the Libiya and Syria sent the shock waves through the corridors of power. King and their men (that includes the self appointed caliphs, chest thumping dictators, presidents who hate democracy and brave monarchs who kill their own men) felt the tremor of change.
Spring of Hopes
The revolution that rocked the Arab world has kindled the hopes for a better future in the heart of the millions inhabiting the Arab land. The hope emanates from the fortitude of the brave people of Tunisia who weathered the storm of terror and tribulations and ended the 23 years rule of President Ben Ali unceremoniously. The zeal and enthusiasm of the men and women defying the rising mercury ,standing in the serpentine queue to vote for their leaders in the historic election strengthens the belief of the people keenly watching the unfolding of the events for a new “Tunisia’.
Hosni Mubarak, the once invincible president of another African nation Egypt had to relinquish power after ruling for three decades. The power unleashed by the people marching on the streets of Cairo and the unparalleled display of grit and gumption by the men , women and children at Tahrir Square changed the course of history .Longest serving President was deserted by his own army and abandoned by his long time friends in power. The years of silent sacrifices and endurance by the people propelled the desired change of the guard at the helm of national affairs. It would be naive to believe that the rule by Military Junta (SCAF) represents the aspiration and wishes of the people of Egypt. But the struggle continues with the unwavering determination for changing the rulers and rules of governence.
Bloodshed and revolutions are not oxymoron – unlike other countries protest in Libya was an armed struggle by the rebel fighters backed by the NATO forces. Western super powers played their nasty game of one-upmanship in the disguise of NATO forces striking to help the rebellion fighters to ouster their enemy ‘Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi’ and export their version of democracy .Bloodshed on the streets of Libya by Gaddfi’s men equally matched by the rebel fighters would shame every sane soul on the planet earth. Brutal "King of Kings of Africa" Muammar Gaddafi was brutally killed by the rebel fighters in collusion with the self proclaimed champions of human rights. NATO backed ‘National Transitional Council(NTC) has assumed the power amid the prevailing chaos and bloody civil strife.
There is a strong undercurrent of political and social changes sweeping across the Arab land. The road ahead is long mired ininsurmountable challenges - but I can sense and see the ray of hope for a bright future in the dark smoke arising from the ruin and rubble of the war:
"ab bhii Khizaa.N kaa raaj hai lekin kahii.n kahii.n
goshe rah-e-chaman me.n Gazal-Khvaa.N huye to hai.n
Thaharii huyii hai shab kii siyaahii vahii.n magar
kuchh kuchh sahar ke rang par-afshaa.N huye to hai.n"
[Though autumn still reigns but in places, nevetheless
The sound of singing can be found in some corners of the garden]
[The darkness of the the night does not seem to lessen
Yet the colours of dawn can be seen in the Eastern sky]
March to Democracy and aftermath
Entire Arab world is going through the turbulent and tumultuous transition. Path to sustainable democracy is stalled by the heaps of stumbling blocks of the various shapes and sizes. Onus lies on the newly elected leaders to seize the opportunity lying in the sea of distressing crisis to address the aspirations of the people. Foremost priority of the governments should be to build the credible and independent institutions of the democratic structure. Independent institutions act as a safety valve for venting the grief and rage of the people in a society undergoing radical transformation.
Seed of democracy sown in the Arab land may not yield immediate fruit; it requires people to exhibit the extreme restraint and patience to allow democracy to take its root. For the political commentators and analysts, it is easy to debate and deliberate about democracy as an idea or ideal form of government but the process of building effective democracy to deliver goods to the people is slow and painstaking. Arab nations’ experiment with the democracy is being closely watched by the array of social scientists, observers and political analysts spread across the nations.
‘Will the democracy survive in this ‘part of the world’ is a million dollar question that cannot answered , can only be analysed retrospectively looking in the callous ‘Mirror of Time’. Enabling democracy to work effectively is the collective responsibility of the people & their representatives as the cost of failure in this politically volatile region would be extremely high for all the stake holders. I congratulate and extend my best wishes to the young generation of the Arab world to live happily and peacefully with the newly found love ‘Democracy’.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
My New Year Resolution- Explore, Observe and Express
Alarm clock is crying full throttle like a nagging wife bumbling and babbling in her coarse voice. Chilling wind is knocking the at the window-pane with the rage of an angry employee just out of a rough session with his yelling and hostile boss. Infuriating clocks are the necessary evil that continuously reminds us of the celerity at which lively present becomes a dead past that can only be relished or mourned.
I started my first day of the new Gregorian calendar 2012 with a rebel lion against the tiny clock that was trying to dictate my free soul .After muffling the voice of the tiny machine, I closed my eyes and silently wished if I could defy the erratic demands(at the most inopportune time) of the ‘Big machines’* (*Big machines are the progressive and smart souls who have shed their ‘Humane characteristics’ voluntarily, to transform themselves into machines with the inherent intelligence- This is known as ‘Evolution with a Difference’ ).
Shrouded in the layers of a blanket, having nothing else to do I started my search for an ideal ‘New Year Resolution’. My thoughts strayed and crossed the boundary of the enticing present to enter into the den of the mysterious past –suddenly, depressing and comforting events of the yesteryear started to flash before my eyes like the video projected on the well lit up giant screen hung on the rocky roof of the den .Images of the free flowing cocktails and the lively urban population shaking their legs on the crowded dance floor to welcome New Year was telling the story of shining India ,in a moment I was enjoying the sight of Tunisian people voting to democratically elect their rulers , pleasing sight did not last long- it got punctuated with the horrible images of the blood bath on the streets of Libya, I could feel the pain on the forlorn faces of the people of Greece appearing on the imaginary screen, and then there was the defining image that brought me back to the real world of rapidly changing fortune–proud Barrack Hussein Obama was announcing the death of their old friend and new enemy Osama Bin Laden from the sprawling and shimmering White House .
My abstract journey through the corridors of the past in search of the ‘New Year Resolution’ left me enervated though enlightened with the facts of the conveniently ignored past. I am not sure if, I can ever see the hazy roadmap of the future in the rear view mirror of the past. Perhaps, the sensible realization that sneaked into the guarded zone of my grey cells silently and surreptiously on the chilling winter morning during my rendezvous with the past is to explore and observe the world around with the keenness of a child and share the stories of triumphs and tribulations with the passion of a revolutionary poet.
This gave birth to my ‘New Year Resolution for the year 2012’-Explore, Observe and Express.
Having discovered the elusive ‘New Year resolution’ boosted my confidence and energy to quit the comfort of the bed room and start my day on a spirited note by documenting the reflections of the vivid images of the preceding night. Though I am skeptical about my ability to sustain the sudden surge in the spirit for scripting my experiences and silent observations but I would try even if I fail believing in the famous saying “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
New Year Party
How are you planning to celebrate the New Year? .One of my relatively new friends asked casually while stirring the coffee delicately and dexterously. As always I did not have a fascinating answer of this baffling and boring question. I tried to explain my views and my reasons of reluctance to join the high octane New Year’s Eve parties with simple examples and at times with some complex raison d'être. I argued passionately and assertively, evenly punctuated by the small pauses of coffee sips.
Alas- these gentlemen refused to understand and appreciate the power of reasoning on a coffee table discussion. They obliterated my cogent arguments that supported the idea of introspection and rejected the celebration as a waste of time and money. After numerous failed attempts to convince them, I thought to join their planned party as a fellow traveler to understand their perspective that ‘life is not necessarily a statement of profit and loss account measured against the pre defined benchmark, it is indeed about living the life'.
Maneuvering the traffic in the rainy evening ,we reached the happening discotheque of the city that seemed to have been recently renovated and extended to accommodate the pouring young crowd in this unkind weather. We settled in a corner, chatting and observing the incessant flow of liquor of all varieties to keep the folks warm and wild. The music got louder as the night grew darker , dance floor was bursting with the energy and finally the countdown began, crackers exploded, champagne oozed out of the bottle and the people roared at the top of their voice - Here comes the new year 2012.
It was interesting to realize the power of these spirited and thrilling moments that make you enjoy the present and forget the woes of the past and worries of the future. I recalled the beautiful poetry of famous urdu poet ‘Noon Meem Rashid’ that aptly describes my thought of the moment.
“Ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
zindagii se bhaag kar aayaa huu.N mai.n
Dar se larazaa.N huu.N kahii.n aisaa na ho
raqs_gaah ke chor daravaaze se aakar zindagii
Dhuu.NDh le mujh ko nishaa.N paa le meraa
aur jurm-e-aish karate dekh les
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le”
(Noon Meem Rashid)
Party reached its logical conclusion and we parted our ways .It was irony to see the people lying on the ground and some lucky one being pulled like a baggage by their companions.
It was indeed an exciting and enlightening experience that helped me to understand the perspective that I always ignored - Introspection and celebration are not the mutually exclusive activities, you can choose your own way of celebration- ‘Dull and decent’ or ‘Loud and pompous’
I started my first day of the new Gregorian calendar 2012 with a rebel lion against the tiny clock that was trying to dictate my free soul .After muffling the voice of the tiny machine, I closed my eyes and silently wished if I could defy the erratic demands(at the most inopportune time) of the ‘Big machines’* (*Big machines are the progressive and smart souls who have shed their ‘Humane characteristics’ voluntarily, to transform themselves into machines with the inherent intelligence- This is known as ‘Evolution with a Difference’ ).
Shrouded in the layers of a blanket, having nothing else to do I started my search for an ideal ‘New Year Resolution’. My thoughts strayed and crossed the boundary of the enticing present to enter into the den of the mysterious past –suddenly, depressing and comforting events of the yesteryear started to flash before my eyes like the video projected on the well lit up giant screen hung on the rocky roof of the den .Images of the free flowing cocktails and the lively urban population shaking their legs on the crowded dance floor to welcome New Year was telling the story of shining India ,in a moment I was enjoying the sight of Tunisian people voting to democratically elect their rulers , pleasing sight did not last long- it got punctuated with the horrible images of the blood bath on the streets of Libya, I could feel the pain on the forlorn faces of the people of Greece appearing on the imaginary screen, and then there was the defining image that brought me back to the real world of rapidly changing fortune–proud Barrack Hussein Obama was announcing the death of their old friend and new enemy Osama Bin Laden from the sprawling and shimmering White House .
My abstract journey through the corridors of the past in search of the ‘New Year Resolution’ left me enervated though enlightened with the facts of the conveniently ignored past. I am not sure if, I can ever see the hazy roadmap of the future in the rear view mirror of the past. Perhaps, the sensible realization that sneaked into the guarded zone of my grey cells silently and surreptiously on the chilling winter morning during my rendezvous with the past is to explore and observe the world around with the keenness of a child and share the stories of triumphs and tribulations with the passion of a revolutionary poet.
This gave birth to my ‘New Year Resolution for the year 2012’-Explore, Observe and Express.
Having discovered the elusive ‘New Year resolution’ boosted my confidence and energy to quit the comfort of the bed room and start my day on a spirited note by documenting the reflections of the vivid images of the preceding night. Though I am skeptical about my ability to sustain the sudden surge in the spirit for scripting my experiences and silent observations but I would try even if I fail believing in the famous saying “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.”
New Year Party
How are you planning to celebrate the New Year? .One of my relatively new friends asked casually while stirring the coffee delicately and dexterously. As always I did not have a fascinating answer of this baffling and boring question. I tried to explain my views and my reasons of reluctance to join the high octane New Year’s Eve parties with simple examples and at times with some complex raison d'être. I argued passionately and assertively, evenly punctuated by the small pauses of coffee sips.
Alas- these gentlemen refused to understand and appreciate the power of reasoning on a coffee table discussion. They obliterated my cogent arguments that supported the idea of introspection and rejected the celebration as a waste of time and money. After numerous failed attempts to convince them, I thought to join their planned party as a fellow traveler to understand their perspective that ‘life is not necessarily a statement of profit and loss account measured against the pre defined benchmark, it is indeed about living the life'.
Maneuvering the traffic in the rainy evening ,we reached the happening discotheque of the city that seemed to have been recently renovated and extended to accommodate the pouring young crowd in this unkind weather. We settled in a corner, chatting and observing the incessant flow of liquor of all varieties to keep the folks warm and wild. The music got louder as the night grew darker , dance floor was bursting with the energy and finally the countdown began, crackers exploded, champagne oozed out of the bottle and the people roared at the top of their voice - Here comes the new year 2012.
It was interesting to realize the power of these spirited and thrilling moments that make you enjoy the present and forget the woes of the past and worries of the future. I recalled the beautiful poetry of famous urdu poet ‘Noon Meem Rashid’ that aptly describes my thought of the moment.
“Ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
zindagii se bhaag kar aayaa huu.N mai.n
Dar se larazaa.N huu.N kahii.n aisaa na ho
raqs_gaah ke chor daravaaze se aakar zindagii
Dhuu.NDh le mujh ko nishaa.N paa le meraa
aur jurm-e-aish karate dekh les
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le
ai merii ham_raqs mujh ko thaam le”
(Noon Meem Rashid)
Party reached its logical conclusion and we parted our ways .It was irony to see the people lying on the ground and some lucky one being pulled like a baggage by their companions.
It was indeed an exciting and enlightening experience that helped me to understand the perspective that I always ignored - Introspection and celebration are not the mutually exclusive activities, you can choose your own way of celebration- ‘Dull and decent’ or ‘Loud and pompous’
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