All revolutions stem from ‘awareness’
RAWALPINDI: Out of the blue Student Solidarity Campaign shook up the society. It raised taboo questions about role of stakeholders of the ‘authority’ in Pakistan. Left-leaning parties found an affinity with the campaign, now transforming into a movement. Even the Faiz Festival reverberated with leftist slogans.
But, there is a caveat. The movement reflects that its proponents want to turn the society and polity topsy-turvy. But they should not lose sight of our current socio-economic situation coupled with hostile frontiers. They should not sacrifice their education at the altar of revolutionary ideals. All revolutions stem from ‘awareness’. Even Occupy and Precariat movements in the USA aim at making the American people, ‘a bewildered herd of silent spectators’ aware. The students should first educate themselves and then the society about why mafias have ruled Pakistan since its independence. Gandhi astutely perceived the psyche of the Indians, Pakistanis included, that Indians allowed themselves to be colonised for their own material interests. Otherwise there was no way 30,000 ‘rather weak and ill-looking Britons could enslave 200 million vigorous, clever, strong, and freedom- loving people.’ He lamented that Indians had become ‘sly sycophants’ and willing servants of the Empire thereby proving to the world that they were morally unfit to serve the country. Gandhi’s ethos resonated in revolutionary ideologies of several revolutionary movements. Mao, like Gandhi, was rueful at passivity and docility of people. He wanted people to struggle and smash prevailing social inhibitions in such a dramatic and traumatic way that participants could never again re-establish their pre-struggle relationship. Change requires selflessness and awareness. Without this things become directionless. The young generation needs to be directed along a sane path.
Mohammad Asad Malik
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2019.
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