Reforms or demands for reforms have always been the key trigger for social movements.
As the week opens, the world comes to terms with two separate social uprisings, one in France and the other in Delhi, India.
Two different countries, two separate social settings, although the similarities cannot be overlooked.
But let’s come to that later.
India is seeing unrest with thousands detained as they headed towards the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, a spot, which has, over the years, become a designated spot for public rallies, demonstrations and protests.
The Bangladeshi equivalent would certainly be the Shahbagh intersection.
As BBC reports this morning, a large number of those detained has been released but the disgruntlement remains.
The Cockroach Janata Party, CJP, rose into prominence a few months ago when, reportedly, a social media movement, started with a light-hearted humour and sarcasm, morphed into a serious demand calling for the end to irregularities over public examination papers.
The movement soon gathered momentum leading to the resignation of the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Now as India is heading towards a major religious event, the Cockroach movement has seen a resurgence with the demand calling for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner, CEC, citing manipulation of electoral rolls.
In simple terms, they are asking for reforms to the election process to bring about more transparency.
Evocative of Bangladesh’s Aug 24
When the youth erupted in protest here in Bangladesh in July-August 2024, the motivations were also reforms and accountability.
In fact, if we look at the history of revolutions across the world, the core reasons are always the same.
In 1789, when France witnessed the uprising of the masses, the call was also for a reform to the system in which the disparity between the wealthy and the common person had turned into a crevasse with starvation affecting millions.
That revolution could have been averted if the French royalty and aristocracy had paid attention to the simmering signs of discontent brewing over decades.
Instead of directly addressing the need for a change in a highly iniquitous social order, the privileged classes kept on wallowing in luxury.
In the modern context, governments may not be indulging in vulgar extravagance ignoring the concerns of the masses but more or less, the general scenario and the conditions are not too dissimilar to the setting of the French Revolution or, any social uprising demanding change.
France is currently seeing another wave of revolution, this time over education reforms with a clarion call for the appointment of more teachers.
Unsurprisingly, the initial response from the government in France was force, which has now led to concessions with a reported declaration of the appointment of 3000 teachers.
Whenever there’s a mass uprising anywhere in the world, the line from German philosopher Friedrich Hegel becomes relevant: “We learn from history that we do not learn from history.”
Suppressing a youth movement using force could have worked in the past but not in an age of social media when lawful demands for transparency, social justice and institutional integrity just cannot be kicked into the long grass.
In Delhi, the Cockroach movement is no longer confined to social media based activism but has snowballed into a youth driven, reason based, ethics fueled, social revolution determined to challenge what many are terming an ossified structure.
The same happened in Bangladesh in July-Aug 2024.
On one side, the youth and the masses demanding change plus reforms and, on the other, an intransigent government too hubristic to allow any concession.
As history shows: crackdowns and force work for sometime but if the calls for change are genuine, the people usually win.
Naturally the question may arise: how do we establish which side is right and which side isn’t
Lower the batons and open up the conference rooms
Taking the Delhi incident into consideration, when the Cockroach party members declared a move towards the Jantar Mantar, the government should have asked for an open dialogue with CJP party members in the presence of the media.
Once there’s an open dialogue about grievances and resentment with the media present, there’s hardly any scope for distortion/misrepresentation of facts.
Governments may feel pandering to young people will only give them undue importance although it’s the young who are now emerging as social ethos building catalysts.
Not just in India but all over the world.
Driven by ideals, youth everywhere usually put social good above personal benefit and, dare I say, they are at an age when the pettiness of human existence like rapacity, greed and malice often do not cloud the outlook.
If the young have pent up resentment, the best course is to pause and listen instead of brushing it aside as an ephemeral youthful fancy.
The social revolutions we have witnessed in recent times have one thing in common – they do not simply wither away over time.
The Cockroach movement came into prominence several months back and this recent resurgence illustrates this was not a flash in the pan.
It would be politic for the Indian government to adopt a different approach and have an open dialogue where the concerns raised by the Cockroach Party are addressed directly.
They want more accountability from the election commission because, reportedly, they feel voter rolls have been unscrupulously influenced.
Well, let the government respond to their complaints and reach an agreement through concessions.
Being rigid and dogmatic, using crackdowns will only exacerbate the situation.
One gets the feeling, the CJP may just well be the template for other such bodies in other parts of the world too.
At this moment, international media is reporting that the situation is tense in Delhi and the number of law enforcers has been ramped up.
It’s an impasse because the CJP will not be willing to take a step back.
The way forward if anarchy has to be averted is a face to face dialogue.
Two massive movements in a matter of a few months do not send a very positive message, clearly indicating to the presence of socio-political aberrations, requiring immediate attention.
