Recipe for Revolution

        Revolutions in society, like history, have been known to repeat themselves, with distinct causes, fresh faces but with the commonality of a desire for change. If change is the only constant, revolutions are merely inevitable. Well, all revolutions are (just that), until they happen, later they tend to be deemed as historical inevitabilities.

        Notably, revolutions are called that for a reason since Revolutions find their way back, across time zones of regions geographically and time periods historically. From taking up literal arms against the monarchies, to ferociously typing (read smashing) on the keyboards against the incumbents in power, the modus operandi of a Revolution has evolved in coherence with our modus vivendi. Nevertheless, the twitter armies, the armchair activists will have marked their presence in history along with radical revolutionaries of the yester eras. 

Start small

        Petite uprisings against a common cause, gaining traction among those directly affected by it is really the first step. Although small protests, demonstrations and revolts showing discontent now and then, can't be termed as revolution, they could certainly signify the onset of a Revolution. Arising from deep-rooted despair, seeking freedom from oppression and freedom as the foundation of a new socio-political order, steering the society consciously or involuntarily onto untrodden paths, a Revolution seeks to alter the existent system fundamentally.

Go Big

        Every group has had its niche causes to rebel for. No society can fully agree on all issues with every group but the battles worth fighting for attract multitudes without much cajoling. Larger the populace, greater the pressure on the governance system. Appropriate display of hardships of those affected pulls in those unaffected too, as empathizers or sympathizers. The volume of people outgrows the designated space. Consequently, the demonstrations become more noticeable to outsiders as well and the word spreads. Something that could have been ticked off with political will and reform now turns into a socio-political revolution.

        The feeling of empathy, connection with other people is what makes us humans. It is imperative that the cause be relatable for many or at least touch aspects around their lives to draw empathy. Inequity in one sphere becomes relatable in another sphere. The feeling of being 'othered' in a community is easily relatable. It is perhaps due to this notion that an ironic nexus of Muslim & LGBTQ community has been brewing in India. Thus either empathy or mad admiration for the movement and its leaders hold the ability to rope in those seemingly unaffected.

The Apple of Modernization

        The rise in revolutions is nearly synchronous with the advent of modernization in society. Moving in the direction of a more modern society comes with the caveat of higher expectations by those governed. When the political system is faced with this crisis of rising expectations that it cannot fulfil, the people's disappointments turn into social unrest. According to Davies’s J curve hypothesis, persistent economic growth and advance lead to the development of psychological expectations that conditions will continue to improve. Rising economic development bogged down by a steep decline pushes the perception further into an abyss. The ability to obtain goods declines while the peoples’ expectations as to what they believe they should be able to obtain continue to rise.

Expectations vs. Reality

        The distance between expectations and reality may not be purely economical. Despotism, corruption, lack of political freedom, and issues of political participation may hold high importance in the minds of the middle classes and urban dwellers before and during revolutions. Political promises viz. achhe din, when left visibly unfulfilled, invite the wrath of a faithful voter class. Gurr’s theory of relative deprivation refers to individuals’ perceptions of the discrepancy between the standard of living that they believe deserving and the standard of living they are actually capable of achieving. When the deprivation is intense, anger, frustration, and political violence follow.

        With increased economic development post-industrialization, the urban population, the middle class continues to grow and anticipate better life and rightly so. It is sheer human tendency to hold high expectations from a sequel if the premiere was a blockbuster. People migrate in search of urban jobs, but realize the insufficiency of available employment, and continue to be exploited as labour in underpaid work. This rage is bound to find its medium to protest in any form made available. 

The Final Taste

          Small revolts may not always be successful in their attempt but having stood up against injustice, immorality is a consolation enough in other cases. Mass uprisings can however be crushed by a strong State machinery. It is when the military becomes acquiescent and the State loses authority effectively that the Revolutions become successful in sweeping the old Order. But what happens when those who were formerly oppressed turn into autocrats bestowed with power either by the masses, unfair elections or by the virtue of military strength? Independence from Britain was achieved, monarchy in Egypt was ousted but it anyway gave birth to subsequent dictators - Gamal Nasser, Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak. Ben Ali who was an active revolutionary against the French colonial forces, himself ran an unjust dictatorship in Tunisia later.

        ‘Chaos is a ladder’, remarked Baelish of Game of Thrones fame. Indeed. The newfound liberty from the monarchy or oligarchy also brought anarchy in some polities. The revolutionary leaders of movements who rose as a Force against their respective unjust administrations often surpassed the level of exploitation of power compared to their predecessors viz. Hitler in Germany, Mussolini in Italy, Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Hugo Chavez in Mexico, Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.

        If a revolution destroys a systematic government, but the systematic patterns of thought that produced that government are left intact, then those patterns will repeat themselves in the succeeding government.

Newest indispensable ingredient – Social Media

        If it is agreed that modernization increased the number of revolutions, access to social media in the recent times has widened the scope for all-inclusive large-scale revolutions. The epitome of such a revolution was the Arab Spring of 2011 that took off in Tunisia which was also the first Arab country to introduce internet and social media in 1991. An exercise of World Summit on the Information Society was held in Tunis, sponsored by the United Nations, showcasing the care for individual right of access to information. Ironically, Ben Ali’s regime had begun censoring the Internet in 2005, with a special division set up primarily to shut down those who critiqued his regime. 1000 Bloggers, even Facebook faced periodic blackouts. Youth were being tried as terrorists although their only crime was accessing blocked websites. A quiet yet active cyber war was being waged between the youth and the government, with internet users finding ways to bypass state censorship and the government finding ways to hit back.

        It is pretty evident that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Chaotic protests were organized in Egypt via internet, citizens heeded the clarion calls of popular twitter handles and gathered discretely in the Tahrir Square in 2011 to be faced by the Military. The multitude fought together as one and the Military had to relent, the dictator had to step down forcibly. The contagion of a 'Revolution of Dignity' soon spread to neighbouring countries. Their demands and calls were simple. They needed - Jobs, Freedom & Dignity. What followed as a spillover effect in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain led to insurgencies, street demonstrations, and eventual overthrow of the dictators. This revolution sponsored by internet was coined Arab Spring as it brought direct/indirect intrinsic changes in the surrounding region of Arab countries.

Indian spice – the disenchanting, generic Aam Aadmi

        Contemporarily, India witnessed a downpour of a series of corruption scams and the agitation of India Against Corruption Movement took roots. The mass appeal created by the idea of a 'Common Man' served a great deal in the culmination of this Anti-Corruption Revolution into a Political Party. Similar to the Arab Spring, the incumbents were miserably defeated though not ousted like dictators, in the next Lok Sabha elections in 2014. The citizenry had given its verdict. The frustration had reached an insurmountable level, news flooded with one scandal followed by the other, the CAG made revelations. The IAC gave people the opportunity to fight for that Change which they sought. Moreover, they had a Gandhi alias too in Anna Hazare. The beneficiaries of these sit-downs and uposhans were not just common people but also the major Opposition party to Congress and they carefully used it to their advantage claiming victory in the polls.

Hierarchy of Revolutionary causes

        Akin to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Revolutions also occur more or less in priorities. It starts with the basic establishment of one's own land (crusades, conquests of lands), giving a sense of belonging. This is followed by the want of economic fairness for all residents of the land (tax revolts by peasantry). Social equity takes precedence in the struggle for equitable distribution of economic resources (Bourgeois involvement). Moving eventually towards the more individualistic block of the pyramid, people come together to seek personal liberty and greater political participation.

        There is something about Revolution that appeals the adrenaline junkies as well. Revolution builds a community, opens arms for co-sufferers, gives voices to the unheard, to some gives a cause to fight for and live for and above all, gives way to hope via hate. As observed by MLK Jr. - Revolution, though born of despair, cannot long be sustained by despair. The one thing that keeps the fire of revolutions burning: the ever-present flame of Hope. When hope dies, a revolution degenerates into an undiscriminating catchall for evanescent and futile gestures.

        Today, the nation polities that appreciate individual liberty undergo revolutions both philosophical/ideological in nature viz. Data Privacy, Feminism, Pride, Polarization, etc. In fact, these are small spurts of protests disallowing the governments' endeavours of curbing the coveted value of liberty.

        People's revolutions enable them to be a part of the History that is being created. The reasons for Revolutions varied throughout History from Feudalism to Democracy. We’re in the middle of a revolution caused by the lopsided social effects of the pandemic combined with an upswing in technical innovation, a surge in desire for individual freedom and a change in human consciousness about what freedom means. Every society has its protectors of the status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. "Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change." - MLK