“You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”—R. Buckminster Fuller
The word “revolution” despite having quite benign meanings has a scary touch to it because it reminds us of anarchy, bloodshed, and extreme violence. Although linked to the motion of revolving as in the case of celestial bodies, mention of this word usually relates to tragic occurrences. The good thing is that these days it is also associated with concepts like the ‘industrial revolution’ or better still ‘computer revolution’ that are quite contrary to earlier events. One can foot the idea of ‘intellectual revolution’ that appears to portray the rise of consciousness where the politics of control is gradually being overtaken by rationality, understanding, and humanity of course.
Aristotelian notion of revolution originally pertained to cyclical alterations in the forms of government but now implies a fundamental departure from any previous historical pattern. People are becoming more aware of reality and realising the fact that we just cannot live with each other, we have to live for each other. This means that whatever we say or do would not only affect us but everyone around us. Thus if we behave negatively, we shall be surrounded by negativity, and the more we are compassionate as well as willing to serve, we shall find ourselves in bliss. These are definitely soothing thoughts but words alone have no bearing besides being a medium for expression. Action is what is required to bring about the desired change or as we comprehend—revolution.
With the advent of democracy and the concept of people’s rule as against monarchy and dictatorship, sudden and violent changes in the likes of French and Russian revolutions are steadily converting to what may be referred to as ‘silent revolutions’. John F. Kennedy (JFK) stated: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”. This clearly indicates that peace is what every sane person really wants and perhaps that is one of the reasons he was eliminated because he could foresee a tumultuous world in the absence of agreeable negotiations.
The idea that gives nightmares to those in power is that of a people’s uprising against them. The possibility that one man armed with an automatic gun pointed at an unarmed massive throng can be damaging for the front row but it would not be long before he is completely over-powered and dispossessed. The recent events in Bangladesh are reflective of this situation where state power became helpless at the hands of street power resulting in the embarrassing backdoor exit of their prime minister in August 2024. When a cause takes the shape of a strong resolve, it does not deter people from laying down their lives. All it takes for governments is to prevent the chances of any insurgency which they can do, either by force or by peaceful means.
The general state of affairs prevalent in Pakistan—economy sliding down, hyperinflation, massive unemployment, security tension in Balochistan and some areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, uneasy international relations, deteriorating law and order, blood-sucking bureaucracy, callous judiciary, rapidly declining ability for the middle class to make ends meet or getting access to educational and medical facilities—are certainly not conducive for a large segment of the population. With these factors plus the anti-people policies of consecutive military-political hybrid governments being pre-conditions for the brewing of a bloody revolution then why are there no such obvious signs to an outsider?
One of the hot topics in today’s world is the concepts of enhanced vibrations and frequencies that are essential to a better understanding of the inert powers with which human beings are blessed. The ability to manifest can only become possible when kindness, love, and empathy overtake cruelty, hate, and apathy.
Some of the present ones in power are lucky that people have short memories and are forgiving otherwise with the crimes they have committed they would have been banished from the country
As more and more positive attitudes and acts of benevolence spring forth, negativities begin to take a backseat. Pakistan is one such haven where the presence of some quintessential folks with their sheer dynamism, has successfully managed to avert chances of a bloody culmination of the rise of disgruntled people.
“Silent Revolution” is a book that has been meticulously compiled by Fayyaz Baqir, Mahnoor Zaman, and Maryam Hussain Khan. It opens up with a unique and thoughtful dedication: “Dedicated to David Graeber’s idea that revolution is not when palaces are seized or governments are overthrown, but when we change the ideas of what is common sense….a moral principle rather than a political ideology”. It is from Graeber’s book: Debt: The First 5000 Years.
True to these words, the book documents some real-life stories of the excellent work of civil society leaders who have played a significant role in building trust and solidarity with the marginalised and neglected segments of society in the last four decades. Through their benevolence, they, along with innumerable unsung philanthropists have successfully veered the trajectory of the possibility of a replay of the French and Russian revolutions’ savagery. This country is blessed because thanks to these benefactors, the sense of deprivation is subdued to a tolerable extent. In this book, around 26 personalities have been covered whose struggle in various fields has brought about qualitative changes in the lives they have touched.
Governments in power should be grateful to these humanitarians whose relentless efforts have saved their necks and helped them retain power because, with their poor performance as administrators and incapacity to provide for the people of this country, they could have landed on the gallows, before a firing squad or even under the sharp blades of the guillotine. Some of the present ones in power are lucky that people have short memories and are forgiving otherwise with the crimes they have committed they would have been banished from the country.
We have yet to see a benevolent government that can take up its responsibilities with the same passion as the exalted ones mentioned in this book. If they, within their limited resources, can revolutionise lives then imagine the impact on a large scale. There are plentiful examples of countries turning around their fate without as much as spilling the blood of a single person. Pakistan is no exception, provided its officials do not sell items received as donations or gifts. An honest statesman can easily coax the well-off to step forward to eliminate sufferings and the people are definitely not hard-hearted that they would not answer a genuine call for cooperation.