Dictatorship De Facto

George Orwell one of the great social thinkers of our times once wrote, “Power is not a means it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes a revolution in order to establish a dictatorship.” When I first came across this quote, I wanted to debate Mr. Orwell [if I could] on the validity of his thoughts. I realize now, I would only have to wait for a few months to see for myself what the great author and social thinker was trying to convey.

Late last night I received a call from a close friend of mine, he wanted to know if I could arrange to pick up his younger brother from St Paul’s. I said “definitely”, and I asked him if everything was all right? He told me that he received a call from the school urging him to pick up his younger brother by Monday, as all the schools had been ordered to send their students home by the GJMM leadership. What he said made me feel so ashamed of our so called leaders and I am certain that most of our Darjeelingeys do feel the same.

Unfortunately for us, our leaders will not understand this, because their sons and daughters are enjoying their life, stay and studies in far off places like Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai. For them it does not matter at all if our education system is being hurt, for them it does not matter if daily wage earners are suffering, for them it does not matter at all.

One of my friend who is very involved in our movement told me this recently, “…this Andolan is no more about Gorkhaland, this Andolan is about Tenderland, Ghotalaland and whatever else, but not Gorkhaland.” He was as frustrated with what’s happening as much as we all are. So I asked him why would he not protest, he smiled at me and said “…are you that naïve? Mornu Maan Chha K Ho?”  From what I could gather, this indefinite strike is not directly related to our demand for Gorkhaland; this strike is to prove that GJMM has total control over the hills, this strike is to show the triumph of inflated ego over reason, this strike is to show that no one in Darjeeling can think of having a view point different to that of GJMM.

Police atrocities are something we all are very familiar with. Be it back in 1986 or as recently as April 2008 [when our ex-servicemen were brutally beaten up in Siliguri], so far we have not been able to bring these criminals [the atrocious police] to book and to justice. However in a democratic country the police are still the only institute that often stands between a criminal and a helpless person. The decision taken by GJMM leadership to not allow any police force to move around Darjeeling during the period of this strike is not only wrong but also down right stupid. Many of the police officers who are in Darjeeling are from Darjeeling and they love Darjeeling and Gorkhaland as much as you or I. Why should we allow our brothers in the hills to suffer because of what happened in the plains?

Our leaders say we don’t need the police, the GLP will take care of law and order situation. My question is who has given the right to GLP to maintain law and order? Was GLP not supposed to be a just voluntary force meant to help in social issues and no more? If any untoward incidents happen in say Todey-Tangta, Aritaar, Mirik, Bijanbaari, Kaliampong, Kurseong and Darjeeling simultaneously will the GLP be able to maintain law and order in all these places? What are they going to do to criminals? Arrest them or beat them up? Both of which would be against the law and I know our leaders are well aware of this fact, just that it does not matter to them.

In GLP our present day leaders have raised the same kind of troops that Iran has in its revolutionary guards, or Ghishing had in his GVC. Well meaning, well intentioned young men and woman ready to die for the cause they believe in, simply being manipulated by the leaders to meet their own personal ends.

I feel the circle is complete today, for I have witnessed the transfer of dictatorship in Darjeeling from one person to another, from one party to another. If anyone feels that whatever is currently happening in Darjeeling is for the greater good and for a greater purpose, my advice would be to sink your head in a bowl of freezing cold water and let it numb your brain, because if this trend continues, you will need a numb brain in days to come. For those who feel that, what’s happening in Darjeeling is not right, please make yourself heard, please speak out, please write to the GJMM leaders, write to the Prime Minister, the President, and the Governor, let them know we are already suffering and we cannot take it anymore.

I have no hopes on our so called leaders, but I have immense faith in the power of people speaking out with a united voice. We ousted a dictator in recent past, but we allowed another one to take the same role. It is high time that we start to speak out and speak out with one voice. Because I believe it is not our leaders who have taken over our lives, it is us, WE THE PEOPLE of Darjeeling, who have allowed them to do as they please. It is high time that we let our leaders know that we are not at all happy with their actions, and trust me it will start to matter to our leaders if all of us convey how we truly feel.

Finally, I leave you all with immortal lines as stated by Samuel Adams one of the founding fathers of United States of America, who knew firsthand how they fought and won the revolution “…it does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.”

Hope! I made some sense.

Upendra

Picture courtesy: Himalaya Darpan