The idea of revolution

Revolution (Wikipedia): A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turnaround") is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.

I disagree!

A revolution, I believe, is an idea that is implemented with or without the motive of fundamental changes but certainly as an act of assertion in one’s own values.
However, one of its effects may be changing the way of life for an individual or a community or a country.

If we limit our vision to history books, it may seem that in order to bring upon a ‘successful’ revolution one needs an oppressive ruler, a distressed population (community or country), lots of arms and ammunition (not so in the Indian case)and action! However, if one happens to peek thoughtfully in the pages of life the smudges of revolutionary changes can be found all over, guised as nothing more than the blots of ink. But since change is accepted as the underlying requisite for evolution, the vitality of the idea behind this change is forgotten. And thus the inertia that has to be overcome for this ‘revolt’ to succeed is elapsed just as old books are rendered useless once they have been read over and over.

Revolution, thus, is no legacy of history books but belongs to life as we see it and as we live it. It may be coined for the Boston tea party or signing the Declaration of Independence or for the demand of complete independence by Congress or Quit India Movement but that does not necessarily mean that it could not apply to actions and ideas of one man against and for a system.

It is a revolution, thus, when a man clings to the stem of trees in hills of Uttaranchal to stop them from cutting, when a young IAS officer goes to inspect a government hospital in the middle of night, when another of his breed dips his hand in a stinking naala to remind the municipal corporation of their work.

It was a revolution when my mother shed the traditional pallu and more of it when my grandparents supported and defended her. When a small kid plants a sapling in front of his house and vows to take care of it throughout his life, when a teacher goes beyond the conventional meaning of lessons and enlightens his/her students to realms of life, when a young woman in Noida breaks her engagement simply because her ‘would be’ in-laws were asking for dowry, it is a revolution. A teenager born in slums promising himself that he will not die poor is an idea that will change his life.

The change that this idea may bring upon in one’s life may simply not be the end of this revolution as the word itself may imply. The revolution is actually a process of evolution that may go beyond the actual process of change of principles and certainly the realms of time. And that is why though America declared its independence from Britain in 1776 but it was not until Abraham Lincoln that it truly became United States and for the same reason, India truly became a republic in 1950 though independence had come 2 ½ years earlier.

And for this idea is clad in steel of fortitude protected by the will of his impassive mind, it becomes impossible to contain this revolution even though the action that follows it may be shelved for some time. As they say, an IDEA can change your life…