Will of the People Must Prevail

On 19^th November 1863, President Abraham Lincoln spoke about 273 words that eventually became the bedrock of the concept of democracy. Lincoln said:

 “…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”[i].

Some 46000 soldiers from Unionists and Confederates had given up their life in the Civil War at the Battle of Gettysburg and President Lincoln called upon the nation to immortalize their sacrifice in the cause of democracy with the above words.

President Donald Trump, some 157 years later, on 7^th January 2021 said, ““If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,”[ii] Incited by his remarks, a crowd vandalized the hallowed premises of the Capitol Hill, a symbol of American democracy for 250 years now. Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the assault on the Capitol was "fomented by Mr. Trump," writing that "his use of the Presidency to destroy trust in our election and to poison our respect for fellow citizens has been enabled by pseudo political leaders whose names will live in infamy as profiles in cowardice. Our Constitution and our Republic will overcome this stain and We the People will come together again in our never-ending effort to form a more perfect Union, while Mr. Trump will deservedly be left a man without a country," Mattis added[iii].

Four protesters died on the Capitol giving up their lives to undo what President Lincoln hoped America will become – a nation that is prepared to shed blood to defy, deny and brutalize the representational character of democracy just because one man believes that the system has not favored him for re-election.

America will never be the same again - a nation that has stood as the beacon of democracy, albeit forging its democratic credentials through fire. The Capitol incident is also a worrisome indicator of the nature of politics for power that is surging its head across the globe. A development that ordinary people everywhere must take note of owing to its effect on the fundamental freedoms that are at stake.

There is little need to discourse the merits of democracy. People have a fundamental right to choose the government of their choice through the ballot. It is people will that renders democracy possible. America’s own Constitution so loftily proclaims:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America[iv].

The Constitution of the largest democracy in the world, India, also proclaims:

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

 

JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

 

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;

 

and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation[v];

 

It needs no convincing to understand that the people are the reason why governments exist. When governments, more specifically the elected representatives of the people who are in power defy the very fundamentals that are necessary for peaceful transition of such power, democracy stands in peril.

The incidents in Capitol Hill may have been brought under control. The pristine environs may be restored in a short while. Vandals may be brought to justice. But the faith of people in democratic process that has been damaged would not be easy to restore. More importantly, the faith in polity that has suffered will take generations of politicians to reinstate.

America is standing at a crucial juncture in its own history. As the sole super power, in a geopolitical climate that is potentially explosive, in a world that is fighting a pandemic of mammoth proportions, in a world economy that needs little encouragement to slide down further, the choices that American people will make would determine whether America will retain its moral supremacy as a democracy.

We must believe that the will of people would prevail. The future of democracy across the world depends on it.  

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[i] https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/abraham-lincoln-birthday-gettysburg-address-civil-war-us-president-trump-a8206946.html

[ii] https://time.com/5926883/trump-supporters-storm-capitol/

[iii] https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-us-capitol-secured-dc-protest/

[iv] https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/the-constitution/#:~:text=We%20the%20People%20of%20the,for%20the%20United%20States%20of

[v] https://www.constitutionofindia.net/constitution_of_india/preamble

Farewell 2020, Welcome 2021!!

2020!!

Like every other years that passed by, 2020 also arrived to our expectations, dreams, aspirations and desires. A year in which one more step towards these would be taken; a year in which some more sense of fulfilment would be added.

And then Corona happened. Man made disasters are not new to mankind. We have had quite a handful before. The earlier human catastrophes engineered innovation in medical response. Corona engineered geopolitics!! Even as the world gathered its best medical brains and scientists to evolve a medical response, Corona pushed America and its allies close to a war - in trade, in diplomacy, in military alliances and in diplomatic maneuvers.

Even countries like India, who had generally been cautious in upping the ante went out to revitalize QUAD; Japan shed its defence policy to re-shape its Self Defence Forces (SDF) for offensive roles, and down South in Australia vociferous calls were made for international investigation. China went into hyper drive and sent its forces into Ladakh against India, pushed its fences across the borders with Nepal and Bhutan; the dormant CPEC showed renewed vigour to the extent that the Baluch went up in arms!!

Europe, Africa and South America became cautious about Chinese imports; America expelled scientists with Chinese funding even from Harvard and WHO was rattled with allegations of colluding with China. Hong Kong and BREXIT were relegated to the 'other news'; Think Tanks all over the world took up China as the single point object of analysis and economies around the world scrambled down in fear and panic.

All just because one more pandemic infested mankind? No, because Corona is different. Virus or no virus, Corona engineered geopolitics.

As we roll into 2021, the world is yet to come to terms with Corona. Yes, vaccines have been announced, countries for a change are stockpiling medicines and we will overcome this too. But the geopolitical aftermath that Corona set rolling will take a long time to overcome. Our options to do so will not be new, but they will be hard.

We will need sanity across the spectrum of political leadership; we will need a lot less war mongering by the media and arms lobby; we will need to respect international law regime and believe that in abiding by it our guarantee for a safer world depends.

Countries that propel their self interest by any means at their disposal and countries that delight in being or aspire to be dominant powers in world or regional stage need for once to stop and think. Countries that voice solidarity for a free world but sell weapons and technology to friends and foes alike must desist. Countries that have the economic means should step forward to provide for countries that do not have the economic muscle to acquire vaccinations.

Children who have lost their schooling due to Corona must be technologically assisted to continue education; farmers, small business and daily wagers whose sustenance is threatened must be provided for. Millions stranded away from near and dear ones due to pandemic conditions must be facilitated to feel safe and wanted, if not re-united, with their loved ones.

At no other time of earlier pandemics we needed these more - peace and humanity.

If Corona has proved to be different, then it is for us to prove that humans are different too. 

Let's hope that our inherent belief in our own goodness prevails!! So grant us God.