By Justice Markandey Katju
I have repeatedly said that it is only a revolution which can abolish India's massive poverty, massive unemployment, appalling level of child malnutrition, skyrocketing price rise, almost total lack of proper healthcare and good education etc for the people.
My conviction that a revolution will certainly take place in India, is born out of my deep study of history, and gives me great happiness.
But the thought that I will not see the day when the revolution will be successful, makes me sad ? This is because the Indian revolution, which will set up a political and social order under which India rapidly industrialises, and our people's standard of living steadily rises and they start enjoying decent lives, though inevitable, will be by a protracted, long drawn people's struggle, lasting for maybe 15-20 years, and in which tremendous sacrifices will have to be made by the people. Being already 79 years old, I will certainly not see the culmination of this struggle. The sadness is also because of the thought that millions of patriots will have to sacrifice their lives and become martyrs in this struggle
Age is now catching up with me.The body is decaying, which is not surprising.
But thankfully my spirit and mind are still young, and my memory still intact. The next few years of my life will be spent in service of the nation.
I know I will not be alive when my country emerges as a modern, highly industrialized prosperous nation, but my reward will be the thought that I will have contributed a bit to that end, through my ideas.
I remember reading in Dickens' novel 'A Tale of Two Cities ' a conversation between Defarge, the wine seller, who is also a member of a revolutionary secret society working for destruction of the rotten monarchy and feudal aristocracy, and his wife Madame Defarge.
The scene occurs at an early part of the novel. Defarge is despondent and dispirited because he believes that the great event ( the revolution ), for which he has been working for long may not come in his lifetime. To which Madame Defarge replied :
"What of that? It will come. "
Defarge said " But when will it come? How much time does lightning take to strike the ground? "
" How much time does it take to build that lightning ? " replied Madame Defarge. " An earthquake strikes suddenly, causing massive death and destruction. But how much time does it take to build that earthquake ?.
You may not see the end. But you have contributed to it. Let that be your consolation, and be satisfied by it ''
That is my reward and consolation too.
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge, of the Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman, of the Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own)
