Why Arab Spring movement got defeated…..

In this fast moving World, when there is influx of afresh information at every moment. It becomes essential to ask people, to recall about the “Arab Spring” movement.  The movement that had its genesis in the Tunisia, and there it was nomenclature as ” Jasmine Revolution.” Hopefully the reminiscences of the “Arab Spring ,” still afloat in the memory of people at large. This “mass movement,” was an outcome of an incidence in Tunisia in the year of 2010, when a fruit vendor named Mohd Bouazizi, was made unable to run his kiosk at a fixed point. He was subjected to some unwholesome demand of money, to run the business by some municipal inspector. On being unable to fulfill undue demands, in frustration put himself afire.

          Outcome of the movement, at the initial stage

 This incidence, resulted in the form of a mass movement, and spread swiftly. Within no time, it engulfed not only Tunisia, but other countries  at large. Countries, like Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Kuwait and Morocco etc boiled over,into a huge turmoil. All this came in a form of civic resistance by public. As an aftermath of this mass movement, Ali Abdullah Sahel (President of Yemen), Muommer Gaddafi of Libiya, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt were thrown out from the seat of head of State. Whilst, with context to Tunisian intensive civic resistance it but naturally too led to the ousting of long time President of Tunisia, Zine Abidine Ben Ali.

Taking a lesson from this mass movement, the rulers of States like Iran, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia started precautionary reforms in their governance. These reforms included, enhancement of salary of government employees and improvement in general amenities, in civil sector for common people. But what came up, at the last of this mass movement? How this movement met its end? In fact this movement was initiated and ran by some literate crowd with the help of “social media” (as a technical tool.) The movement was aimed to introduce and establish  the “democracy.” They people had had dreams and thoughts of democracy imbibed from books only, but lacked the ground experience.

                                                 Mobocracy 

  In sooth, it was the mass movement conducted by the Mobocracy. Otherwise also, people from middle and Western Asia are akin to people of developing countries, in respect of number of intellectuals. There intelligentsia is not so huge in number, and out of them, a big percentage were of persons above the age group of forty five years onward. This percentile, having conservative and orthodox outlook for social system. Not going into other details, we pinpoint the conclusion. What were the outcome of this “Arab Spring Movement?”

The answer very sadly is, only a tiny country, the Tunisia (where from this movement spurted) succeeded to establish a multiparty democratic pattern of government. Otherwise, in rest of the countries, where this movement spread heavily, ended up with nothing in hand. Either power got transferred to the Army, or religious groups still fighting to capture the power, with one another religious or insurgent groups. In total, this “mass movement” ended with a “Chaos.” Not only this the public administration in these disturbed States still fraught with the issues of corruption, malpractice and violation of human rights in a worst form.

                                         Lack of matured leadership

 The caption of blog, “Why Arab spring got defeated,” was given in this context only. Some movements spring up Suo motto, in pursuance of swelling of emotions, and, with great spontaneity become so widely spread. But, if there is no proper political management of leadership, added with plan B or plan C for changing situations, it turns up into a “Chaos.” The “Arab Spring” is the most suitable example of that. May whatever reasons be given for the failure of this mass movement, they all are political. But to me, the most significant factor seems the neglecting of opinion and recognition of women population. That had had a vital impact as a negative factor, on the entire system as such.

                                                   Neglect of women

 It,s not that women did not impart in the movement. Rather, at the initial stage they forcefully registered their presence and participated with main and might. In fact, these were the women population that direly needed the democratic rights. We simply can realize their urge, when we perceive what kind of rights are given (not granted) to women in orthodox Muslim countries. At the initial stage of this “Arab or Jasmine Mass movement,” it seemed that women would come up as the Victor regard their demand of rights. But later on, as it got followed by atrocities, discrimination and cruelty toward women, and, oppressive treatment they faced. That forced to hush the voice of the women. Consequently, this mass movement took the shape of tribal conflict, between various groups of men exclusively.

From this point, the story of defeat of democratic movement in Muslim belt begins. This entire World, we can divide into Christian, Muslim, Boudh and Hindu culture as major races. Upon describing these cultures, we find that in Christian, Boudh and and Hindu culture women were endowed with some internal liberties potentially. Such sort of liberties were, with in the social network and had had proper acceptation. Along with, Christian culture developed and flourished in a cold and snow capped tract, that at the initial stage depended upon agriculture and hunting. Buddha and Hindu culture had same major vocation, to support the livelihood. Here within family house hold and agricultural field, women co operated and participated abreast to men.

                                   Women as a whole, at par

 On the contrary, the Muslim culture grew on in the tract, that lacked enough arable land and opportunity for hunting. In the name of agriculture , animal husbandry and its by products in shape of milk products or meat were the staple diet. The women were confined within the household, as such, not having working field outside to share with men. Withal as every culture has got its own religious- social fabrication, in that sense in Muslim culture a woman is regarded as the property of his man. When we go through the Socio-economic history of Christianity, we find women ever struggling hard side by side of men. Likewise Hindu culture’s history, too is repleted with descriptions of women’s devotion, dedication and equal participation.

Now a question mark too can be put up about the custom of Ghunghat or Veil, and “self molestation on the pyre of dead husband by women, ” in Hindu culture in this context. The answer is , when Hindus’ territory were incessantly raided and invaded by barbaric Mughals, Huns and other races, then social system was forced to adopt these kind of malpractice, in defensive mode. But, even during that period, women had some independence within the social fabrication, added with active participation as helping hand in agriculture activities. The custom of “veil” prevailed greatly in rural areas and to some parts of the India it still exists.

But, despite of all this we can recall when a newly wed bride entered the family, she remained confined to household activities for a given prescribed period of time. After ten or more years of the espousal ceremony, on attaining the seniority and status of aunt, be it maternal or paternal. She was taken as, freed from all the social restrictions of veil as such. She was granted the status to pass mandate, about untoward and unethical deportment of youthful girls and boys of the village. And such mandate had a force. In the same given circumstances, this respectful position was not granted to Muslim women, in their social fabrication. The significant participation of Hindu women, in the struggle for freedom movement of India, too was widely acknowledged on the same parameters.

Now we come back to the issue of “Arab Spring.” In the mass movement affected countries, even the educated and intellectual men dominated society, could not digest the women entrepreneurship to ask for rights for equality. In fact it was not in their genetic code. They can’t imagine a society, where women having equal rights. A social system that does not pay proper respect and importance to its women; there every mass movement gets crippled and become devoid of any result. Penned by– Vinay Pharasi…..