WHAT has Easter to do with democracy, you ask, a furrow on your brow, and a look of slight annoyance. We hear the United States and Germany reacting to Kejriwal’s arrest and our standard reply in telling the outside world not to interfere in our internal affairs and we nod, agreeing we are quite capable of managing our problems ourselves.
But is it only our problem? With two powerful democratic countries getting concerned, it’s time we realise their concern is not just about India, but what they are ever watchful is whether Democracy is being meddled and fiddled with. And a democratic voice, spoken without fear, and heard without censorship belongs to every citizen of the world, especially after the genocide of the second world war.
The celebration of Easter is the triumph of people. Two days before Easter, an innocent man was put to death. He had done nothing against the state, so the Roman Governor Pilate found out, yet he was accused of treason. He had done nothing against the church, yet was accused of heresy. His words of truth were stifled by the power of Rome, and hypocrisy of the priests. But in His escape from the grave on Easter, was the victory of truth over falsehood! And the parallel doesn’t end there. As Jesus was taken to the top of the hill where he was to be crucified, He must have passed hundreds of those who He’d healed and thousands whose minds and hearts had become peaceful with his sermons and teachings, but did even one of them protest? No, instead, when the crowd was asked who they wanted released, Jesus or a thief Barabas, they shouted ‘Barabas’!
Are we doing the same today? But a great and mighty event happened on Easter. The innocent Man came alive and walked out of His grave. Death could not keep him down. The unmerciful judgements of rulers could not hold him down. He walked out free. Truth won.
It took three days for truth to win. The victory of truth is not an easy one and so with democracy. Democracy is slow and unsteady in its victory. It took seven long years for Hitler to be crushed, and in the bloodied process, millions were killed both on the battlefield and in the terrible gas chambers. Democracy’s cures take long because finally it works on people like you and me waking up.
America took three full years to join the war. But finally, Truth wins, jails are emptied, and a grave emptied itself. Tomorrow is Easter, America has reacted quickly this time, Germany too. What about you and me? Truth will triumph, but whether it takes three days, three years or more, depends entirely on you and me…!
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