From Paris to Delhi: The Making of a Revolution

                                                         

 May 1968. A fresh wave of protests erupted in Sorbonne University (then University of Paris) one of the elite universities in France. The students had gathered in the amphitheatre of the university to voice their resentment against a government whose

policies had led to widespread class discrimination ant kept nearly three-fourth of French

youth unemployed. It was a movement inspired by the free speech declaration and the counter-culture movement in the US during the 1960s. However, unlike the anti-war protests in America, the Paris uprising dealt with issues closer to home. Rather than a political movement, it was more of a social revolution as it brought together people who belonged to all walks of life.  It was a rare blend of the university graduates, shopkeepers, factory workers, clerks and many more. Although they faced distinct issues, they came together to form a coalition of diverse groups with a single objective. A student movement soon turned into a social uprising that challenged the existing power structures and brought the French economy to a standstill. The recent decision to celebrate the 50^th anniversary signifies the crucial role it played in restoring French democracy.    

   A student-driven movement

In the current scenario where student politics is being chased out from college campuses, shutting out any room for dissent, the 1968 French uprising has a great bearing on student life in India. French president Charles de Gaulle commented that conservative policies and an outdated academic curriculum meant a scarcity of employment opportunities for the common people. In addition, workers’ issues of long working hours and low wages combined to form an umbrella movement and gave a platform for the creative expression of public opinion. Dissent was expressed in the form of graffiti on walls and buildings. The slogan It is forbidden to forbid ( Ilest interdit d’interdire) was a reminder that civil rights were a citizen’s most valued asset. The protests posed a law and order situation in many parts of the city. However, it didn’t turn into a civil war as the government feared. The numerous strikes in factories and colleges signified the turbulent atmosphere of the period. It forced authorities to pay heed to the fears and anxieties of the people.

A new wave of communism

The Marxian ideology found its rightful place in the protests of May 1968. Before the uprising, the communists had already gained a stronghold over the French Parliament forming the far-Left bloc in France. Trade unions were seen as representatives of the working class and all was well – or so it seemed. It took an entire nation’s citizenry to show the real picture.                                                       

Where some are more equal than others

As far as French youth were concerned, true socialism was a thing of the past. Through the years, the Marxist ideology had been manipulated and tailored to suit the needs of a few.

Trade unions allowed little room for dissent. Majority opinions always prevailed. Moreover, the leaders of these trade unions were highly influential people, many of whom had direct contact with the members in the Parliament. Thus, a noble idea had fallen into the wrong hands crushing its very spirit. In a nation with acute class discrimination, where an unseen line divided the haves and the have-nots, the period from May 2 1968- June 23, 1968 was a new beginning. Every section of French society – workers, students, activists, women and minorities rallied around a common objective. Their slogan ‘All power to the imagination’ even attracted students from foreign universities who came in to support the cause. It shaped a generation of youth driven by a thirst for freedom. 

Student protests and the emergency

The Paris uprising had nothing similar to the student protests in India, but it had many common features with the Emergency. One reason was that the movement in France derived a formula which could be put to use for student-led political movements in India. The period during the Emergency provided perfect ground to practice this formula. In fact, the Emergency was one major cause for the rise of student politics in India. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s style of governance was considered authoritarian. Her decision to suspend the Constitution and assume all power proved to be the last straw. Strikes, lockdowns and hartals were common occurrences during this period. Many politicians and student activists were arrested. Those who escaped were forced into hiding. The student movement in France and the Emergency in India were more or less cast in the same mould. Both had a great impact on individual psyche and both ultimately restored true democracy to their countries.

Lessons to learn

Youth today have a lot to learn from the 1968 uprising. When self-styled patriots attempt to silence critics and writers and intellectuals in India are being targeted by vigilante groups for holding critical views of the government, it would and must remind us of the need to uphold one of the basic tenets of our constitution.