Revolution (Wikipedia): A revolution (from the Latin revolutio, "a turnaround") is a

fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a

relatively short period of time.

I disagree!

A revolution, I believe, is an idea that is implemented with or without the motive of

fundamental changes but certainly as an act of assertion in one’s own values.
However, one of its effects may be changing the way of life for an individual or a
community or a country.

If we limit our vision to history books, it may seem that in order to bring upon a
‘successful’ revolution one needs an oppressive ruler, a distressed population
(community or country), lots of arms and ammunition (not so in the Indian case)and
action! However, if one happens to peek thoughtfully in the pages of life the
smudges of revolutionary changes can be found all over, guised as nothing more
than the blots of ink. But since change is accepted as the underlying requisite for
evolution, the vitality of the idea behind this change is forgotten. And thus the
inertia that has to be overcome for this ‘revolt’ to succeed is elapsed just as old
books are rendered useless once they have been read over and over.

Revolution, thus, is no legacy of history books but belongs to life as we see it and as
we live it. It may be coined for the Boston tea party or signing the Declaration of
Independence or for the demand of complete independence by Congress or Quit
India Movement but that does not necessarily mean that it could not apply to
actions and ideas of one man against and for a system.

It is a revolution, thus, when a man clings to the stem of trees in hills of Uttaranchal
to stop them from cutting, when a young IAS officer goes to inspect a government
hospital in the middle of night, when another of his breed dips his hand in a stinking
naala to remind the municipal corporation of their work.

It was a revolution when my mother shed the traditional pallu and more of it when
my grandparents supported and defended her. When a small kid plants a sapling in
front of his house and vows to take care of it throughout his life, when a teacher
goes beyond the conventional meaning of lessons and enlightens his/her students
to realms of life, when a young woman in Noida breaks her engagement simply
because her ‘would be’ in-laws were asking for dowry, it is a revolution. A teenager
born in slums promising himself that he will not die poor is an idea that will change
his life.

The change that this idea may bring upon in one’s life may simply not be the end of
this revolution as the word itself may imply. The revolution is actually a process of
evolution that may go beyond the actual process of change of principles and
certainly the realms of time. And that is why though America declared its
independence from Britain in 1776 but it was not until Abraham Lincoln that it truly
became United States and for the same reason, India truly became a republic in
1950 though independence had come 2 ½ years earlier.

And for this idea is clad in steel of fortitude protected by the will of his impassive
mind, it becomes impossible to contain this revolution even though the action that
follows it may be shelved for some time. As they say, an IDEA can change your
life…