One month, many moments in history that changed the world as we know it today. The month of June has seen many devastating moments in history also.
A potential paradise but for the madness of ideology, Iran stands today, a nation that is a fraction of its former glory. On 3rd June 32 years ago, Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, died. He had been in exile for 15 years and then made a triumphant return to overthrow Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, also known as Mohammad Reza Shah: aka, the Shah of Iran. Iran at that time was a cosmopolitan and fast developing nation. It had its rich history and culture, and it had embraced modernity. Women walked freely in their miniskirts, no harassment and secure in the knowledge of their safety. The moment Iran adopted the fundamentalist ideology, its fate changed. 32 years on, the nation has gone backward. It is one of the greatest modern-day tragedy to visit a nation with so much talent, incredible geniuses, and a millennium of rich culture to end up on its knees.
Take Pakistan, in 1947 after a bloody separation, at least we can say that there was an aspiration for Pakistan to be a forward looking and a diverse cosmopolitan nation. Instead, within months it surrendered to its insane desires and attacked India for Kashmir. Today it is nothing more than a terrorist state.
June 4, 1989, the Chinese government ordered its troops to open fire on unarmed protesters in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. On that day China declared to the world it cares not for human rights of anyone. That it will do whatever it takes to its own citizens to keep them under its dictatorship. It has grown in influence immeasurably since then. Not because the world respects China, but because China has systematically used its power, might and money to buy leading politicians around the world. With all of this might and power, the ordinary Chinese citizen is but a slave to the nation. When a nation can systematically ethnically destroy the Uighurs, what has the world learnt from WWII?
June 5, 1968 - Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated while leaving the Hotel Ambassador in Los Angeles. The course of American history changed forever. 53 years later, the only question that comes to mind is what happened to America? A nation still divided, full of hate, anarchy preferred to civilised governance and politicians who have sold themselves to foreign nations. The founding fathers would emigrate out of America if they were alive today!
June 6, 1944, known as D-Day. The events that brought about the freedom of France and the rest of Europe led by the British, Americans and Canadians. Had it not been for that moment (and the sacrifices of the colonies) the whole of Europe would have been under a German dictatorship now.
In 2014 one man, Modi, made a difference to a nation of more than 800 million voters. A moment in time, and now he is writing a new chapter for Bharat Varsh.
I choose to write about these few events to remind us that in history, one event on one day can make an impact way beyond its initial objective. You and I might be a small butterfly, but even as we aspire to fly and flap those wings – the currents we generate may well change the course of history.
A small body of determined spirits, fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission, can alter the course of history. Mahatma Gandhi
Let’s make history, good history, together for the world.
