Talkin’ ‘Bout a Revolution
J-on
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Sunday, April 18, 2010
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By Kow Kwan Yee
This is a song by Tracy Chapman, an American singer-songwriter. It’s the title for this piece, just because of its inspiring lyrics that expresses the feelings of worst-off groups.
Revolution in its very essence brings changes to the current dissatisfying situation, raising a group of people who are willing to strike.
Demonstrations, hunger strikes, holding placards…
It can be called a movement and carried out in any means, whether peaceful or chaotic so long as it can attract a guardians’ attention.
Revolution may sound like a whisper, which cannot be made known to those who do not share the same ideology with you.
Well, I shall share certain revolutions carried out by students. I mean you and me, as undergraduates.
In 1989, some 100,000 of China’s students and intellectuals led Tiananmen Square protest as they wanted to mourn the death of pro-democracy and anti-corruption official, Hu Yaobang.
Many students were killed. Up to now, the number of deaths in the protest remains unknown.
This year, 200 of Malaysian undergraduates carried banners with the words "kembalikan demonstrasi kampus" (restore campus demonstrations) and chanted slogans.
They were calling for better transparency within campus elections and to abolish e-voting at higher learning institutions throughout the country. Nine were arrested.
As UTAR students, campus car park issue, university’s managerial problems, flaws in SRC election pattern and the powerless SRC committee would make one feel uneasy and disappointed.
If one could think of any dissatisfaction, oppression, unfairness and many more negative situations that happened, then the next question is what could one do?
Yes, screeching to a halt at the thought of the question is common. Perhaps, realisation and halting certain characteristics such as inferiority, passiveness and numbness in taking actions should be practised.
One could always be at a comfort zone, waiting passively, hoping some parties and guardians to provide doctrines to teach the necessary actions.
At the end, no action would be taken and in most circumstance there would be no achievement.
Using wisdom will not lead to fatality or getting arrested when wanting to participate in such revolution. At the least, one is alert with flaws in practices and loop-holed systems.
There is a system in the intranet which is called student feedback form where we are able to send out our rational complaints and suggest constructive solutions on any problems on the university’s behalf.
We have the power if we fully utilise it.
Revolution will not be a whisper anymore as a matter of fact, under a strong will to change, it can be discussed openly.
