The World of Illusion, We Live In

We are all the common people - the “janata.” Standing alone, we may seem weary, helpless, isolated, insignificant - like ants, easily blown away by a gust of wind, crushed underfoot without leaving a trace. We appear to be herded about like sheep and goats.

The Power of Ants

But ants, too, are nature’s marvel. These tiny creatures can hollow out the foundations of towering structures, dig networks of tunnels underground that no human could replicate. One cannot underestimate ants—they have the power to bring down elephants. Everyone knows this. Yet, few fear them. After all, everyone believes themselves to be an elephant—invincible, unstoppable.

Reality Has Been Shattered

But that illusion has recently been shattered - in Bangladesh, for example. And not just there. Across our neighboring countries, we have witnessed the ant-like people overthrow elephant-like rulers. Leaders who seemed unbeatable, untouchable, were humbled—sometimes not even through elections, but simply because the people stepped out into the streets.

History Repeats Itself

What happened in France centuries ago was not an isolated event—it’s been repeated in Bangladesh, in Sri Lanka, and elsewhere. The very citizens who once cast their votes in support of regimes, eventually got fed up and took to the streets to demand change.

From Books to Real Life

These are not just stories from history books. Many such events have unfolded before our eyes, in our own lifetime. Not just governments and dictators, but even seemingly invincible superstars and celebrities have fallen—brought down by public opinion.

The People Behind Change

Who ended the regime of the Shah of Iran? The people. Would Nelson Mandela have achieved anything in South Africa without the people standing behind him? Certainly not. Why has no invader been able to fully subjugate Afghanistan? Because its people refused to be enslaved.

Foreign Interference or Inner Spark?

Of course, there’s always chatter that foreign forces orchestrate regime changes. Perhaps there’s some truth to it. But even foreign interference only works when a spark has already been lit from within. Without that spark, even the mightiest of foreign actors are powerless.

The People Are the Engine

Even they depend on the people—without them, they are nothing but a train without an engine. And the engine is always the people.

Even the Mighty Can Fall

It’s rightly said that everything must come to an end—be it the rule of a ruthless dictator or the tenure of a well-meaning elected official. With time, all power structures begin to crumble, at varying degrees of intensity. Look at Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh. She turned it into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Yet, the people threw her out. Even more shockingly, they tore down the statues and symbols of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh—simply because he was her father. Sheikh Hasina never realized when the murmurs of dissent turned into roaring thunder. Yes, GDP figures may have soared during her tenure, but the everyday citizen’s pockets remained empty, so much so that sneaking into India to scavenge through trash felt like “prosperity” in comparison.

The Echoes of History

Such rumblings have echoed throughout history. The rulers of Egypt, Iran, Nepal, Russia’s Tsars, the Soviet Union, Romania—all were swept away by the tides of people’s anger. Take Indira Gandhi, for instance—wasn’t she once seen as invincible? Yet look what happened to her. The Congress party, which ruled for decades, was reduced to rubble by the very people who once supported it. Even the mighty United States was torn apart after the 2020 election. The resulting divide in society still hasn’t healed. The UK, too, is seeing its governments fall like houses of cards, overturned by public will.

Why Governments Fall

Why does this happen? In 2020, an insightful global study examined 30 regimes that had been overthrown. Researchers found that “good” governments—those that provided services and didn’t exploit or repress their citizens—collapsed faster than autocratic ones. The most consistent factor they discovered was this: these so-called “good” governments were led by leaders who gradually abandoned core social principles, ethics, and ideals. It is precisely these principles that have allowed great empires to endure for centuries. And this makes perfect sense.

The Foundation of Everything

Yes, social principles, ethics, and ideals may sound lofty or philosophical. But they are the very foundation of human life. Our families, our societies, our relationships—all rest on them. When these pillars fall, we fall with them.

What Truly Endures

In this world, nothing is permanent—except for these core principles. And it’s these truths that our leaders, sadly, fail to understand—especially in this modern age of technology and spectacle. We, the people, may appear weak—like seedlings planted in a flooded paddy field, easily flattened by a gust of wind. But in reality, we are not weak. We rise again, stronger, more aware.

The People Always Win

And those who choose to live in dreamworlds, detached from the ground beneath them— They are always defeated by the people, once the people awaken.

(The author is a journalist)

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