Tread carefully protesters of Tahrir Square ?!

quertzal

Mubarak is gone. Tahrir Square demonstrators are happy. People of Egypt appear to be happy. They are happy because they achieved their one point programme of removing Mubarak whom now the Western Countries describe as a “despot”, “ a cruel dictator” etc. The Protestors had considered him as their enemy No.1. One should congratulate them for their stupendous perseverance. For nineteen days they kept vigil in the square and continued their protest without any break. Yes, they had not expected the army to take a neutral stand, but their neutrality and support enabled the protesters to peacefully carry on their protests. Perhaps the attitude of the army must have also prompted Mubarak to step down, though barely 24 hours earlier he had refused to do so.

So far so good. But what did Mubarak do while stepping down. He handed over the reins of the Government to a Supreme Council of Armed forces. This is the final illegality he did while stepping down from the office of the President. He could not have given the reins of administration to the armed forces. In fact, according to Article 84 of the Egyptian Constitution, the speaker of the People’s Assembly is the first in the order of succession to become acting President of Egypt if the president dies, becomes incapacitated or resigns. If the People’s Assembly is dissolved at the time of a vacancy, the President of the Supreme Constitutional Court shall take over the Presidential duties. Within 60 days after a vacancy of the post presidential elections should be held. Now it is the military which has been “given the powers”. This is not legal. He could not have given the power to the armed forces. Or was it a military coup?!!

How can any one say that Mubarak has stepped down. If he had resigned, he should have given powers to the Speaker of the People’s Assembly. He did not choose to do that. The Vice President Omar Suleiman like the quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala .”killed” himself by reading what he called as mandate from the President Hosni Mubarak. It is believed that the bird quetzal if caged commits suicide. He read out the mandate of the President which said “ In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic, He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state.” By reading the said mandate, he got himself removed as the Vice President.

Question arises for consideration is whether the army can give democracy, liberty, dignity and self respect to the people of Egypt. Did the youth of Egypt fought for getting freedom or liberty from the army. One should always know that liberty, freedom or democracy are not given but are wrested or taken. When Indians fought for freedom they did not tell the British to give them freedom. They fought for freedom and won it. They told the British to leave. When the Indians said that to the British, Mr. Winston Churchill told Mr. Clement Atlee who was the Prime Minister then
“ Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low caliber & men of straw. They will have sweet tongues & silly hearts. They will fight amongst themselves for power & India will be lost in political squabbles. A day would come when even air & water… would be taxed in India.” But he was proved wrong. There was a smooth transition of power. Indians managed themselves. They constituted what was called as a Constituent Assembly consisting of the best brains of the country, People from every walk of life joined hands to draft a Constitution. They thus got a Constitution framed for themselves which is reflected in the preamble to the Indian Constitution. The preamble of the Indian Constitution reads as follows:
WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:
JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all
FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;
IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

Mark the words “ we the people of India’ and “ give to ourselves this constitution.” The constitution was not given to us by a third party but we got the constitution for ourselves. Therefore the protesters having fought for ‘ dignity, democracy and justice’ now should try to make the army to go back to the barracks and the intellectuals, learned people, political leaders, Constitutional Experts, lawyers etc should form a constituent assembly and frame a constitution which they should give unto themselves. The constitution should reflect all the aspirations of the people of Egypt. Let it not be given by the army or under their supervision. One should always remember the old saying “ the arm that gives can also take back”. So tread carefully protesters of Tahrir Square!!!. Come out of your euphoria and try to achieve your solemn goal – Dignity, justice and democracy.
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