ROMAND CHATTERJI'S EDITORIAL NOTE ON 'LONG LIVE REVOLUTION*

ACCORDING TO A FREE PRESS MESSAGE, AT A MEETING of the Naujawan Sabha

(Youth League) of Gujranwala in the Punjab a resolution was passed protesting against
the arrest of students on the ground of their shouting "Long Live Revolution" and "Down
with Imperialism", before the Court of the Special Magistrate of Lahore. The resolution
states they everyone has the right to utter these cries. It is difficult for laymen to say what
cries are or are not legal, when even High Court judges have differed in their
interpretation of the law of sedition. But young enthusiasts will pardon an old cynical
journalist for confessing that the cry of "Long Live Revolution" has sometimes appeared
to him to be a bit funny. A revolution may now and then have been a necessity in the
world history, and we should personally like an early non-violent social, economic and
political revolution in India. But, what is the exact meaning of "Long Live Revolution?
To be at work is a sign of life. When a desire is expressed for revolution to live long, is it
desired that the revolutionary process should be at work every hour, day, week, month
and year of our lives? In other words, are we to have a revolution as often as possible?
Such ceaseless revolution may make for change, but scarcely for progress, improvement
and enlightenment. What one revolution offered must have time to settle down and take
root and bear fruit. A ceaseless revolutionary process would make India like what James
Russel Lowell called "the Catherine-while republics of South America", of his day. No
doubt, no revolution can produce a final state of improvement; there must be changes
even after a revolution. But these should be brought about by evolution. There may again
be a revolution after several generations, if not centuries, have passed. But that is not
what is implied in the shout "Long Live Revolution".