Written by Mitrajit Biswas, PhD Candidate at JGBS.
The world although is still suffering from Covid19 pandemic but that has not stopped the politics in the global sphere. The wave of new protests and development in the world post pandemic are also slowly but steadily evolving which would have a long-term impact on the world alongside Covid19 pandemic. If we scan the world, we would find that a wave of protests has hit Belarus and Russia simultaneously. The wave of protests which have fired up the population against the last dictator of Europe, Lukashenko has definitely a long-term implication on the politics of Europe. Belarus has been backed by Russia much like Ukraine to keep it under the realm of Russia, or rather Putin. The recent wave of protests which have shaken the nation of Belarus and resulted in a major social upheaval would have a long-term implication on the politics of European Union vis-à-vis Russia, which are going to take a new turn.
It’s true that European Union, even during crisis of Ukraine, had failed miserably; therefore we can conclude that during this time when Belarus is erupting in protests alongside the protests in Russia over the constitutional change that has made Putin president for life have one thing in common. The commonality of the fight against authoritarianism is definitely a triggering point for a new chapter to be added to European politics. The EU needs to step up and be more than just a rhetoric or lip service, and assure the people of Belarus their security.
The protests in Moscow have also been a new way of showing that the people in Russia are also not willing to overlook the situation of Putin quelling opposing forces anymore. The recent poisoning of the Alexei Navalny who was a critic of Putin administration has definitely worsened the already fuming fires of the protests against Putin administration. The economy of Russia has suffered and still is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This alongside the change in the constitution to make Putin president till 2036 has not gone well with the masses of Russia, at least in some quarters. Consequently, Russia has tried to show the world that it has already created the first vaccine against COVID-19 to act as a success story of the Putin administration and exalt his glory and achievement to the world. Russia had also been involved in Libya, Syria, and the western Asian region to act as its extended sphere.
This is a region where other players such as Turkey and a prominent European Union Member have also been trying to gain access. Therefore, the stakes for Russia are high- not only to quell the voices of the protests on the homefront, but also the ones which are now gripping Belarus before they do any long-lasting damage. It is now to be seen as to how Putin plays this crucial phase out.
Waves of protests have also taken over other parts of the world. Lebanon, which has been suffering from financial as well as administrative troubles, has seen protests in recent times. The unfortunate incident of the explosion from Ammonium Nitrate stored in the Lebanon port, and the failure of the government in handling this situation ultimately led to their dismissal. Similarly, in the vicinity, Iraq which had been destroyed by years of war post the fall of Saddam Hussein has seen a wave of protests in the Basra region where activists have been gunned down by extremists.
The protests in the extended western Asia region should also be looked at. Turkey, where the protests are not only about the political oppression of the people by the government, like the earlier cases mentioned, but also to fight for the gender rights of the women. Turkey for the last few years has moved into a political regime which seems to be hunting for the glory of the Ottoman empire by revisiting history. The wave of protests has also hit Thailand where the masses are critically questioning the monarchy, which has already been in controversy and focal point of protests for last few years. Thailand has been seeing protests coming in month after month despite changes in the monarchy- the aspirations of their people are not satisfied.
Therefore, it is clear that despite the world going through the pandemic and seeing a change in the world order, global history also needs to take note of these protests happening around in the world. There have been ethnic clashes and protests against the government which have happened in Ethiopia post demise of pop star Hachalu Hundessa. Also, the protests in Sudan which have been happening over army and government power-sharing is another boiling point in a country which has also been in a political change for the past one year. Already the frustration of the people- if not in the form of protests but through military coup- has been rising. This shows the importance of these protests. Although these require a lot of sacrifice and bloodshed, they are the process of bringing a change- whether that change is for better or for worse, we cannot say.
The sea of change never stops, due to the political nature of human beings and the world we live in. The protests in the countries far and wide all over the world cutting across religions, geographies have a common point of connection- the desire to ask the government to give up the force of power and allowing for transparency in governance of a nation.
The opinions expressed and suggestions made in the article belong solely to the author themselves. Diplomania and O.P. Jindal Global University do not endorse the same.
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