Are we moving towards authoritarianism?

The world has seen great leaders around the globe who made a lot of sacrifices and did a lot of struggle to bring democracy, freedom, and peace to the world. The revolution that they started was joined by the masses because they saw a vision and a great leader in them. They revolutionized the way people think, the way people believe, the way people behave. They stood their ground and brought the change so the future generation can survive and live in peace. Did we gave justice to their sacrifices, do we still deserve leaders like them?

Leaders like Gandhi who was a preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement and inspired millions around the world, Nelson Mandela who was an anti-apartheid revolutionary, Martin Luther King Jr. who was a leader in the African-American civil rights movement, Winston Churchill who led Britain and allied powers against the Nazis, Abraham Lincoln represented the dawn of a new era in a human civilization based on freedom, self -government and equality, Mother Teresa who was determined to ease suffering in the world. They sacrificed their whole life so we could breathe in a free and equal world.

But instead of enjoying this free and equal world, we handed it over to some authoritarian leaders. Countries that once pursued freedom are now turning into authoritarian regimes. The values humankind has won by making many sacrifices are losing their luster, and democracy is not being properly defended.

In recent times we have witnessed leaders like Donald Trump in the U.S., Narendra Modi in India, Mamta Banerjee in West Bengal, Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, Victor Orbon in Hungary, Vladimir Putin in Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, Kim Jong-Un in North Korea, Xi Jinping in China, Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Poland, Philippines, Belarus, Hong Kong, middle east countries and many more.

Authoritarianism and Nationalism are on the rise around the world with governments becoming less transparent and losing the people’s trust, elections are increasingly flashpoints for violence, corruption is growing. They Start by suppressing judicial independence and packing the courts and then proceed to intimidate and control the media, pretty soon there’s no opposition left.

The key to protecting the future lies in the hands of every one of us.