The last time I visited Myanmar, everyone said, "when Suu Kyi comes, things will change. You come back then." Today that change is about to happen. But before I plan another visit, let me salute the lady behind the change
Its late evening in most of Asia and midnight in some parts. But, one country is already witnessing the
breaking of a unique dawn, one that is going to stay on for days to
come. Its Myanmar (Burma).
What is unique of this dawn? First, its the dawn of democracy that
has come after a long, dark night of armed rule. Secondly, this dawn has
been made possible by a woman. The name's Aung San Suu Kyi. She, of a
frail frame but of iron will. She, who is the voice of dissidence. She,
who is persistence, resistance and inspiration reincarnated.
We all know of her story: born in Burma, married and settled in the
UK, she returned to Burma to lead the country and, in the 1990 general
election, steered her party to a landslide victory. But the
anti-democracy Junta government put her under house arrest where she
would stay for almost 15 years. She didn't meet her family for over a decade and when in 1999 her husband died, she couldn't be there even to pay a final visit. Awards after awards flowed in,
including the Nobel peace prize, but Suu Kyi couldn't step out of her
home to receive them. No other leader I know, except Nelson Mandela of course, has undergone such tragedies and difficulties, just for the sake of democracy and love for the country.
However, no amount of evil, suppression and isolation could take away her
will or her ability to lead Burma towards democracy. And this Sunday(1st April) ,
when Burma had its general election again, Suu Kyi, freed by the Junta
government earlier, was there, as its emerging, beloved leader again.
***
I visited Burma in 2008, just when the country was hit by its worst natural disaster till date: a cyclone.
