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| Sunday, 17 July 2005 |
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French National Day, July 14 : French led the way to Revolution by Samangie Wettimuny As usual the people of France celebrated their National Day on July 14. Since 1789, this day is of great significance for them, the symbol of the end of monarchy and the beginning of the Republic. On July 14, 1790, the year after the fall of the Bastille, delegates from all parts of France gathered in Paris and declared their support to one National Community, setting an example for the rest of Europe. Now in France each town has its own special celebrations to mark this special day, ending late at night with traditional fire work displays. French Revolution More than 200 years ago, when Sri Lanka was under the rule of Dutch (few years before British arrived in Sri Lanka in 1792), away in Europe seeds of a great social change was gradually emerging. In 1789, France was bankrupt as a result of the excessive expenses of the Royal family and Nobility. Ironically none of them paid any tax at all, instead the ordinary people (92 per cent of the whole population) had to pay 75 per cent of their income on taxes. Being totally ignorant of the sufferings of the ordinary masses, King Louis xvi and his ministers were of the view that making people pay even higher taxes could help the country to survive. Tired of the monarchy, so determined were the civilians of France to seek a solution to their on going miseries. As a result when the Estates-General was convened in May 1789, Third Estate which represented the ordinary people (Estates General was consistent of First Estate, Second Estate and the Third Estate) soon broke away and formed the National Assembley. The break away was soon followed by attacking Bastille on July 14, the symbol of the unlimited power of the French Monarchs who could imprison people with out a trial as long as they wished. The storming of Bastille marked the start of the French revolution, the most straight forward primary stage of a movement which later spread out in the entire Europe as a freedom movement. Thus the movement which primarily sprung up against arbitrary rule of the king, paved the way for a religious, social and economic revolution on the whole. Ever since, for the people in France, the storming of Bastille symbolises freedom and democracy as it was the first revolutionary act against all forms of oppression. Rights of Man and Citizen Out of the attempts for greater human freedom in the 18th Century, Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of France which is an outcome of the National Assembley is of great importance as it enshrines the basic rights of liberty and equality. Though influenced by the Declaration of Independence in the United States, the French Declaration had origins of its own. It reflects to a large extent the philosophy of the Enlightenment and the views of the authors like Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau. As a result the declaration was claimed to be universal in application and its publication had a great repercussion on the western thought. The French still consider the idea of the nation based on a voluntary union, the principles of human rights and national sovereignty, the rule of law and the republican form of government as the ever lasting gains of the French Revolution. Today France flourishes at the top as one of the most powerful industrial countries in the world always giving a helping hand to those who are in need. In fact the relationship between France and Sri Lanka was further strengthened during the past few months, immediately following the tsunami as the former was genuinely involved in the reconstruction process of Sri Lanka. |
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