Revolution 2020: Corruption, injustice and inequality, what more can one ask for

Chetan Bhagat's Revolution 2020 is a stirring story which mirrors love, corruption and ambitions.

Chetan Bhaghat’s Revolution 2020 is a stirring story which mirrors love, corruption and ambitions. Bhaghat is a well-renowned Indian writer, who is famous for his novels such as Half Girlfriend, Two States, Call Centre, among others. We have also seen depiction of his novels in Bollywood movies.

Revolution 2020 revolves around three childhood friends Gopal, Raghav, and Aarti. Gopal belongs to a middle-class family and aims to become a rich man. Hence he uses his knowledge to make money. On the other hand, coming from a wealthy family, Raghav’s goals are to use his intellect to start a revolution and make a difference in the society. Aarti comes from a political family and she plans to become an air hostess.  They strive to find success and happiness in Varanasi (a place in India). However, the twist in the story is that Raghav and Gopal fall in love with the same girl, Aarti.

Despite obtaining a qualified degree in engineering, Raghav becomes a journalist, as per his interest and passion. Gopal attempts to fulfil his father’s wishes but does not qualify, regardless of his two consecutive attempts at the engineering entry test, as he personally holds no interest in the field. Aarti tends to motivate both her friends to follow their own desire and considers Gopal to be her best friend.

Who succeeds between Gopal and Raghav?

This question builds curiosity for the reader, as firstly Gopal supports the system and Raghav fights against the system. Secondly, out of the two lovers, who wins Aarti’s heart?

I particularly like the way the book portrays how the politicians have promoted corruption due to their own selfish interests. In true sense, the book reveals how the politicians are the representatives of the citizens as they are chosen by the public. But after winning their seats and status, most of them do not fulfil their prime duty. Thus to no surprise, the society suffers from instability.

Moving on to the characters, Raghav inspired me the most, specifically his determination to abolish corruption in the society. He launches his own local newspaper which aims to give a voice to the oppressed and discloses what is behind the cover. It is undoubtedly a thought-provoking task.

The vital lessons which one can learn from the book are,

1. It motivates the readers to tell the truth and causes awareness in a society where corruption is at its peak, injustice is common and inequality is widespread.

2. The situation of Pakistani media comes to my attention. The bullet is the price one pays for telling the truth. Those who follow the trends painted by the pressure groups succeed and stay secure. On the other hand, the journalists who work with honesty, ethics and go against the state tend to suffer in chaotic ways. Not only does their professional life suffer, but even their personal life is at risk. Thus silence is their only option.

3. Lastly, this subject is of my interest as it gives me something substantial to learn from.

Besides this, another focal point in the story is career counselling. A number of students are unaware of their subject of interest, especially those who are instructed to choose specific fields by their families or peers.

I recommend this book to college students to attain prior knowledge regarding career counselling. The message this book carries will come in handy; change must come. It’s a requirement for every developing society to progress effectively.