By IANS,
New Delhi: The Egyptian revolution which ended the three-decade rule of Hosni Mubarak was inspired by the civil disobedience movement of Mahatma Gandhi, Egyptian presidential candidate and Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei said here.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave Friday night, ElBaradei said that young people in Egypt had to be told about successful models of non-violent struggle in the run-up to the protests.
“I told protesters about Gandhi and the way he took on the British colonial rulers. Gandhi’s non-violent struggle helped us in our journey to freedom,” ElBaradei said in his keynote address.
He also said that there would have been no revolution without internet.
“The revolution was the brainchild of internet,” he said.
He said Saturday’s historical referendum for the army’s proposal for constitutional changes will be a “watershed vote”.
Most of the opposition parties have been critical and urged the people to reject the proposals.
ElBaradei, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, was also critical of the army’s plan to hand over power within six months, saying that it was too short a period for a proper transition to form a new constitution and ensure a stable, secular Egypt.
“People’s appetite for elections is high and there is change in the air,” he said.