Srinagar, March 28 -- Revolutions are often cast as the great turning points of history, moments when ordinary people rose against entrenched power and demanded a new order. They are remembered as heroic ruptures, birthing new languages of liberty, equality and justice. Yet not all revolutions live up to their promises.

History bears witness that few revolutions have been as iconic-or as contradictory-as the French Revolution. It promised liberty, equality and fraternity, dismantling feudal privileges and inspiring democratic movements across Europe. Yet its legacy is marred by contradictions. The Reign of Terror epitomised the descent into authoritarianism, as Robespierre's Committee of Public Safety executed thousands, silenced dissent...