There’s no scandal
like rags, nor any crime so shameful as poverty.
Active Visitors: 322 Total Hits: 16354966 Since June, 2007
The juxtaposition
Khurshid Zuberi
Load-shedding, announced and including unannounced, is almost for 10
hours out of every 24 hours; prices of atta, daal, ghee, cheenee, and,
of course, sabzee have been sky-rocketing instead of being reduced. It
is all going on even after up-side down change in the government.
Surprisingly enough, this unexpected change influenced the dogmatic
views of the people to the extent that all will be well with them, in
effect, proved otherwise. Innocent masses have actually lost their savvy
and they are wondering: Where have the ragtag and bobtail gone, who used
to go on rampage whenever and wherever there was any of the crises,
mentioned above? Now streets are totally dark, essential commodities are
too expensive, homes are now no more sweet. Naturally without light,
water and gas how can they be? Nothing can be said about upper and upper
most country but here in southern part, namely in Karachi, the situation
is quite appalling: here tyres and shops these days are not burning;
only hearts are burning now although the situation is worse than ever
before!
The other change that’s under gone now has bewildered the entire nation,
particularly those who did not participate in the recent general
elections and have nothing to do with the formation of national and
provincial governments. Obviously, they ask themselves, who the devil
tempted those poor parties that can move only on the crutches and
couldn’t stand erect on their own feet just like parasitic climbers to
form a coalition government with the support of others even at the cost
of self-claimed lofty ideals. It is an undeniable fact that the ears of
each and every leader are burning since they know that any sort of
coalition means burning of their bridges—hence accords, declarations
with hesitation and deliberations!
Now the people of Pakistan, although not more than 40% of them exercised
their franchise, are expecting some relief they might get after the
formation of the new government. Yes, 40% activists must be compensated,
for, they are real political workers who at the risk of their life led
their bosses to the altar. Therefore, Metropolises are going to be the
hub for reward- and award-giving ceremonies in honour of those who
suffered a lot in recent past. It’s an open secret now that metropolitan
populace are being lulled nowadays into a false sense of security. Those
who are profound having vast experience of the past and are able to peep
into the future are fully convinced that it is nothing else but a lull
before the storm…
Under the circumstances, where coalescent ruling parties and their
cronies are adamant to get their demands met at any cost, should the
60%, who didn’t opt voting, hope for any redress, or, on the contrary,
they must prepare themselves for any sort of political torsion or
torture. All sorts of possibilities are there: For pessimists, maybe, we
are heading towards head-on collision and total destruction while on the
other hand for optimists we have embarked on the path of peace, progress
and prosperity as unnatural, if not unholy, alliances among
ideologically different and diametrically opposite elitists have been
making poor masses dream a brighter tomorrow! Agreed—nothing is
impossible!?
Now let us come from possibilities to realities and here the harsh
realities of poverty, hunger, dearth of livelihood and exploitation of
hapless masses have been put aside and personal whims took precedence
over issues of welfare of needy persons and professionals, in addition
to it, those who used to condemn a personality cult they are destined to
face the music.
Here it suffices to say that the victims must take care of themselves
and not a single moment of the days gone-by be ignored or neglected, as
the old saying goes ab uno disce omnes. Realities are realities, they
are just like matter that cannot be destroyed, it changes only its
shape; similarly realities cannot be completely erased from the
memory—they are here now as they were there then. Although the persons
who have reached the altar apparently have been following the principle
of forgive and forget, still a microscopic view of a vertical
cross-section of the political society gives everybody the creeps. It
seems that situation has grown worse than ever before. Now the Head of
the State has been replaced with eminence grise, if not now, maybe, very
shortly when the National Assembly sits and the coalition government
puts forth its policy to work upon for the welfare of the entire nation
without any discrimination or reservation. Naturally, those coalescent,
who have their links out of the assembly and highly obliged by the
forces that have their fixed agenda, will have no other option except
creating hiccups in the smooth working of the National Assembly.
Reservations will crop up and consequently law and order situation will
be disturbed in peaceful areas to highlight some wrong decisions of the
government.
Definitely, malignity is not motiveless; it is in the store even today
since snap polls is the ultimate aim, obviously of those who had had a
great fall! Religious parties that are almost out of this assembly
cannot sit idle for five years and, on the other hand, elitists need
them most deviate peasants and workers from the real issues of
socio-economic condition of the country. Pretending religious leaders
have innumerable issues that have nothing to do with the temporal needs
of the common masses. Thus the course of action of the parties,
especially the religious-political parties, that did not take part in
the elections, is before the nation. Their sole purpose is to suppress
the working class and the peasantry just to serve the landlords and the
capitalist who are their sponsors. This has happened earlier as well and
now the history has repeated itself.
Isn’t it strange enough that in General Elections of February 2008,
especially for National Assembly, history has repeated itself but with a
difference? Let us recall into our memory the General Elections in
December 1970. These elections were held during the regime of Military
Dictator, General Yahya Khan, who took-over the command from Field
Marshal Ayub Khan. These were first ever direct elections in the history
of Pakistan on the basis of adult franchise at the national level.
Obviously, there was no permanent election machinery—hence a
three-member Election Commission with Justice Abdus Sattar as the Chief
Election Commissioner to organise the election was formed by General
Yahya Khan. Quite coincidentally, the Chief Election Commissioner had to
prepare electoral list since already available electoral list was only
for indirect elections and had had ‘spurious entries’. Justice Abdus
Sattar, CEC, issued Electoral Rolls Order, 1969. Problems in preparing
the electoral list for general Election 2008 are well known to each and
every one who has the right to vote. As far as political parties are
concerned they were mushrooming in 1970 as they were active in 2008
elections. Strangely enough, in 1970 hottest election debate was Islam
vs. Socialism and now in 2008 the issue was Islam vs. Modernisation and
enlightenment.
Thus History did what it used to do! The election symbols were to a
great extent similar or same: PPP—sword (now Arrow) QML—tiger and ConML—bicycle
and AL—boat (East Pakistan) and a religious party was allotted book as
election symbol. Religious and government sponsored parties couldn’t win
significant number of seats, on the contrary, other parties fighting for
the cause of socio-economic progress got heavy mandate—PPP in West
Pakistan and AL in East Pakistan. Isn’t it strange enough now again
Opposition Parties namely PPPP and PML(N) have secured such a number of
seats that they are in a comfortable position for a coalition
government. Now, if we juxtapose the events after 1970’s election and
the efforts of forming a coalition government now after 2008 elections,
we will find that how cruel the history is: it repeated itself but with
a difference.
Had this approach been in 1970, we would not have sustained a weeping
sore. Let us hope that ’70s juxtaposition of political ambitions be not
repeated!!
