Sikandar Noorani
OVER a period of time, media warriors and self-acclaimed intellectuals mostly active on social media have developed extra-ordinary fondness with the word ‘Debate’ in our land of the pure. Another highly misused tendency in such circles is ‘Raising of Question’. There is nothing wrong in debating any issue as far as concerned quarters and appropriately qualified intellectuals contribute to explore the right course. Absence of this particular trait is spoiling the purpose of popular social media debates taking place mostly among the non-serious and ill-informed time passer circles. Social media tools are playing revolutionary role by rapidly transferring the urgently needed piece of information worldwide. During these testing times of pandemic driven social distancing and isolation, digital means provided a great relief in society. While having deep realization for vast benefits of latest technology, one should not hesitate in pointing out the non-serious usage of social media platforms in debating sensitive issues.
A political party having a larger fan club on social media than its opponents cannot form government without obtaining electoral majority. Obviously, non-serious social media following cannot be taken as a valid substitution of much serious and precise exercise of election. Likewise, serious matters related to policy formulation, ideology and national security cannot be dealt through non-serious weird social media hashtags or trends. Unfortunately, tricking the public opinion through social media campaigning has become a new normal in our land of pure. Involvement of three major political parties in social media war is well known to masses. Social media teams deputed to ditch the opponents leave no stone unturned in fulfilling the mission through generating trends, hashtags and so-called debates. Let’s admit that obsession to fight political battles in the arena of social media has eventually resulted in rapid death of values, virtues and logic. Addiction of society with such non-credible modes of communication is dangerously contributing in widening the older fault lines. Arch rival enemies are all set to play havoc with Pakistan’s social order and moral fabric. Country needs to treat the rapid spread of disunity and polarization which is mostly being pumped up through foreign based fake social media accounts.
Let’s recall the report circling on media about thousands of social media accounts being operated from Afghanistan to fan the linguistic hatred and public anxiety. So-called rights activists of PTM have been seen exerting beyond the limits to exploit the precarious situation of war ridden areas of erstwhile FATA belt. No one can deny that Afghan soil is being intensely used by India to destabilize Pakistan through terrorist proxies. Prior to terrorism, weapon of linguistic hatred had also been vigorously applied by New Delhi since the days of Pundit Nehru with an aim to carve out the KP province from Pakistan. On the false pretext of Pashtoon rights, so-called activists wanted to reset the border line at Attock bridge. Though, Pakistan survived this deadly attack but venom of linguistic cum racial prejudice injected by India did play its deadly part in East Pakistan. A cursory glance may be enough to comprehend that same traditional enemy is hell bent to disintegrate Pakistan again with a deadly combination of terrorism and linguistic hatred. Social media tools being capable enough of rapidly transmitting a message without disclosing the real identity of user and point of origin are best suited to inculcate the devilish ideas in immature minds of the youth.
Enemies are targeting every concept and value which strengthens the existence of Pakistan as a sovereign state. In the garb of right to freedom of expression, dubious quarters are attacking at the core socio-religious values and ideology of Pakistan. Well-decided matters related to ideology and creation of Pakistan are being revisited to shake the collective belief of masses right on very existence of state. Enemy knows well that undoing Pakistan is not possible without neutralizing the two-nation theory. Combination of racial, linguistic and territorial division coupled with ill-intended debates on core religious values may reverse the existence of Pakistan as a sovereign state. Who else can pursue such venomous moves other than RSS-influenced Modi regime? Pakistan is the biggest hurdle in establishment of ‘Akhund Bharat’! The wound of sub-continent’s division is still fresh in the hearts of ‘Hindutva Brigade’!
Pakistan’s commitment with Islamic ideology doesn’t mean any harm to the religious minorities. Islam, as compared to the confusing concepts of secularism, offers an excellent code for minorities. Those advocates of secularism battling on social media against Islamic texture of our constitution should take some handy lessons from rise of RSS from the womb of Indian secularism. As per the constitution our state religion is Islam and there should be no discrimination with any citizen on the basis of linguistic or racial identity. Pakistan came into being on the basis of two-nation theory and none of our founders ever had any inclination towards secularism. It was India which raised the slogan of secularism and gave birth to Hindutva ideology. Pakistan’s commitment with Islam and two-nation theory is not questionable. Foreign-influenced social media warriors generating ill-intended debate over settled issues and spreading linguistic hatred in the garb of fundamental rights are actually playing in the hands of enemy.
—The writer is a free lancer who often contributes in national newspapers.
