Nilofer’s
Corner : Instant Fix & Mixed Messages.
Returning home after 3 months a sense of
relief descended. Pakistan has a way of remaining on the edge like no other
country, and I have had the fortunate of living in a few. The chaotic madness
at the airport with no one in charge was a decent hint for things to come.
Tahir ul Qadiri’s arrival in Islamabad, and
his strangest of exists has left many questions and certainly a deep impression.
I did not expect a peaceful gathering of thousands over several days was
possible, not in Pakistan, not in our DNA, but it happened. I suppose if we can
queue quietly at Heathrow airport and remain civilized on most occasions when
we are outside of the land of pure, those instincts Can be called upon,
occasionally, inside the land of the pure? Speaking to the young in the TUQ
dharna, I was impressed by the Jazba & the clarity of why they were
peacefully protesting. Poppy cock I would say to those who tried and continue
to argue, that the protesters were mere lambs hypnotized by a
charlatan.
I found the arguments of some of the
critics, these were merely preacher TUQ’s followers, frankly a little
irrelevant. Bewildering how the people
at the Dharna have been completely overlooked in the intense campaign to
discredit, ridicule and shift attention away from the elephant in the room, on
the eve of (possible change) elections why were so many men, women and children
protesting for relief and reform?
What has brought out Pakistan’s middle
class out on the streets? These folk are socially conservative, leaving the
confines of their homes and protected spaces requires a little more insight
than has been given. Some of us have taken Dharna’s for granted, this is an
uncommon phenomenon in our parts and when large ones occur it is an event of
consideration. Dismissing this is merely doing disservice to the thousands if
not tens of thousands of one of us. Yes one of us.
The middle class in Pakistan is
conservative, religious and traditionally does not participate in mainstream
politics. The urban vote has been indifferent to the political process-so far.
The religious and conservative parties PML N and JI & JUI have an urban
profile but the brand of religious political leanings has been Salafi infused
ideas; TUQ supporters on the other hand are from the Bareli school of thought;
religious and conservative but from my observation and conversations, different
from the Saudiazation of Pakistani urban religious mindset. Superficially,
their garb, greetings& headgear would suggest the influence of the Arabs,
but what they believed in, if we bothered to listen to them, was most
definitely not. There concerns included basic needs, the lack of security,
absence of jobs and rampant corruption at every level of living. Concerns most
citizens should be demanding of their elected leaders. Tolerant interpretation
of faith, accepting of non-Muslims as equal citizens of Pakistan; these are
radical ideas coming from the religiously inclined.
This seriously ‘secular’ or ‘all are equal
under the law principle’ I would have expected from one of our mainstream fake
liberal political parties not from a conservative religious group? Further I did not see any support of anarchy
or rejecting the Constitution of Pakistan. The running grievances were
centralized around the idea of reforming the existing system. There was a very
strong sense that the existing system is designed to malfunction, a system
which refuses to reform.
Remarkably calm peaceful and determined,
the usually emotional Pakistani in a group environment surprised everyone. Not
a ‘leaf moved out of place’ as the preacher promised. In the middle of
Islamabad’s commercial district with shops, bakeries, electronic stores worth
millions nothing was touched. These citizens of Pakistan wanted to register
their discontent with the democratically elected leaders on the eve of the
elections. Perhaps, finally, the silent majority that we speak of, which aren’t
‘radical’ or ‘violent’ have arrived? Not sure if anyone was listening or paying
any attention?
For the democrats in Pakistan, if these
protesters, from the heart of Punjab represent our middle class sentiments as
well, we need to reflect on the hypocrisy of our own liberal discourse. As
liberals we profess ideals of democracy, tolerant values in social political
life but do not reflect on our public posturing. The constant support to groups
both political and non-which clearly deviate from any notions of egalitarian
values or mores in behavior cannot continue. In the garb of defending liberal
ideals we nurture the cancer that eats the fiber of our social political
existence. Why do we continue to defend political platform(s) that have little vision
for the future for ordinary Pakistanis? Drumming up the dead, who have by no means any
record of defending liberal ideals, furthering an imagined myth continuing the
servitude of millions fed by a dream, which cannot be fulfilled, is criminal.
We have blood on our hands as they say. Class (interests) seems to be permanent
and form temporary.
A sleepy section of Pakistan’s middle class
has politically awakened. What can we do to sustain their tolerant values
towards a democratic polity? What strategies can one adopt? Fight intolerance
with tolerance? What kind of tolerance is acceptable to the people of Pakistan?
As an Islamic republic, do we need religion to fight religion? Is this the new
strategy? Some have argued by using religion would cede space to the idea that
the religious can only ‘make sense’ to ‘these people’, which for some of us
secularist would be difficult to digest. How do we introduce a rational form of
political discourse where ‘god’ isn’t invoked to end an argument? Agreed. But
then how do we converse with 40% of our urban/peri urban literate population,
who also demand ‘a platform of trust’? How
do we engage with a group that has lost its trust with both the mainstream
political parties? These parties may have not been proven guilty by our courts
but have certainly been pronounced guilty and condemned by the vast public. The
argument that this has been a sustained campaign against the politicians by the
security establishment and their handmaidens doesn’t suffice alone given the
very public abuse of power and financial corruption evident in daily life. Hence
how do we engage with the angry urban millions?
Was TUC using the lack of ‘roti kapra aur
makan’ a genuine grievance resonating through millions of souls ready to be led
towards a better Pakistan playing another geo political game? Is the reason why
he arrived from Canada recently about ensuring a shift of foreign policy
objectives instead of strengthening social security in Pakistan? Have these two
ideas converged in the minds of the powers that be?
This is where TUQ seems to have been
provided a space by god knows whom. Is the preacher with many flaws the magic
silver bullet to the Salafi narrative? Killing pretty much anyone who isn’t
Punjabi or Wahhabi isn’t very sensible, or controllable it seems? To counter
this radicalism, starting with the heart of Punjab, a religious interpretation that
is familiar, indigenous and tolerant? Berelvi politics absent from mainstream
politics up till now, a tool perhaps for those who want to maintain a
democratic order in Pakistan without upsetting too many carts? The million-dollar question, who is getting
manipulated?
I digress, like so many; what about the
women, children and men who genuinely have grievances against the powers that
be? How can we reassure the middle class of Pakistan that the existing system
is a process they should engage in? They must vote; feel assured their vote
will count? The candidates will reflect in words and in behavior the needs of
their constituents? The hollowness of
give the system ‘time’ isn’t going to cut it with these educated folk. How can we
reassure them when any step to try and strengthen, improve, tighten obvious loopholes,
are ignored? Once again liberal democrats and not so liberal democrats cannot
merely banter the word democracy without admitting their hypocrisy. Democracy
means power of the people. Voting isn’t the only indicator of this idea; candidates
must be worthy of this honorable responsibility. Here in lies our dilemma. Who
do we consider ‘worthy’ of this honor? Which is more important loyalty to a
myth or truthfulness to the people of Pakistan? How we support the people of
Pakistan in the coming days, leading up to the election is on us.
