By: Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur
Dictatorial and unrepresentative governments can never be transparent and forthcoming on any issue be it social, economic, military or political. They suffer from what may be termed as the Chernobyl Syndrome; all must be remembering the clumsy Soviet attempt to deny that the catastrophe that had occurred hoping that no one would notice the fallout as it was invisible.
The unrepresentative regimes try to keep the dirty linen away from the public eye hoping no one will notice them not realizing that the fall out as in Chernobyl could be fatal. The tin pot dictators being more insecure are consequently more concerned with their image rather than the ground realities that require urgent remedy.
They are more inclined to assume a role far bigger than their capability or potential because the sycophants around them create a web which makes them see themselves in a different picture. This has been a reason for some of the major catastrophic events in this country’s history. They also have a penchant for vocal Information Ministers and spin doctors as is the case with the present regime. Incidentally these spin doctors have no scruples about whom they serve.
The excess of military and civilian dictators has been the major source of this blighted country’s misfortunes and it has been compounded by the active connivance and collaboration of the tumbleweed politicians who change their loyalties with slightest shift of fortunes, I need not state the apparent by recollecting the names of pseudo dynasties and individuals who have perfected this art and have thrived personally and dynasty wise at a great cost to this poor example of a country.
The history of this country is replete with instances of cover ups because in all the catastrophes, disasters, scandals, scams and violations here, the people who matter most are almost always involved. The cover up of the catastrophic debacle of East Pakistan, the atrocities and outrages in Baluchistan, the unmitigated Kargil disaster, the freezing of foreign accounts, the assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan, the writing off of the debts of the politicians and businessmen of different hues and colours, the Ojhri Camp, the frontal assault on the Supreme Court, the list is long and shameful but no one has ever been held accountable for all these misdeeds because invariably the perpetrators are the judge, the jury and the hangman. When it serves their purpose they even make use of blind FIRs, concoct evidence and bring forth false witnesses to prosecute someone who threatens their fiefdoms.
The treatment meted out to Dr.Shazia Khalid and Mukhtaran Mai is as inhuman as it is criminal. Note that both these were high profile victims, Mukhtaran was first brought to fore by the government and Dr.Shazia Khalid came into limelight when the Baluchs in Sui agitated in her favour to bring the culprits to book. The fate of victims whose voice fails to reach the public or the media can well be imagined and yet this government of enlightened moderation is more concerned with its image rather than providing justice to victims of rape and other injustices. It wants to keep them away from the public eye by denying them the right to travel or does so by sending them off on the quiet.
"Wronged Souls do not vanish" is an old saying which has proved true in case of Dr.Shazia Khalid who was violated in body and soul in Sui by those who were supposed to protect her. She had been sent out of the country to hush up the matters after the President himself had exonerated the alleged perpetrators of that heinous crime even before a Tribunal had had a chance to reflect upon the matter. She has now in not so many words in an interview according to the editorial in "Daily Times" of July 5th "basically accused the government of a cover up". Mukhtaran Mai too hit the headlines when she was put on ECL to stop her from attending the meeting arranged in USA by some NGOs.
The attempts by the government here to sweep all the supposedly unsavory happenings under the rug are an example of the Chernobyl syndrome but all the deeds rather the misdeeds of the governments and rulers will come to haunt them yet again.
The pusillanimity with which our rulers, their macho commando suits notwithstanding, give in to the demands of lowly State Dept. officials on issues they try to make a stand on ,without even trying to resist, is most shameful.
Either you do not disallow Mukhtaran Mai to leave the country and in bargain call the concerned NGOs ’fringe elements, worse than fundamentalists’ or if you do that than it is expected of you to at least stick to your guns even if you are as wrong as wrong can be, such pusillanimity helps no one most of all yourself as it exposes your true temperament and this is what gives this country a bad image and the super bully a chance to impose its will. No Dr.Shazia Khalid or Mukhtaran Mai can give the country a bad image it is our rulers who are responsible for doing that but unfortunately the public has become quite indifferent to the way this country is ruled or by whom it is ruled.
For a beginning instead of calling a conference of abused women let us have a conference about the politically, economically and socially abused populace of this blighted country and find the remedy for the relentless abuses they have suffered at the hands of numerous military and civilian rulers.
The conference should first of all address the issue of the involvement of military in the politics and find a mechanism to do away with it forever, once that is agreed upon it should tackle the matters relating to the politicians of easy virtue who have always aided and abetted in compounding the miseries of the people of this country.
All guilty on this count, I suppose not many politicians here would escape the sanctions, should be dispossessed of all their ill gotten wealth, this should not be difficult as only a cursory glance at their assets in comparison to their assets three or four decades ago would suffice.
Also a complete revamping of all state institutions should be brought about, it should include the Judiciary, the bureaucracy and the police. No institution should be exempted and that includes the Armed Forces too. The conference should also create Truth Commissions to investigate the swept away unsavory past to bring to an end for once and for all the Chernobyl Syndrome and its fall out on our society and lives.
I may be accused of advocating autocracy by demanding that the corrupt politicians be punished for their misdeeds but unless this is done we will have the same politicos usurping power time and again to make our lives more miserable. Need I say that in this country elections have hardly ever been representative of the peoples’ will and have invariably been won by those who have the wherewithal i.e. the money, the clout and the backing from proper quarters and also know how to manipulate the electoral machinery .
The problem is that who is going to bell the cat, it cannot be expected to be done either by the present set of rulers or by the politicians who benefit and thrive in this warped political system .The people will have to wake up from the indifference and lethargy to challenge the present system and bring about a change in their fate and the fate of this country which certainly deserves better rulers and a better deal than has been its lot.
Examples abound in South East Asia and Central Asia where people in very recent times have changed their destinies to a certain extent. Had this country had a better set of rulers it would not have suffered as it has and the people would have not suffered the interminable agony that they have been through and seem set to keep on suffering?
It would be better to act upon the adage Better late than never. It would however help to remember that Liberty always comes at a price. |
