Where To Lead
Oppressive regimes cannot hold sway over their populace for long. It is in the nature of man to resist oppression, aggression, abuse or misuse of power. Why was it put in man’s nature to resist is a tricky question though it can be answered with the logic of struggle for survival. This logic does away with all kind of complicated philosophical approaches to answering as to why human beings have been so successful in averting the menace of dictatorship. The very basic point of survival puts all the mankind at the same parameters; that of resistance to oppression and struggle for upholding of justice and human rights.
Whether a society is illiterate, politically unorganized, socially backward or economically feeble, history has given us enough examples to prove the point just discussed above. Myanmar (Burma) fits best to this theory. Although cut off from the world through years yet the people of Myanmar have learned to stand together for justice and freedom. Hungary, another example, was put to test by the Russian forces in the 20th century. Though they lost against the brute forces, they also put a brave resistance. Kashmir, Palestine, Lebanon and many others are just the evidence for the said theory.
Now looking at the troublesome times our country is going through, one cannot but laugh at the degree of naivety shown by country’s top officials. Naming it Emergency, Emergency+ or Mini Martial Law won’t change it from being a Dictatorship. The fact that a single person is holding the whole nation hostage in pursuance of his own goals, that the constitution has been put in abeyance, that a pen stroke of a single person is playing havoc with the 160 million lives, that bankers are running the country as administrators, that military personnel have overwhelmed the bureaucracy, that media has been gagged, that higher judiciary has been virtually guillotined, that lawyers have been tear gassed and baton charged, that human rights activists have been sent to lock-ups, that members of civil society have been met with barbarism, that academics have been barred from spreading awareness about politics, is enough for any person to hear the clear ringing. The claims of the government officials look ridiculous and an insult to the combined mental power of the country’s populace.
It is neither a chance nor a choice through which we have come at this junction. People look at the dictatorship as an alien concept – something thrusted upon them, a practical form of oppression. It is labelled with depriving people of their freedom, happiness, and satisfaction. It creates unrest, disintegration in social institutions, and rifts in the unity of different factions of a society. It has made people think of life not as a matter of right but as a matter of prize awarded by certain members of the society in a whimsical manner. Whereas people relate their inner happiness to their outward freedom as much as water is related to fish, to see this link go dead is the very objective of martial law.
Actually how a dictator acquires power is out of the purview of this writing. But it is interesting to note certain similarities in different instances of martial law. The bringing-up, imposition, maintenance, and profiteering from martial law has almost always been helped by low literacy rate, presence of feudalistic system, instability of social institutions, lack of political awareness, incompetent leadership and military’s strong hold of economy. Saddam Hussain in Iraq, Ayub, Yahya, Zia and Musharraf in Pakistan, Castro in Cuba and Gaddafi in Libya are good reference points who manipulated the above said weaknesses. Historically Tartars and Hitler were not too different also but with certain other clichés. Tatars were not socially and culturally advanced people, so, to expect high sociability or modern set of moral standards would stand no ground. Hitler, on the other hand, was a dictator, but with the distinction of somebody who played with the economic systems namely creating Fascism. Italy, Spain and Portugal had their share of misfortunes in facing dictators also.
Whatever other impacts of martial law are, it really affects the progress of the society in all its fields regressively. Five basic institutions of a society - family, religion, education, economy, political – are put under the hammer. Except for family, all other institutions have been disturbed and made instable by the long continual reigns of dictatorships in Pakistan. We are facing religious tensions in the form of sectarian violence. Our literacy rate is not satisfactory. Education has become a business and academics a market from where one can buy degrees rather than obtaining them. Contrary to the government’s claims, public has yet to see the fruits of the economic progress that the state machinery is busy in touting out loud about. Politics has become drawing room politics. Entire ministerial portfolios have been given on preference based upon nepotism and who can help in prolonging the Dark Ages.
This worsening situation has come to the fore for the national and international community to be discussed about. We need not only the way out of this but also steps ensuring no reprisal again ever. The corrective steps may include lifting of emergency, president’s relinquishing of Chief of Army Staff’s post, releasing of political workers, leaders, lawyers, ending the curbs on media, reinstatement of superior judiciary, free and fair elections under foreign observers, cancellations of all rules, laws and orders issued after November 3. While to ensure this does not happen again, steps like these could be taken; constitutional bar on COAS or any other military person to turn the tables, repeal of 17th Amendment in the Constitution, end of military’s role in national politics, real accountability of all governmental officials, procedure of amending the Constitutions be made tough, students union be allowed in higher education institutions of the country for political awareness, and last but not the least economy should be run like the economists and not the bankers.
