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Politics
is a pendulum whose swings between anarchy and tyranny are fueled
by perpetually rejuvenated illusions
- Albert Einstein
Einstein's
analytic and rational mind synthesised a primal political phenomenon
that a social order has two poles: one of tyrannical domination by
a power that imposes a discipline, of whatever nature, moral or immoral,
malicious or benign. The second pole is anarchy where there is a vacuum
of power and individuals dictate their writ within their respective
domains according to opportunity or ability. Iraq under Saddam was
an example of the first pole and Afghanistan perpetually seems to
dwell in the second. The US has achieved a remarkable feat of transmuting
Iraq from one to the other pole - from tyranny to anarchy with frightening
nonchalance.
With Pakistan, the case is rather complex, far beyond the grasp of
'Condi-vision' it seems. US is overtly supporting a tyrannical (or
at least totalitarian) rule of General Musharraf with intent to contain
anarchy in this strategically critical region. At best, it could be
policy of 'setting a thief to catch a thief' or at worst, simply a
tactical necessity for securing the business interests of its corporate
engine of governance.
This unsolicited benevolence of attention is advancing the opposite
ends. The need to provide unequivocal support to a military president
is increasingly being diluted by US's self-proclaimed commitment to
promotion of democracy and freedom in the cradles of terrorism. One
man's meat is another man's poison! Advancement of democracy may be
a good ruse in Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt and Iran but in Pakistan,
'a golden heart is no good at a poker game' it appears to the State
Department in Washington - hence the accolades for the General. As
this selective treatment of Pakistan visibly depreciates credibility
of US policies and further inflames anti US sentiments in Pakistan
(highest in any country according to latest surveys), the government
has been asked to co-opt one of the two popular parties in its mission
to securitize Pakistan. To secure itself the regime is exercising
selective amnesia by exorcising the demonised image of Ms. Bhutto
and Shareef brothers that it had created five years ago. Nothing clears
the head like the sight of the gallows; who said that?
It is more ominous what these mega-political manipulations are doing
to the average Pakistani's psyche. People need an emotional mooring;
in infancy and childhood, parents and family provide that mooring
- the warm cocoon of emotive security. As we grow up we need broader
moorings - communal belonging, professional security, ideological
affiliations and most of all security of an institutional governance
system in which to repose faith. In reality, we never really grow
up fully; we are always seeking substitutes for parental security
that we once knew as a haven of safety. The government provides that
substitute for most people. If it fails to do so then it has a devastating
impact on individual psyche. It is clinically recognised how lack
of parental caring and security can traumatise a child's personality
forever. Delinquency is the mildest consequence of such deprivations;
serious impact can lead to suicidal and homicidal tendencies.
The science of socio-psychology is nascent even in the developed countries.
It confines itself to study of people's behaviour under corporate
environment in most studies. It took over hundred years to convince
people to subject themselves, as individuals, to ailments of the mind;
god knows how long it will take to convince governments to volunteer
for such scrutiny, especially those in our part of the world where
every person in power is infected with delusions of infallibility.
Situation has arrived in Pakistan where people are taking the comedians
seriously and the politicians as a joke. Morsels of truth flicker
through satirical pieces in the Friday Times or sarcastic columns
of Ayaz Amir, Masood Hassan the likes, whereas ministers and politicians
provide inadvertent humour for a disbelieving populace. Sheikh Rasheed
talks about the opposition as if it was spreading leprosy and the
Prime Minister would have us believe that any flaw in his government
is nothing but a figment of our imagination. His 'smirk of the decade'
smile sends a chill down my spine as he tries to whitewash facts to
support his sense of complacency. I would rather have a P.M. who humbly
admits all is not well; he is trying his best and would welcome suggestions
to make things better, rather than a smug look that says, "I
know better so don't tell me." At least I could glean some pride
in my government out of his candidness and humility.
How are people reacting to this existential confusion? Just like orphaned
children - resigned to their fate but resolute in surviving. They
have lost all faith in morals and rules of conduct; anything goes.
Nothing is sacred, not even faith, which is up for bargain to the
highest bidder. Nothing is worthy of trust or respect, all idols have
shown feet of clay. Therefore, sanity lies in doing the best under
the given circumstances for oneself and the family. Back scratching
is a necessity without scruples. You can bribe, coerce, beg and use
'Safarish' to wrangle out of any trouble in violating rules, whether
they are traffic violations, tax evasion, bank defaults, crimes of
passion, poll manipulation whatever. Every one does it from top to
bottom. Anarchy of the mind is endemic.
Such free for all mentality creates friction in the society as interest's
clash. Every action creates a reaction and the chain cycle snowballs
into larger conflicts. To contain conflicts more force is required,
which creates more dissent and so forth. The government tries to impose
its writ in dissenting area but it is a losing battle, as it was in
East Pakistan, since it has neither the high moral ground nor the
executive wherewithal to do so. A government that cannot clean the
metropolitan streets of syndicated beggary, or get the taxi meters
running right under its nose, or catch tax evasion, which is screaming
on the roads or make decisions that it doesn't have to reverse under
pressures, cannot hope to assert its writ effectively in any area.
Pakistan is unique in that tyranny and anarchy thrive concurrently
- tyranny out of a sense of impotency of the rulers and anarchy because
it has become second nature of the people. We have made an art form
out of anarchy, administering it to ourselves just short of lethal
doses.
Iqbal
Mustafa
email: mustafa@hujra.com
Archives available at www.hujra.com
1045 words
25 March 2005
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