AN EVIL NECESSITY

The Dawn, Friday, October 11, 1993


AN EVIL NECESSITY
By Adil Ahmad

The land of the might Indus has witnessed a transition in time. It has withstood the ravages of northern invaders, playing host to some unpleasant visitors.

Traditional hospitality and open heartedness on the part of local inhabitants has been mistaken for a submissive servility resulting in the guest overstaying his welcome, and the start of tensions invariably leading to full-fledged wars and hostilities.

Modern times have seen this land united under the seal of common religious belief, but little else. In Islam the religious fervour shared by its adherents should theoretically have surmounted petty regional differences. It should have provided for a unanimous viewpoint vis-à-vis the stated national objective - to inculcate and propagate the teachings of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). But 1414 years later no leader has yet emerged to unite all the petty, warning factions. Each generation without the shelter of an effective leadership adds to the confusion and agony of successive generations who’s multiplying numbers serve only to increase the suffering of humanity.

Democracy is a farce in such conditions. Barring the occasional flash in the pan, the leadership base is vested, self-serving, orthodox, unimaginative and, by and large, illiterate. Elections accomplish little else other than fuelling inflation. They are controversial and divisive, pitting brother against brother for the sole objective of gaining more power. The equality of man is a concept redundant and restricted to the Friday congregations in mosques.

In a society fashioned on blatant consumption, the pricy Pajero has come to denote the future hopes of the impoverished masses. It is the number one priority on the list of acquisitions of the newly-elected public representative.

The Pajero has become the symbol of rural supremacy. Rugged and posh, macho and suave, it provides the wadera with his security blanket much like the teddy bear when he was young. He travels the dirt roads in air-conditioned comfort, overwhelming the poor peasant and scattering his flock with not a care.

The Pajero has become the symbol of attrition and coercion, deciding the politics and livelihood of entire regions. No one questions the Pajero, much less the person inside it. As far as the finances go, public funds get diverted all the time from potential social projects to the power game of profile management. Sense of proportion? Nonexistent. Sense of civic responsibility? Nonexistent. Belief in the Day of Judgment? Possibly nonexistent.

With the advent of modern technology mankind was gifted with television and the automobile. The general populace rejoiced in its pleasure and leisure. Television and newsprint afford instant access to millions upon millions of potential adherents. Technology has in fact made the job of religion much easier.

So where is the problem? Why is the Pajero employed in spreading the word of an individual instead of the Word of God? Why is hedonism rampant amongst those to whom God has been most generous in material terms? And why is charity a thing of the past, and 'love thy neighbour' the utterance of a freak?

Devoid of proper shepherding in the centuries after him, the Prophet's (PBUH) flock has disintegrated into an amalgam of confused thoughts and conflicting viewpoints. It stands as a house divided. And yet there can be no conflict in the fundamental message, that there is but one God, and Mohammad (PBUH) is His last Prophet, and that the Quran is the Word of God.  This message commands universal acceptance and respect in the Muslim world. So where is the conflict?

It is ironical that it has taken a blasphemous book to unite the Muslim world. Today, as never before, the Muslim ummah speaks as one in its condemnation of an apostle of insanity. What the clergy could not achieve in centuries has been accomplished by a raving mad man. Shias, Sunnis, Barelvis, Deobandis have all closed ranks and spoken with one voice. In retrospect, Salman Rushdie may yet go down in history as an evil necessary for an Islamic reawakening.

Today, when the cornerstones of our belief are mocked, we have reacted with the same fervour and passion which characterised the beginning of Islam.

Immediately this fervour and passion has been put to the test. The happenings in Bosnia have challenged the depths of our feelings and exposed each one of us as nothing more than hypocrites and holy proclaimers. In a more regional context, the very long list of leaders and society elders with a wholly nonexistent notion of the word amanat, has confused the believers. Is there no one capable of dispensing a trust? Will the 'mighty' continue to rob and pillage the weak? Or will they perhaps, one day, lend a mighty shoulder to the poor and suffering, and ease their pain overnight.

The journey from hypocrite and proclaimer to sincere activist is one which must be undertaken without any delay. The gears of society are howling under the strain of inefficient ratios, inflicting untold pain and suffering on the innocent. The tools necessary for a rectification are there. An intelligent approach is all that is required.

Again, in the regional context, are intelligence and democracy compatible? Our experiment with it so far has been traumatic, to say the least. Democracy has fuelled the fires of regionalism, parochialism and communalism, and divided neighbourhoods into ethnic strongholds of hatred and enmity. Democracy has given birth to universal greed and turned the sacred vote into a prostitute of the worst kind, pitting brother against brother in the mad dash for her favours. Is democracy the answer to the question of our society's governance?

Indeed yes! Most certainly. It is the democratic spirit that is required up front and out in the open. The determination of that which is best for society. All sections of society. Specially those sections which are too poor and illiterate to think beyond their next meal. The multitudes in this section, unfortunately, comprise the largest segment in our region. Democracy for them translates to eating well for a few days around election time. Their deplorable condition does not allow them more thought on the subject. They are very gullible and ever eager to clap. They don't need a democratic spirit to establish their needs. Their need is very starkly defined. Food, shelter and dignity. There is no room for any debate. No need  for lengthy speeches and  public nataks.

The present day brand of democracy lays a premium first and last on cash and natak. The ability to think in terms of humanity at large is a handicap. Cash on the knob and natak on the streets equals public office guaranteed. The term vote in the bank. No cash? You're trash! The real trash with the cash floats to the top, sits in the assemblies, legislates God alone knows what with the pomp and splendour of the Caesars.

The upshot of this present day brand of democracy is ‘honour’ for the corrupt and immoral, and a society gone haywire in its value system. This road necessarily cannot be travelled too far since it ends in an abrupt cul-de-sac, or worse, leads over the edge into an abyss of no return.

So if democracy is not the answer to the question of our society's governance, then what is ? Our society is essentially feudal both in its composition and in its thinking. The sardar is an autocrat, a despot. To make it work, this society needs an enlightened feudal who would make a benevolent despot. The masses who comprise the tribes take a pride in their sardars, and in them find an object for their devotion and loyalty. If the sardars measure up, and earnestly desire for their people what they would desire for themselves, then we would have a harmonious coexistence, and the enlightened feudal would continue as a benevolent despot, carving himself a niche as an essential for society's governance.


With public accountability now rising as a priority in our scheme of things, this great love affair with democracy promises to blossom. The bottomline, however, remains accomplishment. Real progress that yields happy and contented faces. 

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