Of subjugators and subjugated

Subjugation, physical or mental, creates disastrous results-crippling the dominated to the extent they are neither dead nor alive. The agony of this state-perpetual despair and never-ending pain-is worse than extermination. History of subjugation and resistance presents vital lessons for humanity. Subjugation as the worst malady inflicts long-term slave mentality. Resistance on the contrary kindles the hope of life-regaining of freedom as its prime goal. The subjugators, even when temporarily defeated, strike back by ruling indirectly through proxies, sycophants and cronies. After Independence, this is exactly what happened to us. The elites in Pakistan made it a frontline State of imperialism and in the name of self-rule started exploiting the masses. General Ayub Khan joined US-sponsored SEATO & CENTO and adopted anti-people policies to counter “Red Asia.” Zia and Musharraf, toeing the same policies, made Pakistan a satellite state of the Western powers (one hopes that the legacy of Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, after his announcement of January 25, 2016 will end it). This is not only the tragedy of Pakistan, but that of many other countries of the Third World, post-independence period-Zulfikar Ali Bhutto explained this phenomenon in Myth of Independence.

The Late Neo-Colonialists still enjoy leverage in Pakistan. They operate through their henchmen, local gumashtas (agents). After independence, Pakistan was soon subjugated through military aristocratic bureaucracy. In the wake of judicial murder of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, every ruler has been subservient to the mighty men of this Garrison State (term elaborated by Professor Ishtiaq Ahmad in his scholarly work, Pakistan: The Garrison State: Origins, Evolution & Consequences 1947-2011).

The role of elites-civil-military-judicial complex-in the post-independent “security state” of Pakistan has been anti-people. Calling themselves “leaders”, they in reality, serve the foreign masters. It is a matter of record that a sitting speaker of the National Assembly told a British royalty in his chamber “my ancestors were humble servants of the Majesty and we still are your loyal servants” [see detailed work of Hassan N. Gardezi, Neocolonial Alliances and Crisis of Pakistan].

In Pakistan, unlike other re-subjugated nations, everybody takes great pride being part of the “invitees’ list” of the US, the UK and other Western embassies in Islamabad. In other places, people will reject such invitations-but in this Land of the Pure, even religious parties, claiming to be anti-USA and West, feel annoyed if not invited by foreign missions in Islamabad. They particularly beg to visitors from the US and other Western states: “Please deal with us alone. We alone have the leverage to bring extremists on terms with you.” Perhaps, they do not know that the US created these monsters and still have close liaison with them. A secret memo of the US State Department, published in a leading New York paper, revealed that “no political figure in Pakistan has ever turned down an invitation of US Embassy in Pakistan to attend a private party where alcohol is served. In private they criticise us and in such parties ask for personal favours.”

Daily we watch the media showing meetings of “foreign masters” with our leadership. Even one of our Chief Justices, who has recently launched a political party, fell victim to this undesirable ritual. Late Neo-Colonialists still treat us as their colony [fault is entirely ours and not theirs as beggars cannot be choosers] and we feel proud in taking their prescriptions for every ill, without realising that most of the problems, are merely due to this subservience, which can be overcome through public debates and political will and in much better ways. This “slavery syndrome” is one of the major reasons for our failure in becoming an independent polity and self-reliant economy.

Those who are commanding us, claiming to be champions of democracy and freedom (sic), have in fact created a chaotic world where might is right and “terrorism” has become part of policy of control. The powerful that matter in the global politics want perpetuation of their control through extremism, hand-picked cronies and lackeys in different countries. They support only those who promote cronyism. For example, those who joined hands with the dictator on directions of the United States were exonerated under the National Reconciliation Ordinance, 2007 [NRO]. This they called “political reconciliation.” Many viewed the NRO, promulgated in the late hours of 5th October 2007, just a few hours before the presidential elections (sic), a step towards further promoting and cementing the culture of loot and fraud in the country. They proved right as in the wake of February 18, 2008 elections, the beneficiaries of NRO started fooling the people again in the name of roti, kapra and makan, while themselves holding wealth of billions of rupees out of the country while crushing the people under Petroleum Levy. The same is now the case with their successors, claiming to be the champions of cause of the people with sons and sons-in-law rolling in wealth outside Pakistan.

The main cause of our present day pathetic socio-political and economic situation is existence of slave mentality and culture of cronyism. The rulers are least pushed to serve the people who elected them. Resultantly, we have inefficient, corrupt, repressive and criminal institutions, which do not give a damn for the welfare of the common people. Successive governments’ policies of self-aggrandizement have reduced Pakistan to a state-in-perpetual-conflict. Terrorist attacks-the latest one on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda on January 20, 2016-confirm that India and Afghanistan want to destabilise us in the wake of big Chinese economic activities, but we are being forced by the US to forge “good ties with them.”

The uncertain law and order situation testifies to the fact that prosperity and stability cannot be achieved by toeing policies of the exploiters. To counter greater chaos we require a bold and clean leadership which restrains the ballooning state and proclaims this unpalatable truth, and sets standards for the rest of the citizenry. And, that is exactly what we lack and then have the nerve to praise military aristocratic bureaucracy that cannot deliver politically.