Adil Najam
Watching the news from Pakistan has become increasingly painful. All the more so this Eid when so many Pakistanis remain in distress. But this Eid the broadcasts on just about all news channels also had a touch of vulgarity that made things all that much more unbearable and made one cringe in distaste.
On newscast after newscast, in newsclip after newsclip, there was a cartoonish parade of one ‘leader’ after the other giving ‘Eidee‘ to and ‘spending Eid’ with flood victims. It was not just the artificiality of these clips – each of which seemed to be an exact copy of the other – that was nauseating, it was the sense that neither the leaders nor the newsfolks who were covering it understood or cared for the effect that this “manufactured news” has on the flood victims that they were using as “props” in their little dramas, or on the national morale.
For one it was another political photo-op and for the other just another way to fill airtime.
It does not matter who the ‘leaders’ were, because it was everyone – politicians in office, politicians out of office, politicians with no chance of ever being in office. What mattered was just how predictable the script was for these merchants of misery, politicians as well as media: newsclip starts with the most depressing picture of flood victims you can find; show a politician standing on dais surrounded by a coterie of hanger-ons, distributing boxes of goodies (often with their own pictures and political slogs printed on the boxes), obligatory head hand on head (dast-e-shafqat); cut to reporter who informs you that the politician has fulfilled his ‘promise’ of spending Eid with flood victims but also that there was discontent in the camp immediately after the leader left as people broke in on the goodies being distributed; cut to a victim claiming that he or she got nothing and only political favorites are being given the goodies; back to reporter who theatrically highlights grievances old and new, real and imagined, feed and fuels bitterness.
Both politician and reporter, it seems, leaves happy: the politician can claim that he is benevolent (you can be sure that they will tell the nation every detail in that evenings talk shows, and in some cases on their twitter feeds); the reporter can claim how they ‘exposed’ the truth (that the truth was manufactured for their convenience matters not).
So flood relief is about giving someone a dabba of mithai and a few other goodies with your own picture and slogan printed on the box? And a ten minute photo-op is what “spending Eid” looks like? And, by the way, that is exactly what the flood victims want and need right now: the security details, screenings, and being put on display as props for the benefit of political theatre and news cameras!
Reconstruction. Development. Livelihoods. Rehabilitation. All that can wait! What of the flood victims and their plight, you ask? That matters not. They, after all, are just props for this little drama meant to fill the airwaves!
I am sorry. I know I am getting carried away in my own emotions. But, maybe, sometimes we should. The vulgarity of the feudal mindset – barra sahib, the chaudhry, the wadeera, the sardar, will help out of the “kindness of his heart” and then, for all times to come, you will owe him for that benevolence – is what this was about. “Here is your gift. Remember very clearly who the gift is from. And in case it is not clear, let us print that on the box!”
This is not a display of citizens getting the assistance from their state, their society, and their institutions. This is serfs being reminded of who they owe their allegiance to. And through this all the media remains a willing accomplice; captives of theirs own narratives and forever chasing misery and grievance for a good story.
I understand that this is politics and this is media in the modern world of soundbite reporting. This is what the merchants of misery do. That you will see some of this everywhere. I understand that. But seeing the wall-to-wall vulgarity of benevolence and grievance that was on display this Eid was painful. Even heartbreaking.
At the very point when the flood victim’s biggest loss is their loss of dignity – that is what homelessness and helpnessness is really about – we choose to put their indignity on display in this most vulgar manner. Indeed, we add to that indignity by turning what were self-respecting citizens till a few weeks ago into groveling serfs and beggars.
Yes, aid provisions can come from sources and motivations that are charitable. But the provision of aid must never be at the cost of the dignity of those we are supposedly aiding. These are people who have lost nearly everything already. Let us not rob them of their dignity too. You do not treat or talk about them as if they were beggars and you doling out your largess to them.
They are not beggars and they must not be made to feel like beggars. These are citizens. They were the pillars of your economy yesterday, and they will define your future tomorrow. In a society where entitlement is already a disease of the powerful, do not make begging the affliction of the weak. They need, deserve and have a right to our generosity. But because it is the duty of the state and of society to assist them.
The story we need to be writing today is the story of institutions of state and society fulfilling their duty. The story that the children of these flood victims need to tell to their own children tomorrow is a story told by citizens of how state and society rose up for them in their time of need. Instead we (leaders, media and individuals alike) are writing a story of vulgar benevolence and entrenched grievance. A story that will told in the language of servitude, in the language of abandonment by state and society, in the language of beggars.
No nation can ever survive that story.
Adil, this is very strong. Some may say too strong. Heartfelt clearly, but very strong. I think you are right. But it is not just politicians and reporters, even individuals giving aid are treating the flood victims like beggars instead of as citizens.
We are all feudals at heart!
Yes, I also now find the medias coverage nauseating because it is so artificial and they seem to be making it all a photo-op.
People who earn their living from the lands have more self respect than those who work for others for a living. They feed the nation and in a way do us a huge favour by not heading to the cities for an easier lifestyle. We must return the favour by helping them without showing that its a burden on us.
Very thoughtfully written. But these politicians are doing what they always do, gathering votes. That is all they are concerned about.
The point you make about dignity and making flood victims into beggers by robbing them of their dignity is very important one, also for civil society. I wish people will think of this.
Not strong enough.
No handouts.
No charity.
Just equity and justice.
Fairness. There is plenty in the national treasure.
Fairness. Fairness. Fairness. (I cannot say it enough times. There is not enough bandwidth for this.)
There is a Pakistan beyond the city limits of three cities. Learn to share with fairness.
Equity and Justice demands fairness.
I have the audacity of hope, with fierce urgency of now.
God bless you for your humanity. The point you raise is always very important in any humanitarian intervention. We have to be careful that we do our work careful of the dignity of the people we are helping.
Thats wht i also noticed on these channels .that why every stakeholder was busy in brandishing their stakes whether that was those accomplised media houses people or any politicians who were in genuine position to play their roles effectively not being getting accomplised in any sort of their forforth concerns n interest.Why people are so coerced in this regards that every work which comes in their authority and for which they are genuinely responsible totally fend off.they are totally aversed i mean why.where is their comman courtest which implies from their discretions in this catastrophic times.where the magnitued of calamity is much bigger than ever.why every one has concerned just for their entilements not simply caring about substanive dispensible issues.
I dont think this was harsh and completely agree with the author.
Many people are using this as an opportunity to boast of their benevolence.
There is a reason that the Messenger of Allah said that give such that your left hand does not know what the right is giving.
Adil, I guess you are missing the point. I just read the ‘About ATP’ page and it said this blog will talk about problems and celeberations both. it said it will choose interesting, pertinent and neglected stories and issues. i see both these criteria missing in the blogs that i am reading here.
Please look into it.
Regards,
Afsheen
Excellent post. You have hit it on the head. The truth hurts and this will also anger some sycophants. I say let it.
I have Also been disturbed by the peacock behavior of these talking heads on tv who as as you say making beggers out of distressed citizens
Amazing. I was just thinking the same watching The news telecast yesterday. I think it was Mushahid Hussain and Nawaz Sharif doling out boxes but the whole body language was like dealing with beggers. And it just disturbed me to see that. So glad you wrote this so well.
I fully agree with you. The psycholiogical would we will leave of this proud citizens being treated and made to act like beggars will stay with them over generations and will influence how they see the country. These politicians and reporters are making a tamasha for their own immediate goals but they are playing with the country’s future.
Must say, I had not thought of it this way. But what you say makes a lot of sense.
These feudal lords who appear to be treating respectable people like beggars have themselves been begging from big foreign countries. That said, one must admit that a few of the leaders are urging restraint in asking for foreign aid. May be too late, though. When aid wasn’t necessary, they got the nation addicted to collective begging. Now might actuallyh be a time when foreign humanitarian aid would make sense, as it would for any country suffering from a natural disaster. But I agree with Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan that aid should be avoided, at least in good times.
We already know that this Media specially Electronic one is a new ‘Civilized Dacoit’ and Thug and want Sensationalism, Cheap Publicity and Glamour in everything. Welcome to the Corporate World of Media !
The issues confronting Pakistan today are enormous and the television has made them to look even more horrendous.
Issues which beg to be discussed seriously are portrayed in comical tones.They are presented in comical animations with bollywood music blaring in the background.
If at ever a program comes along,packaged as a so-called’documentary’it is interspersed with so many commercial breaks that viewers either lose focus on the subject or switch the channel altogether.After all we are a nation of short attention spans.
This is the reason,not one issue is being tackled by the media seriously.
Exactly. Love the line about bragging on twitter.
I have been following Salman Taseer, Mushahid Hussain and Salman Taseer’s twitters, and all of them keep bragging about how “THEY” “HELPED” in the most vulgar way on their twitters. Shame on all our politicians.
I feel no sense of shock over the images of Politicians doling out ‘goodies’ …its not like they were angels yesterday and today have turned into self serving monsters . As far as the media coverage goes it always follows the ‘golden’ rule “If it bleeds, it leads” so no surprises there either.
Instead of wasting my time feeling outraged about images that were totally predictable I took a lot of heart from what ordinary Pakistanis are doing to help their fellow countryman and woman. On facebook , friends have uploaded pictures of how they collected the items and then accompanied the trucks to distribute them, how entire families have postponed their plans of spending money on traditional Eid festivities and instead are investing in the Nation’s tomorrow by giving helping hands to those in peril now.
This Eid I traded my grief and outrage for hope and rejuvenation.
Nicely said. this Chaudhry attitude is quite disgusting. But I have also noticed a similar Begum Sahib attitude to charity by many individual givers who again have little attention to the dignity of the people they are helping.
Adil, your comments on display of vularity by many who are seeking media exposure are well timed. Vulgarity of feudal mindset, as you phrsaed it well, is evident every where on these news clips. All these figures of prominence must be taken to task for not doing enough in water mangement in the last many decades. Floods come each year. This year is particularly bad and could be a pre cursor to many other extreme floods in future. What will these leaders and media moguls do in future disastours? “Just more of the same”
This drama by Pakistani politicians is neither new nor rare. In fact it’s the norm. The “meetings” in fancy decorated rooms, the speeches, visits to foreign nations etc. It’s all a drama to fool the public. These flood photo-ops are just the worst form of that.
It felt nauseating! But the question we need to ask our selves is “How to stop this?”
1- We can blame the politicians, but i guess media should altogether boycott covering such events.
2- All the blame can go to politicians, but the general public should by now realize that these guys are not doing any favor to them, but doing their duty as “public servants”
The poor people, to meet their demands, succumb to these antics. Media should run shows exposing these politicians and should follow up on all the “ground breaking” of projects these politicians go to and whether they keep a track on them or not. They get the photo shoot opportunity and avoid the real opportunity!
Media awareness is what is required!
$11-Million Monument to Benazir Bhutto: APPROVED
at taxpayer’s expense.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shirin-sadeghi/benazir-bhutto-monument_b_710779.html
Who needs food …..
tragedy is , same poor jialay will be chanting ‘zinda hay bhutto zinda hay’ at the inauguration.
I agree with you . This vulgarity 0f benevolence and grievance is nauseating indeed.
**”Don’t give a fish rather teach fishing”**
I just wish someone comes up with a plan of empowering people, not giving them food but means to earn the food. I am not here to criticize politicians rather I would ask if anyone here has a plan to do something positive.
@Dr. Adil, you have previously channelized individual efforts at ATP, can you please think on these lines.
P.S. I have seen “Adopt a Family” program at CIIT already, but they are quite slow in organizing themselves so far, any such program can be planned at ATP
Isn’t it high time we start thinking why our country is what it is?
Going through all the comments above by so many learned and thinking Pakistanis leaves one in a rather worried state of mind.
Looking at our journey so far after the birth of our nation, and where we stand today, it seems impossible to see which way we are headed; what our future is, and what kind of a country our children will live in. The future, to me at least, does not look very rosy. The most worrying part is how the world is starting to look at Pakistan as a nation.
In my humble view, all such debates and discussions should lead us to some concrete action. Let us have some ideas for such action.
I totally agree. I worry about what these people will get from this vulgar ‘khairat’ for the future.