Adil Najam
Today, December 10, marks the World Human Rights Day. The theme for this year’s World Human Rights Day is Dignity and Justice For All of Us. One could not possibly think of a more tragic reminder of the state that our country has descended into. It is easy, perhaps too easy, to focus only on the dimensions of injustice and indignity that are highlighted by Pakistan’s current political crises. The reality, however, is that the scars of economic indignity and economic injustice run even deeper.
The sad news is that he state (i.e., the government apparatus) has turned Pakistan into the land of indignity and injustice. The good news is that, divided as it is, society continues its struggle for dignity and justice. The State, with all the recourses that it has at its command, continues to employ ever harsher instruments of control leading to ever greater indignities and injustice for the citizenry. The resilience of society, however, stands tall and speaks out loud. At least for now.
And that is the great question that stares at us on this World Human Rights Day. Will the State’s instrumentality of oppression triumph over Society’s resilience and quest for dignity and justice?
I wish I could be as optimistic as I have been in the past, but right now its a 49-51 proposition and I do not know which side has the 51. I root, however, as I always have for society’s resilience which, even when beaten down, has a way of rising again and again despite the odds in what remains, in my view, a democratic society trpped within an undemocratic state.
The evidence is spread all over this blog and elsewhere. But it remains inconclusive.Society’s desire for justice and dignity is clear, it was best exemplified in the aftermath of was was labeled the ‘CJ Crisis‘ and the triumph of the popular movement to restore the Chief Justice gave great sustenance to civil society. But the same spirit has been seen in other areas ranging from citizen demands to save the Karachi coastline to the more recent civil society rising by journalists, lawyers and students. The government’s ability to take ever-harsher and ever-more stringent actions whether against those protesting against their ‘missing’ relatives or against lawyers and judges or against the media or against political opponents is also not in doubt. But what makes this a more difficult situation to call is the silence, even connivance (here and here), of the political parties who have either remained missing in action in most of the great struggles of recent months or have chimed in conveniently but often in ways that were “too little and too late.” Also disturbing is the violent streak within society that bursts out most disturbingly amongst those on the religious extremes but sometimes also inflicts (although, till now, at much much lower levels) those with more liberal agendas (here and here). It only serves to delegitimize even the legitimate aspects of their agendas.
If any place in the world understand, Pakistan understands that the struggle for human rights, for dignity and for justice cannot be confined to just one day. It cannot be a political movement of a moment. Of a certain profession or of a certain class or a certain grouping. It has be to a struggle in perpetuity and a struggle of society as a whole. And therein lies the real dilemma of a deeply divided society such as our own.
The question for today is about civil society’s protest against the State’s human rights record and how the State will respond to these protests. In the grand scheme of things, however, we shall be judged by history not only by what happens to a certain general, a particular political party, a bunch of judges, a group of TV channels or a movement of lawyers. History shall judge us by whether we as a State and as a Society were able to restore and respect the dignity of and justice for the ordinary citizen – dignity and justice in all its dimensions: political, economic, social, and more. Whatever struggles we partake in today, that and that alone, must be the ultimate goal.
For our friend “Yeh Kya Ho Raha Pakistan Kay Saath?” who thinks that “Mushy has given Pakistan freedom and dignity in last 7 years”:
http://pakistaniat.com/2006/12/28/police-shame-pak istan/
Though I think that he and other pro-Musharraf spammers are not good at reading. If they could read maybe they would not have left the nonsense they did. I guess poor guys have instructions to write certain things again and again as if by repeating them they become correct. Just proves how unintelligent our intelligence agencies are.
More then 80% of pakistanies do not care about other people’s rights. There has been some improvements tho but we will still find many people jumping ahead of the ques, denying own children right of education and women right to marry of their own choice etc. We need to educate people or else rules and laws will not mean anything. It is very disappointing how some of the minorities are treated in our society.
What can government do when people send their children to labor to payoff their debts?. Government cannot afford to hire one person to look after every 10 children and it gets more complicated, how do you provide housing, education and food to such children. Laws do not mean anything to these elders, can government afford to send them to jail? NO, can government employee them?, NO, we do not have enough resources!
The solution to this is community work and media has much to do. What musharraf calls Enlightenment, I believe. There was a discussion on ATP about ‘Ikhlaqiat’. Media who is so forfront in trying to demolish everything pakistan has achieved in last 5 years, should actually be showing short adverts and clips on such issues. We can get so many stories and quotes from our religion and history to make a 30 second clip that can motivate people to do right things. Just one clip to request people to respect ques, to give seat to women, to stop at zebra crossings if someone is waiting there, to offer water to thirsty and state how much sawab he will get for it etc
This is my problem with our religious leaders, they should be doing community work rather then playing politics and desiring power.
I think Media in pakistan is doing nothing, Nothing at all, they are just busy making money! and the whole nation has turned into Politics freak.
Mushy has given Pakistan freedom and dignity in last 7 years, I am sure no one one is perfect, But I expect him to make Pakistan an example of real freedom and human rights, with his new mandate. Long Live Mushy.
We are like little children, we need to go back to our beds and listen stories about the rights and struggle from our grandma. Here is one such story.
“Jabir Badshah aur Adil Qazi” ,
http://pejamistri.wordpress.com
Dignity and Justice theme would have been better if it was labeled, ‘Equity and Justice’. Alas, even those who espouse these ideals know, equity requires investment whereas, dignity is cost free. ‘here, we gave you dignity’.
But move we forward, and move we must, and lean on what we can. So, dignity with a small d is good enough as a first step.
But first, the lament: I find the educated of Pakistan, most arrogant. After receiving the best the system has offered them, insult the intelligence of the down trodden.
Witness the allocation of the ‘election symbols’. A bulb, a water tap and a fan, to make few. 70% of the people of Pakistan are denied these basic elements. The the ECP officials (and political parties in tow), laugh at the common man by telling them, ‘ha ha, can you recognize a bulb?’ ‘do you know what is a running tap water?’
We are fast moving where the $1 / day wages that denies basic (read elementary) necessities to people is not sustainable.
No one from outside is denying these basic rights to people of Pakistan. The educated of Pakistan are the impediment. We look in the mirror and it is us.
Equity and Justice will bring stability, faster.
It is the equity and justice, stupid.
Pakistan Zindabad
Pakistan Pa’indabad