Syed Ahsan Ali
Recently PPP’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari told media categorically that we were not elected for the restoration of judges but for basic issues such as roti, kapra aur makaan. Since then factions in media have been trying to build up an argument about what is more essential, our basic necessities or restoration of an individual?
I am not going to ponder here about what did we vote for? But I’d like to draw the attention of all of my readers towards another thing which becomes a norm now in Pakistan society. We are turning into “us†and “them†kind of people who are always standing on one side of the line. As the famous line from Rodney King after the Los Angeles riots goes, “Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?”
In last few years, we heard all kinds of divisionary rhetorics, moderates or liberals, conservatives or non-conservatives, clean-shaven or bearded, extremist or non-extremists. Is it necessary to chose between the two? Why are we always like to be black and white, why can’t we own the grey areas in our lives, in our personalities and in our societies? Why am I forced to say that I voted for restoration of deposed judges? Can’t I say that I voted to choose leadership that could help this country in sorting out all basic issues whether it is grain, electricity, law and order or independent judiciary?
This mentality of to be one side of the fence is making our task of co-existing doubly difficult. It is dragging us to the new limits of extremity where we would always be bound to make such choices. It is also hampering our younger generation to develop an understanding which teaches them to accept certain things in life whether we like it or not. One thing about the life that we accept is its imperfection.
Why can’t we say with sense of ingenuity that President has done some good in the past eight years at the same time when he made some horrendous decisions? Why do we forget that Shoaib Akhtar has won matches as well for Pakistan in his career along with creating some mind-boggling controversies?
I accept that we have to draw a line when and what is more than enough and we should step forward to stop something bad to happen. But for that we have to keep our sense of astute decision-making alive at any cost. And unfortunately in past few years we have lost that. If we keep persisting with this thinking then tomorrow we would start out crying about weather, border, color of flowers, taste of fruits as we do when it comes to having beta or beti.
Now we all should promise ourselves that next time someone comes out and asks passionately whether you are with us or with them then we hold on for a second and decide that you can be on the both sides with clear thinking, focus and a will to co-exist.
We better learn quickly to co-exist and adjust.
I would say part of the problem has to do with us being a religious and conservative society. We are not ready to listen to a rational thought. We are not ready or willing to live or let live those who are different or have different point of view. e.g.
Why N.S. and the whole APDM is so persistent that THEIR IS THE ONLY to go forward. Did they get a divine revelation? AAZ and PPP have their own mandate and therefore have all the rights to have an opinion of their own. Why should that right be denied to them?
We need to get out of the “My way or the highway” attitude.
I must say that we do make everything into a battle of good and evil as others have said. Also turning everything into a battle of religion makes us even less tolerant as a society.
good point. You are exactly right we have become a black and white society where everything is either Haq or Batil and no gray areas
Ayaz, you hit it right on the head. I vividly remember my 4th grade teacher asking me if I was a Sunni or a Shi’ite. Based on this info, she was going to assign me to the right section of the religion class. Talk about systematically dividing the society.
Kudos to my dad, he put me in a Christian school instead.
You have absolutely mirrored my mind in your article. I couldn’t agree more that we see the world in only black and white. We need to educate our people to realize that there is much more to life.