Democracy is best revenge
NO doubt, democracy is the best revenge when a poor woman does not find a place in the hospital and has to deliver her baby near a garbage heap, democracy is the best revenge when there are different standards of justice in the courts of law, for the citizens of the same country
Indeed, democracy is the best revenge in a country where powerful is above the law and is frequently seen brazenly flaunting the law and looks around with pride and a touch of self assumed superiority.
Benazir Bhutto used to utter “Democracy is the best revenge” in her political gatherings. What she was having in her mind when she used to say these words, only God knows, wish she was alive to answer her belief to this democracy-stricken helpless nation.
Not an intricate, but a light analysis is sufficient to understand why democracy is the best revenge in the context of our existing democratic setup.
Political parties, which are the basic constituents in any democratic set-up are mostly undemocratic in nature in Pakistan. Registered political parties are mostly dynastic, or are run under one man rule
Charisma of personality overpowers all democratic norms and true political culture and the spirit of democracy. Loyalty to the party, of the party members, has absolute precedence over personal integrity.
This means unconditional support to the party’s stance without even recognizing the distinction between black and white, right or wrong.
TV talk shows in the evening are the best sites to witness the loyalty of political workers for their party and the party leaders.
The chorus of supremacy of Parliament is sung by almost every parliamentarian. What did this parliament, for the past more than thirteen years of uninterrupted democracy, has delivered to the nation.
Prestigiously addressed as the “Law Makers”, the lawmakers could not do any law making for the basic needs of this society. Education, health, justice, police, tax reforms, land reforms are all in the same old mess.
Situation has rather deteriorated further due to increased level of corruption and lack of honest and impartial accountability and award of punishment to the wrong doers.
Not much is needed to be done to be revengeful to a society if justice is denied and the throat of merit is choked. Quota system played havoc with the merit in Pakistan.
Implementation of quota system was an ad hoc approach to balance the input of educated and skilled manpower with less educated and less skilled workers.
Instead of establishing a sound basic education system throughout the country particularly in rural areas, policy makers suggested the imposition of quota system.
Education has never been a priority of those who had reign of this country. The result of marginalization of merit was visible in the form of incompetent and corrupt personnel occupying top decision making positions.
Worthy to mention here are Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, both countries are much smaller in size and became independent lot later than Pakistan, but have literacy rate standing at 74.4% and 96.3% respectively. Embarrassingly, Pakistan’s literacy rate after three quarters of a century stands at 59%.
Democracy in Pakistan is best justified to be revengeful to its citizens for the existence of class oriented justice system.
Custodians of democracy, respectfully called “Lawmakers”, could produce nothing to revamp the deplorable state of the old justice system which this nation inherited from its former British masters.
Safety, security, maintenance of law & order and protection of basic civilian rights fall in the domain of police department and is only possible through an efficient and effective police system.
Thousands of harrowing tales of civilian mistreatment at the police stations across the country can be arranged in a voluminous book with title “Crime against Civil society”.
Disappointing to witness, nation again does not see anything on police reforms coming out of the most sacred house in the country, “Parliament House”, a house which is being run by the propellants of democracy. Revenge theory acquires further strength after above fact stating.
Almost every National Assembly session which citizens of this country watch on their TV screens is marred by rumpus and vulgar conduct of the parliamentarians. Most pressing issues of the common man and the society are barely being discussed seriously.
However, there is a kind of occasion in Parliament House when all Parliament Members stand together and equivocally pass the resolution and the bill acquires the status of a law, and this is when they raise their salaries and perks according to their wish. Here the seal is set to say “Democracy is the best revenge”.
It all happens in a defunct democratic system which has been imposed upon this unfortunate nation.
Certainly true democracy is the best way to rule or to govern a society, only if it is truly based on this belief “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people”, Abraham Lincoln, otherwise democracy remains the best revenge.
