The Power Lies With The People

The political scene in Pakistan is forever in vogue. Whether its television, the internet or Social Networking sites, there is an over powering influence of this Siyasee Munzarnama!

In University, while I struggled with Economics, my friends thoroughly enjoyed lectures on Political Science. I was quite fond of the teacher who taught with a passion and therefore, whenever possible, I would sit through her lectures and she too would welcome the questions that I would raise enjoying the simplicity of thoughts.

It was through those brief encounters that I realized that Political discussions were quite interesting and often the answers didn’t come that easily. What excited me about the subject were the innumerable possibilities and arguments that were put forward while trying to evolve a solution.

While studying ‘Democracy’ I distinctly remember the lines:

The power lies with the people.

The elected representatives are there to serve the people.

Years have gone by and with this passing time, the media has played a pivotal role in educating the masses about the country’s political scenario. Some have been fair in their evaluations whilst others have manipulated situations and created a tempered landscape.

Today we have begun to understand the significance of the right to vote. There is much buzz about the Election Year! Yet I always wonder if we’ll get through the process without losing our power.

“Nawaz Sharif is our Hero!” declare the PMLN devotees.

“PM Gilani is Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s Loyalist!” is PPP’s slogan.

“Imran Khan Saada Sher eh!” defend the PTI followers.

“Hamarey Quaid ke liye apni jaan bhi hazir hey!” chant the MQM believers.

It’s an educative experience watching them sit in one room and defend their leaders. Emotionally driven to the point where they are ready to teach their opponents a lesson by verbal humiliation and sometimes even undignified personal attacks.

Why is it so important for us to place our representatives on such high pedestals? What makes us so divided in our wants and needs? Is it possible that each one of us desires a different Pakistan?

If not, then whether it’s Nawaz Sharif, PM Gilani, Imran Khan or Altaf Hussain, the primary responsibility of these leaders is to serve us as a nation. They aren’t heroes, Loyalists, lions or Quaids! They are public servants and must never get the feeling of being worshipped! This ‘Power’ that is vested in our hands in a democratic system must never be transferred to these elected representatives or they begin to enjoy that power forgetting about the fools who follow them blindly standing by their false egos, never accepting their HERO to be of questionable character.

The people that we place in office are real people. They have their strengths and weaknesses. As long as they keep to their words and execute positive programmes for the betterment of the people, they should enjoy the support of their followers. In case they fail to deliver, the same followers should question their poor performance and kick them out of office.

That to me is Politics and yes, it does indicate simplicity of thought.

Asking For The Moon

As a child I remember sitting and watching my parents playing scrabble. The winner didn’t matter much to me, but the loser always seemed to awaken my loyalty and faith. The similar situation would arise in the game of carom. The friendly teasing somehow always built up my courage to side with the defender or evident loser. I knew that my vote did not have the power to turn tables but would at least prove comforting and create an air of solidarity in loss.

In school and college, I would hold faith in the most utterly hopeless situations and believed that if I could envision a victory, despite all odds, there was a possibility that it could come through. The Cricket World Cup Semi-Final in 1992 and many such tournaments where the verdict was almost in, the heart kept on believing in the inevitable to happen. The Miandad sixer at the Sharjah Stadium had all of us in frenzy for a really long time. The true believers were always in a minority whilst the majority were always run by facts and figures and what the score board read.

The same pattern of thought continued when I started teaching. Of all the children in my class, the one with a lack of faith, poor self-esteem or a turbulent childhood always came to become my area of focus and attention. It was a challenge to bring about some change in the relatively accepted situation. I found it hard to accept facts and set arguments on the reality of the situation. It was a gruelling process to encounter some truths and make others aware of certain possibilities.

Today, when I am driving the car with my husband and sons, there is typical teasing about women and their driving skills! And even though I understand their unintentional mocking, it’s infuriating to be a target or a joke. That’s when I really miss having a daughter to stand up to their nonsensical logic with me.

About two years ago, my children were watching a cricket match between Australia and Pakistan. We were in Lahore and the room was filled with adults and children. My younger son was just 5. He stood up and said, “I hope Australia wins!” My dear child did not realize that sitting in Pakistan and hoping for the Australians to win would instigate the entire room! The children started with their cruel comments, “You are from Pakistan or Australia?”, “Pakistan will destroy your team!” His grandfather asked him, “Why do you want Australia to win?” He answered very calmly, “Because they have better players!” I was informed by my father-in-law that he had stood up to his statement and had fought all the people in the room challenging their faith with logic and reason. Australia won the match and while everyone sat down to blame the Pakistani players for their poor performance, he enjoyed the victory that according to him was well deserved!

People are run by their loyalties and beliefs. Some are inherited while some come through interaction with life. The fiercely emotional, fight for them and some desire to spread them beyond their horizons. They are shaken when met with a conflicting view. They then resort to numbers. A majority wins them the battle, but in case of being a minority, it corners them to either join the bigger number or stop propagating their views. My doubts have always emerged from the understanding that my thoughts or beliefs are only limited to my horizon or exposure to life. Does that mean that there is no other belief or life beyond my familiar surroundings? Does that give me the right to reject or ridicule any differences I might encounter? Faith, views and beliefs need space and accommodation.

The most difficult task in all of the above situations is really being a ‘minority’. When everybody is rejoicing in the name of the apparent winner, the most familiar name or the most convenient path to follow, you stand up to speak your mind. There is immediate reaction which ridicules your blind faith, idealistic mind and foolish heart.

In every generation, we have a teacher who speaks of wisdom that comes through following the truth. The truth hear by is met with the forces of good and evil who divide the human race into majority and minority. As much as I would like to believe the truth to lie in a majority, it might not be the desired answer to my question. Many times, a minority of thought may hold the answers to the much sought after solutions to our existence.

Today, we see activists fighting for the rights of minorities around the globe. Racial and ethnic, gender, age and religious discrimination is common. We watch the news and wonder how these small numbers are going to be able to bring about a change. 

I, for one, always cast my vote with the task labelled as “unachievable”. Even if my oath does not hold the power to turn tables, I would like to raise my voice in solidarity with those, “Asking for the moon!”

Maya Ki Maya

Maya Khan has truly provoked the social media and activists by her morning show aired on January 17^th 2012 on Samaa TV. I am not at all a Morning Show person as I don’t want to see a fake wedding happening in a closed studio or watch overly excited anchors behaving like school kids. And so I wondered what nature of event could have instigated such hype about a morning show? My curiosity directed me to look into the content that had triggered such hate comments and strong reactions on almost all Social Networking Sites.

I will say, I thought I would be able to sit through the entire episode but realized in just 10 minutes that it was important to log off if I had to survive this selective suicidal watch!

There were about ten desperate housewives accompanying the “Jugga host” and the entire camera team to a public park. Their intention was to catch young couples meeting and “Hai Allah Dating” in a sacred sanctuary as a park! The ‘thrill’ that evidently is the primary objective to achieve in their own dull and boring lives, lies in running after victims who thought they had a mutual understanding and the democratic right to meet each other.

The anchor apparently is in a very gracious mood and allows her “Star Plus” shagirds to play this hide and seek game with these unaware boys and girls. Apparently “life main moqa aik hee baar milta hey!” and so, the rampage leads to uncover yet another horrifying reality that has poisoned our society, the “thekedaar attitude”! 

These ladies chase yet another couple who request the cameras to be switched off. On being hammered by the anchor to declare their relationship status, the girl announces the boy as her fiancée. The rest of the “Hun maza aye ga na!” team gangs up on them till they are left with no choice but to leave! They then sit down a little bored with the declaration! “She didn’t look engaged at all!” I’m yet to decipher this comment! If anyone can identify the ‘engaged look’ please do help me out of my misery! And the biggest loud mouth states, “Even if you are engaged, what is the purpose of meeting in the park! Why can’t you meet at home in presence of the parents?” Ok, quite obviously these women just never experienced the emotional joy of ‘being in love’! The restless night that awaits the morning and with it the arrival of beautiful moments to share. Alas! In this case, these moments got hijacked by “Kuri dee besharmee wekhi see!” Of course, their own shameless actions of capturing videos without consent, bullying young minds without any rationale and enjoying the dismissal of individual choices did not seem to hold much meaning.

This group of women quite honestly represent the ugliest minds in our society. They carry such loud and repulsive labels as they march around our neighbourhoods that many parents are discouraged to allow their daughters out of their protection in fear of them carrying a label home. 

If only, our parents would stand up to denounce such intrusive and bullying acts, we could hope to stand up to such “PHUPPEY KUTNIS!”  

                   

Hate and Democracy

Today I celebrate democracy. The right to choose.  The privilege to make a decision. The freedom to express myself. The responsibility that comes as a result to meet the challenges with a brave heart along the way. I recognize the need to allow other’s the space to breathe and the importance of a dialogue to come to some mutual understanding. I choose democracy not just for myself but for others as well.

I am quite tired of living in a culture that is run by hate. We hate the government for taking away our right to sleep peacefully at night. We hate the fact that our lives hold not much worth today than ever before. We hate the terrorists for constantly interrupting our educational programmes. We detest the CNG prices going up. Oh the annoyance that sets in when there is no gas to light our ovens and no electricity to follow the news. The news aggravates us further with stories that give us no hope and solutions. We need our ID cards to buy sugar!

This hatred has overcome our ability to think positively or believe in the possibilities that are plentiful. We spend hours cursing our unfortunate lives. We shake our heads in hopelessness the minute the power is shut-off. I have even heard people wish death for the poor chap who sits following orders to shut-off the power from 2pm to 4pm!

It frightens me to see this anger that can actually destroy our capacity to make logic and accept realities. We must take a minute to analyse our thoughts. We will be shocked to discover that they are filled with animosity.

“If you are overwhelmed with problems, take some time out to reflect and distance yourself from your pain. It’s not easy, but persistence with it will pay off. (Anonymous)

We must take a moment to realize the damage that we transfer to our children every day. This negative energy does get transmitted to our children. They are our future. But we forget their role and relevance in the long run. We feel no problem in stating our hopelessness or sharing our desires to shoot the damn losers running our country. I honestly feel that we must protect our children from this hatred. We don’t want them to grow up in this pitiful environment that resonates spite and revenge.

I remember accompanying my parents to a gathering of their friends. I was about 14 years old and was a silent observer. The discussion that alarmed me was on our Father of the Nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. There was a section of people who found no charm in him and considered him to be a complete failure. I was a student and Jinnah was a historical legend to me. He was a National Hero in our Pakistan Studies. I was quite angered by their casual remarks. The hatred with which they expressed their views was shameful. I thought to myself, they find him to be a failure, I wonder how achieved they feel in their own lives. 

The ability to derive the best from a situation or concentrate on the positives of a Human, are skills that need to be inculcated in our children. The ability to see the glass as half full and not half empty.

“We do not inherit the world from our parents, we borrow it from our children!” (Anonymous)

Today we forget our surroundings. We don’t feel the need to reserve our comments. We vomit our emotions anywhere, becoming completely oblivious of how others might perceive our state of well-being. Anger has destroyed our competence to differentiate between petty and grave issues. We have forgotten the lesson to choose our battles. The venom has penetrated our senses to the point that we fail to look beyond the obvious.

We desire for a democratic set up, but fail to reform ourselves to manage it well. Our plan of action at not having electricity or water is mostly uprooting the electrical poles or burning effigies. We incite the more vulnerable groups to go on rampage igniting the hatred further. We can’t bear to listen to the other side of the argument. And blindly follow trends. Any questions from our children that require reason or logical explanation anger us and we label them as ill-mannered and over inquisitive. We aren’t prepared to take to the Witness Stand and face the facts.

Democracy demands patience. It is a complete processing unit. The view or opinion enters the system. It goes through the procedure of digestion where various other opinions are added on to soften the edges and make it easier to absorb. The positives are separated from the negatives which are eventually disposed off from the machinery. What remains are the effects of a civil and peaceful dialogue that is a reflection of the various flavours of a common concern.

We are a nation who has been subjected to so many political upsets that the sound democratic programme just could not be followed through. As an educationist today, I strongly feel that ‘Democracy’ should be introduced as a core subject in Pakistan. Our children need to absorb its principles fully to be able to handle it when blessed with its power in all entirety. ‘Effective Communication Skills’ must also be introduced as a subject at an early stage so that the young minds can be moulded to encourage an even better democratic set-up.

In a democratic state, individuals are free to view their opinions, but a culture of hatred almost never allows those views to bring any rewards.

Nevertheless, once we are ready to acknowledge our own shortcomings, we do have hope to resolve our issues. Let’s try to prepare ourselves for an Effective Democracy with a little more focus and insight.

“All our problems, all our disputes, all our disagreements can be resolved quickly to mutual satisfaction if we address the question.” (Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed)

The PTI Train……..

“I promise you a grain of sand

Just one to help you understand

how well it keeps the dune in place

a mere speck upon this land!”

“I promise you a trace of the sea

Just one that helps you turn the key

And marvel at the waves that go

The heights they claim within their flow!”

“I promise you traces of dew

Just few that lead you to your clue

of thirsty blades that look in pain

and quench their thirst with dots of  rain!”

“I promise you a spark of light

Just one to brighten up your sight

That holds your heart  on sighting far

The beauty of a shooting star!”

The winds of change are on their way

I am compelled to have my say

The time has come to say good-bye

To ones who fail to justify!

Their glorious name, their fame to shame

Ancestral wealth that buys them health

Their words that never meet their deeds

Their false concerns, their hollow greed!

The hidden deals that sold our dreams

To power groups that drowned our screams

The selfish games that made their day

And left us all to die and pay!

I will not wait another day

To let them lead my fate their way

I am awake and see the norm

Democracy’s a mighty storm!

At first the dust just filled the sky

With outlines and just sketches weak

But as the vision came in sight

The picture wasn’t all so bleak!

He came aboard a little space

He had no spine to give him shape

He only had his fearless bow

And shot his arrows high and low!

“I don’t hide my face when I see you stare

The winds can blow as hard and as fierce

These strands of time that outline my face

Give way to honesty’s shine and shimmer!”

“I don’t close my eyes when the first rays fall

The glare may spill some water like a tear

I rise above to welcome each morning

Eyes depicting the soul’s purity and spirit!”

“My hands are not to cover my face at all

They reach out to help you stand safe and tall

I embrace you knowing your fears and your needs

An open book, no closets for me no mysteries!”

“Smiles blossom on my face, colours of the truth

The curves all go right up to the ears

And they don’t twitch at horrific confessions

Heart a spacious room with no walls or edges!”

“I promise you a fragment of my dream

Just a clip to help you join the stream

A thriving country, at the very next station

The PTI dreams of a self-reliant nation!’

Faith………

I dreamt and saw last night

An angel dressed in white

And though it was so dark

His vision came alive!

Its beauty filled my eyes

And I got breathless too

And then my heart revived

And I said a word or two!

I asked him why he’d come

And that what was his name

I had a thousand questions

Each one just meant the same!

He looked at me with love

And tenderly embraced

I couldn’t help feel safe

He told his name as ‘faith’!

I looked up in amazement

As if not understood

And asked again the angel

Who bore a simple look!

His eyes twinkling with joy

And a smile across his face

He put his hand in mine

And said again its ‘faith’!

The name it seemed familiar

And I asked what it meant

At this he sat beside me

And this is how he went…

I am a lover’s dream

His ends and all his means

And those who hold me dear

Have all the world it seems!

To love me is to trust me

Without it I am lost

And those who lose my meaning

Are to pay a heavy cost!

I have been made for comfort

With the softness of the dew

And those to whom I’m sent

Are sadly just a few!

I am a friend to hope

As light as a floating feather

No one could really reach the top

If we were not together!

And so you see I am but ‘faith’

Something that’s rare today

But if you reach me in your heart

You’ll surely find your way!

I got confused and disagreed

The world today was filled with greed

The power games, the little gains

Defined our very precious needs!

Bombing people, killing them

Finding ways to spread the rage

Building trust at such a time

Appeared to me as quite a waste!

He raised his hand to cut my line

‘You make no time, and that’s a crime

You wait for whom? A star, a sign?

You plead and cry at a dead man’s shrine!

Tell me which ‘faith’ tells you to kill

I’ve not yet read a script that ill

Make note of what is going on

And then decide what’s right from wrong!

Let one’s who know me close at hand

Inspire you to understand

The need to break these walls so high

And find a way to see the sky!

Let go of fears for unknown land

A landscape which is merely sand

Do not hold on to customs dark

Give me a chance to make a start!

I looked at it with deep set eyes

And asked where I could find it

And all it said was “in the heart”

In which you have confided!

                              

    So when you fall or hurt and break
Don’t put your life to waste

There is a cause that waits for you

that needs your trust and faith!

Jailed?

A dreadful end! That's what newspapers, newsrooms and the media reported after the verdict on the three Pakistani cricketers came in. "These offences, regardless of pleas, are so serious that only a sentence of imprisonment will suffice," Judge Jeremy Cooke told at London's Southwark Crown Court.


To my knowledge, this must be the harshest of punishments imposed in any Sport history, unless of course we consider ourselves to be in Gladiator times.


Indeed, the game of Cricket has suffered numerous blows to its authenticity in the past few years. For instance, when Pakistan lost the Cricket World Cup semi-final to India last year, there was huge speculation on a "match-fixing" looking at Pakistan's lazy performance which otherwise had been doing extremely well defeating stalwarts like Australia quite tactfully.


Scandals that have made news over the years have brought to light many legitimate and dignified players. Sometimes with proof, sometimes without. Each time, there was a buzz and then it was all forgotten. However, this time the situation was inherently different. The motive was "greed."And like all trials in court, the motive is the primary consideration for the jury to declare a verdict.


Greed has many interpretations in the dictionary and some of them are listed below.


In religious terms, greed is a sin wherein the culprit condemns eternity for temporary worldly power. In psychology, it is a desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves. "Avarice" is the term used to describe greedy behaviour such as disloyalty, treason, or deliberate betrayal,  especially for personal gain for example through bribery. Philosophers have sometimes defended greed as being good as in greed for life, knowledge, wealth, love etc. It is restlessness of the heart, craving for power and possessions for fulfillment of desires.


The chief expressions of greed are related to the "emotional" part of man.
Therefore, a vice we all possess in relatively different portions.
This vice can become a virtue if we have the ability to contain our emotions, feel the satisfaction in our possessions and are able to direct this intense energy towards positive actions.
In reality, its just silencing your conscience which at all times is active and audible.


Its difficult to comment upon "being human" but we live in a world which to me has never been black or white. Maybe, barring them from the game and making them pay a fine would have been the right punishment. Placing them behind bars seems a little unjust.
Sentencing the sporting agent, the mastermind to this whole scam, to jail was just the right thing to do. 


Today, we are in a place where damage to a game can place people behind bars...to imagine the damage done to the lives of these young men, who were all outstanding players, probably deserved a lot many years in prison. Exploitation of young minds for money, fame and power should indeed hold harsh consequences.