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OPINION
Hopeful Democracy
Democracy is a cup of nectar
which every country enjoys to sip. Every country hopes for comfort,
non-existence of fear, anxiety, stress and agony. After election
results, Pakistan too transits from military rule to civilian
government and the country is looking forward to democracy like in
India- a hopeful democracy.
Might the system of power transition as in neighbour country Pakistan
let them enjoy the nectar of democracy? Writes
ASHWINI AHUJA
ONE OF my journalist friends who
returned after the declaration of recent election results in Pakistan
told me some peculiar as well as tear-jerking stories of Pakistani
people. Here, I share the stories with the readers.
First, he told me on the night
before the election in Pakistan, in some parts of Sindh province,
Pakistani people believed that Mohtramma (as they called her
respectfully) Benazir Bhutto would appear from the moon god to bless
the country people, to protect the nation from the cruel hands of
military regime and her face could be seen on the moon.
The rumour gripped the nation so
intensely that some TV channels including English channels bounced
 to
relay the gossip story over and over. There was a pure euphoria of
relief, freedom and happiness all around in Pakistan after election
outcome as what the electorate expected they gained. It’s quite true,
alike other elections, this time election wave was totally against the
Musharraf’s sick-awarding military regime.
After eight years stress and pain,
now they had thrown President Musharraf’s party out of power and
gleefully celebrating the collapse of his regime which was a constant
terror to the very perception of democracy. Bad acts never good
results, they clapped, danced and laughed with merriment.
It was rather soothing to hear that
General Musharraf remained failed to rig the election this time,
thanks to the pressure from both rival parties as well USA and west.
They said, although they now had to accept compromised democracy
having no clear mandate for a single largest party yet it is pretty
better to Musharraf’s dictatorship. They were now liberated to enjoy
freedom. It’s a time now we will breathe in fresh air of democracy,
with no bomb blast, no suppression; no censorship. Media, Human Rights
Groups and judiciary too would be allowed to act independently. Some
Pakistanis talked to my friend like this.
A group of some guys belonging to
Pakistan People’s Party invited my friend to share their victory
dancing with him. Not only men, there were women, oldmen and children
also who danced on the thumps of dhol. And the era of fear, curbing,
anxiety and ‘Go Musharraf’ ‘Go Musharraf’ had gone with his crushing
defeat and Musharraf was now strategically looking for the way of his
‘safe exit’
Scenes of joyous shouts, scenes of
standing at one leg on bikes or on the top of the cars hoisting flags,
waving to bystanders nearby and making the signs of victory were
commonplace after the declaration of results. Musharraf’s party had
received unsavoury, crushing defeat in the fray which the party never
hoped for. Pakistani people celebratory actions showed that as if they
were in seventh heaven.
Not only the activists of Pakistan
People’s Party but the groups of Nawaz Sharif party too displayed
their gladness over the victory. His party Pakistan Muslim League (N)
too had attained remarkable success in the election only because of
his strong stance on the restoration of deposed judiciary and
impeachment of President Musharraf if they voted to power.
On the other hand, Pakistan People’s
Party had earned the sympathy vote following the assassination of
Mohtramma Benazir Bhutto. Because of the atmosphere of fear, anger and
distrust, a common man of Pakistan had been wary of military rule and
that is why, both Benazir and Sharif received a rousing welcome on
their return at Pakistan soil as people of the country saw their
saviours in them. They had forgotten their past transgression and
charges of corruption against Bhutto and her family.
It is a reality, when a cruel regime
ends; the euphoria of such kind is common. It’s still etched in my
memory, way back in 1977 when Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister
of India was defeated. The people of the country stayed up all night
boogieing in the street of the capital of India similar as now in
Pakistan.
My friend told there is a common
talk in Pakistan that now Musharraf would try to quit on his own to
save himself from the showdown but victorious opposition might not
spare him despite that. There are strong chances of his impeachment.
His coming days are perilous and inauspicious, they opined. Maybe, in
the coming days, he might be forced to leave the country.
His own pampered army and
intelligence agency ISI too have now turned his face from him. America
too is speaking differently on the question of the protection of its
pampered boy. People showed Ehtesham Zamir’s statements in dailies in
which he accepted that general election of 2002 had been manipulated
on the directives of President Musharraf. That time Zamir was the head
of the political cell of the ISI and his statement in Pakistani
dailies was keenly noticed. Day by day, there might be more
revelations and definitely the days of sufferings of Musharraf are
coming closer, they reviewed.
Next, people of Pakistan again and
again asked my friend, what are the prices of flour, rice, pulses, and
ghee in India? In fact, like India, prices of these items had soared
high in Musharraf’s regime. Pakistanis had no option but to do odd
jobs in addition like campaigning for the parties, tuition works or
account works at private establishments to earn more bucks to run
their livelihood.
The condition of electricity was not
better than that of India. The restaurant at which my friend stayed
for some days showed periodic power cuts as in most parts of India.
Hotel management told that demand of the power for the country was
higher about 11000 MW but supply was almost 9000 MW, lesser than the
demand.
We’re all hoping for the new
government to come and stop the bomb blasts so that more and more
companies come in Pakistan like in India and give us jobs to our
wayward youths and boost the economy of the country. Most of the
people of the Pakistan had such opinion. Even youths too thought of
secure earning and hated terrorists’ activities either it happen in
India or in Pakistan.
A Pakistani media man told if we
talk about democracy, India is a role model for us. They candidly
accepted that India is really a strong country because of its stance.
It never cowed down by America like Pakistan. India is not politically
disturbed also as its neighbour Pakistan, the people of that country
asserted and that is why its economy is much stronger that Pakistan.
If Pakistan had not been
economically weak, there would have been no question America dictated
our leaders and our leaders become the puppets of that country. No
doubt, America doled out huge funds for the country in the name of
control unbridled terrorism but it does not mean that our leaders
dance like puppets on their tunes.
Don’t surprise, my friend told next,
in Pakistan; there is no university or college where students’ union
ask for their rights. Universities and colleges are run as kids
schools work in India. Army men or retired generals are appointed as
vice chancellors of the universities who forced disciplined routines
in the universities and colleges. People in Pakistan wished to run
their activities like that in India. Maybe, they get chance of holding
students unions elections in universities and colleges after the
formation of new government.
What you expect after the fall of
dictator rule, one shopkeeper told my writer friend on being asked,
something like India, he expressed, freedom from bomb blasts, safety
of children in schools, prices come down, fresh air to breathe and
democracy as in India, nothing else.
After a day of elections’ results
declarations, people of the country really felt comforted. Islam
remained less visible in the public square. Days before the general
election in Pakistan, media all around the world was full of stories
describing the country as most dangerous place in the world. It had
become the terrorists’ nucleus point of the world and there is no
doubt that terrorists’ outfits had Musharraf’s inwardly consent only
to protect his covetous post.
We, as a neighbour of Pakistan had
suffered much due to Musharraf’s policies. Now, with the new
government formation, it ought to be hoped that India too might be
away from the threat of Muslim terror to some extent. The transition
of political power from military to civilian rule is good not only for
Pakistan itself but it’s a somewhat relief for India also.
Ashwini Ahuja is prominent
fiction writer & Novelist, lives in Fazilka (Punjab)
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