Absence of Democracy in Pakistan
“But would you plant a tree knowing full well that the seed has no chance to grow in the (poor soil) current environment. The country needs social stability, industry and jobs for the unemployed masses to improve social and economic conditions, the religious parties need to get rid of extremism. A democratic system needs a political maturity not simply counting votes like counting the sheep. None of this can be accomplished if the country is run by the puppets installed by external forces. It will be very naïve to assume that the regime in Washington is losing its sleep over introduction of democracy in Pakistan.”
One comes across this kind of reasoning to explain the absence of democracy in Pakistan for last 60 years. It is basically the intellectual way thinking of Pakistani Intelligentsia. These educated people belong to an Elite Class and they are happy to maintain the Democracy of Elites in Pakistan. They totally forget that the great philosopher Socrates, who was in favour of a Democracy of Philosophers, was condemned to drink poison by the people to save the democracy. A majority of educated Pakistanis consider themselves closer to the ruling establishment. In Pakistani system of election only a University graduate candidate for the parliament. The absence of the masses (people = workers and farmers) makes the graduates a privileged class in Pakistani system of government.
The above metaphor of democracy and a tree looks very authentic and intelligent, but it is without any base. It is wrong to decide beforehand the growing of a tree on the basis of the earth and the climate. The first requirement is to sow the seed. For this, it is enough to dig a hole and put the seed in. Let the nature decide the outcome. If the chemical content of the earth and climate conditions do not suit to the plant, it will die. But there are many cases where the trees have grown in unsuitable soil and climate. The mango trees are now world-wide. The Kiwis are growing in France.
There is a fruit called Kathal (Jackfruit) and its tree grows in India, Bangladesh, Philippine and Sri Lanka. On Pakistani soil and in Pakistani climate it should not grow. Wrong! I personally know the Jackfruit tree in Pakistan (Wah) which is giving fruits regularly for the last twenty years. The democracy has a better chance to grow in Pakistan than the Jackfruit tree!
A plant can be sowed by nature (TOP) or by human being (BOTTOM). The same possibilities exist for the democracy. In the first case (T) it is the founding fathers of the nation who promulgate the democratic system of government as in the U.S.A. or it is the work of enlightened people of the establishment as in Britain. In these two cases the there was no need of preparing the people to accept this system of government. Other recent example of establishing democracy from the TOP is that of India. The Indian Leaders simply promulgated the system and the people have been maintaining it ever since. The people of Pakistan and those of India are the same (except the religion and different River Valleys). So, in Pakistan the founding fathers could have done the same. But for 60 years all the top leaders and establishment have failed to give the people the right to decide for themselves. This procedure from the TOP is peaceful and bloodless.
So, I see only the second possibility for the democracy in Pakistan second possibility (BOTTOM). Here, the people revolt against the ruling establishment and impose the democracy. In recent times there have been peaceful and non-violent demonstrations in some East European countries like Poland, Ukraine, East Germany and Georgia with a successful establishment of democracy.
The second is the method employed by the people of France in 1789. We know for this the people had to guillotine many royal heads.
In East European countries, it was mainly the dictatorship of a single political party. The army was subservient to party, clergy was against and feudal and big-business were absent. In the case of Pakistan situation is entirely opposite. I will say that the People of Pakistan have even a bigger force against them than the one confronted by the French who had against them only the King and his Army (along with the local Lords and their armies) with some help from the church..
So the democracy in Pakistan can be only established if the TOP (1) gives up voluntarily or (2) forced to abandon its immense power. I am very septic for the possibility of (1), so the only alternative is the French revolution.
But the people of Pakistan are not like French and they will never be, because they are going in opposite direction to the democracy. In sixty years they have become more and more religious. They may have a just, pious, kind and intelligent Muslim Ruler one day but they will never reign themselves.
Ahsan
Strasboug, France
Dec. 9, 2007