Summer blues
May 11, 2001
As the early summer heat strikes, we, the denizens of this hot and humid land slide into a familiar mode. Work time ends early, movements become slow, and lethargy invades body and mind. Those that can hide, find the nearest dark shade to crawl under. And others, the wretched of this earth, die by the dozens. This summers toll; over a hundred dead already and it is just the beginning.
These are easy conditions for tyranny to take hold. The energy sapping heat takes the fight out of a spent body. Maybe this is one reason why conquerors from the North found it so easy to take control of our land. Maybe this has something to do with our giving in so meekly to anyone who forcibly takes charge of our destiny. When survival itself is such an effort, why bother over details of who rules.
Of course, if you give the people an opportunity to choose, they will. They will vote for one over the other. For a brief moment, they will feel great. They will be wooed and told that their vote matters. Once the hoopla is over, the elected would disappear into their cool rooms and play the great game. The power game, that is. Not many would look back to see who put them there. The slogans would slowly disappear from the walls and so would the people until the next time around.
This is no endorsement for military rule. At least when the people are allowed to choose, there are brief moments of joy. Later they feel like rejected lovers but at least they have been loved for a while. The military has no such earthly desires. There is not even a pretence to connect with the people. Their think tanks determine what is good for them and that is that. Everyone is then supposed to fall in line and do what they are told.
Some would argue that there is little to choose between the military and the politician. One kind exploit and abandon, the other does not even bother. In the end they are all the same as far as the people are concerned.
It is not all the same yet there is some truth in what is being said. Think about it. Whether it is the political masters or the military generals, they are all part of the same elite. They inter marry, they socialise and above all have air conditioners. Yes, I said air conditioners. They are cool in fifty degree temperatures when people outside are falling by the way side. This is no small difference in a hot country.
The great divide in Pakistan says Mohsin Hamid in 'Moth Smoke,' GRANTA 2000, is between the cooled and the uncooled. This rather trite imagery has greater truth then we may like to believe. The leaders of right or left, the great provincial nationalists, the Mafia that exploits on the basis of language or ethnic origin, the champions of clergy rule, and the military elite, all have one thing in common. The have money or state support to lead a comfortable lifestyle. This means among other things being cool in a hot summer.
This shared lifestyle is the bond that knits the elite together. Not ethnicity or political ideology, not religious fervour or professional background. Not even being in power or out of it. All these things matter but not very significantly. At a fundamental level what really matters is money and a certain kind of lifestyle that it brings. This creates ties that cut across all other differences. Lack of power is inconvenient but not a problem for the elite because doors would still open. 'Work' would still be done.
Some may be new to this moneyed class and would be looked down by those whose wealth is a little old. In the end it does not really matter. If you have enough money all these distinctions disappear. Just the other day, much song and dance was made in some Urdu papers about a person who spent many millions on his son's wedding. There were innuendos about this being drug money or of some other shady origin. Yet most of the critics were present there; which means they were invited and had chosen to go. Reportedly also present was the elite of the town.
This is a familiar story. People go to parties hosted by people they do not know as long as there is a promise of a good time. What does it matter where the money is coming from as long as everyone can eat, drink and be merry. Since the early 80s a host of millionaires, even billionaires, have emerged through shady routes. They have been eagerly accepted in society. No one has lost any sleep either over their social origin or the source of their wealth.
The story in politics is no different. The oscillation between one party's rule and the other, or even between civil and military rule is not such a big deal. It has only meant one set of elite replacing the other. The main political parties in the country have always been different pairings of the same elite. Power for one is only an inconvenience for the other. The leaders fight yet often collaborate.
Military has ruled Pakistan for over 24 years. This is not such a big headache for the political elite as it may seem. Many of their friends and relations are in the military. This is particularly true of Punjab and NWFP. So military rule, though initially distant, ends up in comfortable coexistence with the politicians. When the time comes for the military to create a political base it is not so difficult. The elite have no problem coming together with each other.
The current political scene is classical example of this. Most political leaders are ready to cut a deal with the military provided there is some sort of power sharing. Some of the statements being made these days are positively embarrassing. They show a craven lust for power that would put any megalomaniac to shame.
Take a look. Abida Hussain, Information Secretary PML(L) is ready to make General Musharraf President only if the assemblies are revived. This means 'give us some power and you can have the rest.' Benazir has also suggested that if General Musharraf wants to become President he should talk to us. Meaning we can offer a better deal than PML(L). Even Nawaz, if he is given some sort of a restoration, would gladly cohabit with Musharraf. His brother has made noises to this effect.
The common denominator in all this talk is that let us share power. Ideally, everyone would like to have undiluted power. This is not always possible. So even a portion is welcome. Do not keep us out, is the only demand. The merger with the military, when it comes, will be smooth because of a common social position and shared interests.
The people, that is the uncooled, meanwhile sweat and toil and die under the hot sun. They are as removed from the reality of power politics as they are from a cool room in a broiling summer. If by some miracle they genuinely join together and challenge the elite the results would be very different. It would not be a game of musical chairs between different sets of elite. It would be something that is called a revolution.
The wretched of the earth when organised do not cut deals. They have nothing in common with the elite they are trying to dislodge from power. They are dancing to the beat of a different drummer and whatever contortions the elite may get into, they cannot keep step. This has happened in Russia, China, and Cuba. It also happened in Iran and dare I say, Afghanistan. These were revolutions because the system was smashed and the elite with it. There was no last minute co-habitation.
It does not matter whether these revolutions were a success or not. In fact some of them have been terrible failures. The only point being made is that class conflict is truly unforgiving. Nothing can withstand the anger of an enraged people. If we do not get our act together, this reality may be closer than we think.
The author is former Senator, former federal and provincial minister