They shop, party, gossip, drink, dance, live just like us. But what separates you and me from those 400 LUMS students, who first protested against the emergency enforced in the country? Their conscience is alive and their hearts still beating – 400! A mere triple digit number when today’s talk revolves around six digits and more? To me it is equivalent to perhaps a gazillion and much more for it represents the very “step forward” our nation needs to take.
Many of us are apathetic; what difference will this number make, they ask. It may not rid our country of yet another power hungry ruler but it shows that the people of this country care. It shows that we are indeed the descendants of the same people who sacrificed their blood, families, wealth – everything - to create a separate homeland. It shows that deep down we all possess the same faith, courage and determination.
But we are really not affected by this emergency, people exclaim. Are we not? True, many of us dislike BB & Nawaz and fear the mullahs. “There’s little choice what with corrupt politicians or “danda forcing” maulvis so it may as well be a military ruler” is what they say. Of course, choosing between what is right and what is easy is undeniably a daunting decision that very few would like to make.
But do these people not realize how power hungry the current military ruler has become (with the rich becoming richer, the poor poorer, increasing inflation, unemployment and rampant corruption)? Or have they forgotten that it was a military man who “danda forced” Islamization upon us all years ago?
The bottom line is: power hungry leaders are not what we Pakistanis need. Military rule is unacceptable! What we need is a country for the people and run by the people.
The emergency, say states spokespersons, has been enforced in lieu of rising terrorism in the country. I ask, how many terrorists have been caught and dealt with since the enforcement? If you count the hundreds of lawyers/activists who have been arrested and detained then yes, many! So while we read list of names of sons, husbands, fathers of several detained, victimized, house arrested all because they voiced what was right, these very people (the likes of Justice Rana Bhagwandas) want to know whether people are with them and they too oppose the emergency.
Under house-arrest and isolated from the world, they want to know if their being arrested and abused has paid off in any way. Has it paid off? Are we waiting for those in black coats to take a stand, fight a battle and save our country? Are we waiting for more from their ranks to get arrested and beaten up?
Private media channels have been taken off air. Their crime? Misusing the freedom that was given them! I laugh out loud. This is the same media the government uses when it wants coverage of its exclusive sessions, addresses, announcements. The same source the government uses when it desires publicity and drama. Do the authorities forget that those frequenting talk shows on television were more often than not, government officials? Officials ranting and spewing forth rot!
Our political parties? Shame on them! We play with the word revolution; it is fashionable some say. Do we understand what it means though? One group of black coats fighting for a cause is not revolution. Revolution requires a UNITED people!
So what are the rest of us doing? Can we not recognise the difference between right and wrong? Do we not all dream of a day when we can call ourselves Pakistanis with pride? Is this country not yours? Do you not feel you owe something to this homeland? A simple gesture like attending a peaceful protest or signing an online petition would do. Can each one of us not be one of those 400 students?
I want to praise the students of LUMS by rephrasing a quote by renowned Brazilian author Paulo Coelho “may these people travel slowly, because their pace is the pace of change, and change, real change, always takes a very long time.”
Contributed By,
A LUMS alumnus
