Pakistan: Exorcising A Legacy
By Mir Adnan Aziz
12 June,
2008
Countercurrents.org
In these critical times, one
tends to reread these words of American poet Archibald MacLeish: "How
freedom shall be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms; by
truth when it is attacked by lies; by democratic faith when it is
attacked by authoritarian dogma. Always and in the final act, by determination
and faith."
Why did Hitler become supreme commander of Germany? Did he brainwash
an entire nation? The fact was that his storm troopers burnt the Reichstag
building. Hitler blamed it on terrorists, and told the people: "I
cannot protect you, unless you give me full control." He did
get it. History is a witness to what he did with that full control.
In Pakistan Mr. Musharraf wrested that 'full control' without the
sanction of the people. Armed with it he went on a blitzkrieg that
could have put Erwin Rommel to shame. In the process he smashed down
all institutions, pillars on which rests the entity we call a state.
Autocrats try to become all-knowing father figures rendering idealized
notions of a harmonious society where opposition and subversion is
eliminated. They are in reality tyrants and masters of obfuscation.
They mythologize their personalities with an aura of impenetrability.
On his death-bed Spanish dictator Gen Francisco Franco reportedly
asked for forgiveness. "I ask pardon of all my enemies, as I
pardon with all my heart all those who declared themselves my enemy,
although I did not consider them to be so". It took Spain three
generations to come to terms with their past.
It was 32 years after Franco's death and 68 years after he first assumed
power that the Spanish parliament passed the Law of Historical Memory.
This allowed Franco's rule to be deemed unjust. The debate still continues
among the Spanish. Some fear it reopens old wounds while others say
it fails to criminalize the general. After Gen Franco's death President
Nixon toasted him, hailing the dictator as a loyal friend and ally
of the United States.
The people brought down the contemptuous regime of King Gyanendra.
They rose to the task, coming in from mountain trails and emerging
from city lanes. They came to challenge a king whose malevolent idea
of governance harked back to the medieval era of the seventeenth century.
This was when his twelfth ancestor subjugated everyone within sight
to create the Nepali kingdom.
To forgive is human nature. The people may excuse a politician, king
or a general for implementing and executing a losing strategy. The
people may even excuse a ruler for insulting their intelligence and
common sense. What is unforgivable is a ruler insulting their pain,
their tragedy. For this, there should be no pardon. Mr. Musharraf,
the man he has proved himself to be, is someone who never felt the
pain and tragedy of a nation wronged.
His recent pep talk to the 'media' was a feeble attempt to resurrect
a doomed destiny. We must resist this affront to our human dignity.
No one should be allowed to take the nation back into the dark days
when supporters of people's movements demanding regime change were
arrested without warrant, brutally killed, shamelessly sold with hundreds
simply 'vanishing'; when freedom of the press was suppressed; and
when all instruments of the state were directed to quell the legitimate
dissent of people seeking urgent political and socio-economic reforms.
The stance of PPPP, the majority party, does not bode well for the
country and the party itself. Their dithering and back pedaling on
the judges and Musharraf issue brings back memories of the Ali-Foreman
heavy-weight bout in Zaire. Ali coined a new strategy - rope a dope
- and floored an exhausted Foreman in the eighth round. Mr. Zardari,
sans the punch and 'guile' of Ali, is playing political rope a dope,
trying to tire out a nation. He should beware of being technically
knocked out himself in the process.
All over the world, dictators destroy democracy in the name of nationalism
and sacrifice people's rights in the name of development. In reality,
it is nationalism and national development that end up destroyed.
That is what has been happening here all along, the sacrifice of national
interest for the sake of an individual's self-interest. In the post
September 11 tumultuous years dictators and autocrats have used the
war on terror, an outrage, to slake their own thirst for dictatorship
and power.
The task of those elected is now to organize the removal of a rejected
Mr. Musharraf and exorcising his legacy. The people have defeated
an autocrat's agenda and simultaneously created the conditions for
peace. We have every reason to believe the gun has been silenced and
there will be political stability and economic recovery. We hope,
this time around, a wronged nation will not be let down by those in
whom it has reposed its trust and faith.
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