The world is a lesser and a lonelier place without the constellation of such bright and bedazzling stars
LAHORE: How can one describe the year 2016? Eventful, monumental or, rather, annus horribilis? By taking a Panglossian panorama, we, indeed, had much to celebrate and cherish. From celebrating the Rio Olympics, to marking the quadricentennial anniversary of the Bard, to being introduced to the exhilarating and awe-inspiring Viking Clap by the wonderful Icelandic football team during the Euros. From the solace of seeing Pakistan trudge on, despite many a setback. Life goes on.
However, prima facie, the year was a disastrous one for mankind. This was witnessed in the perpetual theatre of war and violence across many regions; from the sieges of Aleppo and Mosul, and the fight against Daesh in the Levant, to the brutal drug war of Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, to the abortive Turkish coup in July, to the oppressive handling of the Kashmir uprising by the Indian state, to the countless incidents of terrorist savagery, whether in Lahore, Quetta or Berlin, to the daily violence on the LoC, all marked by a calamitous and heartrending loss of precious human life and heritage. It was a year of war and violence.
The year could also be termed as the year of xenophobia with far-right emergence du jour. From the rise of egregious far-right parties and individuals in France (Marine Le Pen), England (UKIP), the Netherlands (Geert Wilders), Austria (The Freedom Party), and Germany (AfD-Alternative for Germany), even Angela Merkel had to drop her iconic stance of “wir schaffen das” (we’ll manage it) towards the refugees to salvage her political status in face of xenophobic rhetoric. Then we had the unexpected Brexit and finally the monumental and hair-raising rise of Donald Trump. Moreover, one had to experience the bizarre post-truth world.
The year was also significant for the number and intensity of corruption scandals, à la Panama Leaks inter alia, affecting the rulers and elites of many countries. A few heads rolled — Iceland, South Korea and Brazil — while others — Pakistan and South Africa — managed to ride out the storm to safer shores. Lastly, the year was a sad one due to the deaths of many renowned personalities and icons. The world is a lesser and a lonelier place without the constellation of such bright and bedazzling stars.
Muhammad Bilal Dogar
Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2017.
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