ISLAMABAD:
Our rulers, democratic or military, are not used to taking truth and criticism well. They tout openness and freedom, but only want to hear what pleases them. This is because they are usually surrounded by people who keep telling them that all is well, until of course someone says that “the emperor has no clothes”. Unfortunately, the one who speaks the truth usually is condemned and discouraged.
General Ayub Khan, the first military dictator, introduced a basic democracy system of local bodies. This system was in place when the movement against Ayub’s martial law started resulting in countrywide protests. One of the factors adding fuel to the protests was the soaring prices of commodities, especially sugar. Ayub called a meeting of the BD members from Rawalpindi division at the Murree Municipal Hall. The entire administration of the Rawalpindi division was present at that meeting. While addressing the meeting, Ayub said that BD members were representatives of people and responsible for conveying the problems of the people to the administration for necessary action. One of the members stood up and asked if it were true that they were free to speak, to which the general responded in the affirmative. The member then said that people were facing a very difficult time due to rising inflation, shortage of necessities and lack of corrective measures by the government. The general got angry and left the meeting while other members started blaming their colleague for unnecessarily speaking the truth in front of the general.
This tends to be the behaviour of our leadership even today. People are being crushed by soaring inflation, but the government spokespersons keep repeating the same mantra that everything is fine. I wonder if they ever will learn to embrace the truth.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 03, 2022.
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