Misnomers and the state’s restrain

At times the leftists were our staunch adversaries while at times we more than glorified the extreme rightists. This continues even to this date and the state of impermanent friends and ephemeral enemies continues. We must understand that the state should never be one of them and must never allow anything to trespass the state’s restrain. When the rightists or the leftists become influential enough to dictate the state’s affairs, it is time for all of us to worry.

The right-left thaw began with the demise of the Father of the Nation, creating political uncertainty, ideological inconformity followed by the longing for a true democracy. Instead, we ended up with power politics dominated by tribe, caste, colour and creed, along with the essential element of economic might. This further limited political stature to fixed individuals, shutting down the dreams for a free, fair and transparent democracy —the remains of which we are still fighting on. We are caught within the lowly clutches of the left and right, which gave us social, political and economic divisiveness.

The Taliban fraternity-era was an age of excessive glorification of the rightists, and the leftists were hunted down. Religion was both used and misused for political and strategic gains we thought we were achieving in the strategic depths of then-friendly Afghanistan. The infusion of extremism was clandestinely filling our society and being a nation with memory issues, we remained incognisant of the same. The leftist portion of society was counting its days as they became state adversaries, while the rightists were state functionaries back then.

What came forth was even more dangerous than what had elapsed. The dawn of the enlightenment era was one that witnessed the rise of the leftists. A free media along with the increase in female participation in state affairs were some of the positives, with the simultaneous rise of information warfare and social changes begotten from social media. The social testament was re-authored and the social media created a youth delusional of its identity and questioning the very reason this country was created for. The rise of individual liberty and freedom of expression were also tools coming off the leftists’ camp and enveloping the entire personality of the state. Society went back to nullify its earlier stance advocated towards justifying the rightists. We were wrong then when we thought we were the right and we are wrong now, when we think we are the left.

With the interchange being so hasty, presently our state is caught up in a time paradox where sometimes we glorify Habib Jalib while at times it is some radical theologian we think we must follow. This so happens because of the state’s heavy sidedness on either extreme in different times. Indisputable is the fact that national interests are always supreme and to meet that end, all becomes fair. The tragedy happens when the state itself camps out in either of the wings.

The state’s restrain is essential and it is ensured through its pillars. This is the reason why politics must never cross certain lines and interfere with the state’s elemental characteristic of restrain, which helps keep the state away from petty affiliations. Our state has to show its potential in exercising the power of restrain which will help a great deal in never getting caught in the blind alleys.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2020.

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