The scatter here is too incredible

French novelist Gustave Flaubert’s famous novel Madame Bovary is an epoch-making creation because its heroine Emma Bovary, despite being poor, dares to speak her emotions. Ironically her desires get shattered after the collision with tradition, as Emma’s wish for a good life is unable to face the sources of power in society. Before the emergence of this novel, the literature would revolve around love stories of prince and princess. But Emma brought it to the houses of the poor, where poverty and deprivation dominated the inhabitants, who were enduring them for some cause; even if they had none, they would explore it out.

In the same vein, Goya, the romantic Spanish painter, divided humanity into two classes: one deserves love and compassion; and the other is meant for punishment, and marked with hate and distress. The artist, despite his inquiry into humankind, believed that the tragedy of a human being is not his fault, but is caused by others. So, he once painted an image of a grave in black colour, and beneath its covering was shown a hand without flesh which was writing a Spanish word ‘Nada’ (i.e. the extinct) on it.

Mathew Arnold, a famous English critic and essayist, in the 19^th century, confirmed the French masters’ conclusions as such: “We are breathing in two different worlds, one that has died and the other is so dull that it is taking time in its birth.” It was said almost a century ago when a vague sense of change had begun to be perceived in the upper strata of the Western world, while the majority was unconscious of what was in the offing.

Here it is pertinent to quote American author James Cooper who said, “the lighter sorrows make noise, while the greater ones are quiet.” Perhaps, in keeping with the American writer’s contention, silence is prevailing in our country, whose pains are undoubtedly incredible. Let’s try to make out why our sorrows are monumental. For this reason, we have to go back to the undivided India because, while living there, we had dreams of independence and prosperity which were possible under the majoritarian rule of Hindus. So in order to demonstrate the resilience of our dream, we struggled for a separate country that we eventually achieved.

Our assumptions regarding freedom and prosperity though disappeared soon, when the people’s right to govern was usurped by vested interest groups which had done nothing for this right because of their subservience to the British colonial masters. Idealists were jolted to see their dream turn into a nightmare overnight, provoking a sense of disappointment in them forever. Afterward, there were rhymes of ridicule for them, instead of admiration for envisioning the dream of a separate homeland.

German poet Henrich Heine, drawing a sad picture of leprosy patients in Europe of those days, said, “Leprosy was a pernicious disease five centuries ago. Therefore, anyone suffering from it was to live in a cave far from people; in case of hunger, he was to cover himself from head to toe for entry to the market area; and for the announcement of his presence, he was to buzz a bell so that people might get aside. But later they were treated and embraced by their society for playing their due role.”

Let’s admit that we Pakistanis are even inferior to the lepers of Europe. It is a reality that our ruling elite treats us as the lepers were treated once in the 19^th century Europe. It is well known that during the British colonial rule, the entry of the “Indians and stray dogs” into the clubs reserved for the British citizenry was prohibited. Even in an independent Pakistan, the situation remains the same for common Pakistanis who cannot have access to the clubs reserved for our ruling elite. One wonders whether we really live in a sovereign country, as claimed by our rulers. So long as our rulers keep us away from the helm of affairs and life, we will continue to live a life of the lepers in society. How long they could put a bar on us from their circles of charm is anybody’s guess. Period.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2023.

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