Dealing effectively with national and global challenges

Recently The Express Tribune front page carried the Indian author and political activist Arundhati Roy’s very candid remarks that US President Joe Biden and French President Emanuel Macron will not raise the issue of human rights with PM Narendra Modi during the G-20 conference in India. Despite all the lip service and avowed commitment to democratic principles of fair play and equal treatment of minorities and religious freedom, the Western countries brazenly compromise when strategic, economic and political interests collide. The US closely monitors the conduct of Chinese government regarding its treatment of minorities, and rightly highlights the gross mistreatment of Uighurs, who are predominately Muslims, and other minorities in China. But it would turn a blind eye to the treatment of Muslims and other minorities in India. The same policy of looking the other way and deliberately keeping silent is pursued by Britain, Germany, France and other major Western powers when strategic and economic interests are at stake. It is not surprising though unfortunate that the Muslim countries including Pakistan remain silent on issues of religious discrimination for similar considerations and only selectively raise their voice. What was, however, disturbing is that the annual report to Congress on International Religious Freedom describes the status of religious freedom in every country and catalogues in great detail the human rights situation in various countries, especially China, Russia and also to an extent about India. But nothing seems to deter PM Modi to continue pursuing hostile and prejudicial policies against minorities.

In India, Muslims constitute 11 to 12 % of the population. They are spread all over the country and are in majority in the Indian occupied Kashmir and in certain pockets of Indian Punjab. If Muslims in India are properly organised and led, they can be an effective political force and will be able to assert themselves to improve their economic conditions. At present Muslims rank low in the economic and social strata of India. Moreover, they are facing discrimination at every level and their economic and political power has vastly diminished. Apart from state discrimination, for which the BJP government is largely responsible but the Muslim leadership has contributed to accelerating the decline by not prioritising and giving due attention to technological and scientific based education. They have also failed to organise the community into an effective politically cohesive force. Whereas with proper leadership Muslims spread all over India have the potential of playing a role commensurate with their population which according to conservative estimates is 160 million.

In Pakistan too we have failed to give the minorities the protection and equal opportunities that our constitution clearly enunciates. Most recently incidents of destruction of churches on a fairly large scale brought shame to the country. Reports of kidnapping and forced marriages of Hindu girls in rural Sindh is common news which is a sad reflection on both the state and the society at large. The more disturbing aspect is that there is no sustained effort at dealing with these ingrained prejudices and malpractices. Merely punishing a few does not serve the goal of building a society based on tolerance and mutual respect.

Looking at the broader national scene the country’s stability and economic growth would depend on how the political and military leadership steers the country through these challenging times. It is so critical that the national elections are held on time and normality restored so that the incoming government is in a position to tackle the present and long-term issues. Most importantly it will have to deal with the sinking economy, serious security matters especially on the Western border with TTP posing a serious security threat and foreign policy issues.

Moreover, due to wrong priorities, weak leadership and unfavourable international environment successive governments have been very casual about promoting education. As a consequence we have a very high rate of illiteracy which is a huge drag on the nation. With the world racing ahead and India succeeding in becoming the first country to safely land a craft in the moon’s south pole region is a reminder how we have been lagging behind. It is also a reminder as to how knowledge of science is so fundamental for national development. It is an instrument of social change and should be accorded high priority in schools and colleges.

The past policy of looking at major national problems only through the security lens has produced problematic dynamics and needs to be reviewed. There has to be greater focus on economic development, political stability and at improving the lives of the people. Lately, the economy had sunk to an alarming low level and politics is in disarray which has long-term consequences. Without a major course correction on the guidelines of the IMF, the country will continue to drift. Pursuit of economic goals requires sound leadership that fosters political stability. We have been tempering with our democratic structure that too has adversely affected our economy.

As I have written earlier too, we need to rethink about having an interim set-up before elections. Is it really serving the aim for which it was introduced? In fact, its heavy dependence on institutions gives the latter more power to influence events. Besides, precious national time is lost in transition with important decisions in freeze and a state of suspense. If mature democracies of the US, Britain and India are able to conduct free and fair elections without any interim government, there is no reason why we can’t. This may be a slight digression but it is important to point out that our experience of additional or parallel organisations such as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been disappointing. Here too what was needed was to strengthen the existing judicial system and create an environment that institutions function in accordance with the dictates of the constitution. Pakistan’s present and future would largely depend on how effective our leadership is in dealing with these multiple issues and steering the country in these difficult times.

We also cannot be oblivious to the fast-changing global environment that requires the government and the private sector to focus on multiple developments, foremost of which are globalisation, IT revolution, uncontrollable inflation, rising energy demand and impact of climate change.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2023.

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