Indifference Kills, Absolute Indifference Kills Absolutely!

“There's nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can't clearly articulate why we're doing what we're doing.”

Yes, I am demoralized. Optimism is fast ceasing to be an option for Pakistan but I always try my best not to lose hope. And it is becoming harder everyday. I am not demoralized by the conditions in the country, all nations go through good and bad times and the great nations of the world were not the ones who never had troubles but the ones who rose up from the worst of them.

France before the revolution of 1789, England before 1688, the USA before Abraham Lincoln, Arab before Islam, all showed a glum picture and had troubles which might dwarf our own. My demoralization stems from our leaders. I am disgusted with their attitude, callousness and utter confusion about where we should be headed and what our strategy should be.

The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team is a shame but the statements of our government after the attack are nothing less than shameless. Our worthy governor (read ruler) stated that these were the same terrorists who were responsible for the Mumbai attacks. What kind of a statement is this? On one hand we claim that we have no clear idea who was behind the Mumbai attacks, and on the other, we are actually identifying other people to be the same as them. This could only mean one thing, that the government has no clue about these people either.

We were also treated to a memorable press conference yesterday where our ruler explained how the disqualified Chief Minister of Punjab was involved in huge frauds specially in the Sasti Roti program (the fact that a large number of people were actually getting cheap rotis and that this provision ended as soon as the Chief Minister went meaning little for him) and that the PPP was handling the Benazir Income Support Program  much better. In short, we were being convinced that his party is better, the other a bunch of criminals. Ask the Sharif brothers and you will hear the exact opposite.

Will someone tell our leaders that WE DON’T GIVE A SHIT. People are committing suicides due to poverty, we have a parallel system of justice in the North, Taliban and terrorists are breathing down our necks, we are internationally considered as worthless beggars who cannot be trusted, players from other countries are attacked with grenades if they dare to come here, the de jure Chief Justice is ridiculed by the lawyers themselves, the actual Chief Justice is left to roam the streets asking for justice, the whole nation is fast sinking into severe depression. We don’t care how good any party is!

Our Second Caliph Hazrat Umar (RA) said that even if a dog died in his rule, he felt responsible. When a trade caravan camped outside his city, he was so concerned for their safety that he spent the night on the outskirts of the city to ensure that their lives and assets were secure. Once, when Hazrat Usman (RA) was on his way to buy a piece of land, he passed some people who were crying for food. He distributed all his money among those poor and went home without making the deal.

I don’t ask our leaders to copy these people but at least they can show a bit of humanity. Today, when the people are screaming simply because a roti costs five rupees, our leaders are having the feasts of their lives. Five policemen were killed trying to protect the Sri Lankan team while our leaders are living amidst security provided by hundreds.

We have committed blunders time and again. It is us who bring these people into power. Us, the people of Pakistan, who have ashamed democracy with the way we cast our votes. All those who repeatedly vote for these people and then sit back watching till they are called to vote again should be concerned. And all those who do not even cast their votes and are satisfied simply criticizing and cribbing about what is going on should be ashamed.

We are in a far worse situation than ever before. Before 1947, we did not have a land to call our own, now we have a country that we are ashamed to call our own. The choice is clear. We have to either leave this country or love it. And if we love it, we must show it. There’s nothing to lose anymore. Fear the time when the ignorant fools that make up such a large part of our population will be the only ones to be seen here. The educated Pakistanis, the ones who still have their brains in order, who can think sensibly must act. We must start thinking, not only about our own petty selfish lives but about the country. We have to stop fearing the truth; we have to take our problems head on. We have to stop being indifferent. We have to unite.

For starters we have to spread truth as much as we can. We are afraid of the truth, afraid of looking in the mirror, afraid of consequences, afraid of power, afraid of wealth. Ang San Suu Kyi said “Fear is not the natural state of civilized people”. We have to stop being afraid and act like a civilized nation. We have to realize that we are in trouble and each one of us is responsible for it. Truth never hurts; it’s the lies that kill us.

If you don’t get a leader who is good enough, find a better one, or become a better one. Be yourself. A life of fear is much worse than death.

“Death is not the biggest fear we have; our biggest fear is taking the risk to be alive -- the risk to be alive and express what we really are.”