Sir, When political workers rise from the grassroots level, they emerge as mature individuals, with tolerance for dissent, trained to work as team mates. There is no place for egoistic pursuits in the political arena, where democracy and people’s will must dominate. It is the political process with free and fair elections that separates the chaff from the wheat. PDM has become a victim of the egoistic immaturity of its leadership.
The All-India Muslim League was one such party, and so was the Congress or Khudai-Khidmatgar headed by Bacha Khan, although they had varied goals. All these political parties, despite their differences, wanted independence from tyrannical British Raj, which had over a century, indulged in institutionalized plunder of the subcontinent and sowed seeds of divide and rule, which unfortunately has been adopted by remnants of the Raj. Despite all these pitfalls Quaid-e-Azam, because of his commitment, emerged as a leader of all Muslims, who believed that Congress was slave to Hindu supremacists and their belief that Hindus and Muslims were two separate nations and could not live together as one nation.
Modi has proven that the likes of Abul Kalam Azad were wrong. Pakistan’s political problems started when those politicians who had risen from grass roots in the political struggle waged by All India Muslim League were banned from politics under EBDO by a military dictator and political engineering process started, creating King’s party under varied brand names. We have witnessed the shameless manner in which Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah was subjected to a slanderous campaign and called a traitor, by those, who themselves were serving interests of foreign powers.
It is also very ironic that those who opposed the political struggle for independence from British Colonial Raj and served them were exempted from restrictions imposed by EBDO. Let us not forget the political drama where a tinpot dictator chose his own brother as an Opposition Leader.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
