Naya Pakistan and Inqilaabis

There is nothing "Naya" about the blog title, really. "Naya Pakistan" is all the rage now a days . It's like a major sale item along with others like "Tsunami" , "Corruption" and "Go Nawaz Go". Turn on the TV , the radio , go online . Whatever you do, where ever you go , images and sounds of this "Inqilaab" and "Azaadi March" would follow you.

The "Inqilaabis" are all for "change" . They have this romantic notion of fighting a corrupt system and making way for a "Naya" Pakistan. What is this Naya Pakistan? What would so "Naya" about it? There would be no corruption , they say. No one has a very clear idea about what this Naya Pakistan is. It seems that Naya Pakistan is rather a subjective thing and everyone sees it in a different way. It's closely related to "Secular" Pakistan , which again, is a very debatable word.

So, what are we doing to achieve this hitherto imaginary Naya Pakistan . "Dharnaas" and "Long Marches" have become very "in" now a days. There is the frequent reference to "Tahrir square" and "D-Chowk" has become a pretty popular tourist spot !

People are forever talking about "sacrifices" to get rid of corruption and make a Naya Pakistan . But what is this "sacrifice" they are talking about . There are people, no doubt, that actually sacrifice their comfort to be part of these gatherings . But their sacrifices are diluted by participation of "fashionable" inqilaabis ; people that attend the dharnas just for fun . There is quite a large amount of such people in such gatherings that come to enjoy and relax .

It is not possible to tell who are real serious "Inqilaabis" unless they are put to some real test. Any sort of revolution demands sacrifices , serious sacrifices. Revolutions also demand a seriousness and focus which we lack.As as nation , we are a loosely connected mob and this reflects in all the "dharnaas" and "Long Marches". We are not a nation yet. Being a nation is a per-requisite to a revolution. Also , any change , be it good or bad , is not sustainable if it is thrust upon the people. Such "Azaadi Marches" with it's never ending promises of deadlines of prosperity are nothing but one mirage after another. Changes take years upon years of hard work. Shallow "Dharnaas" like the ones carried out by PTI and TUQ are nothing  but a waste of time. The IK jalsaas have the 'reputation' of women behaving in disgraceful manners. If women dancing on the roads is what Naya Pakistan is all about then we might as well have the old and corrupt one. Loss of dignity like this would be a very heavy price to pay for Naya Pakistan.

What about the real price that a Revolution demands ? Hardwork , dedication. And if we are insistent upon "Long Marches" , how far are we willing to go. Are we ready to be shot at ? To go to Jail ? To sacrifice our comforts ? Our warm beds? Our filled up refrigerators? This is particularly a question for the "hardcore" inqilaabis. Because, if they can't sacrifice their safety and comfort when it comes to it, they might as well sit at home. Waving flags and giving victory signs is all very well but there would not be any revolution unless we have a collective mind set that is ready for some serious sacrifices.

So , until the "Inqilaabis" are subject to some serious hardships , it would be premature to say how dedicated they are about their Naya Pakistan. When the hardships , jails , tear gas and baton charging arrive, only then we'll be in a position to see that how many of those chest thumping Inqilaabis ( particularly the PTI inqilaabis) hold fast and fight back for the Naya Pakistan they so badly want !
 

An interesting trend...

Lately , I have been observing a very interesting trend in the online articles i come across. Specifically , the trend is related to the comments at the end of the article. I am pretty much interested in the articles written by liberals / Secularists / pseudo-intellectuals since they are forever maligning Islam and promoting it as a narrow , terrorist religion. A lot of articles are about counties where Muslims are being oppressed. It is interesting to note that one can go on and on about Islam being an evil , demonic religion and no one would complain . But as soon as someone decides to highlight the plight of Muslims , all hell breaks loose.

I have come across people on social media forums that were actually offended at the fact the sufferings of Muslims was being talked about. To them , the important issues are "Islamic terrorists " , "Minorities" , "Forced Marriages" , "Blasphemy" and of course "Qadyaanis" . Briefly , any issue that puts Islam in an unfavorable light is important to them. These "intellectuals" are of the view that "let us set our own house straight first". Oddly , this logic is absent when misguided Muslims are the oppressors . No one said "let's set our house straight first" when 911 occured , no one said it after Boko Haram incident in Nigeria but everyone talks about it when the world "Palestine" is mentioned. Why ? because we are looking at non-Muslim terrorists here. The Secularist Brigade can't stand Islam being the victim ; for them Islam has to represent something evil and oppressive. You should see the comments at the end of articles that highlight Muslims' plight and you'll see what I mean.

My advice to these "drawing room scholars" is that try to under stand Islam first before holding it responsible for your own lack of understanding of it. My own understanding is little but I do not blame Islam for the atrocities done "In the name of Islam". The atrocities are done "In the name of our lack of understanding of Islam". There is a huge difference between the two and we need to appreciate the difference.