Sirajuddin Aziz
The Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y (Millennials), and subsequent generations, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, are fortunate to have been born in an independent country — Pakistan. Dame Luck has favoured them in that they have faced none of the hardships endured by their forefathers, who lived in subjugation to the tyranny of the colonial power and the Hindu majority of the subcontinent. A large majority of the current population literally received independence on a platter. They were and are fortunate to have started breathing in freedom. Look at Modi’s India; shouldn’t we be grateful that we have a vibrant Pakistan to live in, with no fears of religious persecution?
Since we became independent without personal toil and struggle, we have, for the longest time, taken our hard-earned independence for granted. The generation that fought for our freedom is fading or has long faded away under the sickle of time. People who would narrate stories of their personal struggle to us at the dining table are now few and far between.
Our curriculum is weak in instilling deep feelings of gratitude towards our Founder and his closest political associates. The study of civics, social behaviour and history is on the wane. Most of the current generation consequently has very limited appreciation of the beauty and power of independence and freedom. The Muslims of India are learning the hard way under Narendra Modi what independence and freedom mean, and what full liberty means in terms of being able to live, practise and adhere to our specific standards of behaviour. The liberties we enjoy are taken for granted.
Nelson Mandela rightly stated that he never wakes a sleeping man, lest he may be dreaming of freedom. To achieve Pakistan, much blood was spilled across the subcontinent. We are progressively forgetting the supreme sacrifice of those who materialised the concept of an independent Pakistan. All of us talk mostly about how to seek more from the country with the least or zero effort. We are draining it. There is no remorse. There is no accountability.
The demand for more privileges is unending. We conveniently forget or ignore that recognising and accepting responsibility is the first step towards consolidating the nation’s development and strengthening its economy and politics. “It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen” (Aristotle).
Regrettably, those in the higher strata of the citizens’ hierarchy, which itself is contrary to the concept of equality, think they are above all other people in intellect, wisdom, and wealth. However, history proves that the common citizen can be wiser, with better intellectual faculties. Human decency demands that all citizens remain equal. There should be no third- or second-class citizens, but only first-class citizens. Slavery has ended.
While Shakespeare says in Henry V, “Every subject’s duty is the King’s, but every subject’s soul is his own”, Voltaire follows it with the idea that not all citizens can be equally powerful, but they can be equally free. Hence, the soul of every citizen is free. The recognition of this freedom must lead to the acquisition of power. From Aesop’s fables, we have all learnt at school: “Better starve free than be a fat slave.” Citizens must know their rights, because with this knowledge comes the related sense of duty and responsibility towards the country.
The fangs of freedom lend citizens a tremendous sense of power. This realisation confers upon the citizen a set of rights and obligations, or a duty of care. Absolute freedom is as dangerous as absolute power. Both have to be tempered with maturity and responsibility. The power so felt should not be allowed to run amok. “Wild liberty breeds iron conscience; natures with great impulses have great resources, and return from far” (Emerson).
A good citizen seeks to be secure, happy, able to do what he feels he is good at, and able to live with self-respect and esteem. The right to pursue these objectives cannot exist without necessary restraint and maturity of reaction and response. Freedom for citizens without the apron strings of responsibility can actually become irksome.
If merriment is the pursuit of a handful of citizens, then poverty shall be the blessing of the poor and less privileged, who shall always be in greater numbers. Incorruptibility ought to be the hallmark of all citizens. On this scale alone, where do we stand? Perhaps an honest evaluation in all its forms would bring upon us absolute shame.
Recognising that, as citizens, we need to mend ourselves is a good first step. Rather than denying the morass of corruption that we continue to bear with, we need to mend ourselves. This must be the first mantra of the workforce.
Nobody but the citizens are responsible for all that is good, and all that is not so good in our society. Citizens need to take up the cudgel to correct the course and direction. This begins with self-governance. We must first take steps to correct ourselves before wanting to correct others. Instead, it is the job of the wily population to point fingers.
In ancient Athens, where democracy’s birth took place in terms of conferring rights upon citizens, citizens could vote and speak without fear or favour. Equality was practised only in ensuring that selected citizens had the opportunity to hold public offices. Citizens were required to complete military training and defend the city in times of war. The proviso for citizenship included being a free adult, and only 20 per cent of the population held citizenship. Women were not considered citizens. This has been referenced to drive home the point that we are a nation full of ingratitude. Today, all men and women are citizens who, at least constitutionally, have equal status in law.
Human progress has led us to this era of freedom, liberty, equality and independence. In 1947, we became more independent and free. We need to treasure this freedom. It can be done only if we remain and operate on high moral ground and, above all, through civility in governance. A place for everything and everything in its place must be the motto of all people. Freedom and equality are not meant to crush or drown the basics of civil behaviour and demeanour.
The character of us as citizens depends on how strong the foundational knowledge imparted to children, who are the future, is. Genealogy has never been a guarantee of character and behaviour. We must transcend such limiting thoughts and direct all energies towards developing responsible citizens through responsive actions by the people and the government. The spectacle of over 25 million school-going-age children being outside school is not promising. If anything, it reflects very poorly upon the government. If the seed of today is faulty and inadequate, the fruits of the future can only be imagined with a deep sense of fear. The produce will be deformed. The melting of inaction is the need.
To make our land fertile yet again with genius and intellect, we need to return to a concentration on primary education. The call is to learn and legislate. We can head to the extreme of criminalising any act that prevents children from being at school. It can begin with prosecuting parents or, at the minimum, taking some punitive action. For how long will we wait for ideal conditions? Let’s put the cart before the horse; no harm, but at least begin somewhere. We can later bring in the horse before the cart. But where is the cart? Ghost schools! Let’s work on the cart.
It has now become more of a cliché than the sound advice President J. F. Kennedy gave when he said in a speech: ask not what the country should give you; instead, ask what you should give to the country. I believe we need to inspire ourselves to do so, and not wait. Citizens make the country. That is where attention is required. Intentional action is the first step towards moving forward. The thought that the masses are intentionally and deliberately being denied education must be dispelled through noble motives and actions.
The writer is a Senior Banker & Freelance Columnist.
