| December 29, 2002 | Sunday | Shawwal 24, 1423 |
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High-handed
Winter and weddings
WITH the installation of Dr Ishratul Ibad as governor, things in Sindh seem to be settling down. One of the major demands of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for joining the PML(Q)-led governments in Islamabad and Karachi was that one of Sindh’s two top slots should go to it. Now, with a Muttahida nominee as governor, the MQM should feel satisfied and get on with the task of governing the province in cooperation with its coalition partners. As governor, he is the president’s appointee and represents the federation. For that reason, he has to rise above party loyalties and conform strictly to the norms defined by the Constitution. His decision, thus, to resign from the MQM’s basic membership seems to give an indication of the awareness he has of the neutrality of his position as governor. One must also welcome Dr Ibad’s promise to work for the welfare of all those who live in Sindh. More important, he said he would try to bridge the urban-rural divide. Sindh’s ethnic mix and the pivotal status Karachi occupies in the country’s economy have given it a position that is as sensitive as it is full of opportunities. A multi-cultural and multi-ethnic population need not be considered a problem. In fact, it can be an asset if the energies of the people are directed in constructive channels. We have examples of many countries which absorbed immigrants from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds and utilized their energies to build their economies and give their societies dynamism and cultural vibrancy. Mishandled, cultural and ethnic diversity can become a divisive force. In the case of Sindh, the situation was mishandled, causing strife, political instability and economic dislocation in the past.
It would be wrong, of course, to view the situation in Sindh in isolation. What happened in this province would not have occurred if the nation as a whole had its bearings right. Political instability, lack of representative government, erosion of the rule of law, spread of the gun and drug culture in the wake of the Afghan war, and economic mismanagement — all combined to compound Sindh’s problems. Also, there is a continuous flow of rural migrants to Karachi and other urban centres, because agriculture is stagnant and industrial development confined to some urban pockets. The phenomenal increase in Sindh’s population, thus, has led to further pressures on its civic and utility services, housing and so on. Long years of political uncertainty, and lawlessness, including terrorist attacks and violence, have virtually blocked off investment in economic and business activity. All this has led to a rise in unemployment, and crime.
Under the changed scenario, all political parties in Sindh have a chance to work together for peace and economic development. The Muttahida’s partnership in governance means that the urban population is adequately represented in the Mahar government. This should ensure political stability for the provincial government and create the right environment in which the task of economic and social development can be pursued in right earnest. Karachi, specially, needs all that is essential for a mega city. It needs peace, uninterrupted economic progress, educational expansion, and special attention to such services as water, power, sewerage and transport. One hopes all coalition partners, and those in opposition, will rise above parochial considerations to give the province the peace, security and progress its people have been desperately waiting for.
REPORTS emanating from the United States say the Immigration and Naturalization Services is enforcing Attorney-General John Ashcroft’s new immigration policy in a crude and abrasive manner. This may win them a nod of approval from the Justice Department but it won’t do much for America’s image as a free country and a bastion of equality and non-discrimination irrespective of the race, religion or language of the people living, working or studying there. Now it seems the INS’s zero-tolerance policy is based on the idea of enforcing a new vision of ‘fortress America’. Sure enough, the rules of the game are written down but these are reserved for the eyes of INS clerks only, who interpret them at their whim. The INS has reportedly made it its business to fingerprint and otherwise harass and intimidate Muslim nationals of even those countries whose citizens are not particularly categorized as being a likely security risk. This being so, one can well imagine the misery of the citizens belonging to the countries included in Mr Ashcroft’s list.
While nobody can deny America’s right to put in place effective security mechanisms following the 9/11 terrorist nightmare, no one in his right mind can justify the extreme measures being adopted by the American security agencies and the INS. US-based rights groups have termed these measures excessive and discriminatory, saying they amount to witch-hunting of Muslims. As more and more reports of ill treatment of Muslim visitors to the US pour in, one is left to wonder if the INS personnel have to be as uncouth, thoughtless and racist as they have continued to be since 9/11 in dealing with persons, including US citizens, of Muslim and Middle East origins. It seems what Al Qaeda has done to the Muslims George Bush’s administration is now doing to the Americans: the public images of both stand mutually tarnished beyond recognition.
THE past few days have brought a slight touch of winter to Karachi. There has also been a spot of rain. Karachiites make the most of what nature ordains by way of winter for them, fishing out jackets and sweaters, “woolies”, as they are routinely called. If there is a slight wind, then that is considered really cold, much to the amusement of visitors from upcountry. The pleasant December and January evenings in Karachi mean that weddings can start late and end up late. Nine p.m. is the usual time on invitation cards, but woe betide anyone who is punctual. Probably at that time the dough for naans is still being kneaded. Dinner is often served at midnight. No one seems to protest; it has just become a way of life with the city’s people. In Lahore and Islamabad, the bitter winter nights at least ensure that marriage receptions are wound up at slightly more civilized hours.
The current wedding season is the first in the country after the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could not ban the serving of food at wedding receptions, which was a matter within provincial jurisdiction. No province has yet tried to move in the matter, and so everyone is having a splurge. The tent-wallahs, the crockery and chair contractors, marriage hall owners, and the poultry people are jubilant at the ban’s lapse: they are back in business with a bang. Only the less privileged are glum because they are again forced to provide food for relatives and friends. During the ban years, marriages had become quiet, sensible affairs, with people going for a cup of tea or soup or a cold drink, standing around chatting for a few minutes, giving away their presents and then leaving. There was no food, and no one had to wait. There were fewer children because why bother to dress them up and take them along when they would not get anything to eat, and consequently less noise. There was also less litter. But then everyone said how boring. Now, everyone should be happy. But what about grumbling stomachs, stifled yawns, and the constant surreptitious glances at wristwatches?