| September 12, 2003 | Friday | Rajab 14, 1424 |
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Outdated system
Unidentical twins
TWO years ago, the world was shaken by a frightening and ruthless form of terrorism. The response was for the world to retaliate in kind. Afghanistan was attacked and the Taliban regime, accused of sheltering terrorists, was dislodged. Later, the search began to discover links between terrorism and other states. The main charge against Saddam Hussein was that he possessed weapons of mass destruction; subsequently, a connection was invented between him and Al Qaeda in an attempt to strengthen the case for war on Iraq. For its erstwhile links with the Taliban, Pakistan was on the verge of being declared a terrorist state, and was saved by 9/11, but western media continues to view the country with suspicion and barely concealed cynicism. The Palestine Authority has been singled out for blame for not doing enough to control “terrorists” and Yasser Arafat attacked and humiliated. Iran is among the countries now being maligned for failing to do enough to combat terrorism, and allegations about Saudi financing for militant organizations form the staple of reporting from the Middle East by the western media. The almost daily attacks on US and coalition troops in Iraq are not seen as an expression of the Iraqi people’s anger at the occupation of their country but as the handiwork of outside terrorists.
President George Bush claims the war on terror is being won. There have indeed been successes in some countries, such as Indonesia, which was shaken into realizing the danger posed by fundamentalist groups operating within its territory by the Bali bomb blast. But there is still no definitive information on Osama bin Laden or his chief lieutenants or Mullah Omar. Saddam Hussein’s sons have been killed, but there is no trace of the deposed Iraqi leader himself. In a tape released on Wednesday and apparently timed to coincide with the 9/11 anniversary, Osama bin Laden is seen alive and moving, although the tape is undated and the location unknown. Perhaps both Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden will be captured or killed some day. Other alleged terrorists may also be found and punished. But will that mean the end of the phenomenon of terrorism in its virulent new form?
Ferreting out people believed to be committing acts of terror, particularly those who attack wantonly and kill civilians, is necessary. But reliance only on a policing response will leave the threat of terrorism in place. The international community at some point will have to come to grips with the reasons for the anger and frustration that drive otherwise ordinary citizens to acts of desperation and make them put their own lives at risk or blow themselves up. A deeper sentiment must move them than ordinary envy — President Bush’s typically simplistic explanation. Resistance to alien occupation or a desire to be free or to fight continued oppression or denial of economic and social rights cannot be dismissed as envy or jealousy. Religious militancy can at times be driven by simple fanaticism, but even in such cases, the seeds are sown by twisted attitudes that harp on “Islamic terrorism” and ignore Zionist terrorism, with the latter coming laced with sophisticated missiles and aircraft. The United Nations is due to hold a conference later this month on international terrorism. It will serve a useful purpose only if it makes an attempt to go beyond discussing ways to “combat” terrorism and explores ways on how the sense of injustice, discrimination and exploitation prevailing in large parts of the world can be removed.
THE discussion in parliament on Tuesday on the working of cantonment boards in the country once again brings into focus this prickly yet pressing issue. One can safely say that the cantonment boards have outlived their raison d’etre. Historically, these boards were set up by the colonial administration to oversee the creation and adequate maintenance of military establishments in different towns and cities of the subcontinent. These cantonments, which were located well beyond the perimeters of the towns or cities, were seen as separate areas owing to the occupation of the majority of its inhabitants, and the working of the cantonment boards was thus very specifically focused. However, with the passage of time, the cantonment areas have now been enveloped by expanding cities and towns. Civilian areas surround the cantonments in almost all locations. In fact, the majority of the population in these cantonment areas no longer belongs to the military. It would be safe to assume that these are no more sensitive areas as most of the plots and houses have been sold off or leased to civilians and commercial interests.
Keeping these factors in mind, the issues raised by the parliamentarians on Tuesday are pertinent. They have asked the government whether the devolution principle that has led to the creation of local government should not also be extended to the administration of cantonment areas as well. This would bring in a measure of democratic accountability to the management of these areas which at this point is lacking. As things stand, while most of the cantonment boards are flush with funds as a result of high rates imposed on residents, most of whom are civilians, the running of the boards is left to an unelected body which is accountable only to the military. It may be noted that the functioning of most of the boards is well below the required standards. A good example is the Clifton Cantonment Board in Karachi which has yet to repair the major roads in its jurisdiction damaged by the rains which lashed the city more than a month back. The system of cantonment boards is obsolete. It is time the government listened to the objections and suggestions of the parliamentarians and worked towards extending the principle of democratic governance and answerability to cantonment areas as well.
THE nazims of Karachi and Lahore have designated their two cities “ideological twins”. Whatever that means is only known to the nazims, who did not offer much of an explanation as to the unusual nomenclature. But regardless of the nomenclature, the idea behind the ‘twinning’ is good: the Karachi and Lahore nazims have agreed to regular exchanges of students and teachers studying and teaching in schools run by their respective city governments. The total number of schools likely to benefit from the exchange programme will be 5,500.
The exchange programme can become a meaningful tool for learning and sharing of knowledge, information and ideas for public school students and teachers if it is carried out with the right set of priorities in mind. Since students enrolled in the public school system generally come from lower income groups and cannot afford travel on their own, the pooling of Pakistan’s two largest cities’ resources to fund such a programme will certainly be of immense help. Similar information, talent and resource-sharing programmes form an integral part of public school education in many other countries too, with the difference that the emphasis is not merely on promoting any ideology. The proposed programme here too will only become truly meaningful if it is not held hostage to a particular mindset. It should be an exercise that brings students and teachers together from two very diverse cities and helps them understand the elements of unity that lie in diversity. Over time, the programme should be broadened to include students and teachers from Peshawar and Quetta as well. If this can be done as planned, the nazims of Karachi and Lahore will have made a valuable contribution to the broadening of horizons of public school students at the national level.