Impact of Eid holidays on relief efforts

  HOW many Eid holidays do we need this year? How long will and can the Eid mood last? Such and other questions surface in the face of a news report in this newspaper on the 28th which said that there was a “call to cut Eid holidays in wake of relief operation”. For some odd reason one was reminded of the fall of Dhaka on the 16th of December 1971 and the new year celebrations a fortnight later in Karachi. But let us overlook that here, and now.

This news report from Islamabad says that “aid workers and the general public have criticized the long Eid holidays announced by the government, saying it would affect the relief operation on which the lives of countless number of quake survivors were depending”.

The news report says that the three days holidays, with Sunday added on, makes it a four-day holiday spell. Bear in mind that in some cases Monday will be a holiday and then Nov 9 (Iqbal Day) is another public holiday. One citizen, familiar with our love of holidays and work ethics, felt that the best thing to do was to write-off the next week altogether. People are bound to take extra holidays, to utilize any leave that may still be available, as the year ends. Eid is a time to relax, enjoy, and take it easy, still more. That is the general attitude.

One Karachiite observes that besides official statements asking people to observe Eid with simplicity and austerity this year, there are also visible signs that at least some sections of society will have a touch of festivity, justifying it in the name of children or that life must go on! I have seen some print media advertisements to that effect and television channels are showing signs of bringing back their traditional fun fare.

The difficulty with this is that the earthquake havoc and horror has brought about a tragedy that calls for a 6-10 year time frame for the required rehabilitation and reconstruction.

It sure is a long time, and one prays that the Pakistani society keeps track of its obligation and responsibility toward the rehabilitation of their quake-hit brethren. There are intangible, emotional, ethical messages that will be sent in whatever Pakistani society (government and people) does for them.

One would like to mention a very thought provoking ,even disturbing  question and theme that was discussed on a private TV channel on Thursday night, in which it was  explored as to what were the lessons learnt in the three weeks since the October 8th earthquake. Two journalists from Lahore and one from Islamabad expressed their views.

It is indeed a valid question, even for Karachi. What have we, in the Sindh capital learnt from the natural disaster?

This is a question that has been asked frequently on daily basis since Oct 8, wherein the principal fear being that this city is unprepared for any such calamity. And almost everyday, the citizens are being assured and reassured that the disaster and crisis management plans and authority are being put into place. At least there is talk of it.

Returning to the Islamabad-based relief workers, they have appealed to the government to reduce the number of holidays. Even though these unnamed people have said that this four day break could not be afforded during the relief operation. Besides the holiday spell would divert the attention of the people from the relief efforts, they said.

This underlines the huge challenge there is in trying to sustain the right pace and appropriate mood of rebuilding of the devastated areas.

One Islamabad academic was quoted thus”: How can we even think of enjoying and relaxing during the Eid holidays when millions of earthquake stricken people are starving and awaiting medical aid and shelter in cold weather”. 

Let us underline here: millions of earthquake stricken people. Also to be underlined is the cold weather. And that not enough tents are available either in this country, or elsewhere. That is the kind of world we live in; we have been reminded at this price. In case of a natural disaster, while there may be oil, and gold, and armaments to go around, there are not enough tents for all.

There is much to reflect about as the Eidul Fitr 2005 is about five days away. Some of us, here already feel the slowing down of the pace of work and this will grow. So what if Eid shopping is less than the last year, said one housewife. She argued and asserted that under such circumstances there should have been no shopping at all. That would have been the best option. She told me of how disappointed she was to see shopping centres and areas like Clifton, Zamzama, Defence, Tariq Road, Saddar with shopping families and individuals. But most of them did not appear happy and enthusiastic, she opined.

There is another thought that Eid brings. Or rather any closure or holiday spell does that. That is the fear of getting trapped in an emergency during the festival or holiday. I have discussed this with colleagues and most of them have narrated personal experiences of how they had suffered even if it was a small civic problem, like an overflowing sewerage line outside their gate or within their block of apartments. There is nobody to attend to such civic complaints during the Eid holidays. And if someone does show up, the Eidi factor is such a nuisance, lamented one Karachiite.

Admittedly the civic agencies, public and private hospitals and utility organizations like the KESC and PTCL and the police do make plans of providing emergency and urgent cover to crises were they take place during a festival. But the image of their performance is so unreliable and poor, even under normal circumstances, when regular staff is on duty, that apprehensions of failure and harassment are integral to any perception

 One would like to conclude with the recurring thought of how different will Eid be this year? For all the suffering that came our way in Ramazan, one wonders whether there will be more kindness, concern, compassion, for each other.

A colleague wondered whether children this Eid would settle for a reasonable amount of Eidi in view of the earthquake. I told him that this year children should ask for more and in turn donate that sum to the rehabilitation of earthquake affected people. That is a good way of investing in the future.

Gilgit’s sectarian conundrum

GILGIT has witnessed some of the worst sectarian violence in the country in the last 18 months, which was first triggered by clashes that ensued from a controversy over textbook material in May 2004. So far, around 95 people have died despite the fact that the controversy was amicably settled in March this year.

Some respite from the violence was seen during the three different curfews imposed in the city — June 2004 and January and October this year. But curfews can only be a temporary solution to a longstanding problem.

The sectarian groups began to strengthen their rank and file in the political vacuum that emerged after 1979 when both Iran and Afghanistan experienced revolutions. The uprising in Kashmir in 1988 tended to provide an identity to these sectarian groups which camouflaged their objectives in struggles that were taking place outside their territory. The sectarian game was started to supplant each other.

There seems to be no remedy in sight for the politics of sectarianism, as successive governments have shown a lack of both political will and sensibility to address the causes of the menace nor have they come up with viable solutions.

Faced with sectarian violence that has spun out of control, the military government has branded it terrorism. However, some analysts argue that in the context of the Northern Areas it has reinforced the geo-strategic preferences of the military vis-a- vis its Kashmir policy — which is why the government has not taken any serious steps to tackle the problem.

In the absence of political parties, the struggle by each sect to dominate every aspect of life has transformed the once peaceful city of Gilgit into a sectarian cauldron. Both the Sunnis and the Shias are fully armed, and conflict between them has led to the death of over 90 people so far, but nobody had been arrested, because both communities are well protected, and the government lacks the will to apprehend the culprits.

As a result of the violence, people are feeling increasingly insecure and vulnerable; some even contemplate migrating. Recently, the administration mustered some courage and detained the top leadership of both sects, booking five clerics and leaders under the anti-terrorism act. But this may not provide any succour to the beleaguered masses, who are victims of other injustices like poverty and unemployment.

Any attempt at reconciliation that does not take into account true justice will not appease those who have lost their relatives and properties in the violence since 1988. With the exception of few prominent people, the victims of sectarian killings mainly comprise drivers, cleaners, labourers, clerks and watchmen. The bereaved families’ rehabilitation has also not been given any importance.

A tripartite system of government exists in the region comprising the force commander of northern areas, the chief secretary and the Northern Areas Legislative Council (NALC). The former two enjoy immense powers while the NALC is unable to play any role in resolving the localized crises. The powerlessness of NALC is also a source of irritation and unrest since powers are concentrated in the hands of the chief executive who is an unelected person based in Islamabad. Over Rs1.5million are being spent daily on the maintenance of the forces, but the situation remains fluid. Tribal feuds, personal enmities and business rivalries are being depicted as sectarian killings due to the absence of an effective investigation system.

Solutions can be found by setting up an independent judicial commission headed by a Supreme Court judge to investigate the killings in this area since 1988. The administrative and financial empowerment of the NALC should also be allowed so that it can make decisions about the region, but it should be headed by a locally elected chief executive. It is equally important to grant compensation to those who have lost lives and property in the last 18 months.