Daily Times

The colonial mindset that has crept into the post colonial Pakistan has to be shed before any useful democratic progress is made. Otherwise, we will eternally be chasing the ghost in musical chairs. The question that follows then is how it can be done. The post colonialmindset thinks in terms of rulers and the ruled. It is not simply the people in power, but those under their thumb that need to be sublimed into democratic beings; from the Hobbesian to the freedom model.

The next question would be ‘is the government responsible for the change of people’s minds and hearts, or isn’t it the responsibility of the society to develop such traits that could be useful in emancipation and empowerment?’ The government is nothing outside the society. It is part of the cultural process. How could someone get aloof from the very working of social life by simply winning votes; votes from none others than the ones they consider as society; in turn not feeling responsible for them when in power. Only a fool could forget their power base. In our part of the world, there is seemingly no dearth of those.

The government is nothing outside the society.It is part of the cultural process. How could someone become aloof from the very working of social life by simply winning votes; votes from none others than the ones they consider as society?

The government, in the above context, is responsible for building the capacities of the citizens in participatory democratic processes. This is only possible through transfer of knowledge that could help people in informed decision making. One very important point should be kept in mind in this regard: the process of change is inevitable. If it is not facilitated by democratic processes, it is bound to take an ugly shape and bring in conflict and chaos. So the government could either be the vehicle of change or a necessary evil to deal with. And in the worse circumstances, it could become a symbol of hate and repugnance. The decision lies with the elite.

How to do it? It is simple. Shed the colonial yoke. Start thinking as responsible elements of society. This is true for everyone who wields political power: the bureaucracy, both civil and military; politicians; and also the media. All in the power game, the power stakeholders, have to recognise the fact and bring their own house in order. Practically speaking,, there is a need to develop networks and documents that could lead different power wielders to the right path of empowerment. This is what internal communication networks are designed for.

In each organisation, there is need for a discussion on transparency and responsibility. If we take the example of the government, there is need for intranet that is connected with an internet based feedback system. In short, we need a public information system where there is internal transparency and public responsibility. To spell it out, there is need for developing a database, a network (web, SMS, WhatsApp, etc), where each and every public servant has a profile that could be seen by all, internally.

The profile shouldn’t be simply a biographical page, it should contain the responsibilities of the functionaries, including their duties, current projects under supervision, the specific role of the person in those, along with financial responsibilities; and above all what should have been achieved in a specific timeline. Once this network is developed, it should be connected to the larger feedback and input system kept by the government to inform people about the work at the one hand, while getting the feedback and complaints of the public to the relevant persons.

This is the very rudimentary structure that is needed to get the very sense of people’s right to information. The exercise of the RTI is not possible without the change of mindset. A mindset that is still bogged in the colonial psyche. And the problem doesn’t simply lie with the government, it is a cultural construct. Cultural constructs cannot be changed overnight. These couldn’t be budged through empty rhetoric in posh hotels, where urban locals talk about their ‘one day in a rural backwater’. About ‘how Fascinating it is out there’, ‘how hospitable these poor people are, because they smile in the face of the miseries’. All this isn’t true. Misery is never fun. Yes, witnessing it as a spectator is. Those who live it, know it.

The only institution that could help in eradication of ignorance and establishment of an empowered social structure is the government. We cannot change the country without the government being part of it. A dialogue with the governing structure and assistance in its running initiatives would help.

The government on its part has the responsibility to think responsibly and with cultural appropriateness, keeping in mind the larger good of the largest number. No one is coming from outside to change our country. We have to learn doing it by adopting the right way. It is not about how the country was made in the first place, it is about how it is run and how quickly we can adjust to the needs of the times, the needs of humanity. The quicker we realise this, the better.

The writer holds a PhD from the Institute of KMW, University of Leipzig, Germany. He has had a long career as a working journalist and trainer. Currently, he is Professor of Journalism at the University of Peshawar. He can be reached at altaafkhan@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, September 7^th 2017.