Way back in 2006, Frédéric Grare, visiting scholar with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in his above-quoted paper, predicted continuous suffering of Pakistanis even after returning to elections due to de-politicisation of large segments of the population under military rules and voters’ apathy. His prediction has proved right. Today’s Pakistan is witnessing all kinds of conflicts — political, economic, social, sectarian, ethnic and what not. The number of suo moto cases taken up by Supreme Court in recent days confirms the magnitude of the prevailing chaos. From verbal attacks on judiciary to sheer failure in combating the rising tide of heinous crimes, the ruling party in the centre and Punjab is showing capriciousness. In Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the conduct of ruling parties is no different.
The observations by Grare that military will continue to dominate political scene through religious elements have confirmed by recent actions of Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan. The similar role was played by Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) during Musharraf’s era. From Nizam-e-Mustafa movement against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to funding of billions to Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) till today, the main objectives remain keeping system under control, manipulation of elections, and shackling the people to ‘learned helplessness’.
‘Learned helplessness’, as demonstrated by empirical data in 1965 by psychologist Martin Seligman, arises from apathy. Once a person knows he is helpless, he stops making any effort to change his circumstances and develops apathy as a way of life. The feeling of powerlessness is so strong that it completely overwhelms the faculties of understanding or the desire to take practical action to alter the negative state of affairs. This is one of the reasons why Pakistanis are quick to ignore inconveniences, injustice, lack of fundamental human rights, violence, terrorism, regression and tyranny etc — being inflicted by both civilian and military rulers.
‘Learned helplessness’, as demonstrated by empirical data in 1965 by psychologist Martin Seligman, arises from apathy. Once a person knows he is helpless, he stops making any effort to change his circumstances and develops apathy as a way of life
The main tragedy of Pakistan is unchallenged perpetuation of unholy alliance of elites — militro-judicial-civil hierarchy and business-cum-politicians. By dispossessing the people from the wealth of natural resources and economic benefits of the country, this anti-people alliance exercises control over them and ensures their exploitation. This unholy alliance is the real enemy of masses. The elites and media skilfully drift people’s attention from real issues and hook them on trivial issues and mantra of ‘Islamo-nationalism’, the term coined by Olivier Roy, renowned French political scientist, to show how military has penetrated in political domain using clergy as their proxy.
The repressive economic system, imposed by exploitative classes, is the main stumbling block for representative/participative democracy in Pakistan. The elites have proved that come what may they will never empower masses even after insertion of Article 140A in the Constitution that requires devolution of fiscal, political and administrative powers to masses at grass root level through municipal self-governments.
The struggle against a repressive economic system cannot be waged without establishing a mass-based party having representation of industrial workers and landless farmers. Such a party must mobilise the masses on one point i.e. securing universal entitlements from the State. The principle of universal entitlements seeks to prevent the formation of inequalities and the foundation of the poor as a separate social group, whereas residualism/marginalism, through assisting the poor and needy, implicitly defines them as certain types of social groups. In a nutshell, the party must work for achieving the goal of an egalitarian society, true local governments having own financial resources to commensurate with the responsibilities under the constitution and other laws to ensure both welfare of the people and sustainable growth at the grass root level.
The people of this country have become apathetic after continuously witnessing the hopeless conduct of their political leaders. PML(N), PPP, PTI, MMA, MQM even after getting opportunities failed to serve the people. They instead opted to serve the elites and vested interest. They have no agenda for introducing a fair tax system for resource mobilisation to meet the ever-growing needs of development, erection and maintenance of infrastructure and providing people with the facilities of education, health, transport and universal entitlements (clean drinking water, electricity, transport, accommodation etc).
In the wake of 18th constitutional amendment, it was the duty of provincial governments to provide fiscal and administrative decentralisation at the local government level under article 140 A of the constitution but even after seven years, no provincial government, ever bothered to establish functional, self-reliant and effective local governments. There is no desire on the part of political leaders to implement Article 140 A in letter and spirit.
Media and civil society need to pressurise the political parties to establish without any further delay effective and efficient local governments as ordained under Article 140A and reconsider the laws enacted till today on the basis of social policy. They have so far just copied the previous outdated ones with patchwork here and there. The local governments will not be meaningful unless entitled, within national economic policy, to have adequate financial resources of their own, of which they may dispose freely within the framework of their powers and for public welfare. Part of the financial resources of local authorities should derive from local taxes and spent for providing universal entitlements and development. Pakistan must follow the model of welfare states where resources available to local governments are based on a sufficiently diversified and buoyant nature to enable them to keep pace with modern day needs of an innovative economy.
The apathy arising out of ‘learned helplessness’ is the reason why the masses are not ready to come on streets for getting their fundamental rights as was the case when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto started a movement against the military power or Sheikh Mujeebur Rehman countered atrocities in the then East Pakistan. In those days, political apathy was non-existent as people had faith in their leaders and were ready to fight for their rights.
Political leaders if really sincere in countering anti-democratic forces must regain support of masses by giving them their rights and solving their real issues. This will help the masses overcome the syndrome of ‘learned helplessness’ and apathy. If our leaders keep on fighting on petty issues or engaging in mudslinging, people will drift further towards religious parties. Recent attempts of promoting certain religious outfits and to counter advocates of civil liberties and human rights are indicative of the old mindset of ‘controlled democracy’.
Unshackling ‘learned helplessness’ needs enlightened leadership and vibrant civil society for mobilising masses and defeating anti-democratic forces. For this purpose, all the political parties and intelligentsia should work for welfare of people — their right to free education and health, employment, housing and transport, and other universal entitlements like clean drinking water, sanitation etc must be taken up on top priority basis.
The writer, Advocate Supreme Court, is Adjunct Faculty at Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). Email: ikram@huzaimaikram.com; Twitter: @drikramulhaq
Published in Daily Times, February 4th 2018.