Daily Times

“The dignity of a man and, subject to law, the privacy of home, shall be inviolable. No person shall be subjected to torture for the purpose of extracting evidence.”

This is Article 14 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973. It is the protective umbrella that guards our community against discriminatory practices, harm and inequalities. It is our dignity that outcries for implementation.

September 2019 has been a month of serious and alarming violations of human dignity. From the death of the ATM robber Sallahuddin in custody to the ill-treatment of an old woman in the watch of the DIG office, the episodes of dignity violation have been recurring and concerning. Not to forget, the long lock-up of a frail sister by her blood brothers for so many years for a small piece of land is also deeply heart-wrenching. Together, these events make Pakistan a battleground for holocaust atrocities. The whole nation is disturbed by the injustices and begs for a drop of corrective justice for the affected.

I am also among those who are deeply touched and feel that the time has come when silence would not do. I know from my studies of the Middles Ages that it was an era predominated by dignitis. Dignity came from the rank of the person. It came from their social status. The superior the office, the more dignified was the office-holder. This pushed the rank and file to respect their superiors when they lacked moral consciousness and character probity. Whilst countries like Germany, despite World War II notoriety, have won the laureate of being the origin of the modern concept of dignity we, as Pakistanis, are still trapped in the Middle Ages. I am convinced because our police culture is aggressive than ever and feeds on a culture of dignitis never seen before. Our police are not a symbol of service to citizens rather they are a symbol of honour and prestige. They expect vulnerable citizens to give respect even if their performance of duties is crippled. Thus, the trust deficit between the two is ever-growing.

It is an eye-opener for us that the apex court has to tell us what our basic moral codes are

The police force is first among equals in this war-zone but not alone in its brutality. Other public office holders are also guilty of it. So are their families. We all remember the criticism that hovered around Maryam Nawaz when an on-duty officer saluted her, don’t we? Who was that respect to? The answer is crystal-clear to the name and fame of the elite political family. The act got the eye of media but its lesson was soon forgotten that reforms come with self-reform. We also forgot to make a precedent out of it to stop future occurrences. I wonder why? I cannot think of anything better than the adage “Old habits die hard,” or “You can’t teach old dog new things.” Our nation needs moral cleansing and reforms from within or else the violations of human dignity will remain.

Our national attitude should not be to draw in attention to cherry-picked episodes of violence, make them news talk and bid them farewell when some new cruelties are in the town. We should question this cherry-picking. We should muster eradicating violence as our national spirit. We should not wait for media to barge day in and day out to remind us about the statelessness of our state. Let us remember that the vigilance of everyday violence is our responsibility. Let us bind ourselves to responsibility, to keep watch of the whereabouts of our children so they are not kidnapped by bike-riders or stray women.

Let the truth be known. Police stations are not the sole unsafe nets where dignity is buried and danger is felt. It is buried daily at homes when people are not given space for shaping their lives. It is given death-blow when parents push their children to become police officers for the grab of social rank. The usual response you get when you ask a young person why they worry so much about competitive exams is ‘we want to serve our nation.’ And just look at how they serve. It sickens me to the stomach to think that we make tall claims that we dare not live by. If this is the spirit of service that we have then we need to do serious soul-searching. We need to ask ourselves the point of studies if we cannot put them to the service and care of others.

Our homes are not safe havens either, let alone police stations. Imagine being in your home and a neighbour spying on you. Is that tolerable or acceptable or even desirable? Is that violation of any sort? Of course, our judiciary has been clear that entering private premises on mere suspicion of indecent acts is a violation of dignity. It is an eye-opener for us that the apex court has to tell us what our basic moral codes are. Time and again police departments, anchors and governments are told what their moralities and duties are.

It is high time that parents, schools and teaching institutions also put in their share in training young minds about correct behaviour. If we want reform we have to begin charity at home. Parents have to teach children daily codes of conduct. Teachers have to teach and regulate daily behaviours. We have to make our homes and schools places where respect, space and tolerance are protected and preserved. This is feasible if we take to their early moral training and teach them how to conduct themselves in public and private spheres. Only then can we shift away from digitis to the dignity of the person. Only then can we implement real dignity. Until this is done, we will be as morally depraved as ever. Times have come when parents and teachers also become stakeholders to nip the evil in the bud.

The writer is a law graduate of the University of London and teaches Jurisprudence & Legal Theory