Daily Times

A nation’s politics plays out so fast that the impact of one event hardly has time to diminish when a new more bald-faced one occurs. Politicians will do well to remember that due to the nature of their job, they’re constantly observed by the public. After the budget session, brash women MPs created a scene before Parliament by snapping at each other and tearing placards of the opposition members.

As if the use of foul language by male parliamentarians were not enough, the women MPs have now entered the fray in a show of one-upmanship. Since most of us are not well-versed in the art of disagreement, we often resort to exchanges of hot words, sometimes escalating to expletives. Polite and logical discussion are missing from our lives.

Few politicians have not grappled with their opponents during TV talk show appearances, the more pugnacious among them have even come to physical blows with their rivals. Remember Madam Firdous Ashiq Awan’s slap landing on PPP MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhel’s face. Only he knew the weight of that slap. There was once a time when TV watchers used to be upset at witnessing such ugly scenes, but not anymore. Now they relish them as entertainment.

Lest I give the impression of being gender biased, let me say, it’s not so. Neither do I wish to earn the ire of women MPs. But what irks many is the presence of a large number of unelected women parliamentarians in the five houses of parliament. What do these MPs contribute towards the public cause other than merely toeing the party line and booing their party opponents? It was Gen Musharraf’s bizarre idea to add reserved women’s seats to parliamentary quotas. He wanted to show the soft face of the country, without realising how much financial burden it would inflict upon the national exchequer. The parliament houses are adorned with the painted faces of women MPs occupying reserved seats without any positive contribution to show for their performance.

Of course, women who aspire to represent the people have every right to contest elections, become MPs and sit in Parliament. But being appointed on reserved seats and sneaking in through the backdoor is hardly praiseworthy

No doubt, the women appointed on these seats almost always belong to the famed ‘who’s who’ club. Usually, either the rotund wife of a politician, his sister, daughter or daughter-in-law. This privilege however isn’t restricted to politicians only, there are other influential gents who enjoy enough authority to place their women kin in the enviable position of lawmakers. Comparatively, India’s Lok Sabha has 543 seats out of which 84 seats are reserved for scheduled castes and 47 for scheduled tribes; that is, the deprived segments of the society.

Of course, women who aspire to represent the people have every right to contest elections, become MPs and sit in Parliament. But being appointed on reserved seats and sneaking in through the backdoor is hardly praiseworthy. The 18th Amendment could have done away with this sham but the interests of powerful groups might have come in the way.

Elsewhere, the conduct of some of our politicians and the street language used by them don’t set a good example for the people to follow. Consider the pandemonium that ensued during the budget session speech of the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly. Politicians from both sides of the divide hurled profanities at one another and some launched into fistfights to prove loyalty to their leadership. Copies of the budget flew back and forth from the treasury to the opposition desks. Instead of allowing ideas to compete with ideas in a civilised manner, employing foul language and name-calling only reflect collective low character and absent morals.

What’s worrying is that society has become highly polarised and the conduct of the politicians is largely to blame. Their uncivil behaviour is emulated by people in general. One notices it while walking on the track in public parks. People, apparently educated, talk loudly and use objectionable language when women, as well as young boys and girls of impressionable age, are walking within listening distance on the same track.

It’s not that our society was always as intolerant or, allow me to say, as rough and abrasive as it has now become. But to understand what I mean, just take a look at the traffic on our roads. You find roughriders overtaking you from all directions. Many drive at slow speeds in the fast lane with cell phones attached to their ears. Traffic wardens rarely check even serious violators of traffic rules who jump red lights or violate one-way traffic protocols.

Traffic is usually a good indicator of how a government runs things in their respective country. Orderly traffic represents orderly government while chaotic road traffic would mean mismanaged government. Lack of manners and selfish behaviour have become a way of life. As the saying goes, the British ruled the subcontinent for hundreds of years relying mainly on two words: sorry and thank you. We have forgotten both.

The writer is a Lahore-based columnist and can be reached at pinecity@gmail.com