The countdown has begun. The idiot box is busy drumming up
the usual nonsense that people were subjected to a few months back in August.
This time it is being labelled the “decisive battle”. The last day of this
month is supposed to alter the course of our history. As if we have not had a
colourful history to begin with. Imran Khan and his remaining followers are
still unable to quit the delusionary state they seem to be in.
The ‘umpire’
has left the pavilion for Yankeeville even as these lines are being penned.
Conventional wisdom dictates that the paymasters would like the umpire to
concentrate on the mission that it has finally focused on. If my cricketing
terms serve me right, we are looking towards another innings that one can
safely call an action replay. The sagacious ‘cousin’, who left the angry
middle-aged politico, made a whirlwind trip around the world in 30 days and has
decided to make a comeback just in time.
Self-proclaimed pundits
and make-believe experts on the idiot box have started pontificating on these
developments like Armageddon is round the corner. Who needs entertainment when
there is theatre like this in the world? The idiot box has the age old excuse
that the public demands and wants to see all of this nonsense nonstop. As far
as the public is concerned, the less we say about it, the better off we are.
The public is sick and tired of the ongoing tussle between the macho Khan and
the seemingly meek and mellow Prime Minister (PM) Sharif.
The change mantra that
started in October 2011 has changed one thing for sure: the sense and
sensibilities of the people. The culture of loud and derogatory language, the
antagonism and the short-term political decisions of both the ruling party and
their political nemesis will certainly go down in the history books of this
sorry nation. The super statesman, Maulana Azad, held very critical views about
our founding father and the people who surrounded him. If the people that we
hold so high in our esteem were lost and rudderless, according to Maulana Azad,
then imagine what the jokers on the political stage today would have been
termed by the late Maulana.
The talking heads bring
the jokers on the box to opine over what is going to transpire on November 30,
as if the poor country’s existence is in danger. This is called the power of
the media and the conditioning of brains. I often wonder how young and
sometimes educated people become victims of extremist brainwashing and end up
becoming jihadists. One need look no further when the educated and enlightened
are seen giving justifications on the idiot box about the pent up rage of the
people and their passionate rationale for attacking the state. These are people
who are exposed to daily rhetoric and believe that only a superman with a
colourful scarf around his neck can save them from evil. Mind you, most of
these people go to premier learning institutions in the country and have access
to the world in the palm of their hands with the latest gadgets. When people
mortgage their ability to think independently or, for that matter, part with
their critical thinking skills, the imaginary world and its delusions become
gospel.
The pressing question
being raised is how many people will be able to come to the federal capital on
the day. One has to ask: what difference does it make? Assuming there is a
crowd of a million people that day, then what? The other naive question being
raised is: what will the umpire do at that point? Is the crowd of a million
going to decide what the constitution of the country will be for the remaining population
of this country? If a gathering of well prepared hoodlums on August 14 was not
able to dent the basic resolve of constitutional supremacy, will it be
compromised this time around, just because Khan has vowed it? Then there is the
thunderous allegation levelled by Khan that this “corrupt” government is using
the national exchequer to buy journalists. These are known as lifafa (envelope)
journalists because they accept bribes, presumably in envelopes. It is high
time that whatever professional unions and organisations exist representing
journalists take Khan to task in a court of law and have him present his
‘evidence’ in front of a competent judge.
To Khan, from this
non-journalist: apparently you are counting on tigers and tigresses who wear
designer clothes, classy sunglasses and speak in accented English to bring a
revolution. I am sorry Khan but they are too invested in the status quo that
you so abhor. Perhaps when Hameed Gul dragged you into the muck of politics, he
forgot to give you a very basic lesson: politics and cricket are two totally
different games. It takes decades to build and cultivate your relationships and
bonds in this game. Even if the umpire makes your dreams come true, your
opponents are not going to vanish because they have spent perhaps twice as much
time as you in this field. There is perhaps twice the amount of people behind
them as well. You may dismiss them as ‘subjects’ or ‘lackeys’ but, from their
perspective, they would rather deal with someone who has been tested than an
emotional upstart. On November 30, expect no major breakthrough from any
quarters.
The writer is a Pakistani-American mortgage banker. He can be reached at dasghar@aol.com. He tweets at http://twitter.com/dasghar
The writer is a Pakistani-American mortgage banker. He can be reached at dasghar@aol.com. He tweets at http://twitter.com/dasghar
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