Industrialisation will Lead to Democracy
IN his letter (April 6) S.M.H. Rizvi writes, "The first stumbling block in the way of real democracy is feudalism, which does not permit 70 per cent people to freely exercise their right to vote. This can be rectified by giving permanent tenancy rights' to the tillers through an executive order.
The diagnosis is correct, but the remedy he has suggested cannot be applied because of the existing socio-economic and political conditions. How can an assembly where 75 per cent of the members come from the feudal class be expected to axe their roots that nourish their lifestyle and prosperity? Each military regime in Pakistan's history has found it necessary to establish some kind of mutual support agreement with the feudal class to enable it to rule the country. Therefore, an executive order -- even by the most dictatorial military regime -- cannot be issued and implemented.
The remedy lies in full blown concentration and action by the government and the people to bring about an industrial revolution in the country through self-effort. Improvements in technology and economic systems should be conceptualised, experimented and implemented by Pakistanis themselves.
Dependence on foreign technology is a matter of shame and an index of lethargy and intellectual bankruptcy of the academia and intelligentsia of the nation.
Expanding industrial, educational and other professional service sectors will attract the agricultural workers way from agriculture into higher income industrial and professional services job raising common man's standard of living. Manpower shortage in agricultural field will make an economic sense for the smaller farmers to join together into farming co-operatives and bring in the economies of large scale mechanised farming.
The feudals will be deprived of tenants and landless tillers to enjoy their toil and use them as their vote bank. They will have to work themselves on their large tract of agricultural land to improve productivity or sell their idle agricultural and virgin land with the objective of increasing their income to be able to maintain their standard of living.
Purchasers would be the newly emerging industrial entrepreneurs with a scientific and engineering background.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of newer cities and towns will spring up around the clusters of industrial and professional services centres. Larger proportion of population will shift from rural to urban areas carrying their voting power away from the reach of the feudals.
Newer urban areas, demarcated into newer constituencies, would be able to elect their representatives and send them to the National Assembly. The hold of the feudals over the National Assembly will be over, enabling the newer assembly members representing industrial labour and professional people to function in a true democracy.
HUMAYUN ZAFAR
Toronto, Canada
Source:
http://www.dawn.com/2007/04/12/letted.htm#1