Divide and rule

[azeegum]

Divide and rule
by Faiza Mirza on February 6th, 2012

The humour that a lot of people indulge in Pahstun and Sindhi jokes where ethnic groups are targeted for being featherheaded, does not really appeal to me. Every time I read a text or an email focusing on the so-called ‘idiosyncrasies’ of different ethnic groups, I truly feel this lame exercise boils down to the fact that we all suffer from some major superiority complex, which mind you is an offshoot of the inferiority complex, that keeps us from being rational and accommodating towards other people.

Perhaps, the jokes and stereotypical tendencies that we generally show towards people who have a different accent or lifestyle is a ‘syndrome’ which has stronger roots than fathomable by an idle mind. Perhaps the spike in ethnic violence, that has cost countless lives, is also an extension of the hatred and intolerance that we have for each other’s customs.

Many people have known to flee their homeland and relocate because the ethnic tensions within the city or province does not leave them much choice. For many patriots, it became a choice between their lives and ‘home’.

Karachi is one of the most densely populated cities of Pakistan, with an estimated population of 18 million people. Being the hub of economic activities, Karachi has attracted immigrants from various parts of the country, who migrate to the city for better income prospects and sustainable livelihood. However, the ethnic massacres perpetrated by ‘unknown elements’ in the city, which once was a realm to people professing different ethnicities, have divided the city into fault lines that are at risk of disintegration.

The problem cannot be solved until the crux of the issue is identified and eliminated. Perhaps what looks like the most apparent reason is not exactly the root cause of the trouble. Various theories, pertaining to human psychology, propose that ever since the existence of mankind, people who are alike and belong to same ethnic group derogate other groups that do not conform to their own lifestyle and practises. This is one of the many ways to protect one’s own ideologies by shunning out ‘black sheep’ prevalent in other factions of the society.

Viewing the current barbaric situation in Pakistan, different political lobbies that represent Sindhis, Pashtuns or Urdu speaking populace, literally bank upon this theory and create divergence amongst Pakistanis. By creating cultural divisions and ‘granting’ each division a status which remains superior from the other ethnic group, it becomes easier for politicians to yank the strings of their followers. The famous theory of ‘divide and rule’ was based on the same foundations however; the irony is that we have failed to learn any lessons from our previous mistakes.

Many incidents take place in front of our eyes, however, most of us have become immune to the ‘fiascos’ and the best way to deal with the situation is to restrict them to ‘drawing room gossip’ where law enforcing agencies and the government are literally bashed for their dysfunctional system and lack of interest in the welfare of Pakistani society.

But most of us feel ‘safe’ as long as the ambush, death and the gunshot do not affect us because we hail from the same group which bifurcate the society into Shia and Sunni Muslims. We ourselves are responsible for creating a rift which is dividing Pakistan into obscure regions.

Creating separate provinces and demarcating territories will do no good; in fact, it will further alienate Pakistanis from each other. Why can’t we all live together whilst appreciating each other’s differences? My idea of a perfect Pakistan remains where no one fears wearing the Ajrak, where Naswar jokes are not used to insult Pashtuns, where Christmas and Diwali are celebrated by everyone regardless of their religious orientation and most importantly, where everyone has a right to profess their own ideologies without being threatened to be killed.

What most of us fail to realise is that the combination of different ethnic groups and religions make up a diverse society – a society which is enriched and has much to teach to the general population, than one which is restricted to a single ethnic group or majority.

Target killing, sectarian riots and ethnic violence are all interrelated and spring from the same tree of violence, which is staged to create breaches amongst the people of Pakistan – which will continue to widen unless initiatives are adopted at a personal level.

Most of the problems that Pakistan is facing currently are blamed on to poverty and a low literacy rate, however, sectarian and ethnic violence is nothing but sheer bigotry which has contaminated our minds and will continue to hamper our growth. Political factions that benefit from this trade of death should think about the prosperity and welfare of Pakistan and stop using humans as ‘bait’ for their self-serving interests.

The writer is a Reporter at Dawn.com