Articles of the year 2015
Published on October 29th 2015
While trying to understand the MQM phenomenon, one should analyse the power of their influence inspite of their disparity in numbers, which is vastly greater than should be, if their representation were to be taken on their real numerical strength.
They have managed this strength by sheer hard work, and a very cohesive network, to increase their power, and their influence. They have also managed to instil an invisible barrier to keep non-Muhajirs out, a reverse racism! This they have achieved by an acute intellectual snobbery, based on their language and by insinuation their culture. Their paeans of legendary fields of mint and marble havelis left behind when they migrated. Tales repeated ad nauseam, to unsuspecting punjabis/ Sindhis, who succumbed to these fantasies till they became the accepted lore for the migrant’s past. An honour that is claimed by even the roadside panwala in between spitting the pan which proudly characterises their background, and defiles the area with their pan spittle- sprayed wherever they may pass.
The use of this snobbery, by the minority, to claim intellectual superiority over the Sindhi, and Punjabi, who both had a huge and formidable collection of literature and poetry, equal to the Urdu poets, and many works in Urdu penned by Punjabi poets, grudgingly conceded to by the Muhajarin. But the disparity continued and so did the disdain for all things not Urdu based. In this they were aided by the Punjabi who managed to pick up the Urdu language while the Sindhi and Pathan continued to struggle.
This disparity in power, by the numerical minority has only been matched by the Jews, who have managed to spread their power way beyond their numbers, till they control all the known pillars of the US, and Europe. They have recovered from persecution as a minority to now controlling most of the policies that dominate the major players in the world, ie the non Jewish world. These policies have been achieved without a shot being fired. Mainly by rising to control the power centres in non-Jewish countries, by sheer determination, and intelligence. A similar method used by the MQM to achieve their goals. They have succeeded in dominating Sindh to carve out Karachi, the most lucrative region in Pakistan, by driving out the Sindhi who was in the majority, and have relegated the Sindhi to the rural areas. Thus they have control of Karachi, even though the Bhutto and Zardari leadership should have given the Sindhi dominance in the region. Unfortunately for the Sindhi, he is now relegated to being a hapless spectator, almost like the Palestinian, who has lost his nation and his land.
The MQM meanwhile has learned to exercise its power, and now dominates the Province of Sindh, and is formidably poised to control the policies of the Centre. They have dared to take on the Army head on, and it shows an arrogance that could be self-defeating. One cannot challenge the only institution that encompasses all the Provinces, and is the only unifying factor. Without which the Pakistan, as we know it could soon disintegrate.
The MQM may have overplayed its hand, as they are not the mighty Israelis, nor as smart. They also do not have the allies that Pakistan has, who would not like Pakistan to be jeopardised, and knowing the fragility of the region, they would require a stronger Pakistan, not weaker. The MQM should also realise that Pakistan needs more friends not more enemies, whether they are internal or external. Unfortunately for the MQM their Anti-Pakistan moves are not appreciated by the rest of the population, and will turn the Pakistanis against any further shift, which will be considered
Anti-Pakistan, a dangerous position for any political party to be in. Of course the leadership living in London does not make it any easier. Nor does the constant sniping at the Government of Pakistan. It would be wiser for the MQM to keep within the bounds of the federation. No Israeli politician would dare go against the State of Israel, nor would any American politician, for that matter.
The MQM will soon have to come back to the fold, for the State of Pakistan may not be interested in allowing a political party to de-stabilise the country, and may bring pressure to bear on any countries that encourage this destabilisation. Lip service even will not be tolerated, so the leadership of the MQM should realize that Pakistan is where they live at present, and they should not sh*t in their own yard. The crimes by the surrogates of the MQM have already been tabulated, and they make scary reading. The Government will soon be taking action against the criminals. Most have already confessed, but action has still not been taken. The law must be applied, equally, and across the board, with no exception. Extortion, murder, blackmail have all been successfully used by parties for political gains. This cannot continue and must stop, lest we deteriorate into a totally criminal state. The joke is that there are countries such as Mexico,Columbia, Afghanistan, where the drug lords control the laws, but in Pakistan the erstwhile lawmakers have succeeded in taking over legitimate businesses, by their political power. Many of the members of Parliament cannot show their source of wealth. If a genuine honest leader were to emerge, these corrupt members of Parliament would all be stripped of their power and their wealth, because none of them could show the source of their income.