During the last three or four years, politicians and leaders can be seen on TV every day in discussion programmes. These programmes often degenerate into mudslinging blame games, and are disgusting and abhorrent to watch. The common man has become quite fed up with these theatrics. I personally complained to some producers/directors about this TV hooliganism and the simultaneous shouting matches by participants. I was informed that they didn’t interfere because they wanted to show the real calibre of our national leaders. People should be aware, they said, of the low mentality of these politicians.
In one of my recent columns I had written, in a civilised manner, about the blunders committed by Mian Nawaz Sharif. That same evening my friend anchor Nadeem Malik hosted his programme and discussed the prevailing political mess in the country. One participant was a not-so-wise N-League loyalist who defended all the party’s wrong policies. When Mr Malik drew his attention to my column, calling it a good analysis, the reply came that I was only a scientist, and not a political scientist, while he himself was a political scientist. He thus insinuating that he was more competent to discuss politics than I was. A good scientist/engineer is capable of analysing and approaching a problem from various angles. If he is politically conscious he will have in-depth knowledge of political matters, both within the country and abroad. A politician has a preconceived opinion in accordance his party’s perspective and will not accept any other view. Scientists/engineers interested in politics do not want to be part of the dirty game. However, this does not mean that they do not understand political intrigues. It is pure self-deception for politicians holding graduate degrees from third-rate universities to believe that highly trained and educated engineers, scientists, economists, etc., are ignorant of the dirty game they play. The present political and administrative mess is a clear demonstration of the incompetence and incapability of these so-called “intelligent” politicians.
Our leaders need both psychological and psychiatric counselling to rationalise their behaviour. In this connection I would like to draw attention to research done by French psychologist Dan Sperber and his student, Dr Hugo Mercier. They concluded that “the majority of people do not strive for, or are interested in, finding the truth as much as they are hell bent upon justifying their own views and thoughts. In doing so, they forget the positive and negative aspects of their views and keep on harping on these views. They are not willing to listen to, or consider, the opposite views, no matter how weighty and convincing they may be.”
Long ago an Arab friend, a scholar and an intellectual, once commented on the character and behaviour of people in general. He had wide experience and knowledge of human behaviour and he was bold enough to express his views openly. His remarks took me by surprise at the time, but my own later observations more or less confirmed his views. He said that you could hardly find an “ugly” individual possessing wisdom as the Almighty gives beauty together with wisdom and gives a visible defect to a person who is cunning and intriguing as He wants His subjects to be wary of such people. This friend definitely had a deep sense of observation. Whenever I meet “ugly” people, his observations come to mind.
An honest, clean and able politician, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, has joined Imran Khan’s party. This will definitely give a moral boost to the party, especially in Southern Punjab. Imran Khan himself is a dynamic young leader and a well-wisher of the country and the people. He needs to be extremely careful now about what he says and promises. We have all seen the fate that befell the slogan “roti, kapra aur makan.” It has turned out to be no more than a hollow slogan. The public is more interested in remedies to their maladies of starvation, unemployment, load-shedding, robberies, murders, exploitation, corruption, etc. than in the foreign assets of the leaders. It is just like the Persian aphorism: “What difference does it make to us if a bull comes and the donkey goes.”
It is rather unfortunate that none of Imran Khan’s advisers have pointed out to him that the word “tsunami,” which he continuously uses, has a negative connotation. It represents a huge, devastating wave (created by a powerful underwater earthquake) that rushes in violently, destroying everything in its wake. I do not think this is what Imran Khan has in mind. He wants to give us a better, peaceful, prosperous Pakistan. The tsunami that hit many countries a few years ago left about 250,000 people and many heads of cattle dead and thousands of houses, hotels, crops and properties totally destroyed. Nothing good or positive resulted from it. Imran Khan wants to bring a revolution for the betterment of the people and for the country.
I am not a politician, but I do understand the ins and outs of politics. At this difficult time, I believe a joint effort by Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif is the need of the hour to save this poor country and the masses from the corrupt, incapable rulers.
When I see the political leaders surrounded by their hoard of advisers, I think of Firaun and Hazrat Musa (AS). The Almighty ordered Musa (AS) to take his followers, Bani Israeel, and to go to this safe place across the sea. When they reached the Red Sea they became afraid, thinking that now there was no escape from the clutches of the enemy. The Almighty then ordered Musa (AS) to strike the water with his stick and the sea opened, making a path for them to escape. When Firaun and his hoards reached the shore and saw the path through the sea, he was bewildered and stopped. His advisers told him that the sea was split to make way for him due to his grandeur and for fear and respect of him. Firaun and his people entered the sea and were drowned when the Almighty caused the breach to close. Such is the result when you listen to sycophants and unwise advisers. Mr Imran Khan and the Mian brothers, there is a lesson here for you. Keep such advisers and sycophants well away from yourselves!
Email: ali4drkhan@gmail.com