Seeking a Newer World

by Rooh-ul-Amin (Pakistan)

Author: Rooh-ul-Amin Afridi

A century coupled with a decade back the British Imperialist promulgated the blackest law in tribal areas of the subcontinent to gag the voice of freedom against the British Imperialism in the region.
The law imposed in the tribal areas was frontier crimes regulation (FCR), which deems collective- punishment allowable for a family, village or even a whole tribe for the crime of a single man.
It is obvious that for the British interests here in this region the freedom fighters, like Faqir Ipi of Waziristan, Ajab Khan Afridi and Multan Khan of Khyber Agency were the most dangerous men.
The entire British Army was hell-bent on their arrest and throttling the popular voice for freedom.
They imposed FCR; many freedom fighters were shot dead, many thrown into dungeons by plotting conspiracies against them, for here always has been an abundance of traitors like Meer Jaafar and Sheikh Pultoon.
His friends, who had earlier hatched a conspiracy with the Britishers against him, brought Multan Khan to Peshawar but the British soldiers could not arrest him alive and was shot dead.
As revenge his dead body was fettered and his grave enchained.
Recently his body was exhumed and handed over to his posteriors but no media organization gave coverage to this great hero of the subcontinent freedom movement. Why did British used this blackest law against the tribal is a question which is not that much nagging as why after independence the successor governments in Pakistan could not abrogate it?
Local political demagogues from FATA always have beguiled the tribal into casting votes for them but they never discussed the issue at parliament to destine their rustic subject of FATA with political freedom. On national level the much-awaited moment came at last when the prime minister of Pakistan, Yousuf Raza Gillani vowed that his government would abolish this inhuman law. Hearing this glad tiding most of the tribal, in particular who wish for a change in centuries-old eccentric tribalism, lauded his bold decision.
But he also could not budge a step or even an inch in abolishing this law and his declaration turned into mere lip service.
The British Raj is over now and so why this discriminatory law is still in use that has added much more to their sense of deprivation and social unrest.
Even now if it is abrogated and the tribal are given part in mainstream politics there would be no more Talibanization, anarchism and tumult in the area.
As it is, on the record, that such social plagues, have always been the harbingers of deprivation. So the tribal of course are going in Stone Age. If the establishment is sincere in curbing the current wave of social unrest and cataclysm then this is inevitable to revoke FCR and amend the tribal system.
Now they must not be scapegoat and called with these illusive titles as “the Gallant Pathans”, “Man of Hospitality” for it says almost nothing but sow a seed of monster in the Tribal psyche. Its time to keep them at the center of schemes, make them prosperous, not to alienate and deprive them, for if they are prosperous then beyond any doubt, Pakistan would be. The present-day-world where media rule, where there are civil societies, where masses are becoming aware of their rights, calls for the abolition of FCR, and the introduction of a lucrative system. That must be acceptable to the tribal of FATA. One is dazed to imagine the power of a political agent (the administrator of tribal agency).
This is noteworthy that the founder and first Governor General of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was not permitted by the Political Agent of Khyber Agency to visit Torkhum Border after the acquisition of Pakistan, then in such an area what would be the value of a common man. But he did go instead that and visited the border with out the permission of the uncrowned king of Khyber Agency. As absolute power makes absolute corruption so is the case of political administration in FATA. Then one can imagine the absolute power of a political agent. He had the authority not to allow a governor general into his area so how ruthlessly he might be using his power against a flock of his tribal who are totally unaware of their basic human rights.
On the other side of Torkhum border that Afghan Soldier was shot dead who shook hand with Jinnah for them Pakistan was a country still living under the bondage of British and Ali Jinnah a representative of a slave state. For me Jinnah was an emblem of political struggle and symbol of change. But the mishap indicates that the agents of staleness disdain any positive change.
Another tribal crossed the Torkhum border and kissed the land of Afghanistan, for him the land of Pakistan was still under the grip of servility.
Since then hundreds of changes have taken place across the globe but alas I don’t see any positive change in my beloved and native land.
In present day world, tribal are equally a part of the global village and must not be yoked under such a discriminatory law that is totally anti-Democratic and anti-Islamic.
Moreover if there is a smidgen of an inhuman deed so it comes under the assault of human rights organizations.
Pressmen also bring such plague spot under the beak of pen or eye of camera but up to the extent of dismay even a single journalist has not brought this issue under his pen or camera.
In a gossip with the political agent of Khyber, recently an English envoy sarcastically remarked at him that how much free and efficient nation you are, that still the administration has not unyoked the tribal of this draconian law, when he came to know that FCR is still in enforcement.
J-Spain in his travelogue “The Peshawar” also slaps at the inefficiency of the Legislature by writing that little has changed. Within a span of six years of crippled independence, the progressive poet and journalist Faiz Ahmed ‘Faiz’ wrote, in his poignant poem, “Subh-e-Azadi” (The Dawn of Independence): “This tainted light, this gloom-smothered dawn, is not the dawn we had hoped for… The dejected night still lies heavy upon us; the moment of liberation from bondage is yet to come…”
Faiz suffered for his candor, he lived behind the bars and he lived in exile but nothing could deter him of his struggle for freedom of speech and human rights.
Tough he was not a political leader but his candor stood him out in endowing his generation with a vision, a vision of democracy and progress after that his part of Pakistan (Lahore) groomed as the cultural citadel of Pakistan because of its open nature while contrary to it our part of Pakistan (FATA) went paralyzed and unnoticed.
His part of Pakistan has always produced rulers and lawmakers and my part of Pakistan, subjects, and a glut of ignorant. Now his Part of Pakistan can boast for all sorts of development and orgies and my part of Pakistan can boast for nothing but just for hollow traditionalism and an industry of Radicalism.
It is true that my part of the land also suffered the same afflictions for the acquisition of Pakistan as his part of the land.
It must hug peace and stability now in other words deteriorating FATA will yield such repercussions whereof there would be no escape.
What the country today is reaping in form of sectarianism, terrorism and other vicissitudes, are, all the outcome of this issue.
Now it is critically inescapable to introduce positives change and strive for a newer world that must be brimful of brotherhood and egalitarianism. For such a world we can dream in the words of Tennyson’s world-class famous poem “The Ulysses”, wherein he urges his friends thus:
“The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks: The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep sea moans round with many voices.
Come, my friends, Tis not too late to seek a newer world.”

The writer is a FATA-based freelance journalist.
He can be reached at rohail_journalist@hotmail.com