The Awakening
By Zulfi Khan
BPO Director UK
Dawood Group of Companies
Watford/Karachi
I write this in memory to one
of the world’s most visionary, principled
and progressive leaders who gave his life to achieve
global equality and peace. The family to which
this great leader belonged to has many records
since its historical emergence in 1236. But I
plan to start from January 5, 1928 when Martyred
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was born as many Pakistanis
alive today are aware of his contributions. He
was born in an atmosphere of politics due to his
father Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto’s. He did not
depend on being the bud of a feudal lord but carried
himself in a manner that enabled him to emerge
as a national and international leader for the
masses. For them he opened a gateway called ‘awareness’
(of basic rights, freedom and equality) thus enabling
them to shape their own destiny. His mission was
to unshackle, to honour and respect, a society
free of Bonaparte, free of poverty and free of
inequalities for which he paid with his life.
This parable outlines the neglected understanding
of political power. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto highlighted
many solutions to these problems and innovative
ways to better ones economy without relying on
external aid. In the feudal state of Natsikap
an old man, named "Zuh" (monkey master)
survived by keeping monkeys in his service. Each
morning, the old man would order the eldest one
to lead the others to the mountains to gather
fruits from bushes and trees. The rule was that
each monkey had to give one-tenth of his collection
to the old man. Those who failed to do so would
be punished. All the monkeys suffered bitterly,
but dared not complain.
One day, a small monkey asked the other monkeys:
"Did the old man plant all the fruit trees
and bushes?" The others said: "No, they
grew naturally." The small monkey further
asked: "Can't we take the fruits without
the old man's permission?" The others replied:
"Yes, we all can." The small monkey
continued: "Then, why should we depend on
the old man; why must we all serve him?"
Before the small monkey was able to finish his
statement, all the monkeys suddenly became enlightened
and awakened.
On the same night, watching that the old man had
fallen asleep, the monkeys tore down all the barricades
of the stockade in which they were confined, and
destroyed the stockade entirely. They also took
the fruits the old man had in storage, brought
all with them to the woods, and never returned.
The old man finally died of starvation. The morale
is that some men in the world rule their people
by tricks and not by righteous principles. They
are not aware of their muddle-headedness. As soon
as their people become enlightened, their tricks
no longer work. For those oppressed anywhere in
the world, the Martyred Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is
an ever-lasting beacon of hope as he wanted to
follow the righteous principles to benefit the
masses.
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