May 25, 2018
Freedom’s Burden
Human condition is interdependent.
The poet John Donne wrote in 1624: “No man is an island.”
What does independence entail? There is no super-independence.
If it is a choice between slavery and freedom, then the Quaid put it aptly: “Supposing you were asked which you would prefer...a rich England under Germany or a poor England free, what would your answer be?” (Interview with the Quaid, “Dialogue with a Giant” from the 1944 book by Beverly Nichols, “Verdict on India”.)
In May 1940, when Europe was on the verge of collapse before Hitler’s armies, Winston Churchill was installed as Prime Minister of Britain, and in his inaugural address on May 13, 1940, before the House of Commons, he said: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”
Freedom imposes two principal burdens:
(1) Responsibility: The chief being security and governance.
(2) Resistance: Resistance against wrongdoing and against what threatens the nation. For example, tribalism, provincialism, sectarianism, and ethno-nationalism, all of which – if left unattended – can erode the foundations of the state.
The inclusive sense of belonging and a collective stake in the wellbeing of the nation is fundamental. Its paucity led to the 1971 disaster. It still remains undiagnosed.
100 years ago, Maulana Zafar Ali Khan had warned about the pitfalls of fragmenting Balkanization. In its insidious planted form now, it continues to gnaw at the roots of Muslim Nationhood, under the camouflage of more provinces and/or administrative units. What then happens to the nation as a unit? Yugoslavia?
Looming over the horizon is the cloud of discord/fitna. Was it wise to unleash a free media in an already politicized polity? Has it proven to be a cementing force?
Undermining democracy and national cohesion is the crushing power of big money, which has infested all sectors of society, making hypocrisy out of democracy.
The path to freedom is strewn with obstacles. For larger goals, compromises may be necessary. But not over-compromise. Over-compromise detours into over-dependence, which enfeebles character and confidence. It morphs into dependence on those who themselves are dependent on bigger powers.
A self-defeating hurdle is the oversize one-man show in all segments of state and society, including military and civil. The results are self-evident.
Insufficient safeguards are one reason why the concept of fairness has weak roots in society. Those servile toward the powerful become tyrants toward the weak.
No confrontation and no capitulation can serve as the pathway ahead.
The bondage of mental defeatism prevents a realization sinking in that a dysfunctional independence is better than permanent subordination.
To protect the human dignity value of all citizens is the unavoidable burden of freedom. No nation can sustain continuing despair. But that can be meaningfully resisted only if those entrusted with leadership roles convey credibility in fighting for fairness.
Freedom brings with it the priceless gifts of dignity and identity. Pakistan was particularly blessed to get the gift of independence through the Quaid. Sixty years ago, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad wrote “India Wins Freedom.” But take a look at the perennially humiliated 200 million Dalit of India. For them Indian independence is hollow.
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