Movement for change

Results are already manifest in mindset

The only constant thing in life is change. Having heard this sentence for the better part of our lives, its significance has become a reality in the recent turn of events. The people of Pakistan have been blamed for their apathy and indifference to what goes on outside their four walls. This allegation has been applied to all strata of the society. The rich, because they were too comfortable in their own sphere and too aware of their own power to over power the system. The middle class because they were too afraid to challenge a system that may make their already difficult life more challenging; and the poor because they in their ignorance believed that this is how life is.

Most of this has undergone an obvious change. People all across the socio-economic spheres for the first time are now either forced or willing to own up to the fact that change is inevitable and also their responsibility.

Elections on May 11 may not have brought a revolution in government but has brought a revolution in mindset. That itself is an unprecedented feat. Changes in government are no guarantee of changes in country, but changes in mindset are a certain way of ensuring that change will be inevitable. Another variable important in the sustainability of change is that is change enforced or is change desired? Wherever change is an effect of few trying to dominate many, with fear and threat doctrines, change is never a continuous process. On the other hand if change is a product of the unrest of many and is the result of a genuine desire of the masses, change continues in one form or the other. With this background what has happened in Pakistan bodes well for the future. Many feel that the government in the center has changed but real change will not ensue as these are the very faces that have assumed this office twice before as well. Others feel that in Sindh and Punjab even the statements are the same, so we may have a feeling of déjà vu very soon.

While all the above observations may have some validity, the most important part of defining change is the thought process of the man or woman on the street across the country. While results may indicate a stalemate in their thoughts, the pre and post effects of the elections indicate a sea change in the way people of Pakistan now think and behave. For the first time half the voters in Pakistan were young and for the first time voters and as history showed, their previous behaviour indicated indifference and apathy, especially towards the electoral process. However this was the major change that was witnessed in the pre poll activities. During the ticket allocation process of various parties the involvement of youth was surprising. As party tickets were announced there would be a reaction, positive or negative, immediately either on TV surveys, Facebook or sms messages indicating their pro or anti sentiments. Their knowledge on the background of the candidates was amazing. They would use information technology to dig up facts and give very clear comments on their chances of winning. This level of interest and involvement among 20-year olds was unprecedented. The participation in campaign rallies were again a totally different experience. With weather uncomfortably hot, political rallies still had record attendance. From Karak to Karachi regardless of the dangers and threats, people would turn up in hordes. Not only were numbers significant, the composition of participants was remarkable. From 3 year olds wearing different party colours and symbols to 80 year olds on wheel chairs, we saw flag waving and slogan chanting at its loudest. All these were indicators of change and the desire for change. Overseas Pakistanis after the agonizing wait for their voting rights decided to take the plunge and a large number of people came to vote from all corners of the world.

May 10 was as festive, yet with more fervour than Chand raat. Even then the apprehension was that these people were just having a party the whole night and will sleep off on the election day itself. Thus it was completely amazing the sight on polling stations for early goers who thought that they would sail in at around 8.00am, stamp and saunter out a few minutes later. There were long lines of voters already there and of voters whom you would never get to see on the election day, who would never get up early on a holiday, who would never bother to bear the heat of weather for hours, who would bash Pakistan no end and never take ownership of the country’s future and so on and so forth.

This was the real change of mindset, of actions and of deeds. Regardless of the results on May 11, change has arrived. This was confirmed by the post election results. All those people who had voted and found out that their vote had not brought the desired result, did not just sit at home and rue the system and continued with their life. They were again on the street, on sms, on net, demanding inquiries on the system.

The result of all this involvement and engagement is already visible. In KPK the CM house has been turned into a public library and the CM has refused to carry official protocol. In Karachi the invincible MQM has admitted to bhatta khouri and land mafia and dismissed its Rabta committee. At the federal level, there is talk of a smaller cabinet. These are the signs of a country acknowledging the need to change. Thus those voters who voted for change and are now fearful that this country will never change must understand the dynamics of change. Change is a process and a movement that has no specific deadlines and ends. Pakistan movement was spread over four decades; Nelson Mandela suffered for 27 years in jail to bring change in South Africa.

This is not to say that do not expect change in less than a few decades, but to say that changing mindsets or as I called them setminds is the most difficult of tasks. Having accomplished this gigantic feat it is just a matter of time that small changes will start growing into bigger forces. The key to turn small into big is that people of Pakistan continue taking individual and collective responsibility of their own and their country’s future.

The writer is an analyst and columnist and can be reached at [email protected]