Let’s (NOT) fight over and divide further as Chinese are in town
The naysayers confront the apologists by citing opaqueness and the Byzantine nature of the whole project or dare to venture an extra mile and term the whole CPEC enterprise as East-India Company 2.0
‘A spectre is haunting our beloved land — the spectre of CPEC,’ many wise men warn us. In the beginning, merely two years back, things were looking good but then a new obsession reared its ugly head and gripped our imagination over past few months. For the ease of all, let’s convert this psychological bent into something easier to grasp and name it ‘CPEC Syndrome’. What is CPEC Syndrome? Well, it is a condition where two groups of Pakistani individuals, apologists and naysayers, try to battle out their differences about billions of dollars worth of Chinese investment through invoking future promise of progress (in case of apologists) and painful past parallels (in case of naysayers).
The naysayers confront the apologists by citing opaqueness and the Byzantine nature of the whole project or dare to venture an extra mile and term the whole CPEC enterprise as East-India Company 2.0.
The apologists, however, stick to their guns and remind all and sundry that China held Pakistan’s hand at a time when we were an international pariah. They nudge us that the energy projects, the road infrastructure, the overhauling of railways system, the economic zones, the Gwadar deep sea port, and other projects will prove to be an antidote to all that Pakistan needs to stand tall amidst the comity of nations.
There are apologists and there are naysayers. And then there are us — the clueless, ill formed, sidelined, yet optimist folks who know nothing more than the name and attach unwarranted hope to the mighty behemoth of CPEC.
What’s in a name? Well, everything, if you ask me since I’ve outgrown the sweet world of Bard’s Romeo and Juliet. Names matter, dearest sirs and ma’ams, they matter the most.
CPEC — A Game Changer, the title was once fresh and attractive, but due to repeated and excessive use has now become a cliched and rather gaudy term. Same will be the fate of any phrase until we learn how to use them sparingly and with extreme caution.
Now, let me confess the reason why I am writing this article on a subject that is beyond my expertise and knowledge. I write this piece, dearest sirs and ma’ams, to voice the thoughts of millions of uninformed, rather ill informed, barely knowledgeable passive observers who are in sheer darkness about all things China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Ours is the history of changing fairy godmothers. We wait for the fairy godmother. We find a fairy godmother. Then we are turned into Cinderella by that beloved fairy godmother. We love being Cinderella and enjoy all the perks, privileges and pelfs that come with the designation
Recently, a deluge of critical news items was carried out by the country’s prominent English dailies and magazines. The news stories aimed to evaluate and weigh the long-term cost and ultimate consequences of the project. The questions raised included; How many billions we’ll return to Chinese investors in the long run? Who’ll — Pakistan or China — accrue more benefits from the CPEC projects? Why is there complete absence of a more equal playing field to local manufacturers? And lastly, but not the least, drew parallels with another event of our history and stressed that it must not be allowed to repeat itself. Since we’ve had an extensive experience with alien creatures who came in the guise of traders and ended up reigning over us for more than a century.
The make believe spectre of Chinese domination looms large over the land, dearest sirs and ma’ams. The infamous parallel, which was once drawn in whispers and communicated in hisses, is now gaining currency among folks who have neither the capacity nor the time to delve deep in the intricacies involved in a humongous foreign investment that purports to brighten our future.
For better or worse, I firmly believe that a faulty, half-cooked perception held close to heart is always mightier than the actual, absolute truth one finds hard to understand. The growing concern, perpetuated and cemented to some extent by my fellow brothers-in-pen, about CPEC can be countered by educating ill-informed, disinterested folks like me rather than by narrating and broadcasting, day in and day out, rosy picture of a future where ravines of milk mixed with saffron will flow in front of every Pakistani house.
Now, back to the riddle. The adjective suffix, -esque that follows CPEC in the title means in the manner or style of something. For the reference, how many of you are aware of the term Kafkaesque? Well, Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it as :of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially: having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality. CPEC is being touted as a wonder drug by those in favour. Simultaneously, it is touted as a hidden bogeyman dressed as harmless Chinese largesse by detractors. CPEC-esque, thus, can be defined as something that divides further an already divided lot.
Ours is the history of changing fairy godmothers. We wait for the fairy godmother. We find a fairy godmother. Then we are turned into Cinderella by that beloved fairy godmother. We love being Cinderella and enjoy all the perks, privileges and pelfs that come with the designation. The clock strikes 12’O clock. We revert to pre-Cinderella times, and find that old fairy Godmother is nowhere in sight. We search for a new one and end up finding a new one. No appreciation for guessing names of old fairy godmothers we had, no ovation either for knowing the latest one in town.
Let us all pray that our current CPEC-esque Cinderella story finds an ever elusive fairytale ending. Ameen.
