ANEES HAROON
Feminist, peace activist
The present scenario has strengthened the position of liberals in Pakistani society. During the Afghan war, jihadi groups were dominant on the scene. There were large demonstrations in all the major and smaller cities of Pakistan and they were able to bring thousands of people on to the roads. They could paralyse any city; law and order could be disrupted anywhere.
The liberals too organised anti–war demos but only in few hundreds. Karachi and Islamabad had the biggest congregation of peace activists, but even these were not more than a thousand to five thousand people. But after the defeat of the Taliban the jihadis have collapsed like a house of cards. Every time we had general elections, no Islamist party was voted in. But we all agreed that they had street power. Some of us viewed them as pigmies and never ever felt threatened but for most there was the real fear of Talibanisation of Pakistan. But once protection from the establishment (one or the other agency) was withdrawn and financial channels were cut they really fizzled out.
This is the time for liberals to strike back and re-claim their space. It is possible only if there is peace. Any war with India will again snatch the initiative away from their hands. War-machinery and jihad go together.
Here no one wants war with India. It is not in the interests of the people. The fear of nuclear warfare between India and Pakistan is threatening the region. If we can somehow break the cycle of hatred and war, we may be able to build an environment of peace, enlightened and liberal politics.
We the people of India and Pakistan need to do that: Reaffirm our faith in peace and democracy and pressurise our governments to refrain from war mongering. In Pakistan, liberals have always been vocal against establishment policies. But it is a general feeling that we do not get the same response from Indian activists. They somehow defend their government and do not see the authoritarian and hegemonic trends. Well, there are exceptions but the voice has to come through loud and clear.
In Pakistan these days, there are frequent anti-extremist and anti–war demos. Indians, too, need to put more pressure on the BJP government to withdraw all anti–people actions such as the termination of means of communication between the two countries. And how about banning extremist, militant Hindu groups like the RSS, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal in India?
Archived from Communalism Combat, January-February 2002 Year 8 No. 75-76, Cover Story