If I remember correctly, there was no debate or discussion when the salaries of the president, the vice-president and governors were raised. So, why this unnecessary excitement when the members of Parliament (MPs) rightly demand an increase in their monthly pay. At the moment, our MPs are paid a pittance. Even in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, parliamentarians have generous emoluments. No one objects, as far as I know. The Cabinet should not have had second thoughts on the subject. I, for one, fully support an increase, not only of salaries but also pensions of former MPs.
Members of Parliament invite severe criticism from the people who have elected them. They feel let down when they witness rowdy scenes day in and day out in both houses of Parliament. Salaries have nothing to do with unruly behaviour in Parliament. These are two separate issues. What is now needed is the right of recall. That would produce instant change in behaviour. No MP wants to loose her seat before time.
It had been hoped that televising the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha would make honourable members conduct themselves in a more dignified manner. Alas! This hope has been belied. Restrain does not get high marks in India that is Bharat. Neither does understatement. We are a delightfully verbal society. Even today, 36 per cent of men and 45 per cent of women cannot read or write. Yet, almost all of them know their Ramayan and Mahabharat well. A couplet from Tulsidas clinches an argument.
A striking linguistic feature of our national language Hindi is its undemocratic underpinning. Hindi-speakers address one set of people as aap, another group is demoted to tum, and finally there is the ubiquitous tu. No reform will change this linguistic Hindi uniqueness.
In nature there exists no democracy, nor equality. Who have suffered the most in the floods in China and Pakistan? The poor. Who have been at the fiery end in Russia? The poor. Against nature’s arbitrariness and fury, we human beings have no armour or shelter. Nature holds all the aces. What about Surya Dev (the Sun)? Surely He or It shines over every one. Yes, but its divine rays produce a Sahara, a Greenland and the ever-dark forests of the Amazon. The conclusion is inescapable, nature triumphs. This is not fatalism. This is reality. We are at the mercy of nature.
One-sixth of Pakistan is under water. Death, depredation, destruction, despair, disease are there on a mind-numbing scale. Earthquakes last not more than a few minutes. Floods have much longer lives. Each victim of the earthquake in Haiti received over $400 in aid. After the 1906 earthquake in Pakistan, the aid was $70 per head. For the latest calamity in Pakistan, the aid so far per person amounts to $3. Why has the international community not been more generous? There exist on our planet a large number of very wealthy Muslim countries. Surely they could donate much more. My impression (I do hope I am wrong) is that indifference and insensitivity have come to the fore. Pakistan would not have to depend on aid from a few countries of the West, if all members of the OIC had opened their purses to help a nation in dire need.
Why is aid — sufficient aid — not forthcoming? An entirely legitimate question. Several reasons. One, Pakistan’s international image. There are questions. Too often, too much aid has been provided. A lot of that has not reached those who need it the most. Hence, aid fatigue. Two, Pakistan’s fragility as a country. Three, aid could fall into the hands of the Taliban or Al Qaeda. Four, endemic corruption. Five, Pakistan’s political leadership does not attract respect. With all due respect, the the Pakistan head of state invites derision.
This adds up to a serious indictment of the ruling establishment. But what about the people? Nearly 40 million who lost all they had? They need urgent help. This is a human tragedy on a vast scale. Lack of food, shelter, transport, medicine, sanitation and potable water. Every tropical disease will afflict the children, old men and women. It is a grim scenario.
In the absence of resolute governmental action, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are stepping in and winning support. How long will it take Pakistan to reconstruct the infrastructure, roads, homes, industry, government offices, hospitals, etc.?
If Pakistan were to go down, it will not only add to our legitimate anxieties but will impact on the entire region. Pakistan is an important part of our region. At this perilous time in its torturous history, it needs sympathy, support and succour.
A word about Kashmir. Prime ministerial packages will not do. Restlessness is chronic. We talk about a political solution. What are we doing to at least start the process in a sustained manner? What the central government is now doing is to promise building bridges where no river flows.
Tailpiece
A Persian proverb: The unspoken word is your slave. The spoken word is your master.
