PPP Should Not Be Bhutto Family
Ownership: Escaping The Malignant And Distasteful
Interactions
31 December 2012
By Saeed Qureshi
The formal induction of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari into
Pakistan's murky political turf took place on the
somber occasion of 5th death anniversary (27 December
2012) of his mother, former prime minister and
chairperson of PPP Mohtrama Benazir Bhutto. Young and
energetic Bilawal delivered his passion-decked debut
speech on this occasion in that he lambasted the
judiciary besides certain assailing certain
politicians. His rhetorical outburst was reminiscent
of his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's highly
emotional speeches captivating the audience.
But manifestly his political path is paved with grave
odds and unforeseen hazards and proverbially is strewn
with thorns that cannot be picked up so soon to take
him to the garden path of cozy politics. Bilawal
Zardari has to go a long way before he could come to
the lofty political heights of his mother and
grandfather.
Democratic dynasties are a feature of Asian politics.
But in the backdrop of the ominous and ill- starred
legacy of Bhutto family as that of the Indira Gandhi
family in India, one would tend to harbor the
troubling apprehensions about their unscathed survival
in politics or power. The political culture both in
India and Pakistan has been hostage to the family
based dynastic overlord-ship. It should be replaced
with merit earned through long struggle in the
political arena and by serving the people selflessly
and by dint of hard work and moral and political
dignity.
The iconic political or social figures are certainly
adored and loved by their admirers and fans. But this
mindset should not turn into a psychological urge on
the part of the leaders to undermine the national
interests and principled politics. This kind of hero
worship in prevalent in Pakistan because of a feudal
system that survives on absolute obedience, clannish
bonds as well as the slavish mentality from the common
folks mostly bonded labor and farm workers.
Also the shrine culture has spawned the docility and
reverence for the self-styled divine figures and for
those who claim to have directed access with the
powers that rule and run the universe. These
intermediaries or so to say religious or mystical
solicitors command limitless veneration and
unquestionable submission from their followers and
disciples who remain unmindful of their self dignity
and honor.
We have to therefore, discard and reject this
mentality of abject cronyism and servitude demanded by
the privileged individuals or families in the
spiritual or political domains. The democracy cuts
across the parochial, clannish, and narrow
considerations and urges, and instead gives ascendancy
to the people who in fact, are the real owners of the
power vested in a few individuals.
Earlier Pakistan's incumbent president Asif Ali
Zardari, who is also the acting chairman of the ruling
party PPP, has indicated many a time that Asifa
Zardari Bhutto would lead the party and carry forward
the vision of her deceased mother, her grandfather and
founder of the PPP Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
However, following the assassination of Mohtrama
Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal was appointed as the chairman
of the party with a new name: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
It was a shrewd move on the part of Asif Zardari to
integrate two clans, namely Bhutto and Zardari into
one male successor thus crafting a semblance of unity
and togetherness of the two tribes. He wanted Bilawal
to represent Bhutto family to negate dissensions
within the party.
Bilawal was named chairman of the PPP in December
2007. Zardari planned to serve as a co-chairman of the
PPP for at least three years until Bilawal completed
his studies overseas. Although Bilawal returned to
Pakistan in 2011, and is a de-facto chairman of PPP,
Mr. Zardari presumably plans to hold reins of the
party till such time as Bilawal is mature enough to
take charge of the party as its full-fledged
functional head. That moment has perhaps arrived now.
Surprisingly, while it was a foregone and a settled
matter that the next chairman to lead the party is
Bilawal, all of a sudden, Asif Ali Zardari started
propping up Asifa as the PPP's leader and an
intelligent successor of late Benazir Bhutto. Asifa
who is now 19 years of age is being invited to various
state functions held at the president's house and at
the prime minister's residence. But presumably Asif
Zardari has again modified his plans by recalculating
that a male was better than a female to lead the
party.
It should be recollected that when Asif Ali Zardari
entered the presidential residence for the first time,
he was ensconced on both sides by his two daughters
Asifa and Bakhtawar. While initially Bakhtawar (22
years) was being bolstered, later she went into
oblivion and was substituted by Asifa for making
certain statements about her family, her vision,
perceptions and aims with regard to the future of
Pakistan and the party.
When president Zardari left for Dubai for his heart
surgery, Bilawal Bhutto came to Pakistan. But he
remained non vocal and reticent without issuing any
substantive statements. He looked subdued and seemed
to be in a state of introspection or introversion.
At that time, his visibly sluggish posture or quiet
demeanor as reflected from his body chemistry could be
due to the illness of his father or the lurking
feeling that his father was heaped with a plethora of
accusations or allegations one of which was that he
could be also be instrumental in the assassination of
Benazir Bhutto. He could also nurse a kind of forlorn
feeling that why all of a sudden his sister was being
promoted by his father as the prospective leader of
the party and that finally the reins of the party
could be handed over to Asifa.
But more potent reason could be his disenchantment
with politics and like her aunt Sanam Bhutto; he might
not like to delve in politics under paranoia of being
the target of the elements that killed his mother. Or
maybe by virtue of his temperament he is not attuned
to getting into the political arena and instead
prefers to lead a private life. It could also be
possible that father and son might have developed some
yet to be revealed differences on matters exclusively
privy to them. But perhaps now Bilawal seems to have
come of age and can be accepted more willingly by the
PPP cadres. Compared to his father who is heaped in
myriad scandals and allegations, such acceptance would
flow from his having a clean slate and also for being
the direct descendent of the daughter of Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto.
Patently, these are all speculations. But
notwithstanding the internal feuding within the family
for ascendancy in the party hierarchy, a keen observer
of Pakistan's misty politics would strongly argue that
the leadership of the PPP should not be passed on to a
member of the Bhutto family.
Firstly, it would be negation or deviation from the
established principle of electing a leader from among
the cadres. If the PPP is going to be the family
property then its democratic credentials would remain
questionable and its legitimacy as the national party
would remain clouded.
Secondly, the progeny of Ms Bhutto might not be as
competent as were their mother and grandfather. The
Bhutto legacy is certainly a cherished and romantic
phenomenon for the steadfast Bhuttoite, so called
jialas (die-hard fans) and devotees of Bhutto family.
Nevertheless, the ground realities of the political
turf in Pakistan are, rough, unpredictable and
uncharitable.
The raison d'être for this assertion is that the PPP
needs to re-establish its popular image as a party of
the masses managed by a brand of leadership that is
clean, upright and democratically hoisted in the
hierarchy of the party. It would be a tall order for
all the three children of Benazir Bhutto to lead PPP
at a much younger age when it is faced with monumental
challenge of refurbishing its bruised image.
The party needs to motivate and reunite the cadres
disillusioned with the corruption of its stalwarts
especially Asif Ali Zardari who cannot come clean even
if he endeavors to prove himself as an honest person
for his whole life.
As for the children of Ms Bhutto, they would always,
like their mother, remain vulnerable for their
personal safety, and thus restrained from freedom of
movement and speech. During the past decade or so, the
free movement and open door politicking of the
political and religious leaders have come under severe
containment and rigorous restrictions.
If Bhutto family is the repository of an unsurpassed
fame, immense esteem and eminence, they have foes and
adversaries too. It should not be overlooked that four
celebrated figures of the Bhutto family were murdered,
with the founder of the family hanged through a fake
and farcical judicial process.
It would be befitting to allude to the Nehru family
that was as much loved and venerated in India as that
of Bhutto family in Pakistan. One of the globally
known strongest female head of a government, Indira
Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards
in October 1984.
Her assassination was viewed as an act of vengeance
against Indira for ordering "operation blue star "in
June 1984, entailing massacre of thousands of Sikhs.
Her two sons also subsequently perished. Sanjay Gandhi
was killed in a flying accident in 1980. The second
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in Tamil
Nadu (May 1991) in a suicide bombing carried out by
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam.
It was a sagacious decision on the part of Rajiv's
widow Sonia Gandhi to remain in the background
although she could have become the prime minister of
India on the drop of the hat. She was well aware that
she could be targeted as well. As such she has
remained safe, as well as in a dominant position of
leading her party and influencing the government with
her decisions.
Rahul Gandhi, the son of late Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi
has been kicking around in the political arena to
begin with, but was perhaps prevailed upon by his well
wishers and more by his mother to not challenge the
traditional rivals as the scion of Gandhi family. He
seems to have understood the message and is now
modestly conducting himself that would be tolerable
for both friends and foes. His position as the general
secretary of the Indian National Congress and member
of Lok Sabha is harmless. But the moment he would
aspire for a higher status he could encounter threats
to his life.
Politics is rather becoming a tough undertaking and a
harrowing ordeal for traditional political families
particularly in the third world countries. The people
are now more politically conscious and want a free run
for everyone to aspire and compete for top slots
either within the party or in the government. If the
families continue to occupy the parties' pinnacle
positions, then it stifles the spirit of free contest
that is central to a democratic culture.
Unfortunately in several countries around the world,
the politics and parties are known by a few
individuals who founded the parties and then assume
father figure or iconic status. These leaders maintain
their overlord-ship until a stupendous shake-up within
the party or in the political waters of the country
casts them or their family successors away.
It is quite an objective approach by Sanam Bhutto, the
younger sister of Benazir to keep away from the
quagmires of politics in Pakistan. Perhaps she is not
as brave or as ambitious as Benazir was. But
understandably, what made her averse to politics is
the tragic end of her family members that she does not
want for herself.
Curiously, the profile or life sketch of Asifa and
Bakhtawar can nowhere be found in chronicles or
information channels such as face book, you-tube or
Wikipedia or other similar blogs. All the information
is either blocked or blacked out for fear of
slanderous, mischievous and vicious backlash. We have
come across comments in face book between the
messengers that are dirty and diabolic and are dished
out by culturally dwarfed people.
But while this is a prudent way of escaping the
malignant and distasteful interactions, it closes the
doors and avenues of wider publicity that are
absolutely essential for the politicians and those who
wish to tread upon the unpredictable and deceptive
field of politics. Yet it depends as to what course
one would like to adopt: stay in politics and face
odds or steer clear and enjoy a safe private life.
©
EsinIslam.Com
Add Comments