23rd March Parade, went Missing, so what!

Guest Blog by Omar Javaid

23rd-march-pakistanThe Parade on 23rd march was canceled by the prime minister out of austerity. The cancellation was announced a couple of week back. Then 23rd march came and went without the grand event which was considered the hallmark of this day. It was astonishing to see the legacy getting broken and the reason that was cited, but most startling was the inaction, it didn’t bothered anybody, never sparked any uproar, never ignited any heated debate, there wasn’t any criticism, it almost went unnoticed.

The parade of 23rd March use to be morale booster, a blatant exhibit of Pakistan’s military strength, cultural diversity, and national integrity; for the masses it was an annual dose of self esteem and a sense of identity. This dose went missing this time, and didn’t bother anybody. It is unlikely that masses are stuffed or overdosed with self respect, confidence and esteem, rather the contrary seems more true, they are starved, their energies evaporated by continuous bombardment of negativity (there is hardly a good news in media), they are exhausted, disappointed, frustrated, contempt on present state of affair, politics, judiciary (though just been revitalized … ?), role of military in northern areas, extremism, and most importantly the threat of unemployment for employed, torture of unemployment for unemployed, and all of this multiplied by crippling inflation.

From another perspective the earth shattering long march for the restoration of judiciary, seem to contradict my views expressed above. I think otherwise. This long march was probably the last outburst of the residue of energy. So narrow in focus, so fantasized with the slogans of justice, so desperate in approach, so much like the last outcry of a man before drowning. And so much in contradiction to the perception of the common man who has been bitten viciously by the corruption of judiciary in Pakistan. In a survey of 4000 respondents conducted in 2006 by www.trasparency.org judiciary was ranked 3rd most corrupt institution, more than 70% declared judiciary as corrupt. According to some senior judges, the number of pending cases are more than 1.5 million, according to others it could be double.

What a treat would it be for the vultures eyeing on the natural resources of Pakistan, The nuclear assets, the gold and copper mines, the oil and gas fields, the coal reserves, the diamonds underneath, various other minerals and finally to my horror, the starving women willing to sell their bodies to keep themselves and their children alive … (checkout how Thailand’s prostitution industry developed). But vultures approaches when they are sure the prey is dead! Not when there is still a spark of life remaining. The vultures are flying over, waiting, hence a spark of life (hope) remains.

Human civilization die off only when wrath of the Creator is unleashed after their condition become hopeless; if bestowed with mercy by the Creator, they bounce back. Looking at the present state, it seems like we are standing at crossroads, the grand finale is nearing, either we are at the verge of bouncing back, or at the threshold of a major catastrophe.

The silence over 23rd missing hallmark is deafening, but I hope I am wrong on my hopelessness. The man might be drowning, but there could still be some breaths left, there could be a way out, judicial reform might not bring justice to a common man still (for example), if so there could be another uproar or standing against the judiciary (or any other excruciating issue), if so then the propensity of bouncing back will increase, if not, vultures will close on and do what they do best.


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23 responses to “23rd March Parade, went Missing, so what!”

  1. nonsense Avatar
    nonsense

    Waste of money for march, good not ran. This article is nonsense.

  2. Danial Burki Avatar
    Danial Burki

    Such massive parades are essentially super-expensive dickwaving extravaganzas in complexed Third World countries.

    The best thing to commemorate Republic Day is to have a simple flag raising ceremony in the morning at the Presidency, with four Pakistan Air Force jets performing a fly-past.

  3. housewife Avatar

    I missed 23rd March parade too….

    I used to visit Pakistan only in summer holidays as a child. I always waited for the 14th march, 6th september and 23rd march PTV programmes and loved the parade. Maybe the financial part is true but there is nothing wrong in showing off your strenght and awakening patriotism (even US did it after 9/11).You should spend money for that too. This emotional show strenghtens the bond of people with the history,heroes and the country itself.

    I still remember so many milli songs which unfortunately we no longer have!

    Only criticism of the homeland makes the citizens hopeless….lets show some love for the country too.

    "Yeh wattan tumhara hai, tum ho pasbaan iss key"

  4. Danial Burki Avatar
    Danial Burki

    @housewife: our strategic reserves are so low that we cannot even last 48 hours in a full-scale war with India. Do you think it's more patriotic to waste resources than to conserve them for the greater good of the nation?

  5. Omar Javaid Avatar

    Dear Danial,

    1. My arguments is not why the parade didn't happened, there can be good reasons for that, I am only asking why no one was bothered about it, no discussion on media or any write ups on blogs ….

    2. Even if it had happened, Our Parade expense, has nothing to do with our foreign reserves …

    3. The point is the silence of majority over national issues, our inaction might bring us major

  6. Omar Javaid Avatar

    3. The point is the silence of majority over national issues, our inaction might bring us major catastrophe

  7. Danial Burki Avatar
    Danial Burki

    Actually, Omar, there were a lot of articles in the print media (I can't claim anything about TV, as I don't watch most of the garbage our news channels put out) about the lack of a proper ceremony to mark Republic Day. The army, air force and navy, as usual, held impressive and respectful ceremonies at their headquarters.

    But like I said, I want a simple flag-raising ceremony at the presidency, with a flypast. Simple and classy.

  8. farrah, k.raja Avatar
    farrah, k.raja

    Omar

    Agree with you ,23 March was not a day to be ignored.How ever it seems it has been done so delibrately,why?

  9. Danial Burki Avatar
    Danial Burki

    Oh dear, Farrah. There isn't a conspiracy in everything. It would've been a ridiculously high security threat had the parade been held. Thousands of people attend the parade; did you want them to be sitting ducks for Al Qaeda and the Tallies?

  10. Omar Javaid Avatar

    I also wrote in the article:

    From another perspective the earth shattering long march for the restoration of judiciary, seem to contradict my views expressed above. I think otherwise. This long march was probably the last outburst of the residue of energy. So narrow in focus, so fantasized with the slogans of justice, so desperate in approach, so much like the last outcry of a man before drowning. And so much in contradiction to the perception of the common man who has been bitten viciously by the corruption of judiciary in Pakistan. In a survey of 4000 respondents conducted in 2006 by http://www.trasparency.org judiciary was ranked 3rd most corrupt institution, more than 70% declared judiciary as corrupt. According to some senior judges, the number of pending cases are more than 1.5 million, according to others it could be double.

    Please share your opinions on this

    thanks

    OJ

  11. Bilal Avatar
    Bilal

    Perhaps the only real conspiracy in this world is that there is no conspiracy theory in the world. It's easy to blame others; India did it. It's America's fault. The PM is not patriotic. The only people we do not blame: ourselves.

    The judiciary may be corrupt – but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do the right thing by restoring it. These are two different questions to me.

    MBL

  12. Omar Javaid Avatar

    Has the judiciary been restored?

  13. Bilal Avatar
    Bilal

    Yes, I believe the judiciary has been restored by restoring the CJ.

  14. Omar Javaid Avatar

    And What does restoration means exactly? What a common man, you think, will get after this restoration? Is this the beginning of independent judiciary? What was holding the judiciary dependent before Justice Iftikhar was not removed? Does any one think that the opinion of 76% Pakistani would change who think that the judiciary is corrupt? Please enlighten me.

  15. Bilal Avatar
    Bilal

    The US declaration of independence was signed in 1776 calling for equal rights. Blacks were given rights 200 years later in the 60's. In 2009, Obama – a black man – became the most powerful man on earth. In 2009, a chief justice was restored – giving the judiciary a chance to rule without coming under pressure, or being bribed by our govt. Give it a few decades and the common man will get justice. Give it 200 years and a common man may become president someday. Doing one right thing doesn't cure all evils over night, and just because it doesn't cure all evils, doesnt mean it still isn't the right thing to do.

  16. housewife Avatar

    “Doing one right thing doesn’t cure all evils over night, and just because it doesn’t cure all evils, doesnt mean it still isn’t the right thing to do.”
    Well said Bilal.

  17. housewife Avatar

    "Doing one right thing doesn’t cure all evils over night, and just because it doesn’t cure all evils, doesnt mean it still isn’t the right thing to do."

    Well said Bilal.

  18. Omar Javaid Avatar

    Well said indeed. . . 🙂 i wish i had this optimism . . . . . We really need to believe in miracles. . . . As it would be, even after 200, if state of affairs remains as they are . . . By the way i can't digest the comparison you have drawn between restoration of judiciary and black revolution in America. I am woundering, were there any Nawaz or Shabaz Sharif at the time of black revolution? . . . . .

  19. Bilal Avatar
    Bilal

    Omar… uve missed my point… my optimism is not based on miracles (which is what most of us hope for to put this country on track) but on having done the right thing: restoring the judiciary. And yes at the times of the black revolution there were hard core racists in America just like there are people who want to subvert justice in Pakistan (although i don't think the Sharif brothers count but even if they do the argument stands). We don't need to depend on miracles if we start doing the right thing:)

    MBL

  20. Omar Javaid Avatar

    Lets hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. . . . . . . Bilal plz also read the last two para of the article, thanks, OJ

  21. sahhi Avatar
    sahhi

    it isnt hope time do best and get best or do best and face and defeat worst

  22. Abu Bakar Avatar
    Abu Bakar

    I am happy to feel that someone sares this "pain". I miss the parade so much…

    Even this year[2010] goes without this event. So sad…

  23. madina Avatar
    madina

    SUCH A GRAND PARADE SHOULD BE ORGANIZED THIS YEAR BECUZ OUR UP GROWING GENERATION IS FORGETTING THEIR NATIONAL VALOR.INDIANIZATION IS SPREADING IN THEIR BLOOD AND THEY ARE UNAWARE OF THEIR OWN COUNTRY.