Saturday, 28 March 2015

Growing unrest among Pakistan's minorities big worry for government ;


 

Quick Watch1:18
The growing unrest among Pakistan's minorities has worrying implications for the government.Some believe that if any change is to take place in Pakistan, it has to be bottom-up. If the Christians' violent protests in Lahore are anything to go by, then yes, it is just another example of how if any change or progress is to be made, then it will come from the bottom and it will require those at the top to finally accept it. Not that this government hasn't tried to steer the country to some form of stability.After a round of successful Senate elections, a necessary and imperative crackdown on militants in Karachi, the Islamabad High Court's decision to impose the death sentence on Mumtaz Qadri and spring décor adorning Lahore, it finally seemed like Pakistan was on track to resolving those issues that had hampered progress by destabilising both state and society. But then, there was that attack on a church in Lahore during the Sunday Mass and the consequent violent reaction by Christians.
Generally, Pakistan has seen its civil society rise for their rights, principles and beliefs peacefully. Fragmented or not, different members of society have always tried to express their contention through nonviolent demonstrations whether the issues concerned are political, social and religious and usually it is the state who flexes the muscle. Under Zia, there was the Women's Action Forum who protested against the Hudood Ordinance only to be met with a lathi charge in 2007 there was the lawyers' protest where a peaceful meeting of activists in Lahore was rudely interrupted by officials, resulting in arrests in Lahore and other cities. Sometimes there is no violence between the protestors and state as seen by the Hazaras who in 2013 and 2014 sat in the freezing cold, refusing to bury their deceased; the Baloch Long March to Islamabad seeking justice for their missing; candlelight vigils in urban areas as well as anti-Taliban protests across major cities; even dharnas and rallies conducted by political entities including Imran Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri have largely been peaceful.
So to see the Christians, a persecuted minority, to fight back so violently is something not to be ignored. After suffering atrocious acts including the burning of hundreds of homes in Joseph Colony, allegations of blasphemy, attacks on churches and the recent burning of a Christian couple (one of the victims was a pregnant woman) Pakistani Christians have had enough. While the deaths of innocents caused by the angry mob are condemnable, to see civilians take justice into their own hands is a wake up call for the authorities.
The PML N prides itself on infrastructure and physical development such as the motorway and the metro bus system. When the Christian mob broke out, the fact that that they vented their anger out on the metro bus system was the most physical manner of expressing their discontent with the ruling PML N. Despite the military and government remaining consistent in eradicating militancy, a segment of civil society felt let down by the government and was finally forced to communicate that via riots.
Sometimes forms of protest are seen as a means of purging guilt but in this case the reaction was more of a means of identifying the external enemy. The fact that the public property attacked was installed by the PML N sends out a clear message. Pakistani Christians are not willing to suffer silently anymore. Where other minorities including Ahmadis have stayed quiet, the Christians' anger will open a new chapter in religious tensions.
If people are to be free to go their places of worship as expressed by Jinnah, the founder of the country, then they should also be free to return to their homes and live peacefully.
-The writer is a columnist based in Lahore.
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