Cathartic Militarism

The entire world suffering from throes of a financial meltdown, increased acts of death and destruction, threats of bankruptcy and widespread anarchy in the nation and the prospect of war with India has instilled a deep feeling of euphoria and panic in citizens of Pakistan. Euphoria of past, when the economy boomed, relations with global powers and neighbors strengthened, corruption and nepotism declined and optimism ruled the day. Panic created with the inability of the present government to fulfill its promises, perform poorly in the face of economic and security crisis and hastening people’s resolve to question not only the relevance of a civilian leadership but also the sovereignty and purpose of Pakistan.

Those who refrain from violence and intellectualism necessarily require catharsis to discharge their repressed frustrations. Daily work routine at a school, hospital, private or civilian department, media or I.T. firm is not sufficient for releasing heightened emotions at a time of crisis. Usually people resort to heated arguments and absorbing themselves completely in the defense of one particular position or mindset in order to comprehend local and international current issues. Some relieve their tensions by zealous subservience to religious rituals. However, militarism provides the greatest form of catharsis to Pakistanis. After interacting with people of Islamabad, Lahore, Khairpur, Hyderabad, Karachi, Swat and those deeply concerned with dangers facing Pakistan in just one week, this writer found a single common feature in the vast majority, namely 'Cathartic Militarism'.

This militarism is not in the form of rebelling against injustices and inequalities of the state but in idealizing armed forces and military efficiency as the supreme interest of the people. Intense glorification of new fighter jets, submarines, missiles and nuclear bombs as well as infantry men, pilots and naval officers as the finest men and women naturally molds the public to perceive them as saviors of the nation.

Since the beginning of incriminatory remarks from India fueled by fervent nationalist jingoism in the Pakistani media, the ISI and military have been pushed forward as the only line of defense against the ‘Hindu-Jewish conspiracy’. Rather than realizing how war mongering on both sides of the border is harmful for ordinary people, the Pakistani public is quick in responding to the senseless, bigoted claims of Indian leaders and media personnel with similar ludicrous rebuttals. This includes the educated, progressive sections of the population as well, who somehow forget how harmful the previous three wars with India have been for Pakistan internally.

Ammar Ali Jan wrote in The News (One side of the story, December 14, 08), “We cannot equate Indian nationalism with Hindutva or Pakistani nationalism with its intelligence agencies.� The Pakistani media networks have followed the same path but one cannot dismiss the ordinary person’s irrevocable turn towards militarism when it is the only logical response available.

A brief by Pakistan Security Research Unit (PSRU) titled The Landlord, the Mollah and the Military: the Education Issue in Pakistan’ illustrates how madrassas, along with the public education system are directly responsible for encouraging religious chauvinism and glorifying militarism, both of which are part and parcel of state sanctioned policies. Government textbooks breed intolerance of Pakistan’s diverse communities, distort and erase significant events, glorify the use of force, promote unquestionable obedience and militancy. In the absence of viable political discourse and lack of opportunities for the public to be heard during policy making, people are left with no option but to fall-in-line behind the rhetoric of a military Victory against the Enemy.

Cathartic militarism is also spiritual: to die for the defense of one’s country, to commit the highest sacrifice for the safety of one’s family and flag and to kill a large number of the vile aggressive enemy, all guarantee a free entry to Paradise.

In Lahore, people carried large grins over the sound of Pakistani army jets circling the city. At the capital, this writer saw countrymen at Shah Faisal Masjid thumping their fists in the air and taunting the same planes to “teach them a final lesson!� At other parts of the country, people vehemently supported ex-army generals and religious leaders espousing nuclear war with India. A general sense of unity prevailed in the air as Pathan, Punjabi, Sindhi, Muhajir, Balochi and other racial groups stood shoulder to shoulder, not for fighting the extremist groups recruiting unemployed, radicalized youth or to counteract rising corruption in government departments or ponder over the breakdown of state authority in N.W.F.P and Balochistan, but simply to offer their able bodies when the leaders decide to scram with India. 80 years ago, Benito Mussolini explained this best: 'the masses have little time to think. And how incredible is the willingness of modern man to believe.'

Furthermore, this abject call-to-arms is without any definite knowledge of their army's ability to wage war or to defend its huge borders. The scribe confesses his ignorance of details regarding the armed forces exact strategies, troop deployment and war tactics but at a time when the security establishment is dealing with militants in one province and terror attacks in the other three while the government is mired with social, political and economic turmoil, is it really wise to imagine a full scale war with a neighbor equipped with equal, if not advanced, military arsenal?

The fire of cathartic militarism must be extinguished by removing antagonism with negotiation and misinformation with concrete facts. Assurances for development of the nation but not remain hollow promises since descending people’s confidence in the government creates euphoria and panic eventually leading to militaristic catharsis. The public must be provided healthy channels for diffusing their fears and grievances and education must promote peace and harmony rather than glorifying plundering warriors of the past.

Most importantly, war must not be understood as a solution. As Howard Zinn says, “war is now largely a war against people who are not combatants.� Articulated in Chapter II, Article 51 of the Geneva Conventions “the principle of proportionality� clearly states how a war is unjust when massacre of civilian populations reaches a frightening proportion. The next conflict between Pakistan and India will comprise of missile strikes from hundreds of miles away. Click of a button shall decimate entire cities as our Ghauris target Delhi and their Prithvis target Lahore.

Sixty one years since their birth, it is foolish to suggest undoing the Partition or eliminating the border between Pakistan and India. However, it is imperative to ease this divide and allow people on both sides to interact and empathize with each other. Only then is it possible to supersede the agenda of those who wish to keep citizens of South Asia distant and belligerent.