Democracy

Your democrarcy

A sham..

Your elections

A joke..

Your media

A circus...

Your state

An imposition.

I want to break free from the shackles of your state, question its very idea, and no longer be part of this broken state, held together with indoctrination, suppression...It’s caging us.... Yes, this state is so fragile, it needs no more than mere virtual mockery to shatter into parts, it is a place where only the rich man's joke is always funny, where only kith n kin of the distinguished ones are considered to be posted on the top positions, where rich is getting richer, and poor is getting poorer, where justice removes its blind fold for people in power only.

This is not my opinion, this is not my statement, I heard it rather, from a frustrated, soulless democratic citizen that moved me to inquire why a citizen of a democratic country is cursing democracy? How one can be so frustrated of the most appropriate and universally approved system of governance? Why democracy is dying everywhere? Why very first democracy of Egypt could not last more than a single year? Why a country (Pakistan) in the name of democracy encountered more dictator reigns than democratic ones?

A simple, keen, factual yet logical glance around me got me my answers. Firstly, I looked upon the history of democracy, and did not wonder that Abraham Lincoln brought forth the idea of democracy in his Gattersberg speech saying that

'A governmental system of the people, by the people, for the people'.

Equality among people is the true spirit of democracy and it is obvious that democracy would die if one makes a mess with its nature, and democracy would be strengthened if equality among people is maintained.

Democracy loses its soul when a democrat becomes a ruler, and it is exactly when a common citizen is penalized for breaking minor traffic rule and some murder by a distinguished one is not even reported.

When roads become idle because an elected one is passing by and on the very same road an elector dies of not reaching hospital in time.

When an elected one's life becomes so precious that he has 50 armed men with him all the time, and an elector's life so cheaper than dust.

When an elector's electric meter is cut off because he couldn't pay his heavy bills in time, and an elected one's assets are not sealed for not paying his taxes.

When an elected one is at liberty to enjoy foreign trips with full luxury and an elector (common citizen) even can't go to his church or mosque freely.

Democracy dies exactly when red and blue are known as 'red' and 'blue' and not the members of the family of colors and what then happens is exactly what we have seen happening in Egypt.

Thinking of strengthening voices for democracy? The only way out I saw is 'raising voices for provision of equality'.

By Nazish Kanwal

Pakistan