By Justice Katju
A recent video discussion in a show featuring Pakistanis Dr Moeed Pirzada and Dr Hussain Nadim, anchored by Mehlaqa Samdani shows the total superficiality and inanity of the so-called ‘intellectuals’ of the Indian subcontinent
The discussion was about the ‘democratic deficit’ in Pakistan.
I heard the entire video of almost one and a half hours, and found it totally inane and superficial, consisting of just blah blah blah, and a lot of twaddle, claptrap, drivel, empty rhetoric and hot air. So I will not waste my time discussing what was said, but instead give my own views.
Democracy was defined by US President Abraham Lincoln as government by the people, of the people, and for the people.
In the Indian subcontinent there cannot be a government by or of the people, because the vast majority of our people have backward, feudal mindsets, full of casteism, religious bigotry, and superstitions, so they are not fit to rule themselves.
For instance, in India there is parliamentary democracy, but everyone knows it runs largely on the basis of caste and communal vote banks. When 90% Indians go to vote, they do not see the merit of the candidate, whether he is a good person or bad, educated or not, etc, but only see his/her caste or religion, or the caste or religion which the candidate’s party claims to represent. That is why there are so many MPs and MLAs in our legislatures with criminal backgrounds.
Most Indians, when casting their vote overlook real issues like poverty, unemployment, price rise, malnutrition, lack of healthcare and good education, but only see caste and religion.
Casteism and communalism are feudal forces, which must be destroyed if India is to progress, but parliamentary democracy further entrenches them ( because it runs on their basis ).
As regards Pakistan, democracy is a joke there, as was proved by the national elecions held on 8th February 2024, which was massively rigged on the direction of the Pakistan Army, who are the real rulers of Pakistan.
In the Indian subcontinent democracy can only mean a government for the people, not of or by the people, that is, a government which works for the welfare of the people. Such a government has never existed in India, since our politicians only seek power and pelf ( for which they polarize society on caste and communal lines by inciting hatred ), and have no genuine love for the people.
Democracy in India and Pakistan cannot mean a government by the people, because the vast majority of the people have backward, feudal mindsets, and are like children who do not know what is good for them. So they are unfit to rule, just like a child is unfit to take major decisions, and must be controlled by the parents.
We have to have a government consisting of a tiny minority of the people who are totally patriotic, selfless, modern minded, and determined to set up a political and social order under which there is rapid industrialization and modernization, and the standard of living of the people steadily rises, and they get decent lives.
The test of every political activity and political system is one, and only one : does it give people better lives ? Democracy and freedom cannot be ends in themselves. They can only be a means to an end, and that end must be raising the standard of living of the people and giving them better lives.
If freedom helps in giving people better lives it is a good thing, but not otherwise. For instance people should not have the freedom to deny education to girls ( as is often done in Afghanistan by the Taliban ). So there cannot be total freedom for the people.
Moreover, the video discussion mentioned above totally ignored what I have been repeatedly saying : this world is really not one world, but divided into two worlds, the developed countries and the underdeveloped countries.
There is a secret rule among the developed countries ( which they will never speak about ) that underdeveloped countries ( like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh ) must never be allowed to become developed countries, because if that happens then with their cheap labour underdeveloped countries will undersell the products of industries of the developed countries, making the industries of the developed countries collapse ( as they will be unable to face the competition from the industries of underdeveloped countries, which have cheap labour ), throwing millions out of employment.
To prevent this transformation of underdeveloped countries into developed ones, the developed countries will make people in underdeveloped countries fight each other on the basis of religion, caste, race, language, etc. ( as they are doing ).
This has explained in detail in the videos and articles above and below :
Evidently the participants in the above discussion were totally ignorant and oblivious to all this. Their discussion reminded me of a line in Shakespeare’s Macbeth ” It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing “
