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MQM and Revolution
Altaf Hussain, MQM’s Chief, a man with
inflated ego and twisted political reality, knows how to
maintain his hold on his followers and use them to generate
political ripples in Pakistani socio-political reservoir.
Nowadays he has started talking about
revolution. Like the adage that charity begins at home the
revolution also begins at home. MQM’s home is Karachi. Has MQM
established revolution in Karachi? If Karachi with the current
state of affairs is the example of Altaf Hussain’s revolutionary
model than Pakistanis definitely need to be worried about their
country.
Let us first look around at countries with
multiple socio-economic and political models. For this purpose,
we do not need to go too far. India on Pakistan’s one side and
China on the other have lived with multiple models for a while
now. Both have set excellent examples.
In India, many provinces practically have
Marxist governments. One of former Chief Ministers of a province
with Marxist government became India’s Prime Minister. The
Marxist governments have relatively done well, but could not
expand beyond their boundaries. Their revolution has remained
within the confine of their geographical territories and that is
in the presence of well established Marxist tradition and a
strong Marxist political party of India.
In China, Chinese co-opted Capital System
when Hong Kong was handed over back to them. The citizens of
Hong Kong were very concerned about their socio-economic and
political model. The then Chinese President introduced the
slogan of one country and two systems. Since then, China has
thrived with both systems in their geographical territories.
Hong Kong has remained an economic success model even after two
and half decades of departure of British colonists. The
Socialist China has its own success stories to share with the
contemporary world. The arrangement of two systems and a one
country has so far worked well.
MQM has remained part of successive
governments. In Musharraf era MQM had total control on Karachi.
Why it did not start the revolution then and change the
socio-economic set-up in Karachi to set a model for the rest of
the country. Obviously MQM was not interested in revolution
then. If it were it would have launched revolution in Karachi,
but it did not.
Let us look at this issue from another angle.
Karachi is the home of four communities: 1) Urdu–speaking, 2)
Sindhis, 3) Pashtoons and 4) Punjabis with many other small
communities. How is the inter community relationship in Karachi
particularly, the relationship of Urdu-speaking community with
the rest of the communities. One should not forget that all
members of Urdu-speaking community do not subscribe to MQM’s
ideology.
With this kind of scenario within Karachi
where MQM shares the city with many other communities if it
could not bring the revolution how it can bring the revolution
in the home provinces of other communities with whom MQM does
not enjoy good relationship within Karachi?
The political agenda Altaf Hussain is trying
to push through by putting up grand shows in Karachi and
telecasting telephonic sermons to advance the cause of
revolution elsewhere without establishing revolution in Karachi
during all these years smell fishy and sounds lofty.
If Altaf Hussain is sincere with the cause of
revolution he should establish the revolution in Karachi and
make it a model for the rest of the Pakistan. If there can be
two systems in India and China why not in Pakistan. MQM should
start the revolution in Karachi and let the rest of the Pakistan
follow.
Obviously, Altaf Hussain is not a
revolutionary leader and MQM is not a revolutionary party,
neither he nor his political organ is interested in revolution,
therefore, it is good slogan but lacks political sincerity.
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