REVOLUTIONIZE THE STRIKE SYNDROME
BY
MAJYD AZIZ
The right to strike, the right to protest, and the right to dissent, are part of the freedom a person enjoys as an inhabitant of this world. However, it is the basic action that distinguishes these rights from the intentions of those who delight in, or who suffer from, or who participate in the rational or fallacious display of these rights. The expression of these is universal and an on-going process, and people take advantage of these rights in varied ways. For example, workers strike against the so-called injustices of the employers. The oppressed protest the treatment meted out to them by their tormentors. The peaceniks do not agree with the hard-liners and the hawks who advocate supremacy or a tough stand. In Pakistan, strikes were previously the domain of the industrial workers. Today, strike calls are given by just about everyone, by political parties, by religious organizations, by government employees, by small traders, and even officially by the government. It seems that everyone and his cousin are out to energize their rusted vitality and channelize it into exhibitions of disagreement, animosity, and conflict.
Recent events and calls for strikes and wheel-jams have been instrumental in jeopardizing the already fragile state of affairs in this country, and more so in Karachi. The strike days are normally preceded by aggressive statements and outbursts of a volatile nature. If the call is against a particular Government action then the Government’s propaganda machine comes into action, vilifying the strikers, accusing them of being anti-state, and going even as far as giving orders to shoot-to-kill in the style of the Old West in the USA. Whatever the tactics, the strikes generally turn out to be successful and complete. It is another matter, that in the process, the country’s economy goes to the dogs, the people are more miserable, and the world and the country’s enemies laugh their hearts out at the antics of the Pakistany nation.
The political parties are always in the forefront in calling strikes. The City of Karachi, and Hyderabad too, have recently been the "victims" of many such calls by the representative party of the City and whose supremo is many seas away and yet converts Karachi’s bustling environment into a ghost town. There is no doubt that all kinds of procedures adopted by the Administration goes to naught and people tend to stay out of circulation during these strike days. Nobody but nobody believes the harangues of the Government big shots that this is another unpatriotic exhibition by this particular organization.
The small traders also get afflicted with the strike fever and hold largely attended conventions to announce their intention to go on strike for some reason or another. Lately, they have been agitating against the introduction of the so-called Form ‘A’ by the income tax authorities which requires the traders to furnish harmless information such as foreign trips, mobile phone expenses, and children’s school fees. Big deal ! Nevertheless, the markets were closed for two vital days in August because the Tajirans went on a non-productive strike which as usual achieved zilch.
The transporters keep threatening to go on indefinite strike only to postpone the eventual day because the Commissioner’s office gives them the usual "we shall solve your problems" hogwash. These transporters are worried about their vehicles which are favorite targets of the odd arsonists who torch these buses and vans to enforce their fiat. Naturally, these transporters lose a lot because most of them have taken loans from the neighborhood shylocks whose interest rates would put the high echelon of the commercial banks into ecstasy.
Then there are the government strikers. It is a common everyday thing to read about somebody in the government going on strike. The clerks put their "pens" down, the income tax secondary staff walk out of the building on a moment’s notice, the customs, banks, schools, and other organizations personnel pull down the shutters of their place of work and come out on the streets, holding placards, and wearing Nan Rotis as necklaces. It is the easy way out adopted by these government employees who actually also want to keep their workload at a minimum, who want to keep the flow of official assignments disoriented, and who want to strangulate the normal everyday routine of their tasks. All this is taking Pakistan on to the avenue of disaster and devastation.
What will happen to Pakistan if this kind of attitude continues ? If the police stop controlling traffic or catching crooks or terrorists, if the utilities switch off power, gas, or water, if the telephone linemen let phones stay out of order, if the dock workers refuse to unload fertilizer or wheat or stop loading export items, if the trains do not chug-chug, the planes do not jet in the sky, or the ships do not sail the waters, or if the government machinery goes on a self-declared vacation, it will be bye-bye time for the denizens of Pakistan. As it is, the efficiency and workability of all the above are dismal and down, down anyway. Strikes, protests, and dissents are measures to force one’s viewpoints openly, but they are not panaceas to salvation.
There is then the need to achieve the objectives of protest and at the same time keep the country going on. The mode of protest and the methods adopted to go on strike to register one’s point of view needs a conceptual change. This can be brought about by fashioning the protest into something constructive instead of the present out-dated and antediluvian negative approaches. Some suggestions are elucidated for the benefit and consideration of all those who want to strike.
The City of Karachi is really in the boondocks. It is the innocent victim of years of neglect, discrimination, and hatred. It has fallen into the abyss of darkness and whatever is left of it is presently being systematically dissected by the predators in the guise of its protectors. Those out to ruin this City do not allow the residents to even enjoy a few days of reprieve or solace. Something or the other is conceived to put a spanner in the people’s plans to settle themselves into the everyday routine. This City now demands its previous environment of peace and hustle-bustle again.
Therefore, it is proposed that a KARACHI PROTEST WEEK be organized preferably in the first week of October, 1995, and that until that particular week there will be no strike calls by any organization. It is hoped that all organizations, parties, or groups will take part to make this successful. Take the political parties for example. MQM has been giving a lot of calls. However, during this week, the organization will ensure that as a mark of protest, its members will do the following, among other things :
The traders all over the City will keep their shops and offices open for business. During this period the retailers will organize genuine sales promotion schemes and will endeavor to provide goods at a substantial discount. They will arrange to have their markets decorated with buntings and other paraphernalia and will keep their establishments open till late in the night. They will ensure that the consumer gets a honest and sincere advantage in their purchases.
The transport people will of course instruct their drivers to protest and go on strike by following the traffic rules, refrain from over-speeding, over-crowding, and over-polluting. During the seven days, the drivers will keep the noise level of their stereos to a civilized one so that the passengers and the pedestrians are not inconvenienced.
The utilities personnel will also be on strike during the whole week. The KESC hierarchy will convince WAPDA to export extra electricity to KESC so that there would be no load shedding in Karachi. Since there will be illumination all over the City and since all factories and shops would be open and brimming with activity there will be a noticeable increase in demand. KWSB will strive to supply water to all localities and will ensure that all leaks are plugged and air-tight. All telephones will be operative and the nauseating and irritating "all lines are busy" voice will not be heard during these seven days.
The local administration will also be on strike. It will observe this by holding a seven day Mela of fun and festivity. The program will include musical programs, fireworks, shows by Sultan Golden, and other items that would make the atmosphere colorful and gay. However, during this time the KMC will get all roads repaired, flies and mosquitoes exterminated, and do whatever is required to make Karachi beautiful again.
The newspapers will take out supplements while they too are on strike. To make the "sales promotion schemes" of the retailers successful, the newspapers will charge advertisements at government rates so that more and more retailers can take the opportunity to advertise. The credit card companies will also strike by not charging their 3-4% commission from retailers during this period.
The government functionaries both at the provincial level and at the federal level will keep their peace during this strike period and those who normally speak with their feet in their mouths would button their lips. For all these seven days, the PPP hierarchy will ensure that all of them refer to MQM as MQM and not Altaf Group. And to keep things cool, to keep the City in action, and to keep Pakistan working, Naseerullah Babar would be sent for seven days to Bosnia, which probably needs him more than this country does. Wait a minute, with him gone, there is bound to be peace anyway in Karachi ! No more strikes !