Democracy in Sindh: A disputed topic

Imtiaz Essa Halepoto
This refers to a recent critical condition of democracy in Sindh. It is a uncontested fact that Sindh Province had sacrificed a lot for bringing Democracy back during ´Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD)` in Pakistan. Her social activists, political leaders, educationists and laymen all played a key role in the movement. The province has a huge record of sacrifices for Democracy. But, it is irany of ours that yet democracy is a unfulfilled dream of ours. Democracy without adequate literacy rate is impossible. Sindh has variety of problems, ranging from social, political, economical to eductional. The problems give setback to democracy. Thus, it is not wrong to say that democracy in Sindh is a disputed topic. The MRD heroes were imprisoned, detained and tortured unconstitutionally; but yet, they did not give up and fought bombastically. Looking at their sacrifices for democracy, one cries out a lot. The current position of Democracy in Sindh is a succumbing one. Laymen are forced mentally and socially to cast vote to a particular party. During election, voters are even purchased like tissue papers and left like used-tissue-papers. Many a politician even threaten to voters in public Jalsas for casting votes to them. Is this democracy? It is unquestionably true that democracy in Sindh is a disputed topic. Similarly, the province is in the grip of illiteracy. The policies for literacy rate growth are nightmares. It is a death trap to keep the natives out of school pre-planningly; because, it is easy to catch a unskilled lion in trap than that of a skilled and awared one. The province has, in comparison to Punjab, little literacy rate: below 50%. The factors affecting education are insufficient budget, lack of policy execution, faulty exam system, inadequate material amenities, dearth of teacher quality, need of application of education policies, aimless education, little admission, excessive dropouts, political meddling, obsolete curriculum, dishonesty, weak administration and management, poor research, and absence of standardisation. Most important factor affecting education badly in Sindh, is political interference in teachers recruitments. Illiteracy gives huge setbacks to democracy. Moreover, Social, political and economic problems are too hindrances on the way of proper democratic setup. The natives of Sindh are socially surrounded by problems: poverty, illiteracy, child labour, violence, and so on. Politically, the natives are forced, tortured and victimized through Kangaroo-courts. Similarly, socio-economic issues too deprive them of their good livelihood. The incumbent Government of Sindh has been in power since 2008, but, it yet did little for welfare of the native, rather it inflicted more victimisations by all means. The Government of the province focuses more on criticising others, but does little to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems. To sum up, it is indeed a need of hour to strengthen the democracy in Pakistan, particularly in Sindh by empowering Media, judiciary and bureaucracy, to make education free and accessible at doorsteps to all indiscriminately, to ensure meritocracy in jobs-recruitment procedure, to step forward for literacy-rate betterment and to give people the inalienable fundamental and constitutional rights. Once the then president of USA, Abraham Lincoln, said ´Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people. This quotation must be applied in our democracy succumbing province: Sindh.