Last night I saw the video of a Mirpuri MP, who had just been appointed a Minister by the state government, being greeted and feted by his constituents. In fairness to the Minister, he has done much for his constituency. Everywhere there are visible signs of progress- road building, bridge construction and better electricity supplies. The minister has achieved much.
What struck me, however, is the sycophantic attitude of some people. Speech after speech was delivered praising the minister in colourful, exuberant language. Some of the speakers were long term party loyalists; others had switched loyalties from the now powerless opposition party. Speakers delivered vows of eternal loyalty to the ‘great’ leader. I cringed at the sight of one man singing his words of loyalty to the politician.
If I were living in Mirpur, I would have voted for the politician. Yet I can never accept this type of flattery. As a university student in the UK, I grew up on a healthy diet of scepticism comprising Spitting Images, Private Eye and the more incisive Guardian. The way people handle and deal with politicians is a measure of a nation’s political maturity. In Mirpur and Pakistan generally, despite the formality of an election every five years, there is a long way to go.
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