Original article at Daily Times | September 19, 2010 | Original article

by Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur

A revolution is a revolution only when it is thorough, otherwise it is a thoroughly bogus revolution. If only the heads of the Sindhis and the Baloch roll down from this revolution's economic plus law and order guillotine, it is ethnic suppression and not a revolution

Revolution, like patriotism, has become the last refuge of scoundrels who seek survival by demanding something they pathologically fear and abhor. Altaf Hussain demands a "˜patriotic generals'-led French Revolution and seeks the economic annihilation of waderas and jagirdars (feudals and landlords) by the occupation of their lands. He, his party and others of their ilk want to hoodwink people with bogus revolutionary slogans. Power and pelf make people do things that ordinary mortals like us cannot even half comprehend.

Remarkably, the average wealth of the MQM's honest middle-class MNAs is Rs 25 million; an impartial assets review since 1980 would reveal the bitter truth. Naturally, redistribution of this wealth is glossed over and not a word about the land that its land mafia owns is uttered. The MQM also opposes flood relief property tax in urban Sindh; duplicitous conduct is it not?

Selective amnesia afflicts these bogus revolutionaries. Neither he nor his deceitful co-revolutionaries ever mention the tyranny at the Okara Military Farms or mazarains' (tenants') rights nor demand punitive measures against industrialists and businessmen. They never demand appropriation of the generals' lands in Guddu, Kotri Barrages or Chashma-Jhelum Link Canal. They conveniently forget the innumerable Chak Shahzads and also the plots and privileges that the judiciary, the bureaucracy and the military have.

All enthusiastically condemn the mirs, pirs, waderas and sardars, but not a word is uttered about the Manshas, Hashwanis, Monnoos, Schons, Razzaks, Habibs, Saigols, Malik Riazs, etc, as if these angel incarnates devote their lives to the selfless and profitless service of mankind. This chorus for revolution brazenly stinks of ethno-centric bias specifically targeting the Sindhis and the Baloch. Even the print media puts waderas, jagirdars and sardars in italics while other parasites are spared this honour.

Revolution has its own logic and charts its own course; it cannot be tailor-made for targeting the Sindhis and the Baloch only. Revolution should destroy the existing order completely. A revolution is a revolution only when it is thorough, otherwise it is a thoroughly bogus revolution. If only the heads of the Sindhis and the Baloch roll down from this revolution's economic plus law and order guillotine, it is ethnic suppression and not a revolution.

So why stop at the occupation of waderas' and jagirdars' lands only, why not occupy the generals' lands? Why not urge the workers to take over industries and businesses and share the enormous profits among themselves? Why not let the people appropriate the profits of the stock exchanges where billions of rupees exchange hands daily? This would obliterate economic disparity in weeks rather than decades. Why not immediately commandeer the profits of the economic empire of the army for distribution among the people too? But that will touch a raw nerve.

Why not admit poor children free of cost to half the seats in all the posh private educational institutions that cater only to the moneyed and feudal classes and thereby mint money quicker than the State Bank does? It would level out the playing field but would the gentry allow their children to rub shoulders with slum-dwellers? Transport problems must be eased by making multiple car owners surrender extra cars to those who have none, and by making transport companies reserve half the seats for poor people's free travel.

Should owners of all the houses measuring more than 120 square yards not be made to share them with their servants, the homeless and slum dwellers? This would solve housing problems and eradicate the feudal mindsets that exist in palatial houses; moreover servant abuse would become history.

Profits of all fast food chains, starred hotels and eating joints should be requisitioned so that their billions are distributed equitably. Moreover, these businesses should compulsorily be made to reserve 50 percent seats during business hours for free food and service to poor and homeless people. Incidentally, if the poor are served in these joints you will come to know where the real feudal mindset lies because none of the "˜down with feudalism' crowd would like to patronise places where dirty, smelly, bedraggled people are served.

But all these suggestions will seem extremely disagreeable, unreasonable, unviable and even preposterous to supporters of the bogus revolution because they promote an ethno-centric revolution and not the French Revolution. All they want to do is neutralise whatever remaining economic clout the Sindhis and the Baloch possess. A thorough revolution is an anathema for counterfeit revolutionaries because they stand to lose more than the waderas and jagirdars in it.

In the wake of the floods, compassion for the dispossessed Sindhi and Baloch has surged but no one bothered when old Sindhi villages in Karachi were uprooted by the MQM city government or when 10,000 residents of 600-year-old villages were dispossessed to make way for the Super Highway, DHA. No one utters a word at the daily killings of the Baloch in Balochistan or the FC firing at IDPs in Quetta. All this reinvigorated hate for feudalism smacks of deeply rooted ethno-centric bias.

It is indeed a sad day for revolution and revolutionaries that the honourable legacy of Voltaire, Marx, Engels, Lenin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh and Che Guevara has come to a pass where Altaf assumes the vanguard role. I advise the true revolutionary cadre to take charge of revolution; if not they better compromise with the extortionists, kneecap drillers, land and drug mafias and robber barons. They will have to reconcile with the fact that the corrupt elite, i.e. the industrialists, businessmen, bankers, waderas and jagirdars and the establishment, i.e. the military, bureaucracy and politicians, who have usurped the rights of the common man will continue to decide their destiny till eternity.

Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur has an association with the Baloch rights movement going back to the early 1970s. He can be contacted at mmatalpur@gmail.com

Original article