London
– 4th August 2004
There are
two types of colours, one in the form of light and the other in the form of
material. It is impossible to protect your bare hands from material colours,
such as paint or powder. However, to protect one’s hands he or she must take
preventive measures like wearing gloves or using a protective chemical.
For example, it is impossible to place one’s hands in water and keep
them dry at the same time. Similarly, how can one keep their clothes clean when
entering a pool of mud? Likewise, the social and cultural values, climate, atmosphere
and environment also influence a human being. If the environment is polluted,
full of germs and chemicals then this will affect one’s health and prove
harmful. During the Second World War, as a result of atom bomb being dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, its nuclear radiation can still be found even after so
many years. Moreover, emission of smoke from vehicles also adds to pollution.
Environment can either be related to atmosphere or created by human beings, which may either be better or worse. If one is brought up in a good environment, i.e. amongst people of good character – then such environment will influence his or her character and personality in a better way. However, if a person spends their time amongst people of bad character with anti-social behaviour then he or she will certainly get influenced from this bad environment and this will affect his or her character and personality first in the same way as the germs and by the gases produced by the smoke and chemicals produced by the radiation effects the human health. Dreadful environment affects ones character and it is for this reason that parents always warn their children to stay away from bad character people. Just as thoughts and character can be influenced by environment; in a similar manner the education provided to any human being by an institution reflects from his or her thinking, temperament, way of talking, body language etc. For example, those receiving education in engineering college/university attune their minds according to that environment. Similarly, those receiving education in medical college or university will get affected with knowledge of medicine. Likewise, within army, everyone is trained fundamentally to defend borders of the country and secure the country from enemy attacks even if they lose their lives. Regardless of these army men being Muslims or Non-Muslims, if they sacrifice their lives while defending their country then they are known as martyrs. Therefore, one can witness memorials in America, Britain, and Russia etc, which are built to honour their martyrs. Despite the fact that there are commissioned and non-commissioned personnel and officers in the army and they act differently due to the difference in the rank but their minds think alike that is to defend the borders of the country and to fulfil their duties according to the true spirit of the instructions. When those affected with this way of thinking come into power, they not only involve themselves in supporting the Army Government on the pretext of “defending the country” which is their basic education even the empowered army officials consider army’s direct or indirect involvement in civilian government in the interest of the country. It is for this reason that even when a civilian government is in power, the process of direct or indirect interference of the army continues, which they consider their legitimate right on the pretext of “defending the country.” As the mentality of the commissioned and non-commissioned personnel are same due to the training given for so many years according to the education and preaching of “defending the country” their minds are affected in such a way that it is reflected by their way of speaking and body language. Their every action reflects the army training and education. This is the reason that civilian recruiting agencies give priority to the retired army personnel.
As the human character is effected by the environment or by the education and training of any institution. In the same manner, those who join the Government also normally get affected by its colour and instead of serving the people and resolving their issues; they get busy in achieving personal gains. In some instances, when a Movement established to struggle for the attainment of the rights of deprived and oppressed people joins the Government – and its members become ministers and advisers then they too are influenced with “governmental environment”. Government privileges, flagged cars and salute from gatekeepers come in the forefront and the ideology goes in the background thus their thinking becomes similar to that of other political parties. This means that their “ideological cover” was not strong enough to protect them from getting influenced by “governmental environment”. If members of the Movement who have not yet become ministers, advisers, members of national and provincial assembly; and are affected by the “governmental environment” – then it means that their “ideological cover” is weak, strained and perforated. If the ideological cover is strong then one will always remember that Government is never permanent but temporary – and the only thing that is permanent and everlasting is the Movement’s ideology, its mission and cause. MQM being an ideological Movement does not struggle for individual interest but for collective gains, therefore, we must think for collective interests and collective goals. It is essential that we hold ourselves accountable to our conscience and evaluate in the light of our actions if we are affected by the colour of government? Has our ideological cover become weaker and weaker by joining the government time and again? Do we give priority to government matters over our ideology, mission and cause? Is our ideological thinking under the influence of governmental environment and culture? It is the need of time that each and every member of the Movement hold himself or herself accountable to his or her conscience and then pledge to make his or her “ideological cover” so strong that no other colour will ever be able to influence it. True love and dedication to the Movement, ideology and leadership demands that every member instead of speaking for others, pledge for himself or herself that they will make corrections, work for collective interest and not individual gains, will never forget the sacrifices of martyrs, he or she is answerable to Allah Almighty, will keep themselves protected from the corrupt environment, will spread the message of the Movement and secure its destination. If every member will reform oneself then the Movement will become stronger and destination will come sooner than later. Therefore, every member of the Movement must strengthen their “ideological cover” and remember that those who keep themselves under the strong influence of “ideological cover” do not get least bit affected when they are sent to other environment. Their ideological cover keeps them protected from the political environment just as hand gloves protect ones hand from material colors.