Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Recollections and remembrances

SOCIO-ECONOMICThe human mind is engaged in an endless quest for the triumph of reason insociety and this quest meets with both success and failure. ‘Revolution’ beginswhen the mind proclaims some kind of new dispensation. The events of almosttwo decades (Martial Law) and the consequent repression and exploitation by theselect few (22 families) provided the opportune moment for a revolutionary partyand manifesto. It is to Mr. Bhutto’s credit that he could perceive the new trendreplacementof the feudal by the nouveau rich industrialist and businessman atrend that was to find fruitation during Zia’s martial law and make chances forthe society bright in the 90’s as is manifested in the current trend for privatizationand free market economy.Modern revolution is normally characterized by a set of emotion laden utopianideas-an expectation that society would henceforth be marching towards aprofound transformation of values and structures as well as personal behavior.The party’s manifesto and speeches of the Chairman Shaheed savored of vastlyimproved pattern of human relationship in a future realization and endeavoredto impart his vision to the masses, hopefully to motivate them to revolutionaryaction. His speeches during this period were laden with hopes of a more perfectsocial situation: more freedom; more equality; more consciousness of community:more peace, justice and human dignity; more of the transcendental which appealto human being universally a return of Pakistan and its people to their rightfuland dignified position in the community of nations. He unlike the “Utopians” ofold, did not post his idyllic state in un-reachable geographic places (nowhere) butlocated it in their future; its eventual achievement and attainment spelt out notonly as possible but inevitable. A new Messiah had arrived to lead the nation to aborn again situation. Slowly, but perceptibly, the masses began to see thetransformation in the manner of land reforms, including the establishment oflabour unions and providing these far reaching reforms constitutional protection.The masses, but naturally, came under the revolutionary fervor of ChairmanShaheed and were prepared to make any sacrifice. They responded positively toeach cell and turned up in their millions to assure him of their support. Thepublic meeting at Qadaffi Stadium prior to his departure for the Simla Talks isbut an instance.FOREIGN POLICYResultantly, he proceeded to Simla as a symbol of the national will. No singleindividual had in the annals of Pakistan’s history, done so much in such a shortspan of time to restore the nation’s morale and will not only to survive as a nationbut to accept new challenges. The Indians found a totally transformed nation, anation willing to squarely face any new misadventure with fortitude and courage.Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Recollections and Remembrances; Copyright © www.bhutto.org 90