Democracy at best can be summed up in a simple yet old saying “Slow and steady wins the race”. The best socio-economic development is always through evolution which is a deliberate obtuse process. The societies are glob of people living together under a certain set of rules and regulations. These rules and regulations known as social justice system is prescribed by the people themselves. So any legislation made by the society is the outcome of how the people are being evolved inside that society. It must be understood very carefully here that it is not the legislation which is developing the people; it’s the people who are developing the new legislations as a result of their social evolution. It’s analogous to a phylogenetic process where the accumulation of different events helps the individual to transform systematically. The maturity of understanding certain legislation and how it will affect the society in the long run comes with time. It must be people changing the people rather than some law changing the people. One can implement the most ideal system which will guarantee the virtues such as social justice, zero corruption, religious tolerance etc, but the question remains are the people willing to accept it in the long run. Those who implement the law and those who abide by the law both are people. There is no point of having some ideal legislation when the people on both sides have not evolved enough to adapt it. This is why democracy is a slow self evaluating process.
That was all about democracy, let’s now discourse to TUQracy. TUQracy is actually the name given to the narrative of Tahir-ul-Qadri who is a famous religious scholar turned politician. This article is definitely not about Tahir-ul-Qadri but it is about that robust and ideal change of system that many advocate in Pakistan. The post elections 2013 scenario in Pakistan was such that people were frustrated for change because of the corrupt regime and worsening economic conditions. Yet again the ‘change’ itself had changing definitions for different sects of societies. Hence there was never one absolute definition of ‘change’ and that was why the possibility of chaos remained always in the back garden. TUQracy was at its peak for three days in the month of January, 2013 when Tahir-ul-Qadri staged a protest in Islamabad for ‘change’ in the system. TUQracy predicted that the Elections 2013 will be rigged, and based on this forecast TUQracy wanted to bring the country to halt and postpone the Elections 2013. TUQracy was of the view that present electoral system will bring the same corrupt regime back into power. Based on the earlier predictions TUQracy further suggested the complete overhaul of the system. The phenomenon was such bring masses on the roads, challenge the writ of the government and occupy Islamabad secretariat. Hence TUQracy believed in fast and robust ‘change’ and rejected the slow self-healing democracy. TUQracy asked all the political forces including status-quo to join hands and to support this ideology. This was itself contradictory because one cannot simply fight the system by asking the system to fight against its own self. TUQracy enticed the emerging political force Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf which perhaps was the biggest stake holder in terms of corrupt electoral system. But thanks to almost 60 years of deprivation of democracy, people of Pakistan wanted democracy so bad that they couldn't care enough even if it ends up handing power to same old corrupt regime. This was evolution. So the luxurious idea of having our very own Tahrir Square passed away before even touching the reality. Perhaps Pakistan never needed a Tahrir Square and the ‘change’ it promised.
What Pakistan actually needed was not the ‘change’ but the commitment to change. And following this commitment to change; all political forces and the people of Pakistan achieved a milestone, the first ever civilian transfer of power that is Elections 2013. Though Elections 2013 was a milestone still they are considered to be the most rigged elections ever conducted in Pakistan. But nevertheless Elections2013 has created a dividing line in the history of Pakistan. This means all those 60 years will now be remembered as pre-elections2013 history.
It must be said here with clarity that TUQracy predictions were right. Elections2013 had been rigged but it does not mean that we as a nation repent over Elections 2013. A system can only be changed when the people have seen worst of it. People from all walks of life condemned any possible rigging in elections 2013. It can be said with full confidence that elections 2018 will be much better than 2013 and this cycle will go on. This is how nations evolve gradually. We must understand there are no short-cuts to happiness and prosperity. If TUQracy had been adapted instead of Elections 2013 the country would have ran into unthinkable and never ending chaos. Even the rigged elections are better than these cushy revolutions.
It’s about time that we learn to be patient with the present on going system and let the system complete its tenure. Tahrir squares are fancy flabby revolutions which lose their essence very rapidly on a mere foreign interference. Whereas gradual change is more resolute and long lasting and unlikely to be diluted by the outsiders. One must never confuse the desperateness of the people for change with their acceptability to change. The Arab spring had been an eye opener for many who thought a single protest or a single event can change people forever. It’s a universal narrative change must come slow. There shouldn't be any illusions about absolute change; there is no such thing as absolute change. The fact of the matter is the moment you commit to change, you have changed actually. Pakistan has set out on a path of change; and Elections 2013 was the commitment to this change.
