The Legacy of Benazir Bhutto

The timing of my post may be far from ideal, but I still feel there is a message which needs to be communicated through it! I recently read my friend Prathik's account of the disheartening end brought to this path-breaking politician's life, yet I can't help but disagree in some respects. Benazir Bhutto, heir of the legacy of the Bhutto clan, may have left a mark unparalleled in significance in world history by becoming the first woman to lead a Muslim nation, but there is little I see in her accomplishments which justifies her treatment as little less than a local deity!

Benazir, during her tenure in power, did little to justify the title of "saviour" that was thrust upon her since her return. She and Rajiv Gandhi may have shared an understanding or even a camaraderie of sorts hitherto unseen between the leaders of our two great nations, yet her past is clouded by misdealings and failed policies. The fundamentalist forces she returned to defeat in 2007 are the very same hardcore fanatic groups which she and countless other Pakistani leaders from the past had sought to control and use to their advantage, not only to seek a violent settlement to the never-ending Kashmir dispute with India, but also to retain power at the centre. Decade after decade, the fundamentalist movement gained strength from its political backers, and though she may never have admitted her silent support, Ms. Bhutto certainly did very little to suppress the movement fast gaining roots in her homeland. Corruption charges have been levelled against Ms. Bhutto during her tenure in power, but as in all political cases, there is hardly any means of distinguishing between true cases and charges trumped up by the ruling government.

Gen. Musharraf, by seizing power, only emulated his predecessors' policies, albeit to a much greater degree, with far-reaching consequences for the integrity of the nation. The failure of the army to quell the growing separatist movements in Baluchistan threatens the integrity of the nation, and provides a new haven for the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. A large section of Moderates in the nation have decreed the army's heavy-handed approach in the troubled areas as a sign of Musharraf waging war against his own people.

Here, Ms. Bhutto's courage cannot be understated. Regardless of her past misdealings, she retained the courage to return to a land which had been badly scarred by tussles between the government and extremists, with the people caught in the middle! She realized that her end would come sooner rather than later, yet as it seems, her mind stayed resolute and unwavering. Would she have succeeded in her supposed motive, had she survived that attack? Perhaps, for she would certainly have been named Prime Minister with little opposition by the "democratic coalition". Yet, seeing how her husband, Asif Zardari, has been toying with the Prime Ministership saga for a while now, creating rifts within the party at a time when the democratic, secular voices in the nation need to stand in unity, inspires little faith that Begum Sahiba would have been much different. Call me a skeptic/pessimist, yet the democracy that has been restored to that nation hardly seems complete or even genuine! The need for Musharraf's ouster is being quelled by calls for "stability", something the people of Pakistan have not known under democratic governments and dictatorships alike. Democracy will never be attained unless the people's representatives respect their demands and seek the impeachment that has been long overdue. Looking firmly forward is no excuse for repeating the mistakes of the past !

Yet, if anything, Ms. Bhutto's unfortunate end has only galvanized her people's resolve to demand a government by, for and of the people. It has taught them that neither dictators nor fundamentalists can provide to them the peace they have desired for so long........and so, to an extent, she has succeeded. I would think twice before awarding titles such as "icon", "legend" or "hero" upon her, but I must appreciate what she did accomplish.......at a time when her country needed her the most, she listened to her conscience, sought to serve her people, and rewrite the wrongs of her past. In death, she served her people to a far greater degree than during her tragically short life. It has always been apparent to me that facing bullets is less mortifying than the prospect of reflecting upon your past and resolving to rewrite the legacy you leave behind......for it requires not only courage, but also character and humility! For this, she deserves my full respect, not as a deity, but as an example of how redemption is never too far, if one's resolve remains steadfast! This, to me, will remain her true enduring legacy!