Figures and graphs of rising prices do not convey the suffering and the pain felt by the millions. Nor do these disturb the peace of mind of insensitive rulers who tend to explain away fast rising prices with remarks like, “When the dollar goes up and the rupee falls, prices rise,” or propose “creation of wealth” as a pre-requisite for provision of relief to the masses through the so-called trickledown effect. People cannot be made to forget their suffering and the pain through facile remarks. For some time the victims continue to stoically bear the pain, but a point finally comes when a section of them decides to come out to protest.
It is easier to deal with small groups of protesters who gather outside the press clubs momentarily and then melt away. Also, if the protesters are a few hundred teachers marching on Banigala who can be dispersed after being teargassed. It is easier to dismiss protests by smaller communities, projecting these to be a part of conspiracy hatched by enemies of Pakistan.
But it is a different matter when there are a few thousand highly motivated protesters who hold their ground despite teargassing and baton charges. They have to be accommodated by a government that is already under pressure from the opposition alliance. This is what happened on Thursday when the government yielded to the demands of the employees of the Federal Secretariat under duress as they had turned Islamabad into a war zone, causing traffic jams in the capital city. It is yet another example of the government’s incompetence that it allowed the Pay and Pension Commission to keep the decision pending on their demands for over two years.
By yielding under pressure the government has shown the way to millions who have been pushed under the poverty line, lost jobs, or cannot pay the house rent, medical expenses or children’s fees. They have seen how an insensitive government can be made to respond to their demands. Unless the government brings immediate and tangible relief to the millions, the PDM is bound to be the beneficiary of the situation irrespective of whether it has a feasible economic uplift plan or not.
