Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Democratic Gains Should be non-Negotiable

The Taliban fighters continue their escalated insurgency amidst the ongoing peace process. The Doha talks were stalled as the Taliban leaders walked away from the table, which indicates their lukewarm response to peace issue. But there is hope at the end of tunnel with the upcoming Istanbul conference, in which ceasefire is going to be discussed.
It is evident that Afghan nation hoped to heave a sigh of relief under democracy and put an end to the dark pages of historical episodes and fratricide after the collapse of the Taliban regime. People dreamed a utopian world, which was empty of terrorism and human casualties, and democracy seemed to be a perfect panacea for their incurable wounds. The approval of the Constitution – which underlined the equality of men and women before the law and held respect to the United Nation’s Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) – and the discourse on natural and inalienable rights and dignity filled the individuals with a sense of hope. Constitutionally, the government is supposed to empower women, protect the rights and liberty of the nation, form a civil society void of violence and bloodshed, develop the economic resources, etc.
Democracy also puts strong emphasis on individuals’ rights and freedoms and prohibits discriminations on the grounds of one’s race, sex and beliefs. There is no room for inferiority or superiority in democratic view and people are to treat one another with the spirit of brotherhood, practice upon the “Golden Rule” and tolerate one another patiently. The hegemony of the democracy has dominated the world, however, the true spirit of democracy is not practiced and the rights and dignity of people are violated on a large scale.
It is self-explanatory that the post-Taliban Afghanistan has made great progress compared to that of the Taliban’s regime and Afghan women played key role in political, social and cultural arenas, but there are a lot to be done. Women still suffer from mental and physical tortures, deemed inferior and confined within traditional restrictions, mainly in the villages – where parochial mindsets hold strong sway. Afghan nation still sustains casualties and the Taliban guerilla fighters spill the blood of men, women and children without an iota of mercy.
Despite the escalated militancy and high graph of fatalities, there are many challenges in the government’s apparatus. For example, a number of political leaders are in pursuit of their self-interests. It is believed that whenever the issue is muddied, the Taliban elements will try to exploit the situation in their own interests. Therefore, in the current sensitive condition, the officials have to strive for strengthening democracy and providing peace and prosperity for the nation.
It should be noted that disagreement among the officials will affect the nation negatively and channel their energy and attention to minor issues rather than terrorism which threatens the life of the citizens, including women and children.
Furthermore, the nascent democracy is to be strengthened through reinforcing the soldiers. It is highly painful to feel the vacuum for brotherhood in the military. Many soldiers lose their lives after being surrounded by the insurgents for days and left without help despite their persistent urge for support. In such a case, officials are responsible. Those who neglect their duty in critical time must be tried. Strengthening democracy without the implementation of law is impossible. All, including officials, are equal in the eye of law and no one is supposed to violate it with impunity. It is hoped that the officials will bury the hatchet, focus on protecting the rights and liberty of the nation and counter insurgency with more effective mechanism if the insurgents continue their acts of violence.
The nascent democracy should not be compromised in peace conferences and dialogues. Regional and global stakeholders as well as Afghan leaders have to put their weight behind the democratic gains, made in the last couple of decades. Rather, the democratic process has to be strengthened and the Taliban should be integrated into the system through legal means. It is evident that Afghan men and women made heavy sacrifices for strengthening democracy as they flocked to ballot boxes in presidential and parliamentary elections despite serious threats.
Undoing democratic gains will not be acceptable to the people of Afghanistan. People will not backtrack and are unlikely to withdraw their support for democracy. In short, a democratic system is the public dream and acceptable to all. Hence, warring sides have to support a system which is favored by the public.