Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Suffering under Democratic State

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Suffering under Democratic State

It is believed that the escalation in militancy is foreboding about a bloody year and the bloodthirsty insurgents will not be quenched by decapitating the innocent individuals. A spate of macabre incidents such as suicide bombings, terrorist attacks, abducting and murdering simple travelers and flagrant violation of law are great causes for concern. In spite of the hot debate of peace negotiation, which has come to light, Afghans’ suffer from insurgency more than ever before. In other words, under the guise of this political chicanery, our nation constantly falls victim to terrorism.

Our nascent democracy does not seem to be a panacea for the wounded hearts of Afghan nation. Last year, Afghan men and women flocked to ballot boxes, despite the life-threatening terrorism, holding out high hopes for peace and prosperity. However, their dreams are likely to go up in smoke. Their ballots could not save them from bullet. Later on, the cyberspace of Facebook spread a picture of Afghans’ men sitting on a hospital’s bed having their fingers bandaged for being lopped off by the Taliban militants on the grounds of the democratic use of their suffrage. This ugly incident was the first foreboding about escalation in terrorism after the presidential election.

Heaping encomium upon the hapless victims or hurling condemnation on the perpetrators was not enough to mollify their anguish or heal their wounds. Perhaps the question arose in their mind was that what is the good of voting which cannot ensure the citizens’ security? They were right. They voted to enjoy their rights under the aegis of a democratic state – which is supposed to be void of terror and bloodshed. They used their suffrage to breathe a sigh of relief in a violence-free country.

Afghans hoped that their ballots would save their blood. Women casted their votes with the expectation of having their rights and dignity protected. They have constantly urged the government not to be treated as a second-class citizen. Likewise, they wished to be able to take part in social activities without worrying for their safety in a democratic atmosphere. They believed that their votes would change the social attitudes, from negative into positive, towards them. Afghan girls and women felt that their voices against violence, forced marriages, injustice and iniquity would be heard. After all, this is a big tragedy to see that girls’ schools are still closed in the Taliban-dominated districts. Hence, women’s rights are at stake if the state does not enforce the law and combat terrorism properly.

The government’s responsibilities are rightly stated in the preamble of Afghanistan’s Constitution as, “In order to: Strengthen national unity, safeguard independence, national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country; establish an order based on the peoples’ will and democracy; form a civil society void of oppression, atrocity, discrimination as well as violence, based on rule of law, social justice, protecting integrity and human rights, and attaining peoples’ freedoms and fundamental rights; strengthen political, social, economic as well as defense institutions; attain a prosperous life and sound living environment for all inhabitants of this land and, eventually, regain Afghanistan’s appropriate place in the international family”.

“A civil society void of oppression, atrocity, discrimination” and “violence” remains as an unattainable dream for Afghan nation. The atrocious and violent practices are rife across the country. People fall prey to sectarian violence and racial discrimination. The citizens’ rights and dignity are trampled upon flagrantly. Women suffer from honor killings, fractious attitudes, mental and physical tortures, humiliation, etc. The girls are coerced to abandon school in the areas under the influence of the Taliban’s ragtag militants.

For many years, I lived in Moqor District of Ghazni province, where Taliban are highly active there – despite the presence of Afghan National Army. The females are allowed only to attend primary schools outside the governmental building. Hence, the building of girls’ school is vacant and they are taught under tents in a playground. As soon as the girls reach maturity, they are ordered by the Taliban to abandon school. Moreover, Taliban check the tents every once in a while to be sure that mature girls are not attending the classes. Additionally, they urge teachers to distort the pictures of the women whose faces are revealed in schoolbooks. In short, girls suffer from sexual discrimination, their freedom is curtailed and they are bereft of their basic rights. “Peoples’ freedoms and fundamental rights” are a long-standing utopia for those citizens who are deprived of their rights just for being born in an insecure part of the country.

The issue of human rights begins to pall for the people who are born either in remote or insecure areas. For instance, the girls and women are not only restricted within the frame of traditional customs but also subjugated to the Taliban’s order. As it was mentioned previously, they are precluded from attending schools, presenting in public without wearing burqa, taking part in social activities and even bereft of their suffrage. The Taliban foist their warped mind upon the residents by the barrel of gun. Since they are doomed to bite the bullet despite living under a democratic state, human rights are totally meaningless for them. It is the government to provide the citizens equal rights, freedom and security and let them enjoy democracy in its true meaning.

Hujjatullah Zia is the permanent writer of the Daily Outlook Afghanistan. He can be reached at zia_hujjat@yahoo.com

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