NO, it is not a happy new year, not for the country, and not for its citizens — other than the few who are in the merry positions of haymaking at the expense of a tired, dispirited and pessimistic nation.

Representative and illustrative of the regime now in place, which has a certain delinquent-like leaning and the members of which manage the affairs of the Republic as their fiefdom, was the manner in which they chose, at the end of last year, to commemorate the cruel slaying of their former chairperson, Benazir Bhutto.

Had she lived, and been installed as prime minister according to the `deal` between the US and Pervez Musharraf, it is doubtful if most of those now ruling would have been where they are.

We ascribe all sorts of reactions to BB, were she with us, and even if we are wrong in some of our assumptions, there is no denying that in comparison with what we have she at least had a head on her shoulders. Those who have taken over in her name rather resemble headless fowl, and what is sad is that many of her former loyal lieutenants seem to have been turned by the neo-PPP ideology of self. They have repudiated all that they declared and professed to believe in.

One must wonder at what would be Benazir`s reaction to the government and the national press on the occasion of the first anniversary of her death. Our newspapers were replete with half-page and quarter-page advertisements and four-six page supplements, paid for by the national exchequer, by us the people, glorifying ministers and ministries. It would be interesting to know exactly how much has been paid for this orgy of self-gratification by a failing dispensation.

On the federal government side we had advertisements from the ministry of ports and shipping complete with photograph of the minister, the bankrupt and ailing Pakistan Steel, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd, various branches of the ministry of health, Pakistan Sports Board with photographs of president and prime and sports ministers, two departments of the ministry of labour and manpower, the ministry of industry and production, the ministry of housing and works, the Benazir Income Support Programme with technicolor photographs of a cheerful-looking president and prime minister (members of this `programme` tour the country living in what are known as five-star hotels), and the ever-efficient Pemra.

The 22 pages of supplements were all graced with `messages` accompanied by photographs of seemingly happy and contented president, prime minister and information minister.

But it was the Government of Sindh, of Benazir`s own province, which really sullied her memory, the members of which displayed an inordinate level of self-promotion at the expense of the revenues of the deprived province.

First and foremost, the chief minister with a splendiferous half-page ad, showing a smiling chief minister (whose spanking jet black hair and moustache are highly suspect as he has been around for so long), Sindh information minister with a set of different ads to her name all with photographs, then a string of lesser ministers and departments all with photographs of the head honchos — home ministry, local government, food, excise and taxation, irrigation and power, law, katchi abadis, environment, transport, education and literacy, mines and minerals, minorities affairs, enquiries and anti-corruption, revenue and relief, zakat, ushr and religious affairs.

A highly shameful exhibition which has left many aghast at the manner in which a leader was commemorated, but as has been asked by many on many a previous occasion, who or what can shame the shameless? And to top this display was the fact that Dec 27 has been declared a public holiday. In the state in which this country finds itself, should it add to the list of public holidays?

As it is, the country is semi-paralytic for the entire month of Ramazan, which is then topped by a complete closure for one week. Shortly after, another week of celebrations and closures comes with the advent of Eid ul Azha, which is followed by Muharram and a two-day holiday. Interspersed are various other public holidays of celebration or mourning.

Not that we really have anything to celebrate — mourning we have in plenty, for half a country lost and for the rest of it steadily making its way downstream, helped by the inept and corrupt governments that it is our lot to suffer.

To repeat what was printed in this space on the last day of last year in Mahir Ali`s column on Harold Pinter`s death and his life`s works are excerpts from a Pinter lecture, which eminently suit the condition of this Republic “The majority of politicians ... are interested not in truth but in power ... to maintain that power it is essential that people remain in ignorance ...What surrounds us therefore is a vast tapestry of lies, upon which we feed.”

This nation has been purposefully and willfully kept in an abysmal state of ignorance by government after government, and education together with population control which affects its progress, has always been at the bottom of the list of priorities. The human condition in Pakistan is at probably its lowest level under this government of the party of the people.

With ignorance and poverty and misery prevailing amongst the 170 millions, perhaps we should not be perturbed by the condition of the animals of the country. But, in a strangely humane way, many are. And this newspaper did a valiant job on Dec 31 when it editorialised on the conditions of the zoos of the country.

To paraphrase, if human beings breed wild animals in captivity or animals are captured by them through “some cruel stroke of fate” then those human beings are responsible for the animals and it is up to them to ensure that they are cared for. If they cannot do so, then do not keep wild animals in captivity.

In all zoos in Pakistan, animals are subjected to willful cruelty, in undersized cages, on concrete floors, where they lie “listless or driven to neurosis” because they are seriously unwell — “the conditions they must endure are enough to drive any living creature insane.”

“The choice is clear we should either run zoos the way they should be run or not at all.”The same applies to this country — those who govern should govern in a fit manner or move out.

arfc@cyber.net.pk