Dr. Umar Khan
Dr. Khan belongs to a Lahore based Think Tank.
29-12-2024
State created by and for the East India
Company
"Does
the government fear us? Or do we fear the government? When the people fear the
government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant,
not our master!" Thomas Jefferson
In the middle
of the eighteenth century modern state was taking shape in Europe while in
India the old styled monarchy still survived where whims of the rulers
prevailed and not the written law or constitution. With this backdrop in 1757
the world saw a strange and unbelievable
event happen, a trading company of a small, poor and backward country thousands
of miles away, subjugated a huge country full of riches. East India Company
(EIC), an unregulated joint stock company based in a small office in London, managed in India by an unstable sociopath,
Robert Clive, prevailed over the richest part of India, the Mughal
province of Bengal.
There
were clear objectives of the EIC, basically profit for its shareholders without
scruples or ethics. Racial theories prevailed and the natives were actually
perceived and treated like inferiors or inadequately evolved people. It wasn’t
created to run a state, that also a big one, and welfare or prosperity of its
subjects or the long term effects of its policies weren’t considered important
enough. Brute profit of shareholders at any cost being the only purpose of its
existence.
To achieve these
unpopular and unfair objectives brute force was needed and for that the EIC
started building a modern state structure with modern institutions the local
weren’t aware of. The EIC created a modern regimented army giving them modern
arms and taught them modern warfare. (Just a reminder, even during the affluent
golden times of the Mughal Empire no modern military academy was established).
In addition to the military a strong bureaucracy and judiciary was established
to cement the absolute control and authority of the EIC while imparting
legitimacy of some sort.
These
institutions were well paid and a certain untouchable aura was constructed around
them and their personal. While imparting certain stature on these subjugative
institutions simultaneously the self-esteem, dignity and national pride of the locals
was systematically destroyed. They were called by a derogatory term called natives
and were crushed to an extant where they would not even ask or expect rights
and respect nation states give. Interestingly for this cruel objective locals
were hired and their strength used against it sown people although the local
troops were also racially discriminated and persecuted. Natives were
institutionally belittled and convinced of their inferiority along with the
superiority of the British.
Relationship
between these institutions and the natives was intentionally made adversarial and
their authority was ruthlessly established to stamp out potential of resistance.
This setup with
colonial institutions worked well for centuries where the subjugated people
were crushed and starved while the ruling British prospered. Th richest country
became the poorest while the poor one thrived.
The effects of
this greatest subjugation didn’t stop here as the recruited native armies were
used across the globe for imperial purposes fighting illegal/immoral wars like
the opium wars and Gallipoli etc despite their soldiers being ill-treated and
abused.
190 years later
after causing lots of sufferings across the globe ultimately the imperialism
fell and subjugated countries won freedom.
During this
monumental change unfortunately the newly freed nations inherited the same institutions
designed and created for their exploitation and abuse. After the checks on
these institutions that Britain had imposed on them ended at independence, some
of them just went berserk, out of control causing even further sufferings. Many
of them just took over the state claiming to be the beacons of nationalism and
patriotism.
The absolute
domination of the colonial institutions with inherent contempt for the people
damaged the new state of Pakistan and its society as well ultimately bringing
it to knees. The economy is in doldrums, society if fragmented, we have gotten
ourselves in numerous unending wars, all institutions are crumbling, human
development indices are at the lowest point and we have tense relations with
all our neighbors.
In short
Pakistan has become kind of a pariah state ready to fall any time. Some of our
traditional friendly countries have put blanket ban on visas for Pakistan and
travelling internationally with a Pakistani passport has become a nightmare.
The youth, whose
talents we should have nurtured by providing them the most conducive
environment are hopeless trying to leave their country. Situation has really
come to the stage where people have started questioning the very basis of its creation
and existence.
Now after 77
years of independence we must address the root cause of most of our problems,
the power and dominance of the colonial/extractive and unchecked state
institutions we inherited.
To begin with we
must ensure that military and bureaucracy are subservient to the will of the people
expressed through elections and laws created by the elected officials. Highly
disciplined hierarchical organizations working according to the law are
institutions and if they work against the law they become gangs, a very undesirable
entity. They must be convinced that they are not the bosses but the taxpayers
are. The monopoly of paid state officials on defining the national interest and
identifying patriots and the traitors must be stopped. It is neither their job
nor their competence to do it.
Colonial derogatory
terms like bloody natives that got converted to bloody civilians must be stamped
out. Government employees must be inculcated that serving and protecting the citizens
is something to be proud of and not ashamed. Serving people is their only raison d'être.
Imperial legacy
of 2 tier class system in the government services has to change. The colonial
(gora) officer with its domination over the native officer class of JCOs where
their senior most Subedar stands below the entry level teenager 2nd
Lt of the colonial officer class, must be eradicated. Same needs to b done in
civil service where senior most 60 years old tehsildar is considered junior to
a fresh CSP officer and treated with contempt.
Democracy with the
help of judiciary must be strengthened filling the void retreating institutions
would be leaving.
Elected members
must control these colonial state institutions. We might even consider the
political commissar system that worked well in the communist world.
To main
prerequisite for achieving all this is predominance of rule of law through the
empowerment of constitution that no one should be allowed to dishonor/ revoke
making it the biggest crime. Constitution violators must be punished severely
so that there is enough deterrence to discourage future potential adventurists.
Today when I see
Pakistan, I feel that we are still living in colonial times waiting for the 14th
August that brings real freedom and opportunity for Pakistanis. The arrogance
and belittling behavior of the government servants towards the people they are
supposed to serve is the same, rather worse, than the colonial days. They kept
the snobbery but without the grace and integrity of the British bureaucracy.
Time has proven
that this land has tremendous talent and social capital that has been
curtailed/truncated brutally for long by the exploitative colonial institutions.
Once these negative constraints are withdrawn miraculous results won’t take
long, IA.
It’s time to get
rid of the East India Company and its subjugative institutions.
"The Government is
merely a servant - merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to
determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who
isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them." - Mark Twain
