In pursuit of a system

For centuries man has been trying different types of governments with varied forms of governance methods. It was dictatorship, totalitarianism, autocracy, authoritarianism, oligarchy, monarchy, communism, democracy etc. Some attained by force, some by succession, some by selection/nomination, or elections.

Most of these accepted under constraint, survived only till their heads lasted. Dissatisfaction with one led to a switch over to other with communism and the democracy remaining in the fray at the latest. The communism ruling in one-third and the democracy in two-thirds minus some monarchy governments people felt that nostrum was found. Concept of western democracy was developed and its westernized nomenclature propagated.

   

The large and the small democracies came into being singing hosannas for one another till the real surfaced from the veneer of fallacies. The systems began to wear out their worth in body & brain to ensure transparency, neutrality and efficiency in disposal of cases for justice delivery.

The systems faced rejection with heads dethroned because these revolved more around the personal, little about the national and the least about the international interests. They lacked pathos for commonality. Even the mostly welcomed form (democracy) suffered a dig as this better system has been misused to render hoi-polloi dissatisfied. The poet of the East Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal summed up the this type of democracy in two of his verses which read,


“Hai wohee sazay kuhan mugrib ka jumhoori nizaam—

Jaiskay pardoun main nahai gair az nawai quaisri”,


“Davei istebdaad jumhoori qaba main paiyekob—

Tou samujhta hai ye azadi key hai neelam paree,”

A near paraphrase of these verses respectively becomes that the democratic system of the west is that old articles/music behind the curtains of which there is nothing else than the song/modulation of kings. Under the quilted garments of practiced democracy the demon of tyranny/oppression and despotism is stamping with feet, and you think it is the fairy of freedom.

What the poet had observed in 20th century, applauders began to feel and express in 21st century. According to a new study by University of Cambridge researchers the year 2019 represented the highest level of discontent with democracy on record. In Australia, New Zeeland, island of New Guinea and neighboring island in the Pacific Ocean, North America, South America and the Middle East, the share of persons who said they were dissatisfied with democracy had risen tremendously since the mid 1990s from 47.9 percent to 57.5 percent. The report disclosed that amongst the citizens of the developed countries the dissatisfaction had expanded from one third to half of all individuals over the last quarter of the century. The new ‘Centre for the Future of the Democracy’ of the University used a unique dataset for the study of more than four million people. It combined over 25 International Survey Reports covering 154 countries for the period 1995-2020. The lead author of the report Roberto Foa from Cambridge Department of Politics and International Studies said, “Across the globe, democracy is in a state of malaise. We find that dissatisfaction with democracy has risen overtime, and is reaching an all time global high, in particular in developed countries”. The research revealed that dissatisfaction had been sharp particularly since 2005 which marked the beginning of what some people called “global democratic recession” when just 38.7 percent of the people were dissatisfied with it. Now with other large democracies including Brazil, UK and Mexico at their highest ever recorded level of dissatisfaction since 1990s, Japan, Spain and Greece had remained close to their all time high level of discontent.

Mankind having one and the same origin with similar tastes, requirements, infirmities and strengths, it calls for a neutral model, mutatis-mutandis, of governance. Oneness of mankind has been commanded in a number of verses in the holy book of The Quran. In Surah No.2, titled–Al-Baqarah (The Cow), Ayat No. 212, Allah Says, “Mankind were one community, and Allah sent (unto them) Prophets as bearers of good tidings and as warners, and revealed therewith the scripture with the truth that it might judge between mankind concerning that wherein they differed. And only those unto whom (the scripture) was given differed concerning it, after clear proofs had come unto them, through hatred one of another. And Allah by His Will guided those who believe unto the truth of that concerning which they differed. Allah guideth whom He will unto a straight path. In Surah 10,Titled Yuunus/Jonah Ayat No 19, Allah says, “Mankind were but one community; then they differed and had it not been for a word that had already gone from thy Lord, it had been judged between them in respect of that wherein they differ”. It was with dissension of opinion followed by impairment in action due to lasciviousness that different things /powerful persons were worshiped as deities and various religions and faiths came into force. Muslims hold that some 1,24,000 prophets were sent by Allah for the guidance of people to ensure peaceful life and obedience to His commands before Whom, as per The Quran, the only faith is Islam. Their message was same which culminated in the climax of Prophethood and the acme of perfection with arrival in the personality of the last Prophet Muhammad(pbuh).

Michael H. Hart, an American Astrophysicist, in his famous book “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History” ranked Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) of Islam as No. 1. The book written in 1978 took him three years to research and write. In his 1992 edition the author again ranked Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as the No.1 leader supremely successful in secular and religious realms. It is said that while delivering a lecture in London he was booed and interrupted for this ranking. The author said, “The Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) stood in the middle of Makkah in the year 611 and said to the people: I am the ‘Prophet of Allah’. Four people believed in him; his best friend, his wife and two kids. Now even after 1400 years, the number of Muslims has gone over 1.5 billion and still expanding. He could not have been a liar, because a lie will not last 1400 years! Nor could you fool 1.5 billion people! Another thing to ponder is that even after this time, millions of Muslims will not hesitate to sacrifice their lives over one word that would hurt their Prophet. Is even one Christian willing to do that for Jesus?”After that, there was dead silence in the whole auditorium. After what has been observed, said, and heard about this great personality there remains no alternative but to embrace his type of dispensation which is divinatorial.

The earthly forms of governments found inescapably partial and empirically inconsistent with the nature & needs of people, the dispensation of revealed guidance remains the ultimate source of refuge, peace, prosperity, honour, safety & security for life and property.

The Maker knows what suits His product the best.

The author is a former Sr. Audit Officer and Consultant of A.G’s Office Srinagar.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK

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