Reconciliation is the key

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's latest dash to Kot Addu along with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been well received among all the media, political and social circles as yet another concrete move in the direction of national reconciliation. Of course, it is a concrete step, which should not be taken merely as a gesture of goodwill confined to signals. It is democracy.
Only democracy enables this type of thaw, whatever the degree of estranged relations. So, when we usually discuss the PPP government's and leaders' reconciliatory approach, particularly Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed's policy of grand rapprochement, we come to understand the true spirit of democracy that has been kept alive by the political legatees of BB Shaheed and PPP's founder-fathers.
No doubt, there have been some hiccups, which owe to the media hype created by a few sections of the press nevertheless all that could not sustain the patient and tolerant attitude of the PPP leaders, who take pride to this day, in the motto "Democracy is the best revenge."
At Kot Addu, people heaved a sigh of relief when they saw their elected Prime Minister and Chief Minister of the biggest province once again travelling and working together. It is the need of the hour, as well given the huge scale of disaster that the country is facing since the massive devastation caused by floods. This move alone has sent strong signals to those adventurers and guess-gamers, who had started the countdown for PPP-led government's departure. For all practical purposes, this single step taken by Gilani has also neutralised the negative impact created by latest statement of PML (N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif that democracy needing the support of press photographs of troika chiefs is no democracy.
To quote PM Gilani, "once again slogans of Nawaz Sharif and the PPP are being chanted together". In fact, the PM expressed these remarks to reiterate the manifest spirit of reconciliation. On the same occasion, the PM stated, "we want maturity in politics so that we can work together to serve the masses effectively." The PM even offered to the slogan-chanting audience that he was himself willing to chant slogans in anyone's name "although we want to do solid work instead of slogans only."
Of course, it is a remarkable achievement on the political landscape that has been, in the past, littered with conspiracies, vendetta and inter-party rivalries even more bitterly than enmities. Gilani is right when he takes pride in this achievement and describes it as a source of people's greater awareness. Indeed, this awareness is the most important rung on the ladder of people's empowerment.
As a matter of fact, the PPP leadership is doing nothing new in this context. It is just furthering the programme of its founder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed, who had many accomplishments to his credit, including the initiation of a nuclear programme for deterrence. But, political historians and analysts give him the biggest credit for giving awareness to the masses.
That awareness is once again there to guide and galvanise the masses through thick and thin. The policy of reconciliation is an added advantage since it not only gives awareness, but also tends to bridge the gap between the leaders and the led or the government and the people. The fact is that the people had started losing faith in political leaders because of their internecine conflicts. By now, the country has suffered colossal losses due to these conflicts that have sapped the energies of our leaders, economic managers and the people alike and come in the way of solid development.
The situation in the past, ie during the pre-conciliation period, has been precarious at least in one way that the development carried out by one government would be undone by the government run by opponents. What has been the result? Nothing but setbacks and losses that cannot be calculated in purely monetary or financial terms but, for sure, countries with zero tolerance for one another's point of view barely survive, let alone thrive.
Gilani-Shahbaz joint movement at Kot Addu really symbolises political maturity and self-restraint becoming of wise politicians, who are always aware of the fact that they are answerable to the masses and thus cannot afford to go astray. Certainly, this is a big step forward on the path of strengthened democracy and all the stage-players, who are contributing positively towards this goal, need to be encouraged and commended. The role of the Punjab Chief Minister, who happens to be the President of PML (N) too is appreciable since he chose to acknowledge Gilani's conciliatory move with largesse.
Despite all this, a large segment of public is skeptic about the so-called maturity the politicians claim to have attained. These people usually raise their doubts on the past conduct of our politicians whose large number has remained engaged, for most of the part, in consolidating their own personal gains even at the cost of public welfare and nation-building.
The ball is, therefore, once again in the politicians' court to take this challenge and demonstrate to the people that the maturity and conciliation once achieved through tolerance and mutual trust would not be sacrificed at the altar of personal considerations, likes and dislikes. The overall atmosphere, however, portends good times ahead founded on the philosophy of grand reconciliation and masses' awareness and empowerment.