The first act of our new chief minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, was to have the concrete barriers along Chief Minister's House on Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road removed. It is a heavy-traffic road linked to Saddar, the commercial hub of Karachi. Imagine the inconvenience motorists suffered, and now breathe a sigh of relief. During peak hours the road is still chock-a-block with motorcars and motorcycles, rickshaws and the occasional truck, but traffic flows much more smoothly. Passing down the road I resolved to vote for the CM come next general elections, and I am sure, with this single act, he has won many hearts.
Eversince they were first put up concrete barriers were regarded as an insult to Karachiites. At least 15 feet of the road's width is commandeered, creating a lane which is policed and forbidden to ordinary road users. It created bad feelings for foreign consulates and the government. It represented in 'concrete' terms that the ordinary folks are not important; the VIPs have to be protected since the rest of us are terrorists, suicide bombers and political activists who resort to arson, and stone throwing. The big shots have to be protected from us.
Previously, when ever I drove down Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road I cursed our former CM Qaim Ali Shah because of the concrete barriers. Imagine cursing an otherwise likeable person. My reaction was identical to that of all vehicular drivers who used this road. Any type of restriction of public space is in effect a curb on human freedom, the ordinary everyday kind of human right. Gates, moveable iron fences, containers and concrete barriers are put up for security. Of whom? Not you or I but the big shots who strut about full of self importance. Little do they appreciate the gravity of insult that they inflict on ordinary Karachiites. This is evident in the fact most of the time these barriers are put up it is to express the importance of some VIP, to keep the masses away from him or her, for their security. Yet if anyone wants to hurt a VIP they manage to do so. After all, the security around Benazir Bhutto was maximum when she was assassinated in Rawalpindi. In Karachi many important installations as well as places housing the police have been targeted despite the curbs on public movement around the place.
Security is just status symbol. The rich in Karachi have adopted it as such. They not only have guards at the gate of their bungalows they now want to live in gated housing societies, which are becoming a feature of Karachi's landscape. Those guards are just for show. They are not allowed to carry loaded guns. The bullets reside in the guard's pocket, which makes him useless as a protector. He is no more effective as a guard than the fellow who goes on a bicycle blowing his whistle at night, or the man with a staff who walks on a muhalla lane droning 'jaagteraho'. The difference is now they pay more for the so-called guard service.
The affluent class is so bothered about insecurity of life and property. To express, it has become a way of saying you have plenty of wealth and your life is more important than that of commoners. Now-a-days there is a new fashion trend. Last Eid I met several rich ladies at an Eid-milan party. All of them were wearing fake jewellery. I seemed to be the only one wearing gold (though I wear tiny earrings and a bangle only). None of the jewellery: rings, bracelets and necklaces worn by others was real gold or silver. What was interesting is that the costume jewellery was not even mascarading as gold or silver. Beads, plastic jems, pearls made of paste were worn with pride by the rich women. But why? I asked one of them. She twittered, batted her eyes and said 'but what to do, there are so many thieves around.'
This is mindless, and I enjoyed putting the scare in the group around me. I said,you cannot fool the dacoits. Your expensive outfit is proof you are rich, and you will be mugged. Your life is at stake. You could be kidnapped for ransom.
Gold is not just a symbol of affluence and high status; wearing small things in the ear, wrist or finger is a tradition both of the rich and poor classes. The housemaid wears tiny earrings which may not be more than II carat gold, the middle-class women wear jewellery in purer metal, nearly every class has some heavy gold jewellery which is worn on occasionsuch as weddings. There is much fear of mugging now-a-days. Every now and again someone tells you she was robbed of her gold chain or bangles or ring. But it is not really common. Of the twenty or so females of my acquaintance, including sisters, cousins, friends and the housemaid, except one person none others reported being held up and robbed of the gold they were wearing.
But whenever such a thing happens it is broadcast, striking fear in the hearts of females. But still, most of us continue to wear gold on a daily basis. In short, whether you wear or do not wear real jewellery does not help to prevent mugging. So why make an issue of security?
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