Should we only blame the Politicians?
Who do we blame?
We spend all together too much time
blaming politicians and our incumbent leaders for their failure to
deliver. Is that fair?
I have seen even when politicians want
to make reform, the system stymies them. Technocrats have been
invited by all governments to make reform but all of them have been
chewed out by the system and made totally ineffective.
Mahbub ul Haq came here with many ideas
but the civil servant group led by GIK obstructed him in every way
and finally sent him out of the country. They ganged up on him to
preserve the status quo!
Many have come and gone like Dr. Haq to
see if they can help develop the country. They come with new ideas.
They work hard to give this country something. Even some politicians
try to develop new ideas and wait around for some good results.
Unfortunately all their ideas too are implemented in such slipshod
fashion, that be it an education program, or a youth scheme, or a
social protection program, the result is the same, no real progress
or a programs that we can be proud of.
At the beginning you see plush offices,
big cars and a smartly dressed DMG official running the show, giving
slick presentations even arranging big conferences with lots of
foreign delegates. But this is while the donor funding lasts. After
the funding dries up, the DMG official moves on, the office becomes
decrepit and all the good people leave. And all we have is another
derelict outfit waiting to be killed.
Meanwhile, government remains beset
with old familiar issues: buying commodities, managing crises that
arise out of long unaddressed problems, chasing donors for funding to
preserve the status-quo! Any thing to keep reform at bay.
Even when a reform like monetization of
cars is approved by our leaders, it is left for the beneficiaries to
develop and implement for themselves. It is implemented badly and
then used as an example of why this country is not ready for reform.
The people who implemented the reform move away like ghosts and no
opprobrium visits them. Instead they become the loudest voice in the
room where change is being discussed arguing against change.
Occasionally leaders will call a
meeting for change. There will be one hapless technocrat and many
secretaries. One after the other they will all speak about how we
must be careful to change a system where they have all power as well
as many perks and opportunities to get perks and plots. Typical
refrains are “sir, we must be careful and go slow”. Why because
we implemented previous reforms badly. The implication is that all
change is bad. Not that the implementers have a problem with change
since they are so heavily invested in status quo of
perks/plots/protocol.
They are also quick to point out how
“local conditions”, which of course they know best will not allow
the best ideas to work here. I am always amused to see these people
sitting their in their western finery with their kids in American
universities, arguing that Pakistanis are not ready to change. In a
society that is now deeply globalized through migration, these people
are still arguing for how people want to remain local.
The rules of business make all our
leaders beholden to secretaries. But this control by people who will
do all that is in their power to maintain the status quo from which
they benefit is holding the country back.
Politicians have to face the electorate
and can be sent home and lose their perks and privileges. Bureaucrats
have royal perks and privileges and are permanent serving all
governments with their usual refrains for the status quo! Without
their perks and privileges they will be human and want change that
benefits as they will be a part of the general good.
We would all do well by ensuring that
our bureaucrats are in the same boat as us. Right now they live in a
different world living in gated enclaves, have private clubs,
utilities are constant and well paid for. Every thing is too
convenient and exclusive. Whether the rest are experiencing
difficulties does not concern these people.
Humanize the people with the power and
break the status quo. At least place the blame where it is due! At
least the politicians try! There is a group that merely wants to
preserve privilege.
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