It reflects poorly on progressives when they dismiss leaders like Benazir Bhutto as representatives of "feudals" or "dynastic politics." She suffered the loss of her entire family, faced incarceration and threats, received the most vile misogynistic abuse from opponents and
eventually had to be killed by a violent and terrified state. She faced all these hardships not because she was merely a feudal (how many feudals suffer that fate?) but because she chose to take a stand against military dictators, against religious extremists and against
patriarchal prejudice. Her ability to endure the pain and suffering meted out to her reflected the tragic fate of our entire people who are forced to confront the tyranny of a brutal state apparatus.
She made mistakes, compromises and had limitations. But those limitations
She made mistakes, compromises and had limitations. But those limitations
were a result of a long and ardent fight against an entrenched and brutal establishment, a form of compromise borne out of a struggle rather than mere ideological fancy.
Each generation must learn from the mistakes of the past and go beyond them. This is our task too.
Each generation must learn from the mistakes of the past and go beyond them. This is our task too.
But it cannot come at the cost of denying the struggle of our people embodied in the life and death of Benazir Bhutto. Her resilience and dignity are part of the proud legacy that we inherit. Her limitations are our collective failure from which we must recover and move beyond.
Finally, right-wing politicians across the world are attempting to reduce politics to one's socio-economic position, a clever but deeply cynical devise to depoliticize the youth. In such a world view, General Zia will appear as a benign middle class person who worked hard to
achieve his position while Bhutto would appear as the evil feudal.
Instead, we must remember that politics is determined by the position one takes on the political battlefield, and the sacrifices one is willing to give for one's choices. In that regard, Benazir Bhutto will
Instead, we must remember that politics is determined by the position one takes on the political battlefield, and the sacrifices one is willing to give for one's choices. In that regard, Benazir Bhutto will
remain a symbol of resilience against the colonial state apparatus.
If we are to move beyond her, we must do more work and give more sacrifices for the cause. No matter how much fancy Marxist jargon one uses, rejecting her entire political struggle reflects a poor politics and
If we are to move beyond her, we must do more work and give more sacrifices for the cause. No matter how much fancy Marxist jargon one uses, rejecting her entire political struggle reflects a poor politics and
latent resentment, a position that brings us closer to the hate-filled politics of the establishment rather than towards any genuine progressive alternative
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