The history of Afghanistan is fraught with war, violence and atrocity. Meanwhile, our country has experienced bitterly several regimes along with several policies. The tremendously significant role of larger political parties and power of gun was an undeniable fact. Moreover, the warlords and insurgents or any armed groups were imposing their wills and wants on civilians at gunpoint. The suffering of people from the cruelties of war, horrors of murders, act of violence, human frailties, etc, throughout the history is a bitter truth. They were mostly under any types of pressure and suffering by one regime or another.
The ominous shadow of horror and terror still darkens our country every now and then. In other words, we are still engulfed with the same challenges, in spite of the so-called law and order within a democratized society. The political stagnation of the country makes one think of Down’s syndrome. The role of gun and political parties is as paramount as ever. Those who have no link with warlords, political parties, or any other armed groups, are doomed to suffer cruelties and injustice without any effective reactions.
The current political syndrome is a big challenge across the country which leads to the citizens’ victim. As a result, to our unmitigated chagrin, Shah Wali who was imprisoned for the crime of murdering 25 people and also confessed his crime was not only released by one of the government officials but also was employed in a governmental vacancy. Of course, it is not only Shah Wali but hundreds of people who enjoy political links, commit crime with impunity. Moreover, those who have occupied higher positions in government deem themselves beyond law. Even, in case of committing crime, nobody dares look askance at them.
On the other hand, there are some other people who live behind bars without committing crime. As a result, a friend of mine who was imprisoned for more than nine months without any crime, saying after his release that there were so many prisoners who were in the prison without knowing their fault or standing trial for a single period of time. In addition, Herat prisoners who went on hunger strike for more than a week for government’s injustice, is a good example. One of them who was interviewed by a reporter, said that a government official who lived in his neighboring and had long tribal tension forcefully took his fingerprints in blank pieces of paper and put him in prison. He added that he did not know his crime, however, spending behind bars more than two years. Moreover, one more person who was interviewed said that he was a policeman and had a fight with Taliban. As soon as the fight was over he was disarmed and sent to prison on the pretext of killing a civilian. In short, most of those hunger strikers were spending behind bars without any clear reasons to prove them guilty of crime.
How paradoxical it is that a lot of criminals enjoy freedom whereas a lot of non-criminals spend behind bars. There are criminals who have killed tenths of innocent people, however, live with their families without any worries for the mere cause of political reasons or parties. For example, Taliban who have no job other than killing the masses and their heinous crime will never be erased from the minds of people, are being released in groups and given more chances to do more terrorist act.
Additionally, I remember a tussle between a parliamentarian’s bodyguards and soldiers and a district governor over an overt betrayal in the last period of the Parliamentary Election in one of the districts. To be more exact, the district governor was campaigning in favor of another candidate whereas the polling boxes were accompanied by the group of the parliamentarian who was candidate for second period. To the governor’s chagrin, some of the polling boxes were already filled without the presence of enough voters. Hence, ultimately the parliamentarian was elected as a second time as a result of the power of his strong groups.
If the same trend continues in the country and the rights of those who lack power or political parties be violated anymore, stability will be no more than a mirage. Likewise, the people will be mired in the same challenges such as economic recession, political stagnation, social fragment, sectarian violence, racial discrimination, ethnic tension, etc. As usual, they will be burning in the hell of horror and terror bereft of the security’s assets. In such a chaotic situation, the minorities will be exposed to the venom that majority and armed groups along with the insurgents spew forth.
Anyhow, now we are to open a new page in the history of our country by burying the past contradictions. If our political leaders pour oil on troubled waters amongst the nation rather than fomenting trouble, and decide unanimously concerning the country’s issue regardless of race, tribe, sect and nationalities, we will, undoubtedly, experience a secure and prosperous country. Of course, a strong nation can be built by a strong unity and it is believed that unity can do magic. It is not only our political leaders; however, every single citizen is highly accountable to play their role positively in such a touchy situation. In addition, we are not to follow the very steps of our leaders even if they are making mistake. Hence, racial tolerance is one of highly fundamental elements in strengthening the political structure of the country.
We are supposed to analyze and find out the strengths and weaknesses of our past for having a secure country. Furthermore, the positive points should be developed but the negative ones should be eradicated. If the societies and nations do not learn from their history, their fall is beyond doubt. Thus, I emphasize again that let’s do our best to play our role constructively and responsibly. To play our role in the country as citizens, devotion and dedication for our country and compatriots are must.