Pakistan’s Ultimate Winner

Paresh Nath, National Herald, India

THE MODERATE VOICE EDITOR’S SPECIAL NOTE:

Just as words matter - people matter.

Think about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Yes, it did change things: the removal of a personality, that personality’s thoughts, words, physical presence and ability to shape things on the world stage and behind the scenes were all removed from the scene. In an instant.

Think about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What would have things been like if he had lived in terms of the leadership he would have provided for black Americans, the inspiration his words would provide for all Americans and the impact his stature would have had in promoting his values on the nation?

From January – May 1972 I interned on The Hindustan Times in New Delhi, India, as part of an independent study program at Colgate University. I returned there in October 1973 after getting my masters in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism and wrote for the old Chicago Daily News as their highly-prolific stringer. Because I was the youngest accredited member of the press corps, I was first in line at a reception and met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She was later assassinated by her bodyguards…and her son was murdered as well, too. What impacts would they have had on their nations?

While in India I visited Dacca and did some reporting from there and and met the “father” of Bangladesh, President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was murdered in a 1975 coup (the government official who replaced him after the coup had earlier invited me months before out to his village for lunch and according to a political scientist friend asked him as Bangladesh’s top official where Joe Gandelman was). Mujib and many of his family members were murdered. It changed the course of Bangladesh.

People can argue over whether a murdered public figure could have positive or negative impacts — but the existence of the spirit, the physical being, and the political intellect MATTER in the lives of nation states. And the world.

That’s why public officials of all kinds in all countries need to be on special alert. Are we moving in the 21st century to an era when traditional press-the-flesh politics could eventually be too risky for politicians all over the world?

No one is arguing that Benazir Bhutto was a saint.

But she had proved to be a highly courageous woman who clearly knew the physical risks and inspired a huge portion of her nation.

And now she has been violently removed from the scene by foes who FEARED her influence and wanted to ensure she was gone from the scene.

We should all be grieving over ALL of these fallen leaders who, no matter what their merits or flaws, gave of themselves to try to do something for their nations.

Weep for her; weep for them; weep for us all.

–Joe Gandelman

SOME NEWS STORIES OF INTEREST:
–Bhutto killing an assault on Pakistani democracy – world leaders
–A Career of Personal, National Tragedy
--Bhutto Campaigned Despite Risk of Attack
–What’s next for Pakistan?
–U.S. Reactions to Bhutto Assassination
–Online, Emotion Palpable After Bhutto Death
– Together we’ll save Pakistan, Benazir said at last rally
–CHRONOLOGY-Attacks in Pakistan since July 2007
–Bhutto: Standing up for beliefs
–Pan-Islamic body condemns Bhutto assassination
–European Union condemns Bhutto assassination
–Global outrage over assassination
–Benazir Bhutto killing: Reaction in quotes