Swat Valley — an eclipsed heaven

Dawn.com Life in present day Swat is brimming with innumerable insecurities. People have come back to their homes after going through ordeals of displacement, migration, helplessness, and closure of business and disrupted livelihood. Quite a few development initiatives are being undertaken in the area. But contrary to general impression, the situation in Swat is critical when it comes to people having chances of exercising their basic rights. Though the area has been declared safe, people are still in a state of confusion to appreciate it altogether. Independent reporting of public sufferings and grievances is almost non existent. It is feared that Taliban followers are hidden there under the disguise of civilians. People assume that they are being watched both by security forces and dormant militants. They are coerced to be ostentatious in their love for the country. The sentiment is painted everywhere with limestone, while a show of the national flag is mandatory to prove their allegiance to the state of Pakistan. People visit the graves of those brave stalwarts who scarified their lives while resisting Taliban hegemony. “It is hard to forget how Taliban butchered members of our tribal Jirga and how we were ignored by the government as no one came to console us, let aside rescue us from the wrath of savage Taliban,” said one aggrieved elderly man who lost eight family members during a scuffle with Taliban. The area still lacks roads, making life of poor villagers unbearable and expensive. In an emergency, they have to pay a large amount of money to private vehicle owners to carry their patient to nearby hospital, if there exists any. Somewhere in far off areas, dispensaries do exist but without technician, lady health visitor and above all medicine. In other words, health facilities, if any, are not available to the general public. Taliban were against girls’ education, hence girls who had to abandon their studies are experiencing long stretched period of depression, desolation and deprivation. Humanitarian development organisations like European Commission and Action Aid are assisting people in the rehabilitation process. Some vocational centres have also been set up that are providing young girls with an opportunity to sit together, discuss their issues, console one another and learn new skills of weaving and embroidery. All the schools that were destroyed, mostly of girls, have been replaced by Unicef with tent schools that are rendering the most invaluable thing to the people of Swat, i.e. education. Though people are busy in harvesting wheat crop and fruit plucking, they take time out to voluntarily undertake construction of roads and water channel expansion. There is a revolutionary zeal among the general public to avert further deterioration of their social fabric. They share the same experiences of miseries, sufferings and homelessness; therefore they are united in rebuilding their society with renewed energy, freshness and a progressive attitude. “Those were the most horrible days of my life when I was caught between the devil and deep sea. On the one side, there was the threat of Taliban and security forces and on the other side I could not muster up the courage to leave my ancestors’ home all alone and deserted. Since centuries, we have been living in our homes which we never vacated even once before the current catastrophic displacement. I hope the Taliban never come back to regain our region. I pray for peace and prosperity in my area,” said 85-year-old Chamman Gul of village Khararai, Union Council Matta. People of Swat are know to be the most mannered and hospitable people in Pakistan. They are very cooperative, trustworthy and friendly with anyone visiting their land. The scenic beauty of Swat is indescribable and awesome. The Swat river dances through all parts of the valley and enriches its soil. It is the responsibility of national and provincial governments to take lead in bringing peace and stability in Swat. The prevalent suffocation, fear, alienation, deprivation and under development necessitate a comprehensive development package for the people of Swat. Its tourism industry has sustained the most grave and irreparable loss. Magnificent hotels and restaurants are either closed or deserted. Hotels and restaurant owners are offering subsidised packages for tourists but people are still afraid to visit the area. It is disturbing that both national and international media failed to support the people of Swat in rehabilitation and resettlement process. Very few journalists are interested in visiting Swat independently and those who accompany the security forces are prone to be influenced by them, hence they are left with little chance of looking at the situation from people’s perspective. The media has a role to unearth the mysteries of development, rehabilitation and security. It will be a great help to people of Swat if the independent media takes up their cause of bringing life to normalcy.