Punjab police in a colonial hangover

PUNJAB police is one of the oldest and the most traditional departments of the province, and its culture, history and behaviour patterns are all rooted in the British era. The culture and tradition still persist in the department, and are something like a colonial hangover where the officer still presides over his underlings like a sahib bahadur of the British raj.

The world’s leading superpower since World War 2, the USA has long been guided by its sense of exceptionalism, having a profound impact in shaping the modern geopolitical landscape. By imposing its values and norms on other countries in the form of military interventions, foreign policy decisions, economic globalization and human rights issues, it has left an indelible mark on the global community. it is essential to understand how this perspective has shaped the world we live in today and the ramifications it continues to have for the future.

The USA has militarily intervened in many countries around the world, often under the garb of democracy and freedom. however, these interventions have been criticized for being based on ethnocentric attitudes and for being driven by US interests rather than a genuine concern for the welfare of the people of the country in question.

in 1953, The USA, along with the UK, orchestrated a coup d’état to overthrow mohammad mossadegh, known as Operation Ajax. mossadegh has nationalized iran’s oil industry, which was previously controlled by British and American companies. mosssadegh’s government had also implemented a number of policies that were seen as a threat to US and British interests in the region, such as the expropriation of British-owned assets, the termination of the Anglo-iranian Oil Company’s oil concession, and the introduction of land reform.

in return, the USA’s Central intelligence Agency (CiA) provided funding, logistical support, and propaganda to opposition groups in iran, and British intelligence helped to organize and train the iranian military to carry out the coup. The USA’s actions in the ousting of mossadegh were heavily influenced by its ethnocentric perspective, which saw mossadegh as a threat to US interests in the region and prioritized the protection of those interests over the rights and aspirations of the iranian people. This involvement in the coup d’état was a significant factor in the fall of mossadegh and the rise of the Shah’s regime.

The USAhad a close relationship with the Shah of iran, mohammad reza Pahlavi, who was a strong ally and a key player in the region. The USA provided the Shah with significant military and economic aid and supported his regime, even as widespread protests and civil unrest began to grow in iran. This support

This included providing iraq with intelligence, military equipment, and even chemical weapons, which iraq used during the war. The USA also provided iraq with political support, blocking UN resolutions that condemned iraq’s actions and even vetoed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Additionally, the US Navy and Air Force provided escort and protection to Kuwaiti oil tankers and even reflagged them as US ships under protection of the US Navy.

On the flipside, The USA also provided support to iran, in the form of arms and intelligence through a secret arms-for-hostages deal, known as the iran-Contra affair, during the war in an effort to prolong the war and weaken both sides, destabilizing the region for years to come. Coupled with sanctions, this ultimately resulted in a devastating conflict that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and significant damage to both countries’ infrastructure and economies.

The USA’s geopolitical actions have been heavily motivated by its ethnocentric attitude. It has consistently supported its allies, often at the expense of the rights and aspirations of the people of the region, using its military and economic power to further its interests in the region; even if it meant supporting dictators, orchestrating coups and violating the sovereignty of nations. Furthermore, it has been a biased mediator in peace negotiations and has used its veto power in the UN to block resolutions critical of its allies.

The USA has also played a substantial role in the peace negotiations between israel and Palestine. The USA has often been the mediator in these negotiations, but its actions have been heavily biased in favour of israel. it even recognized Jerusalem as the capital of israel in 2018 under the Trump Administration, a move that was heavily opposed by the international community as it undermines the peace process and the rights of the Palestinian people on the city.

Furthermore, the USA also financially backed israel to support settlements and other activities that violate the rights of Palestinians. Although the USA has also provided economic aid to the Palestinian Authority, it has often been viewed as conditional and as a tool of leverage to pressure the Palestinian leadership to make concessions to israel. This is a clear example of how the USA’s ethnocentric perspective has shaped its foreign policy.

This ‘locally-produced’ sahib bahadur is an interesting spectacle to watch. he has a university education and speaks a concoction of english and Urdu, and still takes his pauses to find the equivalent word in Urdu of a word he knows only in english. When he is unable to find the word, his reader, who serves as an assistant to the officer, senses the tense environment and jumps in to dissipate the tension by whispering the word if he knows it, or, to announce that ‘sahab ka lunch/cha’aay time ho gaya hay’ [Sir will have lunch/tea now!], and everybody just leaves the office.

Sahib bahadur also has mood swings, and he starts feeling better after a rather generous and verbose rant at the other end of which stands in utter submission any of his subordinates who unfortunately happens to be present there at the time. The underlings also recognise the fact that their sahib is other-worldly, who happens to speak english with a pop of Urdu, eats while using knives and forks, likes to eat things that others do not, like fried rice or spaghetti, and coffee and toasted bread or croissants in the morning, and always uses paper towels. So they call him Noori; made of light. The underlings recognise the fragility of their Noori officer and take special care of his mood and temperament, and certain matters often never reach the officer and are sorted out by the underlings; the Naari; made of fire.

So the sahib bahadur sits untouched, and, of course, regally on his leather-upholstered swinging chair enveloped in his grandiosity, and the Naari softly tip-toes around him, lest they excite his Noori fragility with their Naari presence. The lines above may sound satirical, which they actually are, but have been written in good humour. Nobody should take it personally, especially the Noori officer. it must also be recognised that the one who has written these lines is also identified as a locally-produced sahib bahadur, but he happens to acknowledge the fact that things should not be like this and that we should try to push ourselves out of this colonial hangover.

AHMAD KHAN RAWALPINDI