By Dr. Akhtar Hussain Sandhu
Pakistani politics represents dirty and abusive language, hatred, vulgarity, and anti-state narratives and protests. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1950s and 60s introduced practically the strategy of nonviolent protest in the US and secured a marvelous acceptability in the US society and state circles. On the other hand, Malcolm X adopted the violent strategy of protest by chanting the slogan, ‘ballet or bullet’ and was discarded by the majority of the US people.
We, the Pakistani or third-world nations, learned nothing from such brilliant movements and philosophies. God shakes conscience, again and again, to educate people to adopt a new positive direction in political affairs. A new wave of this great message came to Pakistan from the New Zealand Parliament to convince the political leadership to mend their ways and create an environment of peace and harmony in Pakistan. This protest also teaches the Pakistani people to embrace their cultural ethos and do sincere politics with their voters. Maori people are original and Indigenous inhabitants of New Zealand making up 20 percent of New Zealand’s 5.3 million population who fought against the Colonists but ultimately concluded a treaty with the Britishers in 1840 and became part of the new social order. The new psyche, traditions, food, system, and attitudes had a grievous impact on the Maori people and reduced their numerical strength. The lawmakers decided to bring changes in the Treaty of Waitangi and sought opinions from different parties on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill. As the Speaker asked Hana Rawhiti for the opinion of her party, Te Pāti Māori on the bill she stood up and started performing Haka and tore the paper of the legislation on 14 November 2024.
Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, a 22-year-old author, a politician by the family tradition, and an elected parliamentarian of the New Zealand assembly, made a ceremonial Haka dance with loud and melodious chant in the Parliament to show a fierce resentment on a controversial bill being discussed in the Parliament to redefine the treaty between the British and Maori leaders in 1840. This bill was to damage the identity and rights already recognized in the Treaty of Waitangi as the conservative coalition government moved the bill on the ideology that no special status can be given on the ethnic basis and the government wanted equal status of all the New Zealanders. The other Maori members also joined Hana and expressed their defiance on the intriguing changes in the Treaty. This is the ever-best protest in the world that was nonviolent and based on cultural ethos. After this protest, the Speaker, Gerry Brownlee, was forced to suspend the session temporarily on Thursday.
Haka dance in the Parliament of New Zealand by a young Hana Rawhiti is popularly viral throughout the world. Her facial impressions show sincerity, commitment, purity, and unremitting enthusiasm for the cause of her community rights. Adopting the cultural style of protest popularized her. Her speech in the public gathering testified that her commitment to the Maori cause is unshakable. We in Pakistan always seem critical of our regional cultures and languages but the movement by the Maori tribe exposed how much culturist the factions are living in Western societies. They love their language, dress, traditions, and customs. Even the modern Pakistani section and political parties are sharing this video correlating it with their own cause and rights struggle although they hate the local cultures and languages. Most of the private modern schools and Colleges in the Punjab take the Punjabi language and local dress as a symbol of derogation and ignorance. Can they learn something from this young girl? The Maori people have been on the roads wearing the traditional dress or chanting the traditional Haka dance and songs which show the fury against the bill. We take Western societies as revolutionary and modern but still they honor the cultures, traditions, and customs. Once they concluded that violence is subversive and detrimental to the country and its people, they abandoned it as the Maori people are doing but in Pakistan the political parties especially the youth have been protesting violently. Even the top political leaders impart hatred and detestation in the minds of their followers. Religio-political parties are going in the same direction. Once a Maori member was interrupted for not wearing a tie in the Parliament which infuriated the Maori tribe. Haka dance translates to the strength, anger, and unity of the Maori people on the cause. This dance is also observed at some special events or festivals but with full reverence and spirit and it has a big impact on the audience and viewers because of the genuine enthusiasm. The Maori dance was done to show unity and adherence to the aggrieved when the Muslims were killed by an extremist New Zealander in the Mosques.
Note: The article was first published in Pakistan Observer. Dr Akhtar Hussain Sandhu is a Professor of History and Principal of Govt Islamia College Civil Lines Lahore. He did his Postdoc in the UK and is the author of several books. He is considered an authority on Muslim-Sikh Politics and their relationship. He writes for national newspapers and appears as an analyst on state-run television as well as on international television channels in the UK, Canada, and the United States.
