One, two, three n Go…Change, 3 steps away!
By Engr. K. Shahzad • Jun 24th, 2009 • Category: Politics, Worth A Second Look • 19 CommentsFirst, I thought to give my answer as comments in response to the thought provoking article, “Pakistan Zindabad” by Mr. Muhammad Ilyas dated Jun 9th, 2009 at Pakspectator.com but then I realized that my thoughts are far beyond the scope of comments so I have decided to go for an article.
Congratulations! One of my floor mate from Russia wished me, as I entered in my hostel. What for? I asked curiously. And he replied me that on winning the world cup T-20 Cricket tournament. It was bit of surprise as Cricket is not at all famous here is Germany. But he knew and lot other German also knew that Pakistan won the cup. It filled me with pleasure and pride. In fact the same kind of pleasure I felt already when I happened to be the sole representative of Pakistan in certain science conferences. Don’t take me wrong, I know that these two are not the same things but it’s the feeling which is important when you carry the flag of your country. Yes, obviously we need these individual achievements to win positive fame for our country. Something on which we can feel proud and the nation feel proud. But right now Pakistan need lot more then these individual achievements, which we ought to do, for improving the conditions of our country. The country, which came to us by the sacrifice of life and property of millions back in 1947!
The question is that, what is it, which we the Pakistanis, especially the youth can do in order to serve our country to serve ourselves. Well, there are three steps to success; goal (dreams), motivation and action. And unfortunately it’s the first step where we fell most of the time. Since creation of Pakistan, the youth fell to the trap of careful woven net of politician on the name of ideals, goal and direction. One after the other these politicians confused our nation for the sake of continuation of their rule. But we have to change this. The goal ought to be the prosperous pious welfare state based on the principals of social justice, liberty, equality and brotherhood. Most of them are more or less the same principle which were given in the last Sermon by our beloved Prophet (SAW), also the voice of French in 1789 and the new American society also emerged on the same kind of voices when the Americans stated in their declaration of independence in 1776 that the accepted unalienable right of human are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In order to realize the dream there is the need of proper motivation. Now, from where this motivation comes from. In past some of the rulers exploited the religious sentiments and emphasis on hereinafter only and other dig the worldly prosperity slogans to produce the motivation. Well yes, they managed to exploit the emotions and got timely success through there enormous propaganda machine but none of the motivations surpassed their tenure of government. So in order to be careful and not to be manipulative, instead of creating the motivation through manipulation, it would be good idea to highlight the sources of motivation. I have already illustrated two sources of motivation, the success in this world and world hereinafter. There could be lot other; survival, patriotism, nationalism, regionalism, fame, money, prosperity, self recognition, self quest, self realization and these sources were very artistically organized by Maslow’s in his hierarchy of needs triangle. I personally believe that the sources of motivation change from person to person and in each person from time to time, other than that there are the cases where some leaders manipulated for some specific reasons. But history told us that although these manipulations worked well on timely but couldn’t pass the test of long term persistence (Germany and Italy before Second World War).
There is nothing wrong with versatility of motivation as long as the goals are intact and fame or regionalism or not in conflict with prior set goals. Here please allow me to share my source of motivation, was dialogue from some movies which goes like that, your ability to do some thing define your duty to do that thing. I also liked this above quoted statement because it go along with my previous findings like when Socrates asked “Know Thy Self” or when Iqbal described his philosophy of “Khudi”.
Anyhow, now lets come to the third point, the most important one and that is the action. In action you actually need the full fledge strategy. What I have learned from the history that is there are three aspects of any nation; politics, economy and social sphere. These three component develop or detoriate the condition of any country. These three pillars of society are very much integrated and strength of one component strengthens other two and vice versa. Unfortunately, all these three component of our society are in pathetic condition; thanks to the two centuries long era of colonial regime, we developed the unique culture of slavery which is still self replicating itself.
Let us analyze briefly one by one these three components of society. In politics we adopted democracy, the base of which was never there in our culture before British arrival and the democracy cultivated under the regime of British Viceroy was in no way the exemplary example of democracy. Some people confuse the plebiscite kind of 1946 elections with democracy which is the biggest mistake ever.
Anyway, now come to economy, the economy on the basis of which Indian sub-continent was so prosperous, was deliberately crushed in colonialism. The local clothing industry was the major victim. Apart from that, these 200 years of forced stagnation made the highly productive economy of finished products, to mere supplier of few raw materials. The local talent of cropping, clothing, shoe making etc vanished through this ruthless era. The ray of independence was not able to bring back the honor and economic prosperity to these old artists and artisan which they used to enjoy in pre-colonial era. The nation was made addicted to the foreign finished goods plus the local artisan couldn’t polish his local knowledge in these centuries. So, the result was complete disaster to these professionals of our society, which I call the engineers and doctors of our nation, were forced to live on streets and platforms to earn their living. Pakistan had to start its carrier in 1947 from zero in the absence of this local knowledge.
Well, the pathetic of all, is the story of social life. The literate, honorable, the true elite, the warriors and true capable persons of Mughal era were wiped out of the society by either killing them or making them cease to live by ceasing all the possible job opportunities to them in initial years of company rule (The well known phenomenon to prolong ones government and crush the enemy illustrated in detail by Microvilli in his book; the prince). The new elite were created at the grave of true elite. And who don’t know that how the traitor were named as new elite and were rewarded with big land holdings. The new elite class; land lords, government officials, was highly dependent on sustainability of British rule or at least their system. The only ability they kept was faithfulness to their masters. The true elite, the intelligentsia, the writers, the capable section of the society wiped out by and by. And when the country got independence, there were whole new standards of honor and ability in the society. The wealth, status and power were everything. No matter from where they came, they were honored throughout the country. The unnoticed changed that sweep through the nation in these passed two centuries was inheritance or curse to this new nation.
Well, please accept my apology, as I lost the focus little bit, but I thought that it was useful to illustrate the history of disease before suggesting its remedy. Now, Instead of suggesting new recipe, let me turn the pages of history again. We have before us, the story of two great continents, who had set the examples of material success and prosperity in this world. The spiritual vacuum is not my topic here for a moment. And I am also not going through the history that how the European revolted against church and carved the philosophy of humanism, which suggested the human dignity and supremacy and centrality concept of human in the whole universe. But I will definitely illustrate that at one point in late medieval age, they realized that serving the church and king is not enough to change their worldly condition. And it is their right and duty to create whole new world based on hard work and innovation that will promise them prosperity and convenience.
The stable, prosperous, convenient and hygienic life of Spain and Sicily were kind of present world examples before them by then. The examples of their own history were also not too far in the past. Yes the city states of Greece. The Renaissance filled the action in these desperate Europeans. And Francis Beacon was really like beacon of light at that time when he emphasized the need of applied science in everyday life. The story of inventions and discoveries had begun by no time. From India to America the world was under their feet. Muslim lost their monopoly on waters to Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and British. The international trade had gone out of hand of the Muslim traders and that was first step toward diminishing their economies.
The inventions of war weapons aided the successes of these adventurer’s voyages so much, that they won the whole world in no time. And the interesting fact was that these war vessels were not the governments itself but the chartered companies like East Asia Company. The trade aided economy brought prosperity and provided the chance to improve their craft and cropping. The result was green revolution which made the labor surplus for the cities and thanks to the industry which absorb all this surplus labor. The days of prosperity brought chances for further scientific advancement and new industries. The 17th century industrial revolution of Great Britain spread shortly afterward to rest of the European world. The world was like a village, the raw material from India, slaves from Africa were used in mines and forms of America to make available for European industry whatever needed. And the whole world was market for the finished products from these industries.
The change in the outlook of social life brought new wave of economic development to the Europeans. But still the reaper of fruits was mostly the upper class. Once again it was swing in the social life of Europe to ask for another change and this time in political sphere, to gain more social and political rights as citizen. The French revolution of 1789 was just a beginning. The Europe embraced to this social wave of change. The king and elite were slowly and slowly brought to the position, in which they are living today means latterly powerless. Democracy didn’t come in one day. It was long time struggle of political thinkers, philosophers for this concept. Thomas Hobbes, John Lock and lot other with conflicting view with sole objective of more just full and stable society made this idea of democracy possible. And this idea would never have had been implemented if the masses wouldn’t have had stood for it and luckily they stood for most of the time in 18th and 19th centuries.
I am sorry again for putting lot of history again. I was of view to give little bit detail of American history too but I think it’s already too much history. So the point was where and how to start. Well, I will say after clearing the goals and motivation source, it’s the social change that might be undertaken first. The social change which emphasize on political transparency and fairness. Most people ask me who to elect when both the options are worse and I answer all the time it doesn’t matter whom you elect provided you take sufficient safeguard before electing and maintaining proper check afterwards. Like asking the election candidate, what is his party’s manifesto and what are his quantitative not qualitative plans for next term both for the region and the nation. (Not the petty personal benefits).
Now, most of you may ask that what if the politician won’t prove committed to his promises. Then the example of revival of judiciary is already the set example of force of public will. But why nobody had used this option before? This question may come in the minds of many. Let me answer that it wouldn’t had happened because the vote bank of so called politicians up till now came mostly from the illiterate and rural segment of the society. That part of the society mostly thinks of short term personal benefits, even in cash some time before the election. What do you think what would motivate them to protest against politicians when all they would have expected were few petty interests. But luckily all these sort of person make the vote bank of some 33-37% which is the turnout of our election most of the time.
Someone asked me in the previous election that who won the polls and I responded they who didn’t vote. It’s the majority who won’t go out for the polls, win the election if they had gone for it, but unfortunately they don’t. And fortunately most part of this majority is youth. According to the survey the 70% of our population is comprised of young people under the age of 29. And to be very frank I somehow believe that our youth is lot different from our elders and lot more passionate for positive change. The only thing left is to convey the direction and path. I have no doubt that when these people will come in the political process with true commitment for change as their demands from the politicians before election and proper check afterwards, the things wouldn’t remain the same.
Till now, I have mentioned only two spheres of the society; the social life and the politics. Now come to the economics. Well, to me the economy is actually the outcome of former two things. We are not prosperous country because I think that either our politicians are ineligible or corrupt. And when there would be powerful scrutiny in their election and check afterwards, then the economy would boost definitely because in that case the aware society won’t accept the excuses over the negligence of education, especially the higher and technical education which won your country the money, capacity and infrastructure. The transformation of our economy from agrarian to competitive industrial economy is largely restricted due to the ill policies and management of the politicians and when these would be corrected the things would be getting better on economic side also. The highly skilled brains which are now drained to Ameropa (America and Europe) will combine with the labor force, which he had exported to middle east by our money from foreign kept bank accounts will play miracle. (Although I am intended to give the steps to boost economy taken as lesson from the history of Europeans and American but I think that would be better to leave it for some other time)
All we need is to walk these three steps to success; dreaming, motivation and action. And at the end I want to ask three questions here which I have heard on the issue of environment while watching the award ceremony of Bolywood awards in Thailand and those were; If not now, when? If not we, who? If not here, where? We need to ask these questions from ourselves because we still have to sow the seeds; the fruits of which these developed countries are reaping since centuries. Are we ready to sow these seeds not for us but for our children; the seeds of peace, justice, prosperity, liberty, equality, brotherhood and honor.
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Dear Shazad,
Germans,French,russians were killing each other only recently.They are prosperous because they know how ro forgive and move on.The white man is clever and he knows how to keep the enemity between tribes,castes,religions,languages is worth inflaming especially between states on real/imaginary greivances.He is the seller of arms. Also he kinows Democracy will give prosperity and so he supports military dictatorships. Hope this win gives pakistan to see the wisdom of team work
Johann, perhaps its not in the nature sub-continental people to do the team work. They bask in leg pulling and harming each other. They perform great individually but poorly in team. Look at cricket teams of Pakistan and India, and you would see majestic indiviual performances but no team work. e.g. Tendulkar is the master batsman and has broken almost all records but very rarely his innings helps the team.
Pakistani and Indians working abroad excel indiviually but they make a poor team. So not only Pakistanis but also the whole lot of region needs to learn many things from the Gora Saab.
Maria Sultan,
I always feel proud to be a moderate Pakistani. But you said that it is not in the nature of sub-continent people to do team work and also do leg pulling… Well, I want to clarify one thing here. We Pakistanis always use words like Pro-Pakistani, National, Nation etc etc. I really laugh on all these words because we lacks them and specially when Pakistani are working abroad.
The biggest enemies of any Pakistani in this world is his own country man… Means Pakistani. There are several examples and every day we hear one more news. I’m doing job successfully in an organization where no other Pakistani is working… and I am really comfortable.. But if I tell you my other friends (Pakistanis) experiences then you will literally feel shame on it. Main reason is Jealousy and Leg Pulling.
The first question any Pakistani ask other here is “What is your Package”. I am unable to understand that why we are more bothered about others matters. Frankly speaking, my French Boss even don’t know how much I am getting. Package is purely personal and HR matter and when I was appointed, I wanted to show to my boss and said, No Saleem it is your personal thing and I am not liable to know about it. I can maximum recommend good package and rest is HR matter.
Then, Other big problem with us that we discuss politics and specially national politics a lot. I have never seen any other nationality to discuss it so frequently. And if they discuss, they discuss at their area level only. Indian don’t bother to learn Hindi because their country never lost energies to implement one language in whole country, one dress for whole nation, one social custom for all. They respected every language and every dress and today you can see that Pakistan is still struggling to prove as one nation (even national language is one, dress is one).. but Indians are still one, even when they meet they introduce that I’m from Tamil, I’m form Maharashtra, I’m from U.P, I’m from Punjab etc etc. If I will ever introduce myself as I’m Punjabi or I’m Pathan… People will be after me that he want to create difference. We have to see at broader level. This slogan “Bhai Bhai” is no one applicable.
God Bless Us.
saleem
you are giving such examples of human behavior in our culture that is only linked with narrow mindedness of humans.We people cant give space to others on the basis of their qualities and me and mine is our principle to pass our lives at all cost.
Nazia
you said right. I am not saying that all Pakistanis are like this but majority is from same breed. Specially those who are short cutters and lacks good family back ground. But there are many noble people living in Pakistan and they are doing their best for the growth of country and projecting good image at international level also. Unfortunately, noble people are unable to rule this country and in most cases they hesitates to work with present ruler kind of personalities.
We need to encourage such noble personalities to come at front and lead us. InshAllah they will change the fate of this country.
Saleem, well whatever I have read in your comments in previous some days suggest that you are some kind of smug and self-righteous person, who considers himself pure and like to ridicule others without any empathy. Just take example of your comment on yesterday’s Dr. Mazari’s article in which you told me to mind my own business. Should I say the same to you here?
That is same theme you mention when people like us followed the path of free judiciary against strong establishment that now working class is fed up of these narrow mindedness.You can come and see in govt departments these days mostly are Sindhis from zardari’s constituency or gillanis are on run for all govt based opportunities.They speak of democracy but their range only ends to their voters and family friends.Private sectors are doing some better performance but its size is almost negligible in front of such mass destruction of human talents that is being done by corrupt establishment.
I used those words for you because I was asking TPS for it and I wanted TPS reply. Not your clarification. If you like to call me smug and self-righteous person then call me day and night. I have no problem at all.
I never consider myself pure but tries to on right track. I am quite better than those who are hiding behind bushes and using anonymous names. Never follows right path but teaches others for it.
For your information, You can see same yesterday article now.. You will find name “The News”… in the end. What it means?
If you or TPS have any problems from my comments then ask very very freely. I don’t have problem from any body because it is open forum to express views and experiences.
Shahzad,
The article is good. It talks about motivation and doing things and taking things in ones own hands and not waiting and all. Then the comparisons and the examples that are used of Western countries are nice. But the question is if you look at the Western countries, they have grown over the religious portion of life, they don’t involve religion in every aspect of life and follow a strong principle of RELIGION IS ONES PERSONAL MATTER NOT A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.
I have not seen this happening in Pakistan, people are shouting that Pakistan is the fortress of Islam and the rules of life and law are to be taken from Sharia. Which is not present in the western countries, forget western it is not present in your arch rival India’s system. All the things that are followed are governed by the current world situation.
Now take a simple example, as per Sharia law there might be punishment for a person raping a woman, but is there are punishment for a person capturing it on video and publishing it. This is just a example not harm intended, not trying to show or say anything against a religion. There are certain things that can be done or handled in religion but not the way life, at least not the way of life that is present today.
Hope you get what I am trying to say.
Maria, Saleem, Nazia,
The problem is the people in subcontinent are taught to fight and perform individually and are not taught to work as a team.
Things are changing in India. People are realizing the importance of team play. The example quoted by Maria around Sachin Tendulkar, is from the past if you look at the current Indian team there are changes if you notice them.
Also the other problem that we guys have is the education system in India the education system makes it more difficult to leave. Parents demand 80%, 90% from their kids, so that they will get admission in good colleges. In this years admission news for some good colleges students with 96% were not able to get through. What would you say about that? The pressure that we create on our children at early ages will not make them team player, but will make them individual performers.
Saleem: I dont have any problem with you or your comments. Its just that I urge you to realize that humans are humans and everybody can commit mistakes, even you. everybody has his/her goods and bads and limitations.
Cheers.
speakfree: I dont see any changes in Indian team, and ICL and IPL are just two examples. Make at least single league to show the team play. Same is the case throughout this region in every field. Just take this forum TPS, where commentors and writers often (not always) remain hell bent on proving other wrongs, e.g. Musharraf lovers and MQM lovers would always abuse others no matter what.
Actually we are anti-logic and anti-reasoning people.
whats wrong in being a musharraf lover or mqm lover ? you can be PPP lover or JI lover for all i care but everyone has his or hers views and we should respect that !
@12: Maria: No offenses from my side at least. I am not a frequent visitor of any blog in current days so my intentions are not to indulge myself in any useless debate. May Allah keep every body happy.
@13: Ibrahim: There is nothing wrong at all for any kind of personal affiliations with any body or any party. But when some one tries to impose this favourite personality on others without solid reason then it goes wrong. If you are frequent visitor then you will find few long long poems and long long slogans (which they never even wrote for founder of Pakistan even) as comments in such articles that have nothing to discuss politics. Is this a right way to praise their party or leader?
My one lady colleague has gone through severe tension on facebook due to same kind of individual who was assigned to defend his party. That man tried his level best to write maximum slogans on her pages and then become abusive. Reason was only one that she had reservations from that party and their practices. Is this the right way to email directly or to abuse and threat directly because some one is not following one party.
Wrong… totally wrong attitude.
Mr. Saleem Khan, i agree with you 100% but the correct way is to report that person to his or her political party because most probably he or she may be out of line with what the party actually says….then it is the duty of political parties to take disclplinary action against such individuals….after all we have all rejected Talibanisation. Only the Talibans / Militants / Nazis advocate use of force for persuation, our political parties are not supposed to do that and unless we do not enage with them things will not change !
wrong attitude indeed !
Thanks Ibrahim for nice reply. Sir, our nation is very open heart and a small happiness makes them tension free for some time, and when ever feels that now this rising problem will effect the country then gets united and tackles it. It is my observation (may be wrong) that always rulers/dictators creates confusions among this nation to rule on them forever and it works in favour of rulers.
Maria,
Look at the teams and not the organizations who are working on it. The example of IPL or ICL that you put across is a team play. If you are not able to perform as a team then you are not in a position to organize and host events like that. The whole thing is a team play.
If you look at individual teams who are playing in these two are showing the team play characteristics as all the players are not from the same country they are mixed together and still they play as a team not as a individual.
Try to look at the things with pictures you would like to see and they will come forward and you can spot positives and negatives of it. But if you are looking at things from negative approach then you will not be able to see anything but loopholes and problems only.
There are many kinds of leaders
But there are very few
Who turn out to be good leaders
And excel in all they do they do.
The way things ought to be
And sets a good example for
Everyone to see.
He teaches us to try our best
And strives to make us better
Yet must insist the rules be met
Right down to the letter.
Fairness and integrity
Must be realized
They play the most important part
And can’t be compromised.
Talent on this level
Can’t be found everywhere
But i know one great leader.
His name is Altaf Hussain
One night in the university hostel, i decided to join the person in neighbour for give company in study to apper in exam next day. During study he asked me a simple that ” What is Aim of your Life”. The question look strange from the stranger neighbour which has no concern with study. i answer that ” i dont have aim in life and never i understand aim”. Now its his time to amazed beecause he is expecting something different. He say to me your are appering in the engineering exam, can you not say it as aim of life….etc. All the night he try to find out the answer from me but my answer was the same.
Although after that i convenced that as a company required a manger to manage a comapny and get more benifit from employers for the benifit of society. Similarly Aim is require to manage our life and get the fruitful results from our abilities for the benifit of the soceity.
I feel that its the fault of my capability that i does not think on that side…time passess…i come in professional life. As a engineer i proved my self in many companies and internationally im also acceptable. But still one question unsoved in my brain “What should be my aim of Life”
To search the answer of my question i look into society and observe the pattern that our peoples are going in which way. I get the observation that all the society is like me. We are like a crowd. Our identity is divided in punjabi, sindhi, patha. our concepts are divided into sunni, shai, diobandi. we are internally secholar but externally islamic. we are traping in our lies. I concluded our nation has no Aim. We are full of talent but loss of target.
Then i saw people hapiness on world cup winning. Every body is happy because everybody want that pakistan become champion. …..This moment relize me to search again and where is a happiness is the Aim of nation.
I observe our people behavior again then i have the worst reality of pakistan
- We become united/happy when tension is created by army/govt from india
- We divided we there is construction work (like kalabagh)
- We are filled with joy when we launch missil like Ghauri.
Our aim is going towards voilance to voilance.
- Due to that aim , we accept more miltary dictatorship.
- We are in circle of self destruction. Form dividing of bangladesh…. to Karachi riots…..to Swat talibanization.
This will be very if i will say we have to chnage our aim. This is time to relize the aim of Nation.