Bismah Mirza (B.B.A) (I.O.B.M)
Pakistani society is on a deteriorating trend! Negativity and disbelief are dominate features of this society. Acceptance is fading away and difference of opinion is taken as an offence. On a slight excuse people lose their patience and wait for a chance to unleash their frustration. Either by fist or by blowing themselves up. But the question arises as to why this frustration. Impatience and aggression exist in our society? Why is suicide bombing becoming a way of life? Perhaps the answer to the second question i.e. simple: as propagated by western and local media, it is “religious Extremism.” But what about the rest who are suffering in silence?
As I was thinking about this question, a tap on my car’s window disturbed my thoughts. As I looked up, a woman holding a half-naked child asked for charity, I gave her the money but and at that very moment a realization dawned on me: it seemed as if a bubble burst in my mind. How can a country’s population be satisfied when their basic needs are not fulfilled? They are forced to beg to survive. There is no denial that beggary has become an institution in our country. Poverty is creeping in our society slowly and gradually. As the saying of the Holy Prophet (Peace be Upon Him) goes: “Poverty may lead to disbelief.” Disbelief of course leads to immorality and criminal activities: For sure if one tries to fill ones coffers at the expense of others, it will lead to frustration that will give birth to all kinds of evil activities.
However, this explanation raises many other questions: When our country is one of the fastest growing economy in Asia, and our growth rate has been seven percent (7%) for the past three years, then why is the common man fighting for his basic needs? The surprising thing is that on the streets of Karachi where you find people roaming in lavish cars; there you also see people in rags, sleeping on the streets. Then what is this growth for? Under the banner of economic growth, which `growth’ are we achieving in reality? Is this growth, in the number of beggars on the streets of Pakistan? Is it the growth in the rate or unemployment?
Are we progressing economically at the expense of great class divide?
Is our economic growth too much of a burden, which is shoving our people below the poverty line?
How ironic is it that we are economically progressing and inflation is in dual digits. How can two counter forces exist together? Surely this growth is not constructive and, if it is, then for whom? If this growth is not catering to an average Pakistani, then what is it good for? It seems our leaders have redefined the meaning of growth, which is unknown in English dictionaries. As a student of economics, I can say it’s due to the unequal distribution of wealth. But how and when can this distribution be made equal and standard-issue? Our neighboring country’s economy is going global and we are trapped in the claws of inflation. According to an analysis, in a few years’ time, India will become a mini super power of Asia. What is our leader doing? Aren’t they aware of this reality or is it so difficult for them to envisage? And if they are aware, what are they doing about it?
Perhaps they say to themselves: why bother about having an economist who could reshape our economy just like the Indian economy? Why waste our minds and paper on formulating policies for liberate our people from this hopeless situation? Simply make. things difficult for them to survive! I think this makes sense because when there will be no one alive in your country, then whose welfare will you bother about? The ones remaining! Which will surely not be the people of Pakistan? That’s exactly what our government is doing. I don’t think our neighboring country needs to strengthen their defence or maneuver plans to harm the integrity of Pakistan, as for them, our concerned authorities are enough if this is the prevalent scenario, prices of good items are increasing by ten percent (10 %). If a person is not able to provide food for himself and his family then what other option is he left with: only to practice aggression and be labeled as extremist? It is in the psyche of humans that hen their needs are not satisfied, the needs become their driving force, and they try to achieve their basic rights at any cost.
In the past seven years all I heard was about suicide! Newspapers were filled with reports of young males who committed suicide, as they were unable to find jobs and support their families. Then this suicide turned into suicide bombing. Looking at the frequency of suicide attacks, I ear that day when a person would blow himself up because a shopkeeper was charging him more! Or there would be a report that two friends had a quarrel and one of them blew himself up killing twenty other students along with himself and his friends. I know this statement sounds like an exaggeration. But is has a strong possibility if nothing is done to stop suicide bombing and to direct our minds to optimism.
Suicide bombing is an indication of disbelief and that’s why we hear attacks on religious places. It also signifies that these bombers have no value for life, what are these suicide bombers trying to prove by killing themselves in one of the most barbaric ways? For sure we don’t know who is behind the motivation of these individuals but they are blowing themselves to tell others of their woes. They want the ones remaining to understand what pains they have gone through. It is their attempt to tell us that pain and: uffering are part of their lives so much that they want to end their lives in pain. This reminds me of a verse from the poet Ghalib in which he says that he had faced so many difficulties in life that now they are no more problems for him. He befriended pain and suffering. Though the poet’s intentions were different and I by no means want to arouse sympathy for the bombers but the reality is that they are forced to make themselves objects of terror.
Humans have advanced in many ways but still remain uncivilized when it comes to our basic needs. We have developed ourselves to come out of darkness and provide support to each other but at the same time we have also facilitated our doom. We have become the means and ends of our destruction. At the beginning of my article, I stated that negativity has become a dominant feature of our society and this article proves it. Pessimism exists in Pakistani society but I didn’t realize that I myself am becoming a part of it. 1 am a product of this society and my thoughts reveal sheer pessimism. However, I am optimistic enough to bother about certain `why’s’ which exist in our society. The questions which I posed in the whole of the article are just a sample of the article are just a sample of the infinite `why’s existing in our society. I am sure if Pakistan’s youth are aware of the problems which we will be our own shepherds and will soon join hands to help our nation come out of darkness.