Sammilogger

Armed forces of Pakistan stand out amongst Pakistan’s institutions with a semblance of organisational strength, discipline and management. They are showing resilience in the face of blatant onslaughts for destruction like other institutions. Armed forces are seen and perceived differently by the common man of Pakistan and elite of the country. Common man sees them with reverence as their saviour against all the odds. Conversely, elite of Pakistan sees Armed Forces as stumbling block in their designs which I resist to call NEFARIOUS. Armed forces too have some grey areas however, on the whole being from lower and lower middle class they think and work for the betterment of havenots. For Armed Forces it is better to be loved by the masses notwithstanding the ire and contempt they get from the elite.

There are women activists who rightfully fight for women rights. Their efforts are commendable and highly respected. However, it’s unfortunate that it’s the women who themselves undermine the women. Every women wishes and prays to be blessed with a son rather than a daughter. Once a male is a child he sees his mother giving preferential treatment to sons. Best part of food is given to a male child whereas female gets the left over. Best education is given to the male child. Male child is pampered where as female child is considered as a burden. Once same child grows up and gets married, his mother compels him to take control of his wife even if he has to maltreat her. I don’t blame female community for cutting across the pursuit of women empowerment. Even this is due to social pressures, want of social security and preference to future bread earner. Contrarily, logic demands that greater focus should be placed on girls and women as they are groomers of men. Better looked after girls will be better mothers who will ensure a better nation. Unless these contradictions are removed from our society efforts for emancipation of women may stay futile.

It may not be appropriate to rejoice death of a mortal. However, there are certain mortals who become black spot on face of humanity. Mullah Fazal Ullah was one such character. What a beautiful name he carried but what an ugly character marred purity of his name. His name meant ‘bounty or virtue of Allah’. No one might have lived farther from his name as he did. He led insurgency in Sawat causing umpteen deaths. Once beaten there he shifted to Afghanistan in 2009 to continue heinous crimes. He was master mind for death of scores of innocent children in APS Peshawar and many more acts of terrorism. He had descended to lower rungs of an animal. Allah may forgive us, but we can rejoice his death on Eid day because a barbaric thug has been despatched to hell. Souls of innocent children of APS must be watching us with pride and honour. I congratulate the nation for such a splendid victory on last day of Holy month of Ramzan. Thanks to Allah.

Yesterday TV displayed a Paris Fashion Show where baby girls and boys walked the ramp as models. It agitated my thoughts on appropriateness of such an action. Humans have exposures of life but these ought to be at appropriate time. An early or premature exposure is damaging for human psychology. May it be a negative or positive exposure. Exposing these young minds in formative age to glamour, glowing lights, pomp & show and glumjum will affect them negatively. They are bound to lose a child’s attributes. In pursuit of profits and uniqueness humans are damaging their own future. This too happening in the first world which is enlightened and educated.

Pakistan is passing through a period of internal strife, infighting and squabbles. It seems that every one is at loggerheads with the other. Political parties are shooting at each other. Army and politicians are exchanging barbs. Part of Pashtuns is up against the state. Evils of TTP and ISIS are staring into eyes. The society is polarised like opposing poles of a battery. Oppositely charged poles cannot coexist without sparking. It seems complete body politic of Pakistan is agitated, full of vengeance, charged and ready to cut throats. To top it all Pakistan is surrounded by hostile India, sanctioned Iran, dysfunctional Afghanistan and maliciously looking US. We have agitated environment within and without. External challenges can best be tackled by a house in order. In case of Pakistan external challenges are being exacerbated by infighting.

Pakistan needs a prophetic figure who puts a calming and soothing hand on yearning masses. With purity of thought and intention, he or she calms down every body makes bygone be bygone to let nation move-on. Every one should worry more for victory of Pakistan rather than own victory. In pursuit of own victory we are damaging each other and as a consequence weakening Pakistan.

It is said that ‘there are no facts, only interpretations’. Our responses to what we observe, read, smell and touch are based on our interpretations. We interpret people’s actions and everything else, based on frames of reference we have built over period of time. These frames of reference are also linked to how various aspects are perceived in a particular group of people. If we fail to interpret in a reasonable and justified way our responses will be faulty and even flawed. It also includes interpretation of injunctions of religion. Pakistan is known as a country where role of religion in human being’s life is the maximum in the world. It is nothing to be apologetic, however instead of being a strength it has become a curse due our faulty interpretations. Unenlightened mulla and self serving masses have rendered religious injunctions ineffective rather counter productive merely due flawed interpretations. Our education system ought to promote critical thinking and art of interpretation.

The world is in a phase of transition. Existing power is waning and sleeping giant is waxing. Thucydides trap is in play. Transition is taking place in geo-politics, geo-economics and info-domination. Unipolarity is giving way to multipolatity, petrodollar is threatened and more players are stepping in for info-domination. Transitions are always loaded with risks. Waning power goes overboard to prove it’s vitality. That is exactly what world is experiencing. Prudence demands that waning power should be made to believe that still it is all powerful so that it’s casus beli to go overboard is quashed.

Our preferences and choices are driven by our likings and perception of goodness. We are happy with those whom we perceive to be good. We mostly make our judgements by looking at superficial dimensions. However once we try to go under the skin our judgement alter. Mostly things vary on the skin and under skin. I sometimes wonder, actually good may be lying in what we don’t perceive to be good. Greatness demands that we love those who hate us the most. We opt to follow a route which is most beautiful. We take something which is most preferred. The least attractive person may be most neglected. The least beautiful route may be least treaded. The greats are not conformists and they are bold to break conventions.

70 years’ history of Pakistan has been full of violence due Wars in Afghanistan and with India. A society living with such a prolonged violence ought to be violent. This milieu has adversely affected our national character and social fabric. It also brought ultra right to rule the roost, which used religion for vested interests in otherwise less educated masses. Thus in religious education people are taught to find reasons for discord and hatred rather than love and affection. The critical thinking is too shunned both by religious teacher as well as wordly syllabus. This makes us conformists who are used by stake holders to serve their own interests. Even movies, propel violence. Role models of Maula Jatt and Kalashinkov laden hero spraying bullets are presented to youth. The solution lies in reformation of our society. Basics of a civic society like love for all, reward for hard work, justice and fairplay need to be reinstituted. All forms of media can be employed to create awareness and take people out of clutches of those using them as pawns.

Just finished A Memoir of this greatest mind of contemporary world. I was introduced to him in 1986 through his phenomenal book, A Brief History of Time: From Big Bang to Black Holes, to which I was drawn due my interest in black holes. He passed away on 14 Mar 18, the day is celebrated as Pi day in world of mathematics. Stephen Hawking examplified that mind is the real power a human is endowed. With crippling Motor Neuron disease, he not only defied death for over 50 years but also optimally utilised power of his mind. The usual dictum, ‘healthy body carries healthy mind’ may be modified that, ‘a strong mind can take care of a weak body’. Towards end of his memoirs he calls his disability as an asset because he could focus on research without wasting time elsewhere. WHAT A POSTIVITY? He says disabled should concentrate on things that their handicap doesn’t prevent them from doing and not regret those they cannot do. WHAT A POWERFUL MESSAGE? because we all have some form of disability.