| October 8, 2001 | Monday | Rajab 20, 1422 |
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Being serious about education
National monuments
The ‘T’ controversy
Career planning guide
Gujranwala traffic woes
Handicraft in Hyderabad
Smart act
Migration of doctors
Separate electorates
Meaning of ‘angst’
Reorganization of police
NAB custody
THE US is almost certain to launch air strikes against Afghanistan if for no other reason than to quench its people’s thirst for vengeance. The irony is that the attackers in the US were not the Taliban but Arab nationals who harbour deep feelings of resentment against the United States because of its policy of having imposed repressive regimes on their countries.
The Taliban are a completely harmless entity trying to survive in a hostile world after being used for so long by the United States for its own strategic ends. They are so poor that they have only the means to enforce simple Islamic principles because all other systems require so much money.
The fact is that the US economic machine is run entirely on oil produced by the Arab countries but unfortunately the citizens of these countries are groaning under oppressive regimes and are entirely denied the fruit of their oil wealth which is controlled and frittered away by a few powerful foreign-supported families of those countries.
Under these circumstances, feelings of hatred and contempt against the countries perceived as the perpetrators of these excesses are bound to arise in the Muslims in general and the Arab citizens in particular.
If the United States wants to eradicate terrorism, then it must learn to apply justice evenhandedly in all parts of the world. It has pointedly targeted Muslim countries for subjugation where dictatorial regimes have been imposed and the common man stands completely dispossessed of the fruits of modernism — economic prosperity, political freedom and freedom of expression.
The US can dispel ‘fanaticism’ of these nations only through the weapons of enlightenment and political and economic liberalization. To continue to adhere to the doctrine that free ballot should not be allowed in the Muslim countries for fear of ushering in ‘fundamentalist’ Islam through the vote is highly counter-productive and is bound to continue to boomerang in the face of the West as has just happened in the United States.
Unilateral exploitation of the Third World by the US for its strategic ends must stop forthwith or else all must perish eventually in this global village.
IQBAL AHMAD
Muzaffargarh
THIS refers to the news item (Sept 24) which says: “44 out of 60 schools closed due to shortage of teachers in the Miro Khan taluka of Larkana”. The main reason given for the said closure is the non-availability of teachers.
The government has, in its latest education policy, admitted the non-satisfactory standard of education in the country and has promised certain measures to upgrade it. These measures include the establishment of new schools, specially at the primary level, and also making education affordable if not free.
Dozens of NGOs financed by various national and international agencies are also working for the betterment of education. These NGOs engage education experts, consultants and other staff, on which millions of rupees are spent every month. One wonders what is the contribution of these NGOs when, after almost a decade of their hard work, we are still at the bottom line.
The fact is that the NGOs hold seminars on education in five star hotels, which are covered by the media. This coverage is presented to the donors as an evidence of their hard work.
They also bring out attractive publications in the English language. Recently, I came across one such magazine which carried articles on education by some learned scholars. I wondered at whom this English language publication was aimed : the teachers and the parents in rural Sindh or the representatives of the international donor agencies ?
I think that the betterment of education does not require highly paid consultants, seminars in five star hotels and sophisticated publications in English. It only requires sincerity to the nation, to the society and to ourselves.
The landlords and the parents need to be convinced of the importance of education. The teachers are to be made willing to work in village schools by motivating them through persuasion and better salaries.
This does not require heavy funding, an army of consultants and dozens of NGOs. Only a clear vision and honest intentions can help us achieve desired goals.
NOOR AREEJO
Larkana
THIS refers to a news report that the federal government has decided to hand over the control and maintenance of national monuments to the provincial governments.
Here it may be pointed out that for the last 170 years maintenance and preservation of national monuments has been the responsibility of the federal government through the Department of Archaeology and Museums. This task should not be assigned to the provincial governments because their concerned departments do not come up to the required standard.
It is not known at what level this decision has been taken. However, I would appeal to the President of Pakistan to issue instructions to the Ministry of Culture to reconsider the decision. The Federal Department of Archaeology and Museums has the required technical and professional skill and it should be further strengthened.
AHMAD NABI KHAN
Karachi
THIS IS with reference to the letter by Dr M. Ahmad (Sept 25). I believe that tea has become an essential part of the diet of the poorer sections of our society. All that most of them can afford is a cup of tea to help swallow the ‘roti’, while adding milk and sugar to it gives considerable amount of calories as well.
As I am practising in a government hospital, I see this regularly and believe that a cup of tea still costs only a fraction of what fruits like apple do. My scientific knowledge tells me that antioxidants are proven to be good for maintenance and promotion of health and tea is one of the richest sources of antioxidants.
The antioxidants present in tea (flavonoids) are better than even vitamin E, in their antioxidant activity. The necessity of eating a balanced diet containing fresh fruits and vegetables is accepted by all. It is just that tea supplements the antioxidants. Tannins are present in all types of fruits and vegetables as well as tea (which is also a green leafy plant), but the structure of all these tannins is such that they do not have harmful effects on the body.
In view of the growing scientific knowledge, I do not hesitate in encouraging my patients to drink tea in moderation which provides them with calories, energy, vitality and antioxidants.
DR ABDUL BARI KHAN
Karachi
APPROXIMATELY 5,000 doctors are being produced every year in 14 medical colleges of the country in addition to many others being produced in the private medical colleges. This number is enough for the needs of the country in accordance with the international standards of doctors population ratio. However, as they are concentrated in the big cities there is dearth in the rural areas and therefore there is a ‘scarcity in the middle of plenty.’
The doctors do not want to go to the villages not because of lack of money, but because of basic necessities of life like schooling for their children, telephone, and gas. Moreover, it is not possible for them to take a dictation from the landlord of the village, especially in medico-legal cases.
In such circumstances it has become imperative to allocate more funds and pay more attention to the preventive aspect of the disease. If the masses were informed of the basic principles of hygiene through awareness programmes — to boil water before drinking, to get rid of the flies and mosquitoes in the vicinity, wash hands with soap and water every time a cook enters a kitchen to prepare a meal and to arrange for primary vaccination against preventable diseases — 75% of the diseases will be eradicated.
After an MBBS degree and a one year compulsory house job, a doctor has an option to enter general practice, take a job in an autonomous body, or opt for postgraduation in the country or proceed abroad for this purpose. There is, however, a dire need for information on ‘career planning’ which should be available from the ministry of health for example, information about the number of general doctors and specialists which will be required, the number of hospitals likely to come up and therefore a scope of availability of jobs in different disciplines of medicine and surgery, in ten years’ time.
Private nursing homes are a great asset to the nation. In Rawalpindi Islamabad alone, the number of beds available in private nursing homes equals the number of beds available in public hospitals. Without these nursing homes, the public hospitals will come under tremendous pressure. There is however a need that these nursing homes be governed under some rules and regulations.
DR M. ASLAM PIRACHA
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to the various news items on the Gujranwala railway station published in this newspaper during the last week of September.
The traffic problem of Gujranwala cannot be solved by shifting back to the station constructed at the time of the opening of this section of the railway on Oct 6, 1878. Neither does the answer lie in re-constructing an overbridge which has become unusable, though it remained mostly unutilized since its construction three decades ago.
Pakistan Railways should follow the example of the provincial highway departments which have interprovincial highways.
A.A. HAJI
Karachi
HYDERABAD is rich in handicraft and cottage industries— glass bangles, cloth garments, leather garments, marble work, wood work etc. These days the business is suffering because of negligence. Funds for this purpose can be raised by the city Nazim. The people who belong to this city and are working overseas may be contacted and urged to invest in these small and medium size projects. SMEDA and micro finance bank branches should also be opened for those who have skills to work but are handicapped because of the absence of financing facilities. Private banks working here should reserve some of their funds for small and medium business, on easy terms and with low interest rates.
Above all, the law and order situation must be improved as without that, investment will not come.
ATEEQ MUHAMMAD
Hyderabad
PEOPLE have started offering lunch or dinner to their guests at marriage parties in flagrant violation of the law. Since no action is taken against the violators, it is believed that the government has relaxed the relevant rules.
I attended a marriage ceremony in Rawalpindi on Sept 03. The barat had come from Sialkot. While the guests were served with a proper lunch, the father of the groom pointing to the presence of a good number of army officers, very proudly claimed to have made sufficient arrangements to avoid any kind of raid or mukhbari.
I request the government to take note of such violations or lift the ban on marriage parties.
ASHFAQ A. KHAN
Sargodha
MAYBE the writers of so many letters being published in Dawn could suggest ways which the doctors and other intellectuals should adopt to avoid their cold-blooded murder.
Despite a number of letters, supported by the newspaper’s powerful editorials, the process of elimination of the good Samaritan is going on unchecked. The tally todate is 68. There is no secret as to who are behind this gory affair, but the government is looking the other way.
In a society where a simple measure like stopping at red light at crossroads is not effectively enforced, let us not fool ourselves when it comes to challenging a very well-organized mafia which has unlimited resources in terms of finances and manpower. They work on a simple philosophy — if you wish to purify society of unwanted population, eliminate their well-educated elite.
Every doctor worth the name knows that he is on the hit list and cannot escape the guillotine for long. The message has been conveyed very effectively. So why should he not save his neck and that of his children by running away while he can?
I am a doctor, recently returned after specialization in a unique branch of surgery. Here I am waiting, in a queue that is not very long, for the inevitable.
There is no denying the fact that the governments — previous as well as the present — have been helpless before the powerful gang of murderers. It is futile to expect protection of life or property. The only way out is to leave the country quickly as possible.
A CONCERNED DOCTOR
Karachi
THE President’s speech on Independence Day was delivered in a coherent manner. He chalked out many future programmes and promised many future developments. Let us hope that he will be able to fulfil all his promises and will undertake all his development plans.
There are certain things though which the president did not touch upon in his speech. The most important matter is the manner of election. True democracy requires that the elections should be held on the basis of joint electorates. The issue must be decided without any further delay.
Separate electorates are the legacy of Gen Ziaul Haq. This system is an insult to humanity which has turned the minorities into second class citizens. Long have the minorities suffered this humiliation. Has not the time yet come that their honour and dignity should be restored? It is a debt that the military regime must pay back to the minorities because it was a general who reduced the minorities into their present sub-citizenship.
On the one hand, we claim that the minorities are our “sacred trust” but we maltreat them and disgrace them by keeping them as second class citizens of the state. If it is not the fear of the mullah which is preventing the government from taking this step towards true democracy then what is it? And the mullahs are those whom the people do not like nor do they vote for them as was conclusively proved in the elections of 1998.
Another important matter is terrorism in the name of religion. It was encouraged and patronised by some politicians for their selfish ends; particularly by Gen Zia who, in order to prolong his rule, encouraged this evil.
Mere warnings and issuance of ordinances will never solve this problem. Many such terrorists are already in custody. Their cases must be speedily decided and an exemplary punishment meted out to them. The mullahs are already threatening the judges who are hearing their cases. As such, it is a challenge for the government which it must accept.
MOHAMMAD ISHAQUE SOOFI
Rabwah
IN the context of the critical situation we presently face, I believe readers might be interested to know that the word ‘angst’ describes a feeling of apprehension, anguish, anxiety or foreboding.
In the philosophy of existentialism, ‘angst’ has been used for the feeling of alarm that stems from the realization that the course of one’s life and the outcome of one’s choices are one’s own responsibility rather being pre-determined by extrinsic forces beyond one’s control.
RASHID JOOMA
Karachi
IT is being heard that in the Sindh province, the Governor has ordered the concerned authorities to finalize the police reorganization draft. But in this regard several questions are agitating the minds of Sindh’s politicians and serving and retired police officials.
The fear is that the present police system at Karachi and in the rest of Sindh would be dominated by the other province’s senior police officials (ASP & above).
By going through the “Police Ordinance-2001” and other amendments, one finds things are still unclear:
The word “appointment” is used where the terminology of “recruitment” was to apply. This would keep the doors of Sindh, including Karachi, open for police officials from other provinces.
It also indicates no local recruitment of Karachi’s educated youths who otherwise provide the city an urbane and area-acquainted police officers/cops.
It also does not say that the recruitment of cops/ASIs/SIs/ inspectors/DSPs for the districts or city districts would be strictly domicile based.
Under Section 28 regarding civilian employees, it is not said whether the police chief would be empowered to employ civilian employees from the same district or the city district or hire them from some other province or provinces.
Regarding selection criteria (sections 35, 47, 59 and 71), it is said “the members of the federal, provincial, district and capital city district’s commission shall not be selected from amongst persons who are activists of a political party, have held any representative office or have remained public servants....” Why political party’s activists? Why not members of the religious parties and groups? What about activists from those religious and jihadi groups banned by the government and foreign governments.? Such sections would harm Sindh’s two biggest political parties (PPP and MQM).
According to the new rules, a cop (who in the present case may rise to DIG rank) could not be promoted above the ASI rank and a recruited ASI would retire after the DSP rank. Such restrictions would result in domination of Sindh police’s upper crust in most of its districts by officers from one major province.
At present, two or three ASPs are selected annually from Sindh province in the CSS. There is a suggestion that Karachi’s about 100 police stations should be run by ASPs. Considering the above proportion from Sindh, the ASPs from Sindh would be 2 or 3, while 97 or 98 ASPs would be from the other provinces.
Will someone from the present police commission give 100 per cent assurance that through the recruitment process, 100 per cent cops, junior and senior police officials would be inducted from their respective cities, districts and provinces?
KUNWAR KHALID YUNUS
Karachi
MIAN Arshad was allegedly tortured to death in the custody of National Accountability Bureau. This is a dark spot on the credibility of the NAB.
President Musharraf is requested to take cognizance of this incident and initiate a high level independent inquiry. The guilty officials, irrespective of their ranks, should be brought to justice.
DR AMJID NAZIR
USA
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