| January 31, 2003 | Friday | Ziqa’ad 27, 1423 |
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Flawed health policies
Impact of frequent price hikes
INS: advice to Pakistanis
IT as a subject
Cricket World Cup 2003
Thar projects in need of attention
State of democracy in Pakistan
Congregation of cattle
Sugarcane
English words in Urdu
THE latest row between India and Pakistan in which each has expelled four officials of the other country appears relatively trivial. But it is feared that it could be the precursor of another crisis between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
This is not the first time and there is nothing specially unusual about this kind of squabble between the two mutually suspicious countries. It is a symptom of more fundamental disagreements. So too are other arguments that have recently simmered: Pakistan‘s complaints about Indian attempts to stoke up an arms race with three missile tests in 11 days this month and India’s harping on an article in a New Yorker magazine about alleged Pakistani assistance to North Korea‘s nuclear programme.
It is clear that domestic politics in both countries have made it harder for their governments to demonstrate flexibility. Last October’s general election in Pakistan saw an upsurge in support for radical Islamist parties. To placate Islamist feeling, Gen Pervez Musharraf needs to show that despite his help to the American war effort, he has not abandoned what Pakistani Islamists see as an Islamic jihad in the disputed territory of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the recent elections in the Indian state of Gujarat saw the triumph of Narendra Modi from the extremist Hindu-nationalist Bhartiya Janata Party. Modi’s campaign was fierce in its demands for tough government action against alleged Pakistan-sponsored terrorism on Indian soil. The Hindu right mocks its government for its failure to punish Pakistan for its alleged proxy war within India.
The biggest theatre for this proxy war and the most likely cause of the next crisis remains Kashmir. The elections held last September in the Indian-controlled part of the territory were seen as relatively free and fair, which was a novelty. They resulted in a state government that has sought to soften the harsh repression of the Indian rule and reach out to the freedom fighters with a “healing touch”.
The most alarming aspect, however, is that the diplomatic confrontation seems to rule out any prospect of talks between the two countries. That, in turn, implies that the underlying tensions that brought them close to a war last year will remain unresolved. It is a crisis waiting to happen.
MIRZA KHURRAM BAIG
Karachi
THE government is giving many incentives to doctors in order to persuade them to work in rural health centres (RHCs) and basic health units (BHUs). Normally, young doctors are reluctant to work in rural health centres.
I, being a native of the Kasur district, after my graduation under a new incentive of the previous government, got myself appointed at a BHU in my district in April last year. I wanted to get advantage of the incentive offered by the government of Punjab, but I resigned from my post after only a month.
The people who know about health reforms consider working at these health centres and units to be quite helpful in upgrading the health of the rural population. But my experience is different.
A doctor is not the only person associated with health care delivery. There are many other allied professionals without which a good health care facility cannot function. These include a whole range of up-to-date medicines and vaccines, a good laboratory with a technician, an ambulance, a telephone, a trained nurse, a lady health visitor and a vaccinator.
If there is no laboratory, how can a doctor precisely diagnose a disease? If there are no good medicines available, how can a doctor treat his/her patients? Similarly, if there are no vaccines, how can a doctor prevent diseases?
So, with my own experience of working at a BHU, I am sure the incentives given to doctors for working in the rural areas will be futile if they are not supplemented with a broad range of medicines, vaccines, a laboratory with a technician, a nurse, a vaccinator and a telephone.
Society cannot be changed in a day or two. You cannot improve the health status of the people of an area just by appointing a doctor there. You will have to improve the financial status of the people and then a young doctor on its own will be willing to work in that area even without any incentives.
The current reforms will only change the financial status of doctors but will do nothing to upgrade the health of the rural population.
DR QAISAR FAROOQ GONDAL
Kasur
THE ever-rising prices of commodities of daily use have a distressing effect on the life of the common man. Every time you go to the market you find that the prices have gone up. The consumers/buyers have no choice.
In the first half of the fiscal year 2002-03 the consumer price index (CPI) shot up by 3.55 per cent as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, and inflation rose by 4.33 per cent in terms of sensitive price index (SPI). In December 2002 the CPI and the SPI soared by 3.34 per cent and 3.28 per cent, respectively, against the corresponding period of 2001.
The following are the main commodities of common use that registered an increase in their prices during December 2002 as compared to November 2002: tomatoes 17.80 per cent, eggs 8.88 per cent, wheat 1.92 per cent, meat 1.01 per cent, wheat flour 0.62 per cent, kerosene 7.53 per cent and natural gas 3.06 per cent. According to a group-wise analysis of the CPI, the cost of education and medicine moved up by 0.68 per cent and 0.25 per cent, respectively, in the month of December 2002 alone as compared to November 2002. If it keeps increasing this way, only in one year, the cost of education will rise by 8.16 per cent and that of medicine by three per cent. Besides, the petrol and diesel prices rose by 7.40 per cent and transport fares/charges by 1.38 per cent in December 2002. The effects of the increase in the prices can be felt and understood by everyone.
The other side of the story is that the income of an average family is going down day by day. Employment opportunities are reducing while banks and DFIs have lowered the markup/interest rates on savings schemes. For the last three years an extraordinary slash in the rates of return has hit those who depend on the earnings through these institutions. The affected people include widows, young orphans and retired people. Moreover, successive government have reduced pensions by a certain percentage in the last 10 years.
The government should bring down the prices to provide relief to the common man.
SHAMEEL AHMAD ZUBAIRI
Karachi
IN the light of the recent hype in the media over the troubles being faced by special registrants in the US, I would like to narrate my own experience.
After having registered myself recently, I believe that the information floating around in the media vis-a-vis the issue is not correct.
I reached the INS building in New York City at about 6:30am, and the authorities concerned let me in at about 7:30am. It took me another 40 minutes to get to the third floor where they were conducting the special registration.
The lady officer who conducted the registration was very courteous and used terms like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, a novelty at government offices.
The registration itself took about 30 minutes. I was required to produce my passport, other forms of ID like my driving licence, credit card and proof of work (in case of students it would be a transcript or some document of that sort). Then they took my photograph and fingerprints, and gave me an FIN (Fingerprint Identification Number). And I was done.
This is my advice to Pakistani expatriates who still need to register: get there early, bring all documents that may be used to prove that you are staying legally in the United States and are doing what you are supposed to, and you would be fine.
If you have legal status, you have nothing to worry about.
YOUSAF SAMI
New York, USA
THERE has been a heated debate in these columns for some time now on the perceived benefits of IT as a subject in public schools since many countries have profited from it. A very clear model is India whose example probably energized the local decision makers to make IT a part of public education. This was a knee-jerk reaction taken without examining its benefits and cost.
The students already have enough on their plate preparing for their 12th grade examinations. Secondly, IT is a tool to solve problems — be that a communication problem solved by sending e-mails or chatting over long distance, writing documents using a word processor, or creating a building plan using CAD software. So what exactly will the students learn in an IT class since all the above-mentioned skills can be mastered by reading relevant books? Learning these computer-based skills is not different from learning other vocational skills such as welding or sewing.
I sympathize with the pre-med students forced to learn IT. I fail to understand what doctors will gain by studying IT which probably will not be part of their education in medical colleges.
ZAHID ABBASI
Colorado, USA
With the Cricket World Cup 2003 a couple of weeks away, we hear different opinions like Moin Khan and Shoaib Malik should have been selected. But as Waseem Bari says the best possible 15 have been selected to represent Pakistan under the leadership of Waqar Younis. It has been asked as to why Waqar has been retained as captain after Pakistan’s team performance in South Africa.
It was mainly our batting that let us down in South Africa and the accuracy of the South African bowlers proved too good for us. So the blame should go to the whole team and Waqar Younis alone should not be held responsible for it.
In order to regain the lost glory, our batsmen will have to avoid playing recklessly. Haseeb Ahsan rightly pointed out in one of the TV programmes that Pakistani batsmen will have to bat entire 50 overs to make a match. Imran Khan’s strategy in the 1992 World Cup to start slowly keeping the wickets intact and letting loose at the end proved successful.
With the return of Saeed Anwer one hopes the openers will provide some resistance against bowlers like Mcgrath, Gillespie, Pollock and Donald.
SAAD KHAN
Karachi
After a long period of 10 years, when I started my journey to Mithi, there were many questions in my mind. What can be done in this area for the well-being of the people? How can we improve community skills for better utilization of resources? How indigenous products can be saved from market exploitation?
As the journey was coming to an end and I was reaching Mithi, I came across a number of billboards giving information, including addresses of institutions, hospitals, centres and various development programmes undertaken by different NGOs and trusts.
Staying with a friend in Mithi, I visited different institutions, centres and NGO offices. No doubt all of them are doing their best for the betterment of the poor Thari community. Some of them have done a great job by addressing the problems which remained neglected for a long time.
Thardeep’s Situation Analysis Gender and Development, Drought Assessment Report 1999, Drought Assessment Report 2002, case studies on different natural disasters and reports on child labour issues are good examples of such courageous efforts. In coming times this study will provide a broad base and can be used as a source material for research on Thar.
Some of the NGOs are mature, some are in their establishing stages and some are like new-born babies. However, all are striving to improve the socio-economic conditions of the Thari community. There are a large number of social organizers and workers in the town, some of whom are making living for their families, some are upgrading their social status and there are some who have devoted the rest of their lives to the noble cause of serving the humanity.
A systematic research and analysis has been carried out by a popular NGO. To obtain the data and figures that may help to portray the problems of Thar is not an easy task in this difficult area. In spite of the launching of various rural development programmes by SAZDA, the People’s Programme and national, provincial and local governments, there are still a few projects that call for urgent attention.
MUHAMMAD SOOMAR RAHIMOON
Tharparkar
IN her letter, ‘State of democracy: Socialist view’ (Jan 28), Fauzia Wahab informs us about the concerns expressed at the Socialist International Conference in Rome on Jan 21 about the state of democracy in Pakistan.
There are no two opinions about the desirability of a democratic political system in Pakistan. Everyone professes and preaches democracy without considering its implications. We all know the theoretical norms and principles of democracy. What we lack are operational norms — translating theory into practice.
The question is, how and from where to make a start for democratization? We need some model and institution to rally around. Only political parties can provide such platforms to democratic forces to get together and organize, thus providing the essential link between the social base and the state structure. Unfortunately, this ‘link’ is non-existent or non-performing in our political system.
Here lies our dilemma. We want to make our polity democratic without institutionalizing it at the party level. We have an authoritarian political structure based on feudal social structure. A democratic political super-structure does need a corresponding social base to stand on.
To provide this link to our society, let us start with democratizing political parties by electing the leadership through free and fair elections, by listening to the rank and file and by preparing manifestos through a participatory mechanism. This will set an example and make the parties viable and credible institutions.
The honourable MNAs would agree with me that the Pakistan People’s Party is potentially better placed, (as it enjoys wider public support and has capable men and women in its ranks) to become a democratic entity. Then why not start with the PPP? To make the polity democratic, democracy must begin at home.
SHAHID ANWAR
Toba Tek Singh
VERY soon an unbelievable phenomenon is going to unfold in the suburbs of Karachi. More than half a million livestock will congregate at an open place embarked for this purpose. The huge collection will comprise healthiest cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats and also camels brought over from all parts of the country for exhibition and sales during Haj.
The livestock department and the ministries concerned are probably shy of publicizing something incredible, otherwise there is no reason why this fascinating phenomenon should not brought to the notice of the international media and entered into the Guinness Book of Records. Even our own media has ignored the startling feature of this event.
It would be a source of fascination, particularly for those who have never heard or seen such a show, if an aerial photograph was taken and released to the world press, along with a description of its management in respect of restraint and identification of a vast diversity of animals in an open space, provision of feed, fodder, water, etc., their sale
after hard bargaining and prolonged haggling and finally their transportation to the place of sacrifice miles away from this assembly of the livestock.
All this happens within a period of a fortnight or so, after which the area is as vacant and serene as it was before.
DR SAYEDAIN JAFFERY
Karachi
FOR over a month now, sugarcane growers in Sindh have been protesting against the low prices being offered to them by sugar mills.
It is time the government intervened and saved both farmers and workers of the sugarcane industry.
MIANDAD RAHOOJO
Karachi
CREATED by the Mughals, Urdu was a language of the foot-soldier. It was a language of convenience. In its infancy words from Persian and Arabic became part of its vocabulary. With the arrival of the East India Company and the passage of time, English words, too, got incorporated in it to such an extent that it has now become almost an embarrassment.
I was a conducting officer to a team of Canadian Air College officers way back in the 80s. While coming back from Torkham the team stopped at Bab-i-Khyber at Jamrud to take some photographs. One Canadian officer, in order to impress me, said they had a lady officer who could read and understand Urdu.
I welcomed the idea and suggested that the lady officer be asked to read an Urdu signboard just behind us.
The lady was promptly called, introduced to me and told that I was interested in seeing how well she could read Urdu. She was shown a signboard on one side of a road and asked to tell us what it said. She looked at it, gave a very puzzled look, then smiled and said, “This is not Urdu; it is English written in Urdu.”
“Captain, that was a very nasty trick,” she told me, adding that “you almost had me stumped.” The signboard read: “Technical Training School,” but it was written in Urdu. I laughed it off but it dawned on me that signboards all over Pakistan carried English words in Urdu script. It was the norm of the day and very fashionable as well.
She then cited numerous examples from the ‘Flying Training Manual’ where the manual translated in Urdu would have to be partially written in English.
Wouldn’t it be better to let the children read and write English as an additional language? It would be of immense help to them while going for higher education.
If the MMA, however, is after one-upmanship with Punjab, then changing the official language to Urdu will certainly please our semi-literate masses. But the long-term impact on both the lower and higher levels of education could be anybody’s guess.
We in the NWFP have to bear the tangential effects of democracy in a largely illiterate society. After all, they are in the majority and they will rule us as long as the equation continues to remain in their favour. Long live Ayaz Amir, the crusader for democracy in Pakistan.
Wg-Cdr (Retd) SARDAR
AHMED SHAH JAN
Peshawar
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