| October 7, 2003 | Tuesday | Sha’aban 10, 1424 |
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Sectarian killings in Karachi
What Haifa bombing proves
Why replace English with Urdu?
Homeopathy as alternative medicine
Bus service of Police Foundation
Kashmir imbroglio
Tribute to Edward Said
PCB policy on captaincy
Moral rearmament
‘Pakistan facing toxic water apocalypse’
IN a country where macro-economics (denoted by such indices as foreign reserves and stock exchange) is divorced from micro-economics (the basic productive capacity of the people and soundness of infrastructures), that country is doomed. When forex reserves stand at $11 billion and the government defines no-poverty simply as consumption of 2,200 calories per person per day (which even a cow can manage to get in a jungle), then it is certain that micro and macro pictures are completely detached from each other.
The forex and stock exchange indices have risen since 1999 only because of grants, moratoria on loan repayments and other such foreign-bestowed economic props while the fact is that poverty levels have increased sharply since then owing to extortionist taxation and other curbs on private enterprise.
As soon as foreign support is withdrawn, our economy will again collapse with a big thud. In other words, when a typical government falls in our country, with it goes down the economy also. The only way to achieve sustainable economic growth is to improve people’s productive capacity beginning with fixing mass child literacy as first target and facilitating agricultural and industrial sectors. The sick economy cannot be revived merely by inflating the forex and stock exchange quotes.
Unfortunately, our government’s policy towards the people has been unfavourable since independence just as if the colonial powers had never left. President Musharraf, speaking recently to newsmen, defended loan write-offs to some military and civil elites. There is instead a need to pursue economic policies that would delete the necessity for such remissions. In the meantime, agricultural and industrial failures continue to rise in the present adverse economic milieu. The poverty rate at income less than one dollar a day per person as defined by the UN is more than 50 per cent of our population today.
The small businessman has no chance of survival and faces quick reprisals for any downturn in his fortunes. For example, the house plot of one of the owners of a cotton factory in Lundi Pitafi (Muzaffargarh) is up for auction by a bank on Oct 11 and similarly all other small enterprises stand ruined. For as long as our rulers continue to ignore the basic principles of economic growth, as outlined above, our nation’s foundations will remain shaky.
There is an urgent need to unshackle the landowners and petty industrialists from the burden of accumulated loans if the national economy is at all to move forward credibly. Thus, the sane advice to our rulers would be: don’t entirely go on pleasing the masters, do something good for your subjects as well.
MUHAMMAD ASHIQ LASKANI
Muzaffargarh
THE recent massacre of Shia worshippers in Karachi is a slap in the face of a country where ‘religious freedom as basis for creation’ is a never-ending rhetoric. The hideous crimes carried out in mosques, graveyards and imambargahs and against educated professionals over the past few years serve as an ominous message to every Shia that no matter what the extent of their religious leaning is, and of what social stature they are, the campaign against them makes no distinction about who to be spared.
Moderate professionals who have no affiliations with any religious institution find their morale at an all-time low with mixed feelings of confusion and despair. In many instances, the decision made by trained talented Shia physicians to stay away from Pakistan is simply based on fear for their lives. Ask them if their fears are well founded and they would start giving you a list of names of class fellows, friends and fellow workers who have fallen victim to this madness.
While a sect of Pakistanis despair over the recurring tragedies of losing family members, close friends and co-workers, the rest of us continue to live (what we think are) normal lives. I am amazed at our capacity for putting up with injustice. If we come out of our shells and take a look at the series of crimes committed against the Shia community in Pakistan, it very well appears to be a campaign that is meant not only to hurt them physically but to shatter their morale so that they cease to associate any dreams and hopes with their motherland.
Since the 9/11 attacks, there has been a sombre acknowledgement of extremist elements brewing within regional Islamic culture across the Muslim nations. I urge the intelligentsia of the country, the media and the government to reach out to the masses and make them realize the cold atrocity against the Shia community in a manner that it touches their hearts.
To point out that Islam is a religion of peace is not enough. It is time to launch a serious and intelligent campaign against extremism in terms of its recognition, a collective strategy to address it and consequently its eradication.
NADIR HUSAIN
Indianapolis, USA
A SUICIDE bomber, a Palestinian woman, whose brother was killed by Israelis, blew herself in a Haifa restaurant on Saturday afternoon, by detonating explosives that killed 19 Israeli Jews and injured 50 others, including children. This revenge action goes to prove three points that Israel will have to now publicly acknowledge and address with proper response.
First, the circle of violence cannot be disconnected as long as victims on both sides have personal reasons to take revenge, so graphically symbolized by Israel’s own tit-for-tat revenge attacks with gunship and rocket fire. Palestinian citizens do not have highly sophisticated aerial task force to take revenge; but their suicide bombing on innocent Israelis are no less lethal and tragic. Moral: revenge killings should stop from both sides. Israel cannot appropriate its right to revenge while denying that to its victims. Both sides have full rights to their self-defence and security.
Second, since the latest attack took place in Israel’s own security-controlled area and it had failed to prevent it with all its famous world renowned security expertise, it cannot expect Palestinian Authority to be more efficient to such high security standards to be able to prevent suicide bombing. No democratic government can indulge in targeted and extra-judicial killings that Israel expects its ‘chosen’ Palestinian Authority prime minister to carry out.
Third, the Haifa bombing proves that Israel’s billion-dollar apartheid wall, expropriating further Palestinian farms and villages, can never guarantee full security against personal suicide bombing even in Israel proper. The billion-dollar Berlin wall will never ensure safety and security of its citizens. The building of Maginot Line will end with the same fate as the French folly and will only further alienate and enrage of Palestinian neighbourhoods, besides inviting world condemnation.
GHULAM MUHAMMED
Mumbai, India
PLEASE refer to the news-item in Dawn of Oct 4, which says: “...Rs 254.9 million has so far been allocated to the National Language Authority, which was set up on October 4, 1979, to switch over from English to Urdu and declare Urdu as the official language of the country”.
I think it would be a big mistake to replace English with Urdu as the official language. Both languages have the right to exist side by side as they are. During my 33-year stay in Germany, I have seen that all scientific and technical publications in the world are easily accessible in English. Although I have a sound knowledge of the German language, I have always published scientific publications only in English. The German professors have eagerly allowed me to do so.
We in Pakistan are really in a very fortunate position to make good use of the English language. In this way we have immediate access to all new publications without involving any tedious and time-consuming translations. Specially, in the Internet era, English is now more important than it was a decade ago.
English is a language of business, communication, literature and databanks. Unfortunately, the standard of English is already fast deteriorating in Pakistan. This is a bad sign for a developing country like ours.
Urdu is certainly a sweet and simple language for writing “ghazals” and romantic songs, but Urdu should only be promoted at a local level. At a technical level Urdu does not have a well-developed vocabulary. Newly-incorporated technical terms are being borrowed or modified from strange unpronounceable Arabic words.
I hope the authorities concerned will look into the matter and use the public money for promoting English as a top priority among the people.
TANWEER HUSSAIN
Bickenbach, Germany
THIS refers to the news-item (Oct 5) regarding a seminar on alternative medicine.
It is very surprising that homeopathy was not mentioned as an alternative system of medicine, which has been in existence for about 200 years. This system of medicine has been recognized by our government and works under the National Council For Homeopathy, with its headquarters in Rawalpindi/Islamabad. The council has under its umbrella more than 100 homeopathic colleges throughout Pakistan, runs a four-year diploma programme and awards the degree of DHMS. The vice-chancellor of Karachi University himself is a respected homeopathic doctor, besides being a scientist.
It is a pity that this viable, economical and effective system of medicine gets a step-motherly treatment in the country. It may be surprising to know that homeopathy was first introduced in the subcontinent in 1839 by German doctor John Martin Hoeinigberger who was called to treat Maharaja Ranjit Singh of then Panjab for paralysis of his vocal chords. He later practised in Kolkata. Homeopathy has spread to the subcontinent from there.
This system of medicine has been advancing fast since then in neighbouring India, with the government giving its full backing together with private organizations. There are many research institutes doing clinical research and introducing new drugs from plants and vegetations every year. There are numerous teaching hospitals throughout the country.
Homeopathy has been using ginger, garlic and red onion for making homeopathic medicine Zingiber, Alium Satviu and Alium Cepa which have several therapeutic values. We only need the will to utilize it for the benefit of fellow beings.
WEQUAR ALI KHAN
Karachi
THROUGH these columns I want to commend the recently-introduced Silverline Transport’s Karachi-Hyderabad bus service under the management of the National Police Foundation.
The service is not only good but economical too, and the management deserves a pat on the back.
Last week, I travelled from Hyderabad to Karachi on this transport service and noted that something more should be done to improve it further. The points are as follows:
— As the hostess in the bus is in her uniform, so the driver should also be provided with a uniform;
— The seat number should be written in a proper manner on the seats and not by the make-shift ink-markers;
— The back of the ticket, issued by the management, is blank and should be utilized for necessary instructions regarding margin of time for arrival of the intending passengers before departure, terms, conditions, arrival/ departure time, addresses and telephone numbers of the booking offices in Karachi and Hyderabad, etc;
— The waiting halls at the two terminals are provided with movable chairs for the intending passengers, making the seating arrangement clumsy. Instead, arrangements should be made to provide fixed chairs to make things to look decent and disciplined;
— A website should be created with all information for the convenience of intending passengers.
SYED ALIM ALI
Karachi
THERE is an unresolved Indian conundrum, exuding traditional wisdom, which says: “Insanity can be cured by marriage; but marriage can take place only after insanity is cured.”
In his latest interview with Time magazine, President Pervez Musharraf says he cannot ensure complete cessation of infiltration of militants across the LoC in Kashmir, when even the Indian army with its substantial presence at the ‘border’ is unable to do it. India’s Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee reiterates his oft-repeated and ‘firm’ stand that there will be no peace talks unless the militants in their entirety are stopped at their tracks by the Pakistan government. What then is the solution to the Kashmir imbroglio which is taking away lives in the hundreds every month?
The lay public (or the common man) can only hope, piously, that the problem will go away on its own with sheer efflux of time during which militants as well as the politicians on both sides disappear due to old age or plain ennui.
KANGAYAM R.
RANGASWAMY
Madison, WI, USA
THE death of Edward Said ended a tale of commitment and unremitting dedication to a just cause. It brought sudden shock to me and many of the young Ravians who were acquainted with his heart-rending sagas of Palestinian war of independence.
For the last couple of years he was a regular contributor to The Ravi. This year the annual magazine of the Government College University, Lahore, has specially dedicated a section to his life and his works.
I remember corresponding with him through emails and he was ever ready to give an article for the magazine. He was also humble enough to give the editors authority to edit his articles, according to the requirement of space. His passion for knowledge and his love for his homeland remind us of men who for honour’s sake stand steadfast and suffer long. May his soul rest in peace.
SAAD AHMED
Editor, The Ravi,
FAISALABAD
THE cricket management policies of the PCB chairman are rather shocking. Instead of working to achieve consistency in team line-ups, the Pakistan Cricket Board is busy chalking out meaningless and inadequate policies such as captaincy on a series-to-series basis. No team in the world can reach the top if the captain is changed frequently. The recent controversy involving Rashid Latif is an example.
Every time a new captain is appointed, he is put under great pressure to produce winning results. Working under such pressure makes a person overreactive and hence makes him lose his confidence. And in Pakistan a failed captain normally loses captaincy as well as his place in the side — Waqar Younis and Moin Khan are two such examples. It’s possible Rashid Latif may also opt out of international cricket in times to come.
I hope the PCB management will not experiment the formula on Inzamam-ul-Haq, who indeed has a difficult task on his shoulders. Whether the ongoing series against South Africa is won or lost, Inzamam should continue as captain till the next World Cup in 2007.
KAMRAN A. SHAH
Karachi
THIS is in response to the letter headlined “Moral rearmament” (Oct 2) by Mr Ihsan-ul-Haque.
At any stage in his address, Mahathir Mohamed did not say anything chauvinistic. He told Muslim nations to equip themselves with new technologies in the field of science and commerce.
If he were a chauvinistic person, Malaysia would not be an advanced Muslim country, as it is today.
IMRAN AMIR ALI
NC, USA
This is with reference to the article headlined “Pakistan facing toxic water apocalypse” (Aug 3).
To meet environmental requirements, the Kasur Tannery Pollution Control project was started in 1995. Pumping stations and concrete channels were built to ensure that the chemicals-laden water of the tanning industry is safely conducted outside the city to the treatment plant.
Here, the pollution load is reduced by 75 per cent. The treated water is then discharged into the Pandoki drain eight kilometres away from the treatment plant. Tannery solid waste is collected daily and disposed of at the landfill site built under the project.
Moreover, workers are provided with safety equipment, as well as training on chemical handling. Since September 2001, the project has been doing all the functions mentioned above.
It is thus wrong to say that toxic waste is discharged into open space, leading to water accumulation which is poisoning the groundwater, the only source of drinking water in Kasur. The waste water is carried through concrete channels to its final disposal point. The writer has failed to understand this, and what he calls a wasteland is another treatment process at the plant.
A few words about the pictures: the top one is the equalization tank where the waste water is aerated to reduce pollution. The possibility of any health risk as pointed out is thus ill-founded.
Again, the bottom photograph shows the oxidation ponds which the writer takes for drinking water channels. The photograph in the middle is of a delegation of nazims, naib nazims and DCOs from the NWFP who visited Kasur and were shown the treatment plant as one of the achievements of the citizens of Kasur.
About the claim that chemical analyses showed presence of chromium, lead and mercury, it may be said that lead and mercury have no use in tannery process, and the only heavy metal used is chromium, which is also present in the tannery effluent. At the recovery and treatment plants its concentration is reduced to below 1.0 PPM to meet National Environmental Quality Standards before discharging in the natural stream.
In Kasur there are 23 tubewells that supply drinking water. Lab tests show water from these tubewells meets the WHO standards.
Similarly, the claim about the causes of the disease is not tenable as government hospitals in Kasur have hardly any facility to establish the cause of a disease.
About the criticism that the waste’s volume is greater than what the treatment facility can handle, it is sufficient to say that the treatment facility does not touch its maximum capacity even in the peak season.
SALMAN AKHTAR KHAN
General Manager,
Tanneries Waste Management
Agency, Kasur
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