| 05 November 2004 | Friday | 21 Ramazan 1425 |
Mass casualty management
Kashmir proposals
Lata Mangeshkar
Postal employees' dress
Teaching community
South Court in Mumbai
An overdue decision
Dental education
Osama's tapes
BCom exam schedule
Pakistanis' arrest
Steel bridges
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George W. Bush has won re-election. The majority of people round the globe are shocked as to how Americans can be so naive as to vote for Bush for a second time. It needs to be realized that the American public has been brainwashed by the media which is controlled by multinational companies. These companies have used the media as a propaganda machine to indoctrinate the nation with their own beliefs. This is not a recent trend; it started during the Cold War when all vices were attributed to communism and the positive aspects of communism were not revealed to the American nation.
Most people are of the opinion that perhaps John Kerry was not aggressive enough and that was the reason for his failure. It needs to be realized that there is not much of a difference between the policies of Bush and Kerry. They are two sides of the same coin. Both Republican and Democrat leaders are sponsored by multinational companies so that no matter who wins, they are always the winner. Contesting for presidential elections in a huge country like the US requires a lot of money which an ordinary or even a moderately wealthy man cannot simply afford. Thus, they need the funding of these companies and cannot take steps which may antagonize their sponsors.
It needs to be realized that Bush has not waged a religious war. Muslims are the victim of the 'war on terror' but that's not because of their religion but because Muslim countries have natural resources which American companies want under their control. For the rich, its about money and not religion. A system has been created in the US over decades which cannot be changed overnight.
The US hegemony will come to an end as new powers will emerge in the world. China is emerging as a new power and the European countries have started to put aside their differences so that they are in a better position to counter US policies. There will be more of economic than military competition in the near future. Let's hope that we are prepared to meet the challenges which lie ahead of us.
ANIL KHAN LUNI
Karachi
(2)
While we despise America for its hegemonic policies, we must appreciate and learn from the way Americans conduct their democratic affairs. Right from the start until the end of the presidential election, both candidates - George W. Bush and John Kerry - wished each other good luck and appreciated giving each other a fair run for their money.
Can we expect to see such a sight in our country? Unfortunately the "call for democracy" by the opposition and "enlightened moderation" by the general is nothing but devices to consolidate power.
ALI MUJTABA
Islamabad
Mass casualty management
This has reference to the Sindh chief minister's visit to Mayo Hospital, Lahore, on Sept 28. A doctor-turned-politician, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, witnessed the functioning of the accident and emergency department. He would definitely want to improve and streamline the casualty departments of public-sector hospitals in Sindh.
Bomb explosions, road accidents involving multiple vehicles, earthquakes, rail accidents, torrential rains, tornadoes and volcanoes have prompted health organizers globally to set up mass casualty management systems.
The World Health Organization, with the active collaboration of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), has chalked out a comprehensive plan, which is practicable even in resource-constrained countries like Pakistan.
In the last six months we have experienced quite a few incidents which call for establishing a mass casualty management system to cope with disasters and to minimize death and disability.
A multi-sectoral rescue chain is the essence of a mass casualty management system involving the ministry of health, the accident and emergency departments of government/private hospitals, blood banks, fire services, NGOs, transport services and communications.
People at the helm of affairs should wake up to the challenge and allocate funds to this end and constitute a separate team of doctors and paramedics, specifically trained for disasters which should act as a rapid deployment force and reach the disaster site for search and rescue, evacuation and field care, transportation of victims to the nearest health facility. The existing staff in the accident and emergency departments is awfully preoccupied with routine work and whenever mass casualties are brought, it only results into chaos.
SURGEON M. HANIF AWAN
Mirpurkhas
Kashmir proposals
President Pervez Musharraf has invited the public to initiate a debate on possible options to resolve the Kashmir dispute while himself outlining a few options. As usual, he seems to be optimistic that the dispute will be resolved in the near future.
The Indians are staunch diplomats - experts in backing out of their international commitments by taking a U-turn from time to time, and this is what has been happening for 57 years.
If we wish to read the Indian mindset, a study of Mr Kuldip Nayar's articles appearing in Dawn over the last two months would suffice. In his article on Oct 23 he says that territorial adjustments to resolve the issue shall need the consensus of the ruling coalition, besides approval by a two-thirds majority of both the houses of the Indian parliament, because the territory is constitutionally part of India and any portion thereof cannot be handed over to Pakistan without a constitutional amendment. The solution on the basis of much talked about give and take, therefore, stands completely ruled out.
The possible solution, in Mr Nayar's opinion, could be to demilitarize the territory, allow free movement of the people of one side of Kashmir to the other and that too when the so-called infiltration from Pakistan stops. Such measures, even if implemented for global consumption, can always be taken back by India whenever considered expedient.
Is this a real solution? What is the rationale behind Pakistan's optimism in the presence of such an Indian mindset?
GHULAM MUHAMMAD
Karachi
Lata Mangeshkar
Mr Saeed Malik's piece on Lata Mangeshkar (Images, Oct 10) did provide useful information about the great singer. But what is surprising is that even a knowledgeable person like Mr Malik committed the mistake which many other writers on film music have done in the past by saying that Majboor (1948) was Lataji's debut making film and that composer Master Ghulam Haider introduced her to Urdu/Hindi film music.
The fact is that Lataji recorded her first two Hindi songs (both choruses) under the musical baton of Dutta Korgaonkar (aka K.Dutta) for Badi Ma in 1945. Before Ghulam Haider selected Lata to record three solos and a duet (with Mukesh) for Majboor, Lata had recorded at least eight songs for six movies: Jeevan Yatra (1946), Sona Chandi (1946), Subhadra (1946), Aapki Sewa Mein (1947), Shadi se Pehle (1947) and Shehnai (1947).
I may add that Aapki sewa mein (Music: Dutta Daojekar) was Lata's first film as a playback singer because the songs she had recorded earlier were all pitcurized on her in juvenile or supporting roles.
One must, however, give full credit to Master Ghulam Haider for furthering Lataji's career by using her in Majboor which turned out to be the first milestone in what has so far been an unmatched record. Incidentally, the only other movie for which the two - Ghulam Haider and Lata - shared honours was Padmini (1948).
SULTAN ARSHAD
Karachi
Postal employees' dress
Post offices the world over are notoriously inefficient - or appear to be so - because of the large number of people they have to deal with. During my stay in the United States, I would rather go to a franchize post office than to a federal one.
During my recent visit to a European capital, I was shocked by the postal clerk's slow pace of work. I wanted to drop a picture postcard to a friend in America, and the man just did not know how much it would cost. He first weighed it on the computerized machine, found something insoluble, looked at a chart hanging nearby, called a friend over and then, after considerable time, finally disposed of my card. And the postcard was going not to Mongolia or Papua New Guinea but to the United States. I was, therefore, not at all surprised when I found procrastination at a Karachi post office the other day. What shocked me, however, was the quality of the clothes the staff were wearing.
All the staff were in soiled shalwar-qameez, and it appeared as if they had come to the post office in the same dress in which they had slept the night before. This presented a highly derogatory and demeaning picture of a government office which hundreds of people visit daily.
I hope postal authorities would pay their staff better so that they can look better.
RIZWAN YASIN
Karachi
Teaching community
This is with reference to the letter "Teaching community" by Mr Mirza Ghulam Haider (Nov 3).
In Russian universities, it is mandatory for state guests, including chancellors who are mostly governors, to stand up when teachers enter the convocation hall and sit only when all teachers have taken their seats.
At the start of a degree-awarding ceremony and upon invitation from a university, the chancellor climbs the stage to take his/her seat and no one else in the convocation hall leaves his/her seat as a mark of respect for the chancellor. The same is the case here in Canada.
But in Pakistan how chancellors are welcomed by university heads is known to almost all of us. I once visited a university in Pakistan and was shocked to see an assistant commissioner issue a "good performance" certificate to the vice-chancellor of a university. Such certificates are displayed in the vice-chancellor's room as an achievement of the university.
I would humbly request university chancellors to kindly change the practice of keeping teachers standing with garlands to welcome them.
FURAQN J. MOHAMMAD
Toronto, Canada
South Court in Mumbai
Dr Sohrab Dinshawji Ankleseria, the leading ophthalmologist of Karachi between the 50s and 70s, and my father Haji Bhai Esmail Dossa were good friends. Once in September 1969, over a cup of tea, conversation with my father and his friend turned to Ruttie Jinnah. The two got involved in a discussion on the property South Court on Malabar Hills, Mumbai.
There was agreement that the titles were in the name of Ruttie Jinnah and that the mansion had been acquired in 1912 from Sir Victor Sassoon. Contention between my father and Dr Ankleseria arose when the latter asserted that South Court was never Mr Jinnah's. Sir Dinshaw Petit had purchased this house for Ruttie in 1912, in conformity with the traditions of wealthy Parsis where a bungalow was bought for the daughter because in the Parsi community the parents of the girl formally solicit the hand of the prospective groom.
Mr Jinnah was staying in a Taj Mahal Hotel suite up to 1914 to be near his chamber at the Flora Fountain and the Bombay High Court where he used to appear before the British judges.
Mr Jinnah was engaged by Sir Dinshaw to teach English to his Francophile, French-speaking younger daughter Ruttie. To facilitate Mr Jinnah, he was given petrol rationing in Mumbai and to avoid motoring to and fro from the Gateway of India to Warden Road to provide tuition to his daughter Ruttie, Sir Dinshaw accommodated his friend in the vacant, downstairs portion of South Court so that he could be within walking distance of Petit Hall.
My father took exception to the fact that the movement for a separate homeland for the Muslims should have begun from South Court, a bungalow owned by a Parsi. To which Dr Anklerseria replied: "You are a rich businessman, industrialist. Have you not purchased the adjacent house of Mian Mohammed Bashir next to your own Falak Numa for your daughter Munira? Human nature is the same all over the world, whether we are Muslims or Parsis. Sir Dinshaw was only providing for his daughter Ruttie when he bought South Court in 1912. How was he to know that almost four decades thereafter the Pakistan Movement would be initiated from South Court?"
He put this question to my father while leaving.
MOHAMMED AZIZ HAJI DOSSA
Karachi
An overdue decision
Mr David Clark, in his article "Stuck in the groove" (Nov 3), reproduces the following comments of Senator J. William Fulbright that he made almost four decades ago about the divide among Americans in their attitude towards life.
"There were two Americans: one is generous and humane, the other narrowly egoistical; one is self-critical, the other self-righteous; one is sensible, the other romantic; one is good-humoured, the other solemn; one is inquiring, the other pontificating; one is moderate the other filled with passionate intensity; one is judicious and
Don't you think that the above divide still exists and has always existed, not only in America, but throughout the world? In Pakistan the divide is so glaring - and presently out of all proportion - that the nation is in the grip of confusion, misery and destruction.
Don't you think it is high time we decided openly on which side of the divide we stand?
RASHID QAISRAN
Lahore
Dental education
At a time when countries all over the world are making efforts to improve the quality of dental education by introducing clinical studies early on in the dental curriculum, our so-called think tanks are taking it backward by depriving second-year graduates of whatever exists of clinical education in the dental curriculum now being taught.
I refer to the proposal reportedly under consideration of the Higher Education Commission of removing the subject of pre-clinical dentistry from the second-year curriculum - a step that makes no sense at all. The subject plays an important role in orienting dental students towards clinical dentistry at the pre-clinical level.
DR RAJAZZ ABBAS
Karachi
Osama's tapes
This is with response to Mr Shakir Lakhani's letter (Nov 3) in which he says that all of Osama Bin Laden's tapes have been fabricated by Americans and the recent tape shown on TV was meant to boost President Bush's chance of getting reelected.
Mr Lakhani's contention that a number of otherwise rational people believe the above statement to be true is correct since I have met a number of such students, staff and faculty from Pakistan at various universities in the US.
I am always reminded on such occasions of a villager who goes to the city fairgrounds. He loses his blanket at the fair, goes back and tells his village that the entire fair was organized to steal his blanket. Just because people believe something does not make it true.
PROF ARUN KHANNA
Indianapolis, IN., USA
BCom exam schedule
It is rather surprising to note that the University of Karachi has not given any intermission/interval between the various B.Com papers, especially for those candidates who would appear for the combined part-I and part-II examinations.
Candidates who have opted for the combined examinations would have almost 16 papers to clear, for which they would be appearing in the examination on a daily basis. This would leave them with no time to revise. Moreover, as the university is located almost outside the main city, the candidates would have to cover a long distance, both while going to and returning from the examination. This would leave them with little time to prepare for the next day's examination, making them physically tired.
We request the vice-chancellor and the controller of examinations to allow at least a minimum of two days after each paper, especially for those who would be sitting for the examinations of parts I and II, as scheduled in December.
STUDENTS
Karachi
Pakistanis' arrest
Two batches of Pakistanis have been caught in Turkey (Oct 18). They had illegally entered Turkey while going to Cyprus and other countries. It is strange that these people hoodwinked the entire security system at Pakistan airports. Some recommendations are:
The mafia behind (the hidden hands) must be unearthed and also the gangs that take huge bribes from the job seekers. Such gangs must be having connections at our airports and at airports abroad. Those involved in the chain must be brought to book because they bring a bad name to the country.
LT.COL (retd) IRFAN HAIDER
Karachi
Steel bridges
We welcome the initiative of the city government for its traffic improvement schemes for Karachi (Dawn, Oct 11). However, the city nazim is requested to reconsider the decision to construct 25 steel bridges at busy intersections.
Generally women and senior citizens experience difficulty in using steep, steel bridges. And they are not recommended for unaccompanied children. One merely has to see how many people use the existing bridges to judge their utility.
I suggest that the city government consider constructing subways. A well-lit subway can also accommodate small shops/cabins, to make the project viable. The Saddar post office subway on Abdullah Haroon Road is widely used. Cabin-holders are responsible for cleanliness of the passage.
Bridge steel sheets often get bent/broken or are stolen, causing gaps. They are not mended or replaced quickly, posing a danger to users. Subways and underpasses are viable alternatives to steel bridges and flyovers.
MISBAH-UL-HAQ
Karachi
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