| November 8, 2005 | Tuesday | Shawwal 5, 1426 |
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Shelter options
PAF museum centre
Islamabad hospital
Flight from Kabul
Indian Muslims
Renaming roads
‘Miseducating the child’
Serials and ads
Admissions
Phone thieves
TV coverage
New Murree
Priorities
THIS has reference to the article titled “Protecting the Vulnerable” by Mr Shahid Javed Burki (Oct 25). The author, in support of the main thrust of his writing, has come up with the purported reasons for the development of canal colonies in Punjab.
However, Mr Burki’s assertion that these were set up after the British concluded that this was the best way of protecting the poor from floods, drought and for ensuring food supply is not the reason for these new settlements. In fact, the colonials were never imbued with such good intentions and always subordinated development goals to economic, political and military imperatives.
In this regard, two important works, viz., The Punjab under Imperialism, 1885-1947 by Dr Imran Ali and The Garrison State -– The Military, Government and Society in Colonial Punjab, 1849-1947 by Professor Tan Tai Yong can be referred to for the true reasons. According to these academicians, these colonies, developed between 1886 and 1926 in Punjab, were specifically created for the following:
1. To relieve the pressure of population upon the land in those districts of the province where the agricultural population had already reached or was fast approaching the limit which the land available to agriculture could support.
2. To colonize the area in question with well-to-do yeomen of the best class of agriculturists, who would cultivate their own holdings with the aid of their families and the usual “menials”, but as much as possible without the aid of tenants, and will constitute healthy agricultural communities of the best Punjab type.
3. The third official objective concerned an improvement in the standard of rural life, through creation of villages of a type superior in comfort and civilization to anything which had previously existed in Punjab.
4. As a sequence of colonization, projects of such magnitude had far-reaching political and economic implications. Land distribution could also win the loyalty of those so rewarded. It also was meant to strengthen the status and authority of the social groups and classes selected for land grants, so that they in turn could serve more effectively as props to the ruling authority.
5. Revenue was another important consideration. Canal projects were sanctioned only if their profitability was ensured, and few colonial decisions were made without extractive requirements in mind.
6. As colonization progressed, military needs emerged as a major factor, often overriding other aspects of government policy.
Thus the benefits that the colonial state stood to obtain for a hydrologically-oriented process of agrarian expansion were manifold and profound. They became clear not in any exegesis of official statements, but in the practice of colonization as it gathered momentum in Punjab.
TAHIR BASHARAT CHEEMA
Lahore
THE task of providing shelter to the earthquake survivors is colossal. The long-term need of earth-quake resistant housing is being addressed by a group of architects and engineers who, it is said, would soon make available the relevant technology through a manual in Urdu.
There are currently four models of shelter that are being examined. One is a single-room structure that can be made quickly and will have enough insulation to provide protection against the cold.
One international organization has forwarded a prototype which uses large bags filled with mud. Apparently an NGO in Abbottabad has this on display in its office.
A third alternative uses wooden beams as support for the roof and these are placed at a 45 degree angle. A fourth possibility is the use of corrugated tin sheets over makeshift walls. In fact, local people have salvaged some debris from the collapses houses and have begun placing such tin sheets.
A fifth can be examined as well. One that was used in Turkey after a massive earthquake there. There is also talk of pre-fabricated houses as well.
The issue is how is one to know what is the best option There are groups of donors now who want to channel their funds for providing shelter but until a final decision is made they will have to wait. I suggest that a two-day consultation be organized where proponents of different models of shelter can gather and present their respective cases.
KAUSAR S. KHAN
Karachi
THE PAF Museum became like our home from Oct. 9 onwards. Many like myself who went in the early days all geared up to help but were overwhelmed by the sight of young people already there hard at work guiding cars, sorting, packing and forming amazingly well-organized loading lines.
Back then the place was rife with volunteers. Now fewer people are seen at night, though many volunteers still remain manning their sections and assisting in the occasional loading. Most of the sections are now semi-deserted with stashed and covered cartons stockpiled ready to go, but the need for volunteers is far from over.
The two remaining sections of blankets and garments are still operational and prior to Eid the volunteers continued with their work even from iftar to sehri. On November 3, four truckloads of blankets had been sorted but after that they need to be packed and sent before the harsh winter sets in the north.
I appeal to all young people to come and help. A word of advice to generous donors: pack dolls and delicate items carefully so that they stay intact. In the toys section I came across several dolls with their heads missing. The control room specially set up nearby has made this an organized effort.
The relief effort is expected to last for quite some time and we hope that the volunteers, who responded so well in the initial days of the crisis, will return.
AFRAH JAMAL
Karachi
THE Oct 8 earthquake rendered thousands dead, injured and homeless. Many victims are being treated in the Federal Government Services Hospital or PIMS, or have been taken to hospitals in Lahore, Multan and even Dubai.
A plot for the construction of a dispensary in G-10 Markaz in Islamabad was allocated by the CDA vide its letter No. CDA/EM-27 (1906)/88/133 dated Jan 8, 1989. After a delay of four years, PC-1 was prepared by the medical superintendent, Federal Government Services Hospital, and forwarded to the joint secretary (development), ministry of health, on Dec 20, 1992.
Almost three such PC-1s were prepared by the Federal Government Services Hospital and forwarded to the ministry of health but to no avail.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government Services Hospital wrote a letter to the CDA, No. F.2-66/85-A dated Nov 3, 1997, where it was pointed out that it was not possible to construct a dispensary and MCH Centre on such a small plot of 40x160.
It was requested that a plot of two acres may be allotted for construction of a mini-hospital in Sector G-10 Markaz, as had already been planned.
Fifteen years have passed and we have neither a dispensary nor a mini-hospital. Had this facility in G-10 sector been completed, it could have accommodated a reasonable number of patients in emergencies like the one we are facing, or the earlier incident of the bomb blast at Bari Imam Shrine. Will the authorities look into the matter as soon as possible?
S. HYDER RAZA
Islamabad
ON Oct. 31, I flew on PIA from Kabul to Peshawar and Islamabad. There was no PIA ground staff available at Kabul airport to help passengers. After being seated we saw complete chaos at the plane’s entrance door.
To our surprise we found that at least five extra passengers were boarded on to the plane. I also noticed that there were four to five PIA maintenance staff aboard the plane travelling as passengers on regular seats.
The crew had apparently allowed the passengers into the aircraft while the airline staff disagreed saying that they (the extra passengers) would have to disembark, or else the flight would be cancelled. The hue and cry continued for more then an hour.
By then, the airline staff (travelling in the regular seats) was heard saying that if the plane did not take off the flight would be cancelled. It was also the last PIA flight out of Kabul before Eid.
It was then agreed that the extra passengers boarded at the last minute would have to get off. Another half an hour was wasted in identifying who these were.
Then I saw something that I had never seen on a plane in spite of the fact that I am a frequent flyer.
Security guards were called in to forcefully throw the passengers out. This was all happening after all seats were filled in including the jump seats.
Elderly citizens were pulled off their seats and pushed out of the plane.
What a disgrace for these paid passengers boarded on the plane after issuance of boarding cards.
I want to know why were the extra passengers boarded? Why did the airline staff not sacrifice their own seats (this staff was occupying economy-plus seats).
MIRZA NAIM BEG
Peshawar
I COMPLETELY disagree with Dr. Abdulruff Colachal’s view (Dawn, Oct. 28) on Indian Muslims. The Indian Muslim population is much better off than the low-caste Indian Hindus.
Perhaps one should, instead, ask why Muslim countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan or Pakistan are not progressing. Dr Colachal should know that the solution to the progress for Muslims lies with the Muslims themselves.
As far as India is concerned, the Muslims have all the rights granted to citizens of any other religion.
To discriminate against others is something innate to human nature. The Tamils have issues with the Hindi-speaking people, the Brahmins dislike those from the lower castes, and so on.
One sect of Muslims fights another. Blacks and whites don’t integrate. The rich do not like the poor and so on.
This happens all over the world. But to blame the Indian government as a whole is not correct.
DR AVANTI SEITHI
Dallas, Tx, US
TAKING exception to the renaming of some avenues in Islamabad, Mr Nasim Sadiq (Oct 31) has rightly suggested that if the intention is to honour certain individuals then new parks, roads and buildings be named after them instead of renaming the existing ones.
In Karachi, Jehangir Road had been named after Engineer Jahangir Sethna who 70 years ago laid the city’s sewerage system. Catering then to the needs of less than 300,000 people the system is still coping with the requirements of a population fifty times over.
During the last days of his nazimate however the previous nazim renamed it after some mufti. He also renamed the Jehangir Kothari Park and perhaps Guru Mandir.
In Punjab, Sir Ganga Ram and his father Van Radha Ram founded many charitable and welfare institutions. The Sir Ganga Ram hospital in Lahore is well known.
A town in Kasur named after Van Radha Ram was changed to Habib Kot. God knows the services of muftis to Karachi or of Habib to Kasur.
In order to probe how the naming of public places was regulated I asked questions in the Senate. The replies were stunning.
A question was asked on May 31, 2005 about roads, bridges and toll plazas that had been re-named during the last four years, the criterion for the renaming, and also a description of the national service rendered by each individual. It transpired that there were no rules on the subject.
The Senate was informed that the Khairabad bridge on the River Indus on the national highway (N-5) was re-named last year as Captain Iqbal Khan Shaheed HJ Bridge.
It was stated that the late captain was a local who had laid down his life during the 1999 Kargil conflict and the defence ministry had recommended his name.
In reply to a similar question on December 9, 2004, Wapda informed the Senate that the 132 KV grid station in Islamabad had been named as Captain Taimur Shaheed Grid Station. Again it was stated that there was no specific criteria for renaming and that Captain Taimur had ‘sacrificed his life in defending the country’. The defence ministry had recommended his name.
Honours thrust upon ‘brothers in faith’ or ‘brothers in arms’ without public debate and without being regulated by law are shallow.
There must be a law on the subject and a thorough public debate for an honour to be genuinely ‘public’.
SENATOR FARHATULLAH BABAR
Islamabad
THIS is with reference to Ms Zubeida Mustafa’s article (Nov 2). She says there are two issues: “The first is the need to create awareness of the importance of primary education in our policymakers. The second is the urgency of curbing corruption in the education sector.”
She has forgotten the third, rather the first issue and that is the medium of instruction at primary level. Almost 80 per cent of the child population (eligible for primary education) is being taught in a language other than their mother tongues.
Punjab has 56 per cent of the country’s total population but not a single child is being taught in his mother tongue — not even up to Class X.
The language policy has failed in Pakistan compared to Bangladesh or Nepal.
AASIA BALOCH
Lahore
SOME TV serials these days run for over 200 episodes. To make matters worse, they usually do not have any valuable content and rely more on repetition and basically on three shoots of three minutes each with the rest of the 30 minutes being taken up by advertisements.
In fact what is ironic is that those sponsoring these ads do not realize that such a heavy dose can actually put off their would-be consumers.
Sometimes whole episodes of these dramas are devoted to showing past episodes in black and white which means that there is nothing new available to show.
If such serials were fairly and honestly produced they would not go over 40-50 episodes of half an hour each with a fair share of ads.
Will the producers kindly take into consideration this feedback and spare us viewers the torture?
M. M. Khan
Karachi
THE annual examinations for 2004 for BA, BCom and BSc were held in December 2004 and the results were announced after some six months, but admissions to MA, MCom and MSc classes have not yet begun.
Karachi University recently announced that the last date for submission of forms for admission to the above classes for the session 2006 was Oct 26 and classes would start in January 2006.
Similar is the case with those who appeared in Class X and XII examinations. They all had to wait for one year to join their next class.
Will somebody in the education department or Karachi University let the public know as to why every time a year is wasted in moving to the next class and why students of the batch of 2004 have to join in 2006?
AMARNATH MOTUMAL
Karachi
I WOULD like to bring to the attention of the authorities that a mobile phone snatching gang is active in Block 13 of Karachi’s Federal ‘B’ Area. This gang has marked its streets and often strikes in the morning when people are going to the bus stop or at sunset when they are coming home.
The gang uses motorbikes which are parked in the smaller lanes. Members wait till a passer-by comes and then approach him with a gun and take the phone away.
The thieves don’t try to hide their face and several people have identified them as residents of a settlement across the road situated in Block 14.
This shows that they have confidence that they will not be caught and perhaps it may well that they have links with the police. I request the city government to take action as soon as possible before someone gets seriously hurt.
ALEEM KHAN
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the live transmission shown on the first day of Eid by some private channels. On one of the channels the compere asked a child who must have been less than 10 years of age: “How did you celebrate Eid when you were with your parents and how do you feel now”
May I suggest that even if any adult is asked the same question after the death of his father/mother, how would he or she respond? Please stop doing this; do not ask the survivors questions about the trauma they already have gone through. Do not force people to share their stories with you, especially personal details.
Television correspondents should not pass comments like ‘I know your feelings’ or say something like‘It is good that at least you are alive’.
HAIDER RIZVI
University of Karachi
AFTER the massive earthquake on Oct 8, will the government of Pakistan still go ahead with the New Murree project?
With Rs42 billion embarked for building new city, these funds should now be diverted towards constructing schools, hospitals, houses, roads and government buildings in Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas.
BILAL MASOOD
Karachi
THIS is with reference to the letter by Shobhan Paul (Nov 4) who expressed surprise that Pakistan has money to buy fighter jets but not for the relief and rehabilitation effort. I would like to inform him that the US has trillions of dollars in its federal reserves, yet it needed aid from countries such as Pakistan after Hurricane Katrina. So the question arises: what are these massive reserves used for? The answer is for ‘liberating’ the world.
KHALID KHAN
Lahore
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