| January 06, 2008 | Sunday | Zilhaj 26, 1428 |
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Crisis: danger or opportunity
Without the crutch of English
60 years of Dawn
40-day mourning upheld
Organ donation makes a ‘world of difference’
Scotland Yard
Problems in new IPO
Occupation
Will TCP enlighten us?
A deathly similarity
Dawn has passed through the various trials and tribulations, which also needed to be brought out in its issue of 60 years of publication.
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
IN a demonstration of wisdom and goodwill, the new Japanese prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, paid a four day visit to China during which he played a baseball catch with his Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao. He then ended it by visiting the birthplace of Confucius, who is revered both in China and in Japan (Dec 31). The visit reportedly affected the two countries’ ties positively. Mr Fukuda said his visit this time had been very meaningful while noting: “There will be nothing good for the region and the world unless Japan and China have cooperative relations.”
Needless to say, the Chinese went the extra distance to show their admiration for his initiative. This would have a salutary effect on the other Asian countries and promote harmony in the region.
Problems between these neighbours appear to have begun as early as the 13th century when the Mongol Empire under Kublai Khan declared war on Japan because the Kamakura Shogunate refused to recognise him as Emperor of China.
Then, in the late 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who is credited with unifying all of Japan, invaded Korea, which damaged relations with both Korea and China.
The wars between the late 19th to mid 20th centuries with Russia, China and Korea worsened the situation.
Anyway, Pakistan has, since the beginning, had excellent relations with both the nations and Pakistanis sincerely wish to see them having similarly fraternal bonds. Indeed, we in Pakistan had been saddened by the strains in Sino Japanese ties in recent years, which was reflected in this and other correspondents’ earlier letters.
While appreciating the Japanese premier’s trip to Qufu, city of the great Chinese sage, one would like to quote some words of wisdom from Japanese and Chinese sources that may further motivate the two peoples to come closer. In China they say, “Patience and a mulberry leaf will make a silk gown” and also, “When the heron and the oyster seize each other, the fisherman reaps the benefit.”
Interestingly, the Japanese have this thinking about patience: “The string of a man’s sack of patience is generally tied with a slip knot.” Regarding conflicts it is said: “If two men quarrel, even their dogs will have a difference.” The whole issue may be underscored with a teaching of Confucius: “If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.”
One has had very good Chinese and Japanese friends and sees no reason why they cannot be so with each other. A link for bodily healing already exists, since the folks in Japan have been using Chinese medicine for nearly 14 millennia, calling it ‘Kanpo’ and have made their own improvements, as in the case of Shiatsu.
But love is a universal healer and is best for mending the hearts. Despite the troubles in Pakistan-which this resilient nation will overcome-one is sending extra doses of the magical emotion to Beijing and Tokyo with the hope that our two friends will soon forgive and forget the past injuries and overcome all their disagreements so that nobody can exploit them.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
“A MAN may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on.” — J.F. Kennedy.
It goes without saying that a murder is always considered gruesome and uncivil in any society. When it involves a popular public figure, it is even more disturbing and poignant. We shouldn’t think too much into how she died or who the culprit was. What we as a nation really need to know is ponder how our society is procreating such individuals who are ready to be employed to kill and die, for no real cause.
Intolerance, prejudice and bigotry are the leading reasons for this. There is no doubt that foreign involvement has a vital role in all this chaos but we are the ones who provide them with such opportunities. One might disagree with certain policies of the president at the moment but one thing we should all whole-heartedly support is that there should be no politics of agitation.
Since March, the gullible lawyers think that political parties are out there to support them, while it is crystal clear to an observer that this unholy alliance is to just serve their own vested interests of disrupting the country.
Inequality, injustice and corruption are the root causes of most of the problems. But like in most of the developing nations, we usually start things at the opposite end. For instance we Pakistanis think that independence of judiciary will be achieved when a chief justice of the Supreme Court gets justice.
We can claim the independence of the judicial system only when a common man is able to seek and get true justice. So instead of spearheading movements for big guns, we should look at the thousands of cases already pending in our courts and fight for them to get justice.
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” J. F. Kennedy.
We think that changing the face of who leads the country would solve all our problems, having ‘fair and free’ election is the answer to all the issues. Illiteracy, moral corruption and a feudal mindset has never allowed true democracy to prosper in the subcontinent; therefore the above-mentioned election can barely take place after we address these basic issues. In order to reform our society we need to start from somewhere and what better place to start than ourselves. Until then, we will have to put up with the same monotonous range of politicians and political dynasties.
“When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters — one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.” J. F. Kennedy.
DR YASIR ABBASI
Sheffield, UK
I TOTALLY agree with Sahar Sattar (Urdu hai jis ka naam, Dec 20, 2007) that Urdu needs to be treated much better than it is in Pakistan. We are under the misguided impression that English is necessary for ‘development’ and ‘modernisation’ of our society but majority of the countries that have developed over the past 50 years have done so without the crutch of English or some other colonial language.
Since I work with people at the grassroots and middle class level in Pakistan, I am acutely aware of the ‘language apartheid’ that exists in this country, and because of this the vast majority of our brightest and most able people are held back.
I do not think that students can be taught as well in English in a smaller town school as they can be in an elite school in a big city. This is because English is completely foreign to the thinking and culture of the common person.
But the elite here express horror when it is suggested to them that Urdu should be made the official language and the medium of instruction. One reason for this, I believe, is that they realise that if this happens, they will lose their ‘elitism’ and the ‘language apartheid’ will end. In other words, the playing field in job seeking and other activities will become more level.
Therefore, in order to end this unfair advantage for the few, we need to use Urdu in schools and universities. After all, most countries use their own language and do very well in it.
They don’t seem to think that they have any disadvantage because they don’t use English. Iran translates all technical and non-technical books into Farsi, so we cannot make the excuse of not having technical books in Urdu. We could translate just like the Iranians.
No country can really express itself or make progress in an equitable way by thinking and using a foreign language. We need to rid ourselves of our backward, colonial mindset.
By all means, we should teach English in a proper manner to our students as a means to communicate with the outside world and perhaps work in some outsourced jobs like call centres or software development, but let’s stop putting it up on a high pedestal where it does not belong.
SHAHEEN KHAN
Abbottabad
DAWN deserves its readers’ congratulations for brining out its “60 Years of Publication” on Dec 31, 2007. It is indeed a great gift of Dawn to its readers. It has revived in our minds the various stages through which Dawn has passed to attain the present prestigious position.
It would also have been a nice thing, if a page or two were devoted to the late editors, assistant editors, journalists and the other mediamen who made their respective contribution to the paper.
I can recall that Mr Safdar Barlas and Ms Maisoon Hussain also enriched the paper with their facile pen during their association with Dawn. Mr Barlas, if I remember correctly, worked with Khan Sahib, the dynamic Editor of Dawn.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
THE ‘Yadoan ki barat’ is also read as how much Dawn cares for its readers. Most probably like others, it took me to my 1950s student days when, I do recollect, I read them. But some news items and other known facts of those days, long life woven in our chest as the pride of Pakistan, were not found. I mean the economic plight of the then prime ministers, most of the cabinet ministers and the like.
After the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan, the bank balance found in his accounts was less than Rs100. After the illegal dismissal of Khwaja Nazimuddin, he owned no house to shelter, no money to construct one or even pay the rent to hire a house when A. W. Adamjee came to his rescue and gave him a house in PECHS, Karachi.
Abul Hasan Ispahani was a noted businessman before he joined and served for the Quaid’s mission full-time, his business was ruined but he never sought any favour from the government.
The plight of others were not very different – they include Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar and prime minister Chaudhry Mohamad Ali.
The justification for this letter can be what once Jesus Christ said: “What shall it profit a man if he gains the world but loses his soul” (Young World, Dec 20, 2007).
Z.A. KAZMI
Karachi
THE Election Commission’s decision, duly endorsed by the president, to postpone the Jan 8 election to Feb 18 means the government has allowed a period of 40 days in which the administration seems to be joining in full mourning for Benazir Bhutto.
M. M. Khan
Karachi
IN only 2006 50,000 people died of end-stage organ failure in Pakistan. According to an estimate, every 10 minutes someone dies waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
The near and dear ones of all these people said that if their son, daughter, brother, sister had received organs, they might have lived longer.
Two months back an ordinance on cadaveric organ donation was promulgated and exactly two weeks later hundreds of notables signed donor cards in a campaign organised by the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi.
They wished that after death their organs should be donated and transplanted to persons in need to save their lives.
After the promulgation of the ordinance, Prof Abdul Razzak Memon is the first deceased organ donor who is alive in Kashmala and Zareena Yousuf, both did not have a donor available from their families.
They are happy and praying for Prof Memon and his family for their new life.
We should pay tribute to Prof Memon and appreciate his family who took this brave decision which saved two lives.
Data from two ICUs in the city revealed that more than 1,000 trauma patients died last year and if their organs were donated, thousands of organ failure patients could be saved and given new life.
I know this is a difficult decision for families to take but this is a great social and humanitarian service to society. This shows that as human beings how caring and responsible we are to our brethren and fellow citizens.
This is a great sacrifice to perform and also one of the greatest services one could render to society.
If we look at the helplessness of organ failure patients having no live related donors in families, we will definitely consider the importance of organ donation.
It is the responsibility of the media to propagate this great cause and then it is the job of society to act upon it as they will be playing a great part in the service of the people and saving thousands of lives with this generous donation.
Why not give life to someone when you have the opportunity to help. Organ transplant offers patients a new chance of healthy, productive and normal life and return them to their families, friends and communities.
You have the power to change someone’s life by volunteering to donate and become a part of this great cause. It is about life. Sacrifice is appreciated everywhere.
Be an organ donor and let your families and friends know about your generous wish to become a contributing member to the betterment of society on the whole.
DR MURLI LAL
Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation
Karachi
IT is a strange coincidence that the Scotland Yard might be investigating the assassination of the former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, as it did in the case of Pakistan’s first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, some 56 years ago.
The agency assigned Mr Urin to probe the murder of the Quaid-i-Millat, and the Pakistan government must have paid exorbitant fees to the investigator but the report as published in newspapers at the time said that the motive behind the murder was religious fanaticism since a section of the public regarded Begum Ra’ana Liaquat’s public appearances as unbecoming of a Muslim woman.
Needless to say that this ridiculous explanation was seen by many as a crude attempt to cover up the real culprits. The newspapers and the public opinion at that time rejected the report with utter contempt. This is why instead of entrusting the investigation to a particular country or agency, it should be probed by the UN Security Council to ensure transparency and credibility.
PROF SHAMEEM AKHTAR
Karachi
THIS is apropos of the letter, ‘Problems in new IPO’ (Dec 18). It is very true that the Central Depository Company has greatly assisted the account holders in the smooth and hassle-free trading in shares and the CDC system is easy and efficient.
Aijaz Ali Shah, the General Manager, (Marketing and Customers Support Services), CDC, has stated that the CDC has drastically reduced its annual fee for Investor Account Services from Rs3,000 to Rs500 for individual account holders, which is a right step and will benefit its customers.
However, I would like to draw his attention to the fact that for CDC sub-account holders (through stock broker) previously there was no fee, but subsequently a fee of Rs100 for each individual account holder was imposed. Now recently it is learnt that this fee has been raised to Rs500, which is rather harsh and will be a burden on small investors.
I would appeal him not to increase this fee, rather he should maintain it at the existing level of Rs100 to help out all sub-account holders.
BASHIR AHMAD BATLA
Karachi
“NO need for Musharraf to step down”, said Hillary Clinton (Dec 31). I am writing this letters after the last sunset of the year wishing to see a new morning of the New Year.
So to say, as our only friend in the world and a lover of our affairs was seen sitting on every curve of our events of the year passed by.
A PAKISTANI
Karachi
THROUGH an advertisement in the press, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan has recently invited bids for the sale of 25,000 tons of sugar from the “imported stocks stored in TCP go-downs at Karachi”.
Through another advertisement on the same date (Dec 25, 2007), the TCP invited “sealed offers from sugar mills in Pakistan who are members of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association for purchase of 50,000 MT of white refined sugar”.
In both cases, the interested tenderers have been given only one week to buy the tender documents and submit their bids. Is this not an ‘indecent haste’ (especially during a caretaker government) of the type that characterised the privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation which was subsequently declared null and void by the then Supreme Court of Pakistan?
Some other questions that come to mind of the knowledgeable, sensitive Pakistanis are as under:
Is the TCP a profit-making business organisation that wants to make money by dealing in sugar? If so, will it like to tell its countrymen how much profit it expects to make by disposing of the imported sugar in the open market? We would also like to know its landed cost and country of origin. Why and when was it imported from abroad, instead of buying from the local manufacturers? With regard to the tender for purchase of 50,000 MT of white refined sugar, why restrict the deal only to the local “sugar mills in Pakistan that are members of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association”?
If the TCP’s objective is to make a profit, why does it not consider buying from any source, local or foreign? However, if the TCP’s patriotism demands patronising Pakistani sugar mills, does it think that local manufacturers who are not members of the Association do not produce good quality sugar?
Any analysis of the two hasty tenders floated by the TCP is bound to create doubts in the minds of those who are familiar with rampant corruption in the country. It is for the TCP to dispel the doubts.
SHAMEEM AHMAD
Karachi
“TWO children were killed and six members of a family were severely injured in an attack on a house in North Waziristan in an exchange of fire between security forces and the militants” (Dec 19).
Such cases were also reported in the past, Palestine and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where people are killed or injured sitting in their homes.
AN OBSERVER
Karachi
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