| December 22, 2008 | Monday | Zilhaj 23, 1429 |
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Freaking out America
Corporate social responsibility
Effectiveness of NGOs
Shoe throwing incident
The language issue
Ban on smoking
Pakistani prisoners in India
PIA fares
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
A report says that some US lawmakers with close links to India are trying to persuade the Obama administration to stop American aid to Pakistan (Dec. 17).
Success in doing that won’t make the Pakistanis starve or go begging to the US for alms. The $15 billion planned to be given over ten years, i.e. $1.5 billion every year amounts to about $9 per person per annum for the 165 million of us. If the government acts wisely, it can easily motivate the people to create goods or services several times this figure. However, one is amazed at the short memories and ingratitude of these politicians. In the 1980s, they were so eager to make Islamabad join their Cold War against the Soviets who had invaded Afghanistan. The US and its western allies did all they could to exploit the religious sentiments of the devout Muslims worldwide to take up arms against the ‘evil empire’ in Moscow.
After their purpose was achieved, the Americans departed in a hurry and the two Muslim countries were left to pick up the pieces of their devastated societies and to contend with gun and drug cultures and social maladies produced by the ten years of Soviet and western operations, without any help from the West. Several American officials are on record in recent years as admitting this was a monumental mistake on part of the US.
This is like supplying free booze or drugs to some people to achieve ones objectives. After the job is done and the collaborators have turned into alcoholics or junkies, becoming a threat to themselves or the society, the same ‘benefactors’ start lampooning them and call them names such as “terrorists” and a failed state.
Is this the Americans’ sense of justice? No wonder, they have the global reputation of treating their allies like their girlfriends, who are soon ditched in favour of another.
Nevertheless, these supporters of India are reminded of a few facts. In early-2000 when the then president, Mr Clinton was visiting India, nearly three dozen Sikhs were massacred in held Kashmir and the blame was immediately put on the Lashkar-e-Taiba, just as in case of the recent Mumbai mayhem.
However, Mr Clinton was able to see through the Indian game and has been quoted by Madeline Albright, his secretary of state, that Hindu militants were responsible for it. An Indian judge, who conducted an inquiry subsequently found their intelligence agencies guilty of the crime. This shows the nexus between the militants and the agencies. Interestingly, a resident of the affected village of Chattisinghpura had attested that the attackers had been drinking before their operation.
This is very similar to what happened in Mumbai. As pointed out by a number of correspondents in these columns, a cook working for the Leopold Café had told the BBC that six or seven of the terrorists had consumed food and alcohol before getting intoxicated and opening indiscriminate fire. Now, no Muslim extremist would take an intoxicating substance, so Lashkar-e-Taiba is completely ruled out.
However, nobody in Islamabad or Washington appears to have paid much attention to this crucial fact, the Lashkar’s repeated denials of complicity in the attacks notwithstanding.
Curiously enough, such sensational crimes usually seem to occur at times critical for India’s attempts to show that Pakistan is engaged in terrorism or that it must be declared a sponsor of terrorism. This had also happened in 2001/2002, when India was miffed by Washington’s rejection of its offer immediately after 9/11 to help the US in the planned attack on Afghanistan. It had engineered an attack on its parliament, whose blame was put on a Kashmiri man, Afzal Guru.
But, several Indian rights activists later proved this to be a case of scapegoating and they demanded his death sentence be quashed. The train bombings in Mumbai early last year had elicited the quick claim of ISI involvement by New Delhi. Their bluff got called when Britain’s Scotland Yard sought to join the probe and the Indians immediately said it was possible the ISI may not really have been involved!
In view of all the Indian subterfuge, confirmed at least in part by Bill Clinton, the American legislators must be more circumspect about doing something that would alienate the Pakistanis any further. Instead of their billions, we need justice and an appreciation for the unmatched sacrifices made by us before, during and after the Jihad of the 1980s.
S. KARIM
Karachi
IN his column, “Freaking out America” (Dec 12), Cyril Almeida has tried to convey the paranoia gripping quite a few people in the US about Pakistan’s nukes, terrorists and the perceived danger their lethal combination poses to America, in particular.
However, it is quite regrettable that he has not just failed to make any attempt to correct that lopsided perception of the Americans or other western folks, but has only added to the scare by some of his arguments, such as the possibly increased recruitment of religious-minded urbanites into our military.
The writer has quoted a TV host, Stephen Colbert, as saying that Pakistan is “an evil and insidious nation full of terrorists”, and a writer for the New Yorker as suggesting that the nation itself was a kind of WMD.
It may be an eye-opener for such Americans that many western and Indian visitors to Pakistan are filled with praise for the legendary hospitality of its people. A recent visitor from India, the scholar Dr. Khaliq Anjum, said: “It is my personal experience many times over that Pakistanis are very hospitable by nature. They go to extra lengths in entertaining guests. Every time I come here, they shower me with gifts.”
Then, he added, “I ask all my hosts here to visit India, but warn them not to expect as much as you Pakistanis do. It’s really extraordinary”, (Dawn, Dec 9) Apart from that, when hundreds of Indian cricket fans had visited this country to watch the test matches between their and Pakistani teams a few years back, most of them had revealed that the taxi drivers wouldn’t charge them any fare when they found out they were visitors from India. Similarly, the shopkeepers, particularly in Lahore, refused to accept payment for things bought by these folks. Likewise, after the Mumbai attacks last month, some of the Indians who were on a trip to Pakistan praised the understanding and kindness shown them by the local people. Add to that the fact that it is widely known, as confirmed by surveys conducted by the Aga Khan Development Network and other reputable institutions, that Pakistanis are amongst the most giving people in the world and match the Americans in their philanthropy. Space disallows other examples.
Therefore, it is a calumny to stereotype a nation full of hospitable and caring citizens as “evil and insidious” just because of the miniscule minority of violent men. If our own columnists and intellectuals so willingly swallow the malevolent propaganda instead of defending their compatriots and, equally, their own selves, family, relatives and friends, how can we ever expect Pakistan’s image to improve and the resumption of foreigners’ visits and investment?
It may also be a revelation for the detractors of Pakistan and of Islam to find out the contents of a “restricted” report prepared by Britain’s domestic spy agency M15 which, the Guardian claimed to have seen Dawn, Aug 22).
Based on hundreds of case studies of UK-based terrorists, perhaps the most pertinent finding was the following: “Far from being religious zealots, a large number of those involved in terrorism do not practice their faith regularly. Many lack religious literacy and could actually be regarded as religious novices ….” M15 says there is evidence that a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalization.
This should put to rest the major misconceptions about the Pakistanis and the role of religion. Those who are properly grounded in Islam would never engage in mindless violence. What we do see here is a reaction to the military adventures of the US and the threat, moderate as well as the semi-literate extremist Muslims see, in the West’s policies and attitude towards them and Islam.
In addition, reports about the intentions of some powers to dismember their country are a huge source of disquiet and alienation of the Pakistanis. One recent example is the research finding of Prof. Michel Chossudovsky that the political impasse in Pakistan was part of an evolving US foreign policy agenda which favoured disruption and disarray in the structure of the state (Dawn, Aug 30)
As far as the question of Pakistan’s nukes falling into militants’ hands is concerned, it should be reassuring for the world to know what a noted American scholar, Joseph Cirincione, has said. He is the president of the Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation concentrating on nuclear weapons issues and a well-established government policy writer. In his new book, Bomb Scare, he has reassured that the probability of that is very low due to the extreme value and pride placed upon nukes by the government and military.
KHALID CHAUDHRY
Karachi
In developed countries, stakeholders are increasingly demanding that all companies, particularly multi-nationals, be more responsible and work more closely with the societies that they profit from. Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR emerges from this realization.
It is when organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on their stakeholders, society at large and also the environment profit from it. CSR is the legal rights of legitimate businesses to participate in society and a ban on these activities contradicts international initiatives and existing legal duties.
However in Pakistan, CSR is looked upon with suspicion, for we are not used to anyone giving back to the society. For example, there were few news items that looked at the philanthropic work of a tobacco company as irresponsibility.
Unless tobacco industry is illegitimate, or their CSR not authentic, there is no reason to instruct them to quit their good work. As a matter of fact, one should encourage them to take over some more responsibilities.
In fact all industries should be encouraged to allocate more funds for the activities that can help communities develop.
Presently, the said industry gets to do some superficial activities like sponsor a play, build a monument in some park or plant trees which cannot be called either constructive or sizeable expenditure. Why not ask these companies to put in resources in the sectors that require sustained efforts, for extended period of time, like health and education. Why not make them build schools and hospitals. After all they are just as much a part of our society as anyone else.
Instead of making the tobacco industry stop good work, I would suggest they should be made to do more. Consider it their penalization.
SHAHID DOGAR
Lahore
The NGO sector in Pakistan is fairly large. They have acquired immense importance in the face of failure of the governmental organizations to provide basic facilities to the common man. NGOs operate largely as voluntary agencies providing relief and social service, and they vary in their performance.
Most follow the social welfare/charity approach, working for the betterment of certain deprived segments of society, especially the social, educational, cultural and civic sectors. Government’s interest in the NGO sector in the past has been minimal. Of late, the interest has been one of attempting to attain control.
Over a decade or so, new NGOs have been created and nurtured to shoulder the responsibility of meeting community needs.
With the active participation of all those who are its members, such NGOs are envisaged as institutions which will in future have the capacity to tackle conflict and survival and engender development.
While only a few NGOs have been functioning long enough to have reached sufficient maturity, efforts are needed to evolve development practices that ensure the growth of such NGOs for alleviating the impact of economic crises on the vulnerable.
NGOs must endeavour to establish their credibility with the government and the people; for that they need to demonstrate their sincerity, capability and commitment. On the part of the government, there is a need to identify the expertise of successful NGOs and assisting them in resolving their financial and administrative issues.
It is equally important that steps be taken progressively to create conducive environment to enable NGOs to contribute constructively and effectively to the country’s development process.
The NGO sector has much promise for delivering just development. The government and the donors need to realize this promise.
IMROZ AMIR SOOMRO
Sindh
Who advised President Bush to make a farewell call to the Iraqis? It seems Mr Bush’s own people are against him for his misdeeds in Iraq and therefore support ideas that make him look thoroughly despicable.
Bush’s lies about not being informed by his Secret Service about the position in Iraq, is bunk. But even the people marching and protesting in the US and all over Europe had no effect on him, and did not persuade him to stop the war and stop killing innocent people for the sake of profit.
Mr Bush will soon be by himself and he should try to think about what his damaging policies have done to our world. He should feel ashamed.
TAHIRA MAZHAR ALI
Lahore
A number of articles and letters have appeared recently in Dawn, which shows that the status of Urdu in Pakistan is still controversial. Nobody will question the love for one’s own language spoken in his region and such languages surely must be promoted as Pakistan’s national assets. But it will be unfair to treat Urdu as one of the other languages of Pakistan, and brush it aside as it has not only functioned as the lingua franca of the country but it has also played a political role in its creation.
Urdu has been nurtured and loved both by Muslims and non-Muslims and developed as the sweetest language of the Subcontinent with its beauty in diction, prose, and specially poetry, this can be authenticated by the fact that despite its relegated position in India, Urdu’s universality and acceptability are still demonstrated through its film industry, an industry which is now molding the Indian culture. In the pre-partition days, Urdu was also adopted as their language, both spoken and written, by a large number of non-Muslims throughout India. Their contribution in its development and imparting richness to this language cannot be denied.
In a way it was a joint effort which had brought Urdu at its apex, as an epitome of a literature of the highest order. Though its grammar, composition and day to day words were purely indigenous, or Hindi, its script was Persian/Arabic, which mainly distinguished it from Hindi. However, during the struggle for the creation of Pakistan, some communal Hindus did not take this kindly, because it had provided an identity to the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent as a separate nation Ironically, the very country in whose creation it had played a vital part now seems, ipso facto, the cause of its imminent demise.
The Hindu Mahasabha Party, at its Ajmer session in 1933, resolved: “Urdu is a foreign language which is a living monument to our slavery. It must be eradicated from the page of existence. Urdu is the language of the Malechas (the impure, i.e. the Muslims) which has done great harm to our national ends by attaining popularity in India.”
After the provincial elections held in 1937, the rule of Congress party was established in many provinces. Their indifference to the development of Urdu prompted Muhammad Ali Jinnah to protest at the 1938 session of the All-India Muslim League in the following words: “They (the Congress) are pursuing a policy of making Hindi compulsory language, which must necessarily, if not completely, destroy — at any rate, virtually undermine — the spread of the development of Urdu; and what is worse still, is that with its Hindu Sanskrit literature and philosophy and ideals will and must necessarily be forced upon Muslim children and students.”The famous speech of Muhammad Ali Jinnah at the 1940 Session of All-India Muslim League, through which he tried to project the Muslims of India as a nation, separate from the Hindus, had to take, amongst others, the crutches of this language. He declared on March 22 that, “It is dream that the Hindus and Muslims can ever evolve a common nationality, and this misconception of one Indian nation has gone far beyond the limits and is the cause of most of your troubles, and will lead India to destruction if we fail to revise our notions in time. The Hindus and Muslims belong to two different religious philosophies, social customs, literatures.”
In 1947, the country was divided. India made Hindi its national language. Urdu, which was then present along with Hindi on every signpost at railway stations, shops, buildings, and streets, became a forgotten language. Urdu went as a legacy to Pakistan. In Pakistan, the majority of population had a Sanskritized language. They are now separated and are free from this controversy.
Here has crept the fallacy of the argument for separation from India presenting Urdu as one of the hallmarks of Muslim culture.
SYED OSMAN SHER
Canada
(II)
Mr Junejo’s suggestion (Pakistan and the language issue, Dec 18) that since Pakistan is a Muslim country and is also an Islamic republic, Arabic, not Urdu, ought to be its national language, is worthy of serious consideration.
In India Urdu is indeed one of its various national languages which should end his wonderment as to which nation has Urdu as a national language. He might recall that the Quaid himself proclaimed in English (which was the language he preferred to use) upon his first visit to East Pakistan, that “Urdu shall be the national language of Pakistan”.
Mr Junejo might not have perceived Pakistan as a multinational country consisting of five nations with five different languages spoken in them, if instead of proclaiming that Urdu was the national language of Pakistan, the Quaid had also included together with Urdu, the five languages as well as Bengali, as Pakistan’s national languages. In that case, today’s Pakistan might have been a single nation including the then East Pakistan, with all of its languages being national languages and English functioning as the urban link language. India’s perception as a single nation/country is at least in part due to the fact that all of its many indigenous languages including Urdu, and even English which is not, are recognized as its co equal national languages.
P. HARIMOHAN
New York
Can we ban smoking? We are living in Pakistan where breaking a law is a norm than abiding by it.
In addition, there is a dearth of law enforcing personel, and chances are that the persons who are supposed to enforce the rules are smokers themselves. So how do we expect the enforcement on the ban on public smoking?
Once the designated smoking area is available, at least the smokers can then be told to go there. For example at Bangkok Airport, which had the highest smoking rate, the smoking area is in the furthest corner of the airport, and smokers have to walk quite a bit to get there.
Now there is no breach of ‘no-smoking’ law at the airport anymore. However at Benazir Bhutto Intl’ Airport, Islamabad you can witness people smoking even before entering the Airport. This is despite the fact that the law on public smoking was introduced in the year 2002.
Rome was not built in a day, nor should we expect the no-smoking ordinance to come into full force just because regulation has been passed on it. It is a process, and we should focus on educating people. The government should bring about laws that can be implemented rather then have rules and regulations that would only exist on paper and nothing else. Designated smoking areas sound like an implementable regulation, which will curtail public smoking.
MUSTAFA RAZIK
Peshawar
THERE ARE still more then 600 Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails out of which 154 have completed their terms but have not been released. Government of Pakistan is not taking any action for their recovery.
Pakistani prisoners who are released from India are mostly found to be mentally disturbed and physically paralysed.
They don’t even remember their names as many had been languishing in Indian jails for many years and were mentally and physically tortured. One of the prisoners, Sohail Shahzad from Bahawalpur, remained behind bars for 21 years. This is the longest period a Pakistani has been imprisoned in India according to a human rights organization.
The government of Pakistan should ask the Indian authorities about this inhuman behaviour with Pakistani prisoners. The government should also take steps for the release of Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails.
MADIHA ZAIDI
Karachi
This is with reference to a news item that reveals that Lawari Pass 10,500ft, the only road to connect Chitral district on Afghan border with the rest of Pakistan, has been closed for the next 7 months.
This means 400,000 populations will live the life of prisoners for half of the year. This phenomenon is no new for the people of Chitral. What is new this year is unique, because the Government is not in the picture.
Neither essential commodities have been stored for the winter, nor has the Afghan Government been contacted for opening Torkham road.
The most pathetic aspect of the situation is that air-freight for Chitral was fixed at Rs2,510 plus taxes when fuel charges had reached 147 dollars per barrel.
Now fuel charges have decreased to 38 dollars per barrel, but PIA still charges the same rate. Previous Governments used to give special concession to Chitrali passengers.
President Asif Ali Zardari as Defense Minister Chaudhry Ahmad Mukhtar is requested to look into the matter and fix air freight for Chitral at Rs850 plus taxes.
BASHIR HUSSAIN AZAD
Shahi Bazar Chitral
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