I OFTEN wonder why people living in South Asia having more or less the same roots, sharing a common heritage, belonging to identical ancestors, growing up in similar environments, culture and ethnicity, react differently in a given situation.

Take, for instance, the case of state gifts given by foreign dignitaries. In our part of South Asia, such gifts are either pocketed, or purchased at a throwaway price, and then sold at a bonus in the open market without having a proper appraisal made about the real worth of the gift.

Meanwhile, the gifts given to political leaders in, say, the neighbouring country are usually auctioned and proceeds donated towards some noble cause. So, just thinking, where did we miss the train?

Could this different thought process be due to our social upbringing, consequent to the innumerable foreign invaders who over a period have conquered South Asia for long spells of time and left their imprints on some of us?

I am sure the indigenous homo sapiens inhabiting the subcontinent did not subscribe to the present day trait, as far as my knowledge goes. Surely, their minds were polluted by imported ideas by foreign invaders. This is a serious challenge to our social grooming and needs to be addressed.

Muhammad K. Sufi
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2022