LIAQUAT Merchant in a letter to Dawn (Nov 28) asked a question 'Is Jinnah being sidelined?'

The simple answer is 'Yes'. The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, is being sidelined by an ungrateful nation. Mr Merchant has lamented that books on Pakistan's history do not do justice to Jinnah's immense contribution.

He says that M. A. Jinnah's audio visual CDs and quotes from the Quaid, produced by the Jinnah Society, were supplied to the ministry of information in Musharraf's time for distribution to schools and colleges, but the Society was not informed about the action taken by the ministry, nor did it bother to give financial assistance to the Society for its admirable work.

Having said this, I would like to say that due to the negligence of our rulers and academia the new generation is not being fully informed and educated about the Quaid-i-Azam's vision and historic political struggle to win the battle for a Muslim homeland in the Indian subcontinent in the face of dogged opposition not only by the Hindu majority but also by the obscurantist Islamic political parties which wanted a theocratic state and not a modern and progressive Islamic state as envisioned by the Quaid.

Unfortunately, the Islamic values of hard work, honesty, austerity and devotion to duty emphasised by the Quaid repeatedly in his speeches and writings were gradually forgotten by the nation.

The government's educational institutions and the media, all ignored these teachings, turning the country into a hot bed of corruption and greed for ill-gotten money, crimes and terrorism in the name of Islam and loss of all good values needed for a decent human life.

Since Liaquat Merchant has touched this issue at a crucial time when the country is fighting a war against radical terrorists for its survival, it is most important to rejuvenate the Quaid's call to revive the spirit of Islam through good governance, hard work and simple living starting from the top.

The media can also play a very important role by saving some time from its avalanche of commercials for constructive nation-building programmes.

Educational institutions too should include Jinnah and Iqbal's teachings in their courses at various levels. Universities may consider establishing Jinnah Chairs on their campuses. It is our duty and we must do it!

BURHANUDDIN HASAN
Via email