I am sick and tired of all these doomsday scenarios about Pakistan in the national and international press. Many columnists in Pakistan's newspapers even rant almost always about how almost everything is wrong with Pakistan. I don't deny that the country is in a dangerous situation and has many problems, but don't these columnists understand that people need hope in these times; they are despondent enough.
My generation, the young of today, are fed up with the older generation who are always saying that Pakistan doesn't have this, Pakistan doesn't have that. Don't they understand that it's because of them that Pakistan hasn't had those good things they admire in the west? If they cannot do anything for their country except complaining about it, then please do not demoralize us atleast. I feel the younger generation to be much more nationalistic in its thinking and has a socially active attitude. The New York times recently reported how some young students in Lahore started a campaign to pick up garbage in their area on sundays, because they were tired of their parents complaining that the Government doesn't do anything. We need this approach, not the arm-chair complaining that goes on all the time. Give us a break! Pakistan is here to survive and stay and we will do whatever we can for it. It's our home, our land, and we are not going to let the follies of the older generations to destroy our future. Let us join hands and strive for a better future. Long live Pakistan!
Bravoo.. I applaud your thinking..
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, Pakistanis are good at talking what other Pakistanis should do, but not very good at actually doing such things themselves. Are you an exception? If so, what will you do to create more such exceptions?
ReplyDelete@ Solomon 2
ReplyDeleteSadly, what you say is true. Majority of the people are very good at complaining about others but doing the same things once they get the oppurtunity.But as I wrote in the blog, things seem to be changing here slowly. The younger generation is fed up by all this and wants to do something. Sometimes their energy is misdirected, sometimes not properly channelized but it usually finds outlets. One such example is the active participation in the lawyers' movement by the youth. The NY times report I wrote about in the blog about young students picking up garbage and clearing their areas and spreading awareness about it. I, with some friends, am also planning to celebrate the Independence day in a different way, by doing something constructive; helping people, paving roads, painting schools, educating some poor child, etc.....I desperately want to do something for the land that has given me so much....It's a loan one has to return....And while there are many people who don't care, an increasing number has started caring
"an increasing number has started caring"
ReplyDeleteThat does offer great hope. I'd like to know just how far such civic-mindedness goes.
"I, with some friends, am also planning to celebrate the Independence day in a different way, by doing something constructive; helping people, paving roads, painting schools -"
In the days of New England town hall development in America, this is how it worked, the people who worked hardest for the community were the ones elected by the people for government service.
Are you really going to be paving roads?
"That does offer great hope. I'd like to know just how far such civic-mindedness goes."
ReplyDeleteWEll, this feeling is strong and growing in the urban areas. Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi are at the fore front. There was active population in the lawyer's movement from as far away as Chitral, Buner, Gwadar, Sukkur, etc. That movement has given us hope. But the major handicap is poverty. People in the rural areas have such a hard time finding to eat that they simply dont care about what goes on in the power corridors.
"Are you really going to be paving roads?"
Difficult to say, but we are planning to start this campaign on the university level first. We'll need support, let's see what happens. Atleast, we can try