What is there to celebrate?

[Stumper]

as far as "where we have come" has concerned...I don't think the whole sub-continent has achieved much...and I say it without even a shimmer of patriotism...
yes we've shown future potential...but the ground reality is that while the ASEAN and China(similar newly independent countries without oil and other resources to hasten their growth) have had a very high Per -capita driven growth...many of our villages are still feudal...many of our beliefs still feudal...
and the plethora of disputes have made us spend a hell of a lot on military and arms...other fundamental issues suffered....
for Pakistan...it caused a traditional over-bearance on strong powers like America and China(as against India being dependent on the USSR..but only a bit more as majority of the industries from the British era were in India and the ones in Pakistan took long gestation periods)
The hold of the military in the governing of Pakistan has also been over-reaching.
For India...we've had a larger poor population...a larger illiterate population always...instead of reaching out to meet our primary pre-independence objectives...we've been totally side-tracked in the pursuit of trying to become a military power of sorts...rather than fix ourselves up.
There is a big gap in the people in Cities and the people in villages....it's huge...it's like there are two Indias...
Bangladesh has potential..they haven't had much disputes...they have rampant poverty and illiteracy...but in an extended time frame they'd reap the benefits of working in peace...
for the last sixty years..the countries of the sub-continent have made other countries stronger instead of doing that for themselves...with their constant issues...

Paritosh : The very points you mentioned for India also applies to China ie; Population and Military Ambition.

The difference, as i see, is the civilization fabric in India and Pakistan, have seldom been nationalist in action and Belief. Forget nationalist, our traits are more inwards looking (Self Centered). This has manifested in Ind-Pak political system as well.

 

[third eye]

Sir where are the solutions or suggestions??

I know the writer. But i am failed to understand why these uncles and aunties are repeating the same thing which we already know.


Our generation wants suggestion to these problems what is there they have suggested so far????

Jana,

May I re write the highlighted part above as follows:

" Our generation should have solutions to these problems so that those who follow can pursue their dreams and not remain stuck in the quagmire of two steps forward followed by one backwards".

With age a certain amount of cynicism come naturally. It is the exuberance of youth that takes things to the next level.

 

[ajpirzada]

Ajpir : I had a different point. The Author, i believe is lamenting the dysfunctional democracy existent today in Pakistan. Yes, its the people who define the very fabric of every society and who shoulder the blame equally for how it is looked upon by the world. This very people lapped up the vision provided by Zia. This very people have been failed by successive Military and Elected governments.

And now .... they have resigned themselves to Status Quo.

I had a discussion with Fatman17 sir on the possibilities that exist for our region, if we keep aside our differences for time being and focus on economic growth. Let people taste the fruit of economic growth. People in our region need to taste the benefits of a cash rich economy. Social Benefits. Keep aside the distrust, maintain the status quo , give discounts to each other ......But Alas .... This will need some more mature statesmanship than what exist in our respective countries.


On lighter side, My dig on the post was this :

i have a personal disliking for people who only look at the negative aspect of things while ignoring what we have achieved so far and therefore knowingly or unknowingly demoralising the public.

its similar with this article. it would have been much better if he had gone with some other politics specific heading instead of a broad based heading.

 

[john9802]

yeah i agree too that pakistan was a stable country before, slowly progressing and all, but now it's very bad in places. my dad was talking a few days ago that in the 70s and 80s it was all safe, people use to leave their houses with doors open, but now there's no safety anywhere. it's because of our leaders, actually they are not leaders, they're just theives. and yet we elect them again and again, we need to educate the people. media is helping expose some of the corrupt leaders, but it pisses me off how they admit it and say that corruption is our right, people pay taxes and it goes straight in their pockets, so they can run to dubai l8er & have a cozy luxury life. they never understand and know what a normal person is going through daily, no food, no water, no electricity, no gas. they are not depleted of any of these things, their kids studying in UK and then they will come and rule us?
i was watching this talk show a few days ago and the guy was saying that we need to drag their kids out and make them live here, then they'd understand. and one person i know (won't say his name) said that we should destroy all the corrupt leaders and their upcoming generations, only then will pakistan get better. you don't just remove a tumour from one spot and hope it goes away, you have to take out all parts of it, lol, evil i know.

i am living in uk for some time now, and i feel really bad for the people at pakistan, i feel guilty too that why am i special that i should get luxury life and everything while people in pakistan are not getting anything. it's really sad, but i don't know what to do, i keep hoping that someday soon it will change.

i think people have become used to everything and they don't care anymore. should come out and clean the neighbour hood atleast, but what do we do? we take our trash and dump it to the next house, and this is no joke, in uk, i live in pakistani filled area and it has happened many times here too, lol.

we still got long way to go, i wanted to see a developed pakistan before i die, but i guess i won't. sorry for long post. bye

 

[dbc]

I understand the author’s agony; he will likely die long before the great nation that his generation earned from the British is revived, current events perhaps fill him with despair.

I wonder how Jinnah or Gandhi would feel were they alive today? And an even more poignant question - considering how each country turned out would either of them endure once more and do it all over again?

I was born in the USA, the greatest nation on earth. I felt fortunate and proud until one day in 2003, when at the height of anti-French sentiment in the US my father who has an unmistakable French accent was attacked by a group of men in a state park. Fortunately my boyfriend and his friends were able to intervene and rescue my father. That one incident shook me to my core, and for the first time in my life I began to question the greatness of my country, question the notion that I lived in a civilized first world nation. Before then I hardly ever took any interest in current affairs, I assumed the nations we attacked, sanctioned or trifled with were evil, worthy of every hurt we caused.

Since the events of ’03, I stay informed, dispel myths, expose media bias contribute in any way I can to make my country great once more. And there are many others like me, people who give selflessly every day I witness unprecedented levels of social activism more and more people who recognize they have to give something back.

It may be too late for Roedad Khan but it is not too late for Pakistan. There is always something you can do for your country, for your community.

 

[fatman17]

I have met Mr. Reodad Khan (accidently). he is a honorable man (and wants to be known as such) but.......he spent a 'life-time' serving / sevicing the very dictators and politicians whom he is 'blaming' for our ills (rightly if i may say so) - why didnt he resign then and as a educated young man, tried to create the 'awareness' in our peoples so that they dont 'fall' for these carpet-beggars. but alas he did not !!! and now at a ripe-old-age of 80-85 years, it is too late.

 

[Omar1984]

I dislike those who complain about everything from A to Z but do nothing about it.

We celebrate because we have our own homeland, we celebrate because we are Pakistanis. Wherever we are in the world, it was because of March 23, 1940 that we have our homeland and our identity that our forefathers made so many sacrafices to achieve, that our ancestors always dreamed about and today is a reality.

Look at Palestinians. They dont even have a country anymore.

Stop complaining and work on achieving your dream for your nation and your people.


P.S. Pakistan didn't lose half of the country in 1971. Bangladesh is not even the size of 1 province in Pakistan and it is no where near Pakistan to begin with, it was always surrounded by our number 1 enemy india on all 4 corners. It was a bad idea to make it part of Pakistan in the first place, but I know Bengalis also worked hard in making Pakistan in the 1940's and if they weren't made part of Pakistan there wouldnt be a Bangladesh today they would've been part of india.

 

[oceanx]

... Since the events of ’03, I stay informed, dispel myths, expose media bias contribute in any way I can to make my country great once more. And there are many others like me, people who give selflessly every day I witness unprecedented levels of social activism more and more people who recognize they have to give something back.

It may be too late for Roedad Khan but it is not too late for Pakistan. There is always something you can do for your country, for your community.

Always appreciate timely annectdotes from the heart. Mine started the second month after I landed in Canada as an immigrant (through nothing I have done - parents brought me).

Despite the fact that I was as FOB as it could possibly get and hardly spoke a word of serviceble English, I must admit in good conscience that I was treated much better than I treated many others in Shanghai (particularly those considered "country bumpkins") ...

And being an only child, and having few fellow mainlanders around in my highschool, university, and later professional school - I "branched out".

I do mean "branching out" ...

That helped significantly in my understanding of the world.

 

[niaz]

I know Mr. Roedad Khan as father of a friend. Roedad Khan's son was my colleague in the KNPC Kuwait during the late 70’s and his daughter in law was a class mate of my wife.

Having been in the corridors of power; especially as Secretary Interior during Zia’s early days; his views cannot be altogether discounted. Whether you agree with him or not, Roedad Khan is a man of integrity and he is historically correct. Looking at the state of Pakistan today; Roedad Khan does have a point. Let us face it, half of the original Pakistan is no more, GOP is bankrupt, load shedding is the norm, law & order situation is so bad that no cricket team wants to play on Pakistani soil.

To top it all, Punjab Chief Minister and his Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah are busy wooing SSP & Lashkar Jhangvi; the very people who attacked Sri Lankan Cricket team! PML –N are still winning elections. This clearly shows that most of the Pakistanis have lost their way and are taking Pakistan in the opposite direction to what the Quaid and our founding fathers intended.

I would like to point out that until 1956, 23rd March was not celebrated with any fervour. 23rd March 1948 was not even a public holiday. Any one who is familiar with the life of the Quaid will know that Quaid e Azam was in Dacca during that day and Pakistan’s first 23rd March was a normal working day.

Pakistan’s first constitution was passed on 23rd March 1956 when Pakistan changed from being a Dominion to Islamic Republic of Pakistan. IMO this is the only thing that we need to celebrate about 23rd March.

 

[pak-marine]

Reading every one post the genetlmen who wrote this seems have been on a senior position in govt himself, i would like to ask him has he ever done any thing to improve during his service or has he just woken up found it all wrong & came up with this depressing article on a national day!

 

[T-Faz]

To be honest with you, I think we are where Turkey was in the 80's and this current transition will be very good to sort out our problems.

You need a crisis to understand your problems and then mend your ways. With the way things are going, people becoming vocal and finally politicians aiming to please the population. We just might pull through.

I beleive in redemption after loss of identity and that is what we ae going through and like someone on PTV said, 'The future belongs to us and we have to step up to the challenge and take it'.

Dont worry my fellow countrymen, Its always much darker at the end of the tunnel.

I was at a conference with Lord Alan Sugar and he said that in 70's in S.Korea, there was one hotel and a curfew but today it is a completely different story. This should be our aim, not only ours but alot of other countries too.

For some reason I am very optimistic about our future, something just seems to be happening that is taking us in the right direction.

 

[Stumper]

Reading every one post the genetlmen who wrote this seems have been on a senior position in govt himself, i would like to ask him has he ever done any thing to improve during his service or has he just woken up found it all wrong & came up with this depressing article on a national day!

Hey Mate ,

We do agree. Point being made out is : Considering the turbulent times and the current state for your country, Do you need to celebrate March 23 ?

Regards.

 

[Windjammer]

Hey Mate ,

We do agree. Point being made out is : Considering the turbulent times and the current state for your country, Do you need to celebrate March 23 ?

Regards.

Perhaps you need to ask the one of several delegations of VIPs, Stars and Celebrities, who accompanied the visiting Indian Cricket team to Pakistan in the recent past, They all happened to be in Lahore on 14th August, Pakistan's Independence Day, one of the VIPs couldn't withhold and remarked to effect that "he now understands what's the true meaning of independence and why did the Muslims wanted a separate home land". Despite all the shortcomings, we esteem what we have and what we are capable of.

 

[pak-marine]

Hey Mate ,

We do agree. Point being made out is : Considering the turbulent times and the current state for your country, Do you need to celebrate March 23 ?

Regards.

what country in the world havent faced turbulence , since you keen to know let me give you an eg :: Look at India your country is facing the longest enough insurgency campaign in many parts in the modern history , its full of bloody events all over so the other parts of the world. African countries are having those non stop civil wars etc from several years.

Pak is a very strong country , we have strong fundamentals however we like others have also made mistakes in the past and are sufering becuase of that! All these issues arose because of our own ignorence in the last few years, However we are rectifying those and dont worry and mark we will come out even stronger.

 

[Windjammer]

Reading every one post the genetlmen who wrote this seems have been on a senior position in govt himself, i would like to ask him has he ever done any thing to improve during his service or has he just woken up found it all wrong & came up with this depressing article on a national day!

Buddy, he is a typical seasoned politician mind, when in opposition, raise and rub the issues, when in power, sort out the opposition.