Pakistan’s Three C’s
Written: November 27th, 2000
In article after article both in English and Urdu, I have begged the Government of Pakistan to come up with comprehensive proposals on just three things. This was clearly communicated to former administrations lead by Ms. Bhutto, Mr. Sharif, and now Mr. Musharraf. These three curses (The Three C’s) being illiteracy rate of seventy percent, the Quota System, and Foreign Borrowing. The type of administration and titles of Prime Minister or Chief Executive do not matter - we have to fix the fundamentals. So what happens now? We have again started getting loans from IMF, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, and any other bank worth the name. I am not opposed to “good borrowing”, if there is such a thing. But we continue to pile up this curse of curses on the future generations of Pakistan and still have no comprehensive proposal of getting out of close to forty billion dollars of foreign short and long-term loans. I am asking the people of Pakistan and the readers to write directly to anyone who will listen. No one is saying that these things can be accomplished in a day. But I do not see anything in the Government’s vision, its strategic or tactical plans that will eliminate the three C’s. In fact, the issue of Kashmir is less important than tackling the three C’s. You can not continue to beg your enemy for talks without fundamental strengths. These three C’s are your Achilles heels (chink in your armor). These curses will take you all the way to your graves - administration after administration. Any time someone asks us to do something about these, we begin to pontificate and we perambulate on the outskirts of veracity. We pretend to have mastered all the Talmudic issues on the subjects. Well I do not pretend to know much more than what is common sense. Who is that one person responsible to come up with a plan to eliminate illiteracy and what is his identity card number, and will he be hanged if specific goals are not met? Well the buck stops at the Chief Executive’s desk - so if he does not appoint people, specific names, to head these efforts, and support them, then his name will be dirt as well - just look at his predecessors. He too will go down in history as having listened to his cronies and not to his common sense. He too will be subjected to ridicule soon after he leaves office.What is at stake?
**The first thing at stake is the very survival of the nation. A nation whose children and grown ups are unable to write their name in their own language are sooner or later swallowed by other nations or calamities of their making. They are forced to become puny little nations of no consequence in the development of humanity, their wealth is constantly plundered by others, and they are doomed to fight with each other. They are forced to find solace and peace in the arms of other nations as salves and laborers - in the best of the circumstances as second class citizens, and in many cases several generations have to pay for the sins of their forefathers.
**The second thing at stake is a perpetual lack of rational thought. Rational thought is essential in getting the nation out of the talking realm where analysis turns into paralysis. Thus even if the nation survives as a result of luck or the hard work of just a few, it is unable to move forward without taking two steps backward and one step forward. The masses at large can be taken advantage of politically, driven like sheep, and even slaughtered. Drought in Baluchistan can be explained away without one person being held responsible for lack of plans - water shortage can be shrugged aside in Karachi without any regard to human suffering and poverty can be laughed at in our northern areas.
**The third and a very dangerous thing is the inability of the people to truly rule their land. God has sent his commands directly to us, the people. We do not need any “King” in the middle to tell us what his whim for the day is. The people in light of this must formulate the law - they are unable to do it if seventy percent of them are unable to read and write. If on the basis of quota system some one’s rights are violated, no one can raise a voice until a revolution occurs. No one really knows how the funds being borrowed are used for the benefit of a few. And, if the people do not rule their own land, a Knight in shining armor will determine whether Mr. Beck lives, even if the King was drunk when he wished him dead.
Where do we go from here?
In this short article what can I suggest? Well for starters we should set up a cell in the Ministry of Agriculture to come with a plan to eliminate illiteracy. Why Ministry of Agriculture? It is because our illiteracy problem is much more in the rural areas. And who knows our farmers and rural people than better them. The ministry also has something else at its disposal - an influence over agricultural loans - these can be powerful tools to entice bigger landlords to come clean and let their people read and write. I would like to see specific people in the ministry responsible for coming with a plan with help from the Ministry of Education. And when I say responsible, I mean responsible - their neck is on the line, and they can be fired from their jobs. Then Use the plan to determine the exact location of the laboratory to be used to determine whether or not this plan really works. Go through the iteration cycles until it works. Then meticulously implement this throughout the land.
Next, A proper plan based upon the educational reforms arrived at eliminating the Quota System. Here the responsible party should be the Ministry of Interior, as miscreants try to destabilize the country based upon phony issues. A buy in from the smaller provinces is essential before we embark on this.
Finally, a mechanism must be devised and understood to raise capital within the country and draw a line in the sand and declare “war”. We will either succeed or embrace martyrdom, but shall not borrow from abroad - period.
Folks, I have done my duty. It is your turn to write to Chief executive and tell him that you agree or have a better suggestion. Thanks a lot.
© Copyright 2001 Sifwat Ali. All Rights Reserved
