Every year on New Year’s Eve there is a display of fireworks and heavy aerial firing. These merrymakers around us are so eager to celebrate the New Year that they use all means possible to express their joy over its arrival. They do not even bother to think that how hazardous their methods of celebration could be.
Here in our country, the display of fireworks is not something planned officially to be performed on New Year’s Eve. So, here firing bullets and firecrackers only results in lawlessness and terrorising the people. Not only this, but in some areas with intense aerial firing, a few people actually die because of these bullets.
My question to all those involved in these perilous and worthless acts is that is it so necessary to celebrate the New Year in such a ferocious way? In fact, in the first place is it even necessary to celebrate the New Year at all? We live in a Muslim country and being Muslims we should not be concerned with the New Year’s celebrations because it is not our religious or cultural festival.
And why don’t they realise that their means of exhibiting joy and happiness are lethal to others? Why don’t they realise that their New Year merriments are posing a serious threat to human lives?
I would request the concerned authorities to ensure better and more efficient security measures the next time these New Year’s celebrations arrive so that no further lives are lost at the hands of these merrymakers.
MADIHA VIQUAR
Karachi
Senseless National Priorities
In 1980, I visited Pakistan during X-max vacation and happened to stay in my village for a week or so. One on my brother was a farmer with very little financial means. He was very happy to see me after a decade. In order to celebrate his happiness, he started firing in the air. He used to follow this routine every evening. I was not amused and asked him, why he is wasting his rounds every day. His wife told me that he is doing this for the last 6 months to scare the people of his village. I asked him how much a round cost?. To my surprise, he told me each round cost Rs 10.00. I told him, using 10 rounds every evening cost him Rs 100.00. How much he earns a day. The answer was nothing. Further, I asked him the price of Klashenkoff he is using to display his false sense of aggrandizement. The answer was stunning . Rs 80,000.00.. I held my head and started and gave him a lecture to save money to pay for the education of his children. His family was not amused.
A few day later, I was invited by late Dr Mahboobul Haque for lunch. I told him this episode and point blank accused him and General Zia for poor planning and skewed national fiscal policies. One for enacting legislation for Finance Companies and a for individual's right to possess firearms. The Finance Companies died their natural death and millions of citizens lost their savings in the false promises of ROI. The moral of the citizenry is skewed and there is no punishment for a swindler. And the firearm dealers imported zillions of weaponry ( rifles, guns and pistols) and blocked the saved capital in worthless investment. All this capital could have been saved and invested in some small cottage industry that could provide sustenance to millions of families. But alas!
Dr Haque was not amused either and was offended by my comments. He defended the policies that the standard of living of the people has risen far beyond the target goals of the Five Year Plans of the country. I quoted him saying of Charles Colton:
"If rich, it is easy enough to conceal our wealth but, if poor, it is not quite so easy to conceal our poverty. We shall find, it is less difficult to hide a thousand guineas, than one hole in our coat.".
Both Dr Haque and General Zia are now a history but the fruits of their planted trees is being reaped by the common man. Woe!
Qisa khon-e–tamana ka Mangeay Kis sey,
Gunagar hai koan aur khoon baha kia hai. Iqbal
All eyes are looking towards Imran Khan. Hope he does not compromise like that much hyped Bhutto, who signed his own death warrant and whose legacy is still haunting this unfortunate country. I must end this monologue with Iqbal's verse.
Nay jidat-e-guftar hai, ney jidat-e-kirdar
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