Land of the Pure

WASHINGTON, NC, US: This is with reference to Feryal Ali Gauhar’s article of May 17 titled “Plenty”. What the writer is talking about is the result of a society that is highly intolerant and controlling. We cannot tolerate dissent and discussion. And this kind of attitude starts in the home when children are scolded if they question their parents for anything. It moves into schools where teachers feel that in order to be respected, and not students must not ask any questions — in fact questioning is equal to disrespect of authority. And even when we settle down and marry, this does not stop because then it is the spouses who expect the same obedience.

People living in the Land of the Pure feel pride in associating themselves with the invaders and conquerors and claim to be the descendants of the Arabs, Persians and Greeks. In reality, most of us are part of the indigenous population and, therefore, our ancestors would have to be Hindus.

Since most of us are products of a repressive society, the result is that everyone’s psyche has been impacted in a particular way. And that perhaps explains the confused character of the nation as well, since it is reflected in the collective thoughts of its individual citizens.

Shahzad Kazi

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2012.