Leaky band-aids

Our cure comes in form of an infected, leaky band-aid that seems to work for time being, but only makes problem worse.

Something does not quite add up in the tragic Tharparkar saga. The Sindh cabinet website tells us that in the long list of ministries with in charge ministers, there is one that remains vacant. This particular honour goes to the ministry of rural development and public health. How could this be? We have been told time and again that the problems in Thar are a manifestation of drought that afflicts the area every year. The issues are not new and while this year was particularly worse, this is part of the long-term pattern. We are also told that the media is sensationalising the situation. But if the problems are indeed persistent and come back year after year, then why of all the ministries, this one continues to be without a minister? Is this a simple oversight? Or is it because they have not found someone competent? That can’t be — as lack of competence has never stopped us from having ministers for other portfolios. Perhaps, it is part of a much more deeply rooted problem with our priorities. Unfortunately, it is indefensible any way we look at it.



We have also been reminded, on the media and via Twitter, by the chief minister and by the chairperson of the party that he belongs to, that rural development is a fundamental priority for the government of Sindh. We have been told that we cannot fight nature or (our favourite scapegoat) climate change, but we can certainly fight poverty and are doing everything in our control to develop the rural areas. This, if true, sounds fantastic! With a minister for everything except rural development and public health, this argument is hollow and absurd.

Let me get back to the persistent problem argument. It is true that Thar has drought-related challenges and has had them for quite sometime. But so what? In this day and age, that is no reason for children to die. There are many places in the world, in every continent, with intense decades-long droughts that do not have malnutrition deaths. Anyone who argues on Twitter or in the media that the deaths of children are inevitable due to drought, neither knows disaster management nor international affairs.

While the attitude of millions of Pakistanis in helping the people of Thar is inspiring, the policy vacuum to address the problem comprehensively is unfortunately, deeply troubling. There is no doubt that food and urgent medical aid is necessary, but so is the long-term systematic planning that addresses the problem sustainably. We are focusing only on the present, with no serious discussion on resolving the problem comprehensively. We cannot bring back the pain, misery and loss of the family members, who saw their future perish, but we can certainly have a ‘never again’ attitude. It is the lack of this attitude among those in power that worries me the most. The crisis in Thar represents an infection that grows more severe every year. Our cure comes in the form of an infected, leaky band-aid that may seem to work for the time being, but only makes the problem worse for the next time.

What if, for a change, we thought of the future, the year that follows this one and the next one, and asked ourselves, what are we doing to ensure this never happens again? Having a minister who is competent would be a start, but let that not be the end. A national call on experts, both from within and outside the province, to craft a long-term implementable strategy that is cognisant of socioeconomic realities is desperately needed. For a change, this may foster interprovincial harmony and create solutions that are scalable to other parts of the country that may be affected in the future. Above all, this would be a welcome change from the current course of reactive politics to that of a reflective one.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2014.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.