Don’t waste our talent

Letter September 18, 2014
I am not a PTI or a PAT supporter but in all this dilemma and despair, I do give them credit for raising their voice.

KARACHI: Sadly, I admit that the government education boards, colleges, universities and other institutions are not capable of promoting talent in the country. I may not be wrong when I say that they are not acquainted with the term ‘merit’. There is so much to do to identify the most capable of our citizens, besides tackling the transparency issues. We need a profound change in the system — a system that has the capability to recognise the finest people on the basis of their aptitude, intellect and critical thinking skills.

I am not an analista politico (political analyst) but this is exactly what I see and feel. I can state the many loopholes in this already harmful system. They start right from the grassroots level and penetrate deep into the top leadership with an even greater intensity. Convinced that this malignant condition is impossible to be treated with normal human powers, I am waiting for a superman who would help us survive it.

Like every other responsible and conscientious human being, I reject this system, the status quo and the VIP culture that feeds the one per cent of our population while the common man and this state propels into further darkness and despair.

Nothing can be a bigger misfortune for a nation than leaving its intellectuals unidentified and not being given the opportunity to serve the country. I feel pain in accepting the bitter fact that we are among those unfortunate nations who waste their brilliant minds. Consequently, Pakistan, despite being one of the most talented nations, is struggling to make a respectable position among the international community.

It is even more painful to accept the fact that most of our people are unable to discern the brutalities being committed against them. So long as we don’t have a sufficient number people in this country not willing to recognise and fight for their rights, we cannot be called a democracy.

I am not a PTI or a PAT supporter but in all this dilemma and despair, I do give them credit for raising their voice and taking a courageous stand against the status quo.

Howard Zinn was absolutely right to say “When people refuse to obey, then democracy comes alive”.

I ask of all those who think that taking a mob in the Red Zone areas and demanding the removal of a so-called elected government is not in keeping with the generally accepted democratic principles, can you come up with any other way to effectively raise voice against a system that is corrupt, untrustworthy and shabby in all respects?

Komal Zehra

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19th, 2014.

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