Don't just blame the government

The government contributes greatly to problems, but that doesn't mean we are blameless.

Last week, I read an article pertaining to the closure of 260 industrial units in Sindh in 2009. It made me question one thing – who is to blame for this?

Considering this is the Pakistani community and media in question, only one party could be at fault – the government.

Reasons cited for the closure were the power crisis, lack of finances, and the global recession. However, is it actually fair to place the blame squarely on the government’s shoulders?

How many of us have actually attempted to take action to solve the power crisis? I’ve seen street lamps being powered on for weeks, and yet no one bothers changing a faulty switch.

When the government does take action, it is met with a barrage of opposition. For example, petroleum dealers recently went on strike, seeking higher margins on sales. The very next day, petroleum consumers, ie the entire population, were protesting against the subsequent price hike. If the government cannot increase prices even after incurring losses worth Rs15 billion, how can it be expected to keep subsidising industries?

Yet, industrialists continue to demand ‘favourable policies’. It would make sense for the government to actually provide them, if the people in question were regularly paying taxes.

Yes, the government’s faults contribute to the problem, corruption being chief amongst them, but we too have our flaws. As citizens in a democracy, we have responsibilities. Cooperating for the greater good instead of vehemently protesting for our own purposes is one of them.

The harsh truth is: our selfishness is hindering progress far more than any action, or lack thereof, from the government.

It is high time we bring the change we wish to see in he world, instead of waiting for the government to provide a panacea.