KARACHI:
Kamber is one of the oldest cities in Sindh. It achieved the status of a district after significant social and political struggle in 2004. The district today has a population of nearly 1.5 million people with several small towns within it. However, it remains underdeveloped and under-resourced. Many students from Kamber are forced to travel to Larkana and other far-off cities such as Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore for higher education and better socio-economic facilities.
In comparison to Larkana, Kamber has only one affiliated college — Shah Abdul Latif University in Khairpur. The dearth of colleges has deprived many students of quality education. Given the rising population of the city, it is justifiable for students to demand more universities. Otherwise, the city will harbour a largely illiterate population, which in turn will give birth to other social issues such as an increase in crime and poverty.
Local students have raised this issue with the authorities countless times and have even engaged in protests and demonstrations. However, their calls have always fallen on deaf ears. We urge both the federal and the provincial government to consider this matter at the earliest and establish a university campus in Kamber to promote education in the district. This will bring long-term benefits by boosting literacy and uplifting the socioeconomic status of the locals. The establishment of operational universities that provide high quality education will be the first step in building a knowledgeable society. Such initiatives will ultimately pave the way for a better future for everyone involved.
M Shahjahan and Zaid Memon
Kamber Ali Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2021.
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