I agree with the letter-writer that old habits die hard and that mindsets do not change easily.
ISLAMABAD: Mr Hafeez S from Saudi Arabia in a letter (November 10) expressed his disagreement over my position on the Wagah border flag ceremony in my earlier letter on the same subject. He argued that the said ceremony has become part of our folklore and that it mirrors our past glory. He further averred that it is not easy to change a tradition which has become our second nature and which has been practiced for decades. I agree with the letter-writer that old habits die hard and that mindsets do not change easily. This is precisely the point which I was trying to make in my letter.
The former Soviet Union was the most armed nation on the planet but it’s armed might could not prevent it’s disintegration because it had ignored the economic component of security. Soviet military parades have become classical examples of boastfulness and unfounded pride.
A major review has become an imperative following, in particular, the statements of US President Barrack Obama during his recent visit to India. The luxury of living in the past is no longer available to a country increasingly dependent on foreign handouts and loans.
BA Malik
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2010.
