I had the opportunity of talking to young men and women about the resolutions passed in Lahore 71 years ago. Admittedly, this was in a posh suburb of Islamabad. And not many young people knew what the resolutions were all about and what they signified for the country. After a lot of tutoring those who agreed to take part in the Express Media Group’s survey displayed a lot of fire in the belly.
Most of them talked about corruption and absence of fair play. They went to the extent of suggesting gallows for the corrupt. They said shameless corruption was eating away the society inside out and virtually endangering the state of Pakistan in a more precarious manner than terrorism.
A college student was more concerned about the absence of level playing field and suggested rigorous regime of equal opportunity for everyone, irrespective of class, faith, ethnic origin or gender.
But the most interesting comment came from a young woman who was apparently dismayed at the exercise of calling up the resolutions after a lapse of seven decades. I tried to keep her on my side.
“Better late than never,” I tell her.
“Too late!” she sighs.
“In what way? Have we lost everything?” I ask the young woman who is all huffing and puffing by now.
“Okay! Raymond Davis, drone attacks, corruption, political circus of insincere politicians, Salmaan Taseer, Karachi killings, corruption, inflation, power and gas rollercoaster, corruption, the list goes on and on. I’m ashamed of being called a Pakistani,” she drops the bomb.
“Agree. But we are still alive and we want to make this country a better place for ourselves and our children. Is that asking too much?” I try to tone up her emotions for a little longer, but to no avail.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2011.
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