Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Hungry and Homeless


Today i went shopping for some groceries.It would've been just another usual trip had it not been for that incident.While i was shopping a boy came up to me.He was about 8 or 9 years old,wearing a torn blue shirt,dirty black shorts and was bare footed.He asked me to buy bread for him.As a natural response i hushed him away at first.But when i turned to face him something just made me freeze.
Maybe it was his face,maybe it was his innocence or maybe it was his eyes.Deep hollow eyes that had no sparkle of life in them.It was as if i could see his hunger and helplessness through his eyes.His eyes were full of sorrow and fear.I felt sad for the poor boy and bought him some bread.
On my way back i could not concentrate.My mind was full of thoughts about the boy.Where did he live ? Who are his parents ? Why did his parents leave such a cute little child alone ? When will the boy have his next meal ? Will someone feed him ? Where will the poor fellow sleep at night ?
I don't know how many such hungry,homeless children are there in Pakistan but i know one thing,there are many.
Why is our society so ignorant of such poor innocent children ? Don't they deserve to live a normal happy life ? Don't they deserve three meals a day,a shelter and an education ? Why not-only because they were born poor ?
Our social security net will have to be strengthened to help these innocent souls. Their future is Pakistan's future.If the government is not willing to help them then we should help them on our own.They're our responsibility.They're our children...

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Can we do it ??

For many years now Pakistan has been trying to come up with an internationally recognized research based university. The neighboring India and other regional countries like Malaysia,Singapore,China have become much more academically advanced and that has further increased the urgency to create new universities of international standards or improve the existing ones.
In 2009 Pakistan tried to setup an engineering university with French assistance but the attempt failed due to the law and order situation as probably French professors feared for their lives to teach in a country like Pakistan.
Plagiarism is one of the most important factor leading to declining standards in our universities.Copying others' work and using illegal methods to pass exams is making our educational system inefficient.
Also at many institutes appointed teachers are not up to the mark.A teacher is the primary source of knowledge to students.If the teacher is not competent enough how can students be good ?
Lack of proper equipment in laboratories, lack of funds,corruption in educational institutes are all major contributors that have led our educational system into this mess.
Of course there are certain institutions that are providing quality education such as Lahore University of Management Sciences,Ghulam Ishaq Khan Insitute of Engineering and Technology,IBA etc. But,it must be noted that these institutes are not affordable to all and the number of scholarships are extremely limited.
The country needs at least five to six universities of global recognition within the next 15 years to remain competitive in the academic field,but the question is can we do it ??

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Of An Irresponsible Nation

Four to eight hours of daily load-shedding,a total shortage of 4500 MW of electricity,worst power shortage in the history of the country.Yet,when you go out in the mornings you can see street lights on.
Hundreds of small and big parks in the country where lights are on until midnight but in residential areas we have to live without electricity for hours at times.Why not close down all parks as soon as it gets dark and channel that electricity to hospitals,residential and industrial areas ? But no,people need relaxation,they need parks to enjoy...
Nobody cares about babies crying all night because of the heat,no one cares about students not being able to study for their exams.Why should anyone care for patients being operated in darkness with the help of torch light because there's no electricity?

And then we say why are we called the third world ? If in 63 years we can't light a bulb what else do we deserve ?

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Why go far ?

I have never understood the nature of Pak-China relationship. Although we claim we are two countries that share same interests in the South-Asian region but we lack bilateral partnerships.
China is one of the strongest economy today.It is much more technologically advanced than Pakistan yet when Pakistan needs any expertise it looks towards Europe or America,why not look towards your neighbor for support?
The current crisis in the energy sector can be easily overcome by China's help.China produces a huge share of its electricity from coal.It is not a hidden fact that Pakistan too has large reserves of coal,so why not involve China and benefit from their experience?
When it comes to universities China produces a huge number of PhD's every year.But when Pakistan wants to build an international university we look towards the French. Why not build a university with Chinese partnership ?
International collaboration is necessary to survive in this global world,but why do we need to go far for everything when we have a supportive neighbor.
Pakistan should learn from the cooperation amongst the member countries of European Union and try to initiate new partnership programs with China.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Global Warming or a Joke ?


There was a time when scientists and engineers worked for the betterment of mankind.These were men who spent their entire lives just so that we people could live a better life.Their main purpose was the propagation of scientific ideas and knowledge.
But,what has happened to today's scientists?
Recently i was reading an article on yahoo regarding global warming.I was shocked and and amused at the same time.Some scientists have suggested people should consume less milk and meat...why?Because livestock produce a lot of greenhouse gases.Can you believe that? Stop eating meat and milk...should people stop giving their children milk ? Should we start eating grass? Is their enough vegetation to feed the entire world ?
I wonder whats next...kill all the poor people in the world to eliminate poverty as well as minimize greenhouse gases? Or execute people for public farting ?

Monday, March 22, 2010

THE SMS KRAZE !


With new unlimited sms packages coming up every other day the Pakistani youth has been caught up in an sms craze.Text messages are proving to be a very effective medium of communication and entertainment.The trend of sms jokes has also been gaining increased popularity.Following are a few interesting sms jokes that i'd like to share with you people:

1)Question:What is honeymoon?
Answer:That brief span of time between "i do" and "you'd better!"

2)(URDU) Khargosh ke FSC mein aye 75% marks and kachway ke 50% phir bhi kachway ka university mein admission ho gaya...kaise ?
Sports basis pe yar...Bachpan mein race nahi jeeta tha ?

3)Lady : So, you want to become my son-in-law? Boy: Not really, but I don't see any other way 2 marry your daughter!

4)Teacher: What should be in a book to make it a bestseller? Tommy: A girl on the cover and no cover on the girl.

5)(URDU) Ek larka dosre larke se:Yaar tum ne kabhi koi larki phansai hai?
2nd boy:Yaar larki main ne phansa li thi pr tum logon ne ye mohalla hi chor diya...

6)A police recruit was asked during exam, "What would u do if u had to arrest ur own mother?" He said, "Call for backup."

For more jokes you can visit these sites:
http://www.sms4smile.com
http://www.smsjokes.pk
http://www.telepk.com/smsjokes

Sunday, March 21, 2010

How long should your week be ??

Finally a long weekend has come to an end.Thanks to the holiday announced by the Sindh Government we got Saturday off.I have always wanted the weekend to consist of two holidays both Saturdays and Sundays off.Too bad we Pakistanis only get Sundays off.
When i talk to people they tell me that a six day week is better for the country,people can do more work,we can achieve our targets,its good for the country's economy etc etc.
I don't agree to that at all.In fact i believe that a six day week not only exhausts our work force but also makes it inefficient.The job that would normally take 3 to 4 days is completed in a week's time.The result being the employer has to pay more and the employee feels he's been working too hard.
On the other hand having five working days in a week will result in:
a)An efficient work force
b)Mental satisfaction of the employee
c)Saving electricity which will help minimize load-shedding
d)It will save employers a huge some of money.

What's your opinion ?

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Sharing Is Caring !


Yes today millions of people in the world die out of hunger.There are thousands people who get only one meal a day and there are thousands of those who eat more than thrice a day.There are people in this world who have to walk miles before they get a drink of water and there are people who waste gallons of water a day not even giving it a second thought.There are people who have huge luxurious houses and there are people who sleep below the open sky with no shelter above their heads to protect them against the heat,the cold and the rain....Why ???
The reason being that we people have forgotten the most joyful act of life...sharing.
Yes we've forgotten the satisfaction,the happiness,the fulfillment one gets when you share.The world can become a much better place only if we start sharing.No one will be deprived.No one will die of hunger and thirst.No one will be left homeless only if we inculcate this principle of sharing in our lives.
Recently i came across a very intriguing email which i would like to share with you people.So here it goes..

The Power of Giving

By John Harricharan

It was a really hot summer’s day many years ago. I was on my way to pick up two items at the grocery store. In those days, I was a frequent visitor to the supermarket because there never seemed to be enough money for a whole week’s food-shopping at once.

You see, my young wife, after a tragic battle with cancer, had died just a few months earlier. There was no insurance -- just many expenses and a mountain of bills. I held a part-time job, which barely generated enough money to feed my two young children.
Things were bad -- really bad.

And so it was that day, with a heavy heart and four dollars in my pocket, I was on my way to the supermarket to purchase a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. The children were hungry and I had to get them something to eat. As I came to a red traffic light, I noticed on my right a young man, a young woman and a child on the grass next to the road. The blistering noonday sun beat down on them without mercy.

The man held up a cardboard sign which read, "Will Work for Food." The woman stood next to him. She just stared at the cars stopped at the red light. The child, probably about two years old, sat on the grass holding a one-armed doll. I noticed all this in the thirty seconds it took for the traffic light to change to green.

I wanted so desperately to give them a few dollars, but if I did that, there wouldn’t be enough left to buy the milk and bread. Four dollars will only go so far. As the light changed, I took one last glance at the three of them and sped off feeling both guilty (for not helping them) and sad (because I didn’t have enough money to share with them).

As I kept driving, I couldn’t get the picture of the three of them out of my mind. The sad, haunting eyes of the young man and his family stayed with me for about a mile. I could take it no longer. I felt their pain and had to do something about it. I turned around and drove back to where I had last seen them.

I pulled up close to them and handed the man two of my four dollars. There were tears in his eyes as he thanked me. I smiled and drove on to the supermarket. Perhaps both milk and bread would be on sale, I thought. And what if I only got milk alone, or just the bread? Well, it would have to do.

I pulled into the parking lot, still thinking about the whole incident, yet feeling good about what I had done. As I stepped out of the car, my foot slid on something on the pavement. There by my feet was a twenty-dollar bill. I just couldn’t believe it. I looked all around, picked it up with awe, went into the store and purchased not only bread and milk, but several other items I desperately needed.

I never forgot that incident. It reminded me that the universe was strange and mysterious. It confirmed my belief that you could never out give the universe. I gave away two dollars and got twenty in return. On my way back from the supermarket, I drove by the hungry family and shared five additional dollars with them.

This incident is only one of many that have occurred in my life. It seems that the more we give, the more we get. It is, perhaps, one of those universal laws that say, "If you want to receive, you must first give."

There is a little rhyme that goes like this:

"A man there was, and they called him mad,
The more he gave, the more he had."

Most times, we think that we don’t have anything to give. Yet, if we look more closely, we ’ll see that even the little we have could be shared with others. Let us not wait for a time when we think we’ll have lots and then we’ll give. By giving and sharing the little we have, we open up the storehouse of the universe and permit rivers of good to come our way.

Don’t take my word for it. Just honestly try to give and you’ll be surprised at the results. Generally, the returns do not come back from those we give to. It comes back from sources we could hardly imagine. So give your way to riches.

Take a chance on this universal principle. Take a chance on yourself. Universal principles always work.

Sometimes the return from giving happens very quickly as in the true story above. Other times, it takes much longer. But be assured of this: Give and you will receive -- and you’ll receive lots more than you ever gave.

And when you give, don’t do it with a heart of fear, but with a heart full of gratitude. You will be amazed at how it all works out.

Open the gates of affluence in your life by giving a bit of what you have to those in need. As the great Teacher said, .Give and it will be given unto you..
Try it. You’ll like it.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Agricultural Attrocities



A few days back i had the opportunity to visit a farm located at the outer skirts of Karachi.It was a small farm of about 8 to 10 acres but was an extremely fertile piece of land.The owner of the farm was a 60 year old man who was supposed to be our guide for the day.Upon our arrival the old man came running to us and greeted us warmly.The old man was wearing shabby looking clothes and his hands were dirty,obviously he had been working in the field before our arrival.He then offered us lassi,a traditional drink made from yogurt and milk.We had a little chit chat before the old man took us to his home.
I was both shocked and surprised to see the man's home.It consisted of two small rooms situated side by side,a bathroom in the front yard and no kitchen at all.The walls were not painted and the plaster was falling off the ceiling at some places.At one corner of the room was a woman doing some cooking.We were taken to the other room where we settled on an old,torn carpet.I was informed that the area had no supply of gas and people still burned wood to cook food.
I had always thought that farmers in Pakistan lived prosperous lives as portrayed by the media but, i was wrong.My friend who accompanied me then explained that even if a poor farmers gets a bumper crop,his living conditions are unlikely to improve much.In this case the old man who had incurred all production costs was forced to sell his crop(tomatoes in this case) at Rs 3 per kg to the wholesaler.On the other hand the wholesaler who does nothing except to transport the crop from the farm to the market earns more than Rs 8 per kg.The farmers have no choice because thousands of farmers in Pakistan do not have storage facilities and neither can they afford to buy trucks to transport their goods to the markets.
Our government on the other hand has done nothing to improve the financial conditions of such small scale farmers.They are left at the mercy of the wholesalers.
These wholesalers not only eat up a large share of the farmers profit but also artificially raise the retail price of agricultural products.These wholesalers should be banned and the government should come up with proper policies so that our poor deprived farmers get their due share.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Boring Life !

Today was one of those days when i get up feeling depressed and gloomy...I really don't know why but it does happen once in a while(No I'm not suicidal).Well at first i didn't feel like going to university but as there'd been several unpredicted holidays earlier this month i couldn't miss another day.
I literally slept through all my lectures although i could hear a few words in between like boilers....transfer function ...machines...but it didn't make much sense.
The heat and load-shedding didn't help much, in fact they made me feel even more miserable.
Sometimes I wonder where all the excitement and fun has vanished from our lives? We've become mechanical robots going through the same routine everyday....
But then i comfort myself by thinking about the next day.Every sunrise will bring a new day with it and every new day will bring hope,joy and love in our lives.Be positive.

Education For What ?


For my entire life i believed people acquire education to gain knowledge but my experience proved me wrong.
I belong to a public sector university that has a really heterogeneous crowd.When i joined the university i was amazed to find that education meant something different to everyone.
To some education is just necessary to get a degree so they can get decent jobs and live a prosperous life.These are mostly people from the middle class and lower middle class who have families to support.Many others believe that a degree will act as a source of honor for them and they will be respected in the society.
There is another class of people who are just there because they were forced by their parents to complete their studies.These are often people who belong to a rich background and will probably join their family businesses once their studies are completed.
Believe it or not some people even attend university just to kill time ...they have nothing better to do at home.These people are generally those who have no goal in life or are confused about their lives.
No matter what kind of background you belong to or what is the purpose of your life i believe that anyone whose acquiring education should do so to gain knowledge.Without knowledge life is like a dark corridor...you'll never know where you're going.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A Pessimistic Society


What is pessimism ? Pessimism is to anticipate failure. It is a general belief that bad things will happen.Unfortunately in our society,all of us have become experts in discovering flaws.Not even a single day of our lives goes without complaining.
Let me give you a few examples.When we look at the current economic scenario we find everyone complaining about unemployment,trade deficit,inflation and what not.But how many of us are actually trying to do something positive ?
This pessimistic attitude is driving away foreign investment from our country....
When we take a look at the social aspect,even before a match starts most of us are convinced that the Pakistani cricket team or hockey team will lose the match.We should at least encourage our players regardless of their performance.
In our daily lives most of us might have experienced that whenever a group gathers,rather than fruitful exchange of information and knowledge we start useless gossip.The funny part is even men have started doing that.This shows how negativity has spread like venom into our society.
Not even nature has escaped our pessimistic attitude.Recently there was a lot of buzz going on in the media regarding shortage of water in country.Most experts rather than planning and building new dams and reservoirs were wasting their energy blaming nature for having less amount of rainfall this year.We as a nation should at least do what is in our hands.
I ask you where did all that optimism go that led to the creation of this great country?
Of course there are certain situations where a little pessimism is required such as in new business ventures or when carrying out scientific research.But,we need to strike a balance between pessimism and optimism.
Remember an optimistic mind backed by positive action is the need of the hour.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Love Virus !

Attention O'youth of Pakistan.There are reports that a dangerous virus is on the loose. This deadly virus has escaped the jails of the west and is now quickly moving towards the east.Beware all, this lethal virus spreads really fast.It has become an epidemic leaving the swine flu and bird flu viruses far far behind....Yes it is the most dreaded LOVE VIRUS !
The so-called victims of this virus undergo the following stages:
STAGE 1: Love at first sight.A girl and a boy see each other and at the weakest moment this virus strikes.Furthermore once inside the bodies of the victims,the virus starts multiplying.
STAGE 2: Love is at its heights. The victims keep texting each other and call frequently to check on each other's health. Meetings and dinner dates are also common during this stage.
STAGE 3: The virus starts creating destruction. Frequent quarrels and arguments arise between the patients which finally lead to a break-up(or a broken nose in some cases).

Symptoms of this disease include sleepless nights,lost appetite,absent mindedness and sometimes drooling during the daytime.

Treatment: No medical cure available.

Precautions: Next time you feel love is in the air,think twice before you act.The only method to avoid the above condition is to choose your partner carefully in future.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Pakistan (The Land Of Pure)

The literal meaning of Pakistan is the Land Of Pure but has it lived upto its name ?

Today when you move across mega cities of Pakistan like Karachi, Lahore , Faisalabad, Peshawar or Quetta you'll see solid waste dumped across many streets and roads. Days and sometimes even months pass before that waste is picked and taken to some other dump site. This not only makes the city look ugly but also affects the health of people living in such areas.

If you walk down the road you will find two stroke rickshaws leaving behind a trail of bluish smoke .Uncontrolled emissions from buses, cars and motorcycles have made it difficult for many to breathe. The number of patients with asthma has constantly been increasing and allergies are becoming more common by the day.

Furthermore the industries have been given a free hand. There is no check on the emissions and effluent discarded by most industries.One of the biggest ship breaking yards of Asia at Gaddani, Balochistan is the worst example of such industries. There is no check as to what is dumped into the sea and most workers work without basic protection. This has resulted in accidents many at times and has literally destroyed the species of fish and prawn in that area.

The government needs to address this issue immediately. Steps should be taken to regulate the industries.Vehicle emissions should be reduced and two stroke rickshaws should be banned.Also, solid waste treatment plants should be setup across the country that will not only help clean the country but will also provide employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled labor.

Lets make the Land of Pure clean and green once again.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Have We Become Mechanical ?

In today’s fast paced world most of us have become mechanical. While eating,travelling,talking and even in meetings, we’re always in a hurry.

Maybe its because we have not completely understood our goals in life. Work is important but its not everything. There’s more to life than material success.

Have we ever wondered whats it like to sit back and enjoy a weekend with family and friends ? Or is it that we’ve forgotten the true purpose of life – to enjoy ?

Well this is the right time to set our priorities right. Sit back and reconsider your goals in life.Take out some time for your family and friends. Believe me you won’t regret it !

Welcome

Hello and welcome all to my blog. Please feel free to give your comments and opinions on the upcoming articles.