Cuba: the unexplored frontier

Part - II
During the four days that we were there, we found out that Cuba has a very strong local government system that boasts more than 1,400 local governments for a population of not more than 11.5 million. The director general of WHO has called Cuban healthcare as “the best in the world and a model for all third-world countries to follow”.
This least cost preventive healthcare system, which has brought down infant mortality to four out of 1000 in Cuba, has also increased life expectancy from 62 to 78.5 years. This socialist country has a 100 percent literacy rate. Health and education have a share of over 12 percent each of GDP. And please note that these healthcare and education systems are run by none other than the local councils.
God only knows when we will learn to trust our local councils and transfer authority from the ‘babu’ to the local councillor. I’m sure they will have a learning curve, but they will learn much quicker and better since it is their children who would have to be treated and taught in local institutions. We will have to take the plunge of transferring real power, not to MPAs and MNAs but to the last tier of elected representatives. And whoever does it first will be remembered in history as a leader unmatched in his or her contribution in making a ‘Real Pakistan’, not a ‘New Pakistan’ that certain ‘star’ politcians are offering to the people today through dharnas.
Our meeting with the Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla – a Bill Gates lookalike – took place in a grand historic building that had been renovated recently and houses the foreign ministry. It showed signs of change in the thinking of the Cuban people and government. An appetite to normalise relations with the United States was also evident from the remarks of the minister as he fondly remembered President Obama expressing his intent of normalising relations with Cuba. He termed the environment as being more favourable due to less political rhetoric and no possibility of a military conflict – something that India and Pakistan should learn from.
The minister was very clear, as was the president of the Cuban Congress, when they spoke of talking to the Americans on equal grounds and with dignity and self-respect. This attitude and patience in striking a good deal with dignity was something that gives the Cuban people a sense of recognition and pride that has sustained them through embargos and unfair economic terms in the global economy.
“The American government and people should end the embargo sooner than later”. These were the words of an American lady I had a chat with, while having breakfast in the beautiful verandah of Hotel Nacional, overlooking the deep blue sea. At present American tourists have to travel via other countries to visit Cuba.
In what was a great diplomatic initiative by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, he offered to mediate between Cuba and the United States through the US ambassador in Islamabad. The offer was very positively taken by the Cuban foreign minister who requested Sardar Ayaz to do so. Our delegation also met with Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez. He expressed warm sentiments about Pakistan and resolved to focus on taking our bilateral relations to a new level through investments in Cuba and cooperation in the human resource and health sectors.
There seemed to be a very strong desire to improve Cuba’s relations with the world, including the US, and for economic reforms in the country. Cuba clearly wants to transform. The vice president was also quite proud of the close cooperation they have amongst blocks of different South American countries that have ‘sovereign’ foreign policymaking.
The most meaningful and touching meeting was at the Central Unit of Collaboration where we met with doctors who had left their homes and families thousands of miles away for more than six months, to stand by the poor and needy in Pakistan in the bitter cold after the earthquake in 2005, at a time when most international agencies had left. I saw tears in Doctor La’zara Caridad’s eyes when she was narrating her story about Pakistan. She said nostalgically, “I don’t know how to express my feelings for a loving people like those in Pakistan. If we are told to return to Pakistan, we will return gladly.”
Intensive care specialist Jorse Fonseca Cabreja said he “worked day and night to set up a field hospital. People opened their hearts for us. Friendship emerged that touched our hearts. When we left, we left our hearts. We had chemistry. We are at your disposal”.
It was the most emotional interaction I have seen among people of two different nations that are separated by an air journey that took these doctors more than 48 hours during the earthquake days. When we interacted with Pakistani students who are about to become doctors in Cuban medical colleges, I urged them to not only get degrees from there but also to learn how to be as committed as the Cuban doctors are, to the cause of improving the health of their people better than anyone else’s.
Pakistani students were committed in doing so, but were petrified since the PMDC and the Higher Education Commission have not even accredited the degrees that they have worked for over eight years. Can you imagine that? Resource-starved Cuba, having spent more than 80 million dollars and our children having spent more than eight years of their youth, and our inefficient PMDC does not even care! That is our way to reciprocate. That is Pakistan in comparison to Cuba.
Cuba is changing. Let us all encourage change and help them change the right way instead of pushing them into isolation. I talked to the young boys and girls and I could see a light in their eyes: a light that reflects the appetite for change. Fortunately the rulers know and realise that there is no other way but change. Whether they do it the right way or not is yet to be seen. But they surely have the most important element in society to do it the right way – an educated workforce.
Concluded
The writer is the chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Email: awaislegharihotmail.com