All talk

We had a national holiday on May 1 to celebrate Labour Day and the media reported lots of functions, speeches etc, by political leaders and such. However, I noted that here in my home district of Mansehra life, for the most part, went on as usual on this date. Except for the government sector, which got one day off, the vast majority of ordinary labourers and workers in the private sector had to turn up to work. Many, if not most, of these workers are toiling away in exploitative conditions where hours are long, benefits are few, pay is low and irregular, and health and safety are a luxury. The situation across the rest of the country was likely the same, with Labour Day passing without being much noticed. Why are we, as a nation, prone to being all talk and no action? The majority suffers while an elite minority prospers. While the latter occasionally offers some reassurance, nothing ever really changes. It is very depressing.

M Hashim Khan

Mansehra