Building dams for electricity

City elders say we should seek guidance from Almighty God's message delivered by Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) for the benefit of mankind. "That will help us tide over social, economic and political problems and turn our homeland into a sovereign welfare state."

Elders are right. Masses do not seem so happy with current mode of governance which they say has failed to save them from poverty, hunger and disease.

According to human rights commission, about 15 persons are dying of hunger across the country every day, they've nothing to eat. And this is happening under the nose of landlords and capitalists who have the lion's share of power in parliament.

They've forgotten the lessons of Islam as regards peace, prosperity and welfare of the common man, which in other words enjoins all well-to-do and ruling classes of society to help the state provide bread, clothing and shelter to the poor on the basis of the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. This is the spirit of democracy which unites and builds people into a nation possessed of healthy economy and strong defence.

"If we have forgotten the achievements of our ancestors, then let us learn something from our trust-worthy friend China, who has stood firm by her ideology and principles and upheld independence and sovereignty in the face of a so-called awesome dictator of the global village," say the city olds.

Rawalpindi and Islamabad, for more than four decades, have attracted people for reasons of lucrative business, trade, interaction with rulers and bureaucrats and, of course, jobs of any kind. By the way, who will not bring political pressure to bear upon the government officers, which obviously leads to nothing but corruption, bribery and nepotism?

Nobody has ever bothered about what is needed to make the country a progressive state with a people's government in the real sense. That's why we today face the problem of 'roti, kapra aur makan'. Millions are starved of money and food. Poverty-ridden women either commits suicide with their kids or wander for money in any way before or after the sunset---and that is the point when a woman allows her body to part with soul.

The poor can't afford high prices of wheat flour, sugar, milk and cooking oil etc. Why people talk about yesterday's struggle for the present industrial and agricultural progress of the Chinese nation with a view to learning from them? China won freedom two years after we achieved Pakistan in 1947.  Most relevant was the rise of the Chinese people's communes in our today's context.

Soul-stirring songs play a vital part in national build-up and in countering calamities and repulsing the enemy. That's true of all revolutionary peoples like those of the Republic of China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

While we spent our ten precious years for a good tomorrow under Ayub Khan's regime the Chinese people's communes were emerging with determination to bring about a farm revolution. A commune was declared to be a "basic unit of society" to manage all industrial and agricultural production, trade, cultural and educational work and political affairs within its own sphere.

Our masses, too, have the same potential and quality of working together for national rebuilding after the devastating rains and floods. Only selfless leaders are needed to work manually and mentally along with the common people setting aside the party motives.

The masses need clean drinking water, fuel and electricity, bumper wheat, rice and sugar-cane crops and edible oil etc. for honourable living at a price which is within their reach. To achieve such a target calling goodbye to dirty dynastic politics and building dams, big and small, is as necessary as offering prayers.

Therein lies the secret of future life of the people of the country, otherwise one may not survive to say good morning to the other.

zasarwar@hotmail.com