No survival without ‘roti’, water and education

One witnessed people on the eve of Ramazan discuss healthy impact of fasting on human health despite food price surge up to 400 per cent. Decline in quality of wheat ‘atta’ and acute shortage of clean drinking water drew attention of the officials concerned who have ready-made arguments to satisfy the impatient consumers.

The bitter fact is that layman has begun losing trust in leaders because of what he says their doings based on self-interest: he talks of exploitation over the years.

“We don’t want such fishy politics which doesn’t solve any of our problems --social, economic, health and educational: We want bread with honour and free education for children,” say middle-and lower class citizens who can’t afford mutton at Rs1,000/1,100 per one kilogram.

City olds, who have lived through 16 regimes, whisper: “These self-seekers have pledged our present and future generations by obtaining foreign loans worth billions on lenders’ conditions; and why the poor masses should pay for electricity and gas pilfered by rich factory and mill owners and influential political persons.

Suffering masses comprehend issues in their own way, such as food price hike, unemployment and poverty. The central point of their thinking revolves round ‘roti’ and water.

Ordinary citizens want power-hungry leaders stop juggling with words and shuffling like card-players.

“They should better join hands with peasants and labourers for urgently needed socio-economic change: Only then will begin the journey to self-reliance, self-sufficiency and freedom from slavery to any foreign power.”

Interestingly, common people have revived interest in revolutionary ideas of the well-renowned philosopher and poet Hazrat Baba Fariduddin Ganj Shakkar, which they believe will help solve social and economic problems and, at the same time, awaken the slumbering society to Islam.

There’s no denying the fact that widely respected Baba Ganj Shakkar was one of the revolutionary thinkers and poets of his time. He understood, practiced and spread the spirit of Islam in the sub-continent.

He was against poverty and illiteracy: That’s why his powerful and thought provoking poetry appeals to the downtrodden of the 21st century also.

One of his Punjabi couplets says: “There are five articles of Islam; but O Farida there’s also a sixth article, and that’s ‘roti’; if man doesn’t find the sixth one, he forgets the rest.

Educated youth, who read the Quran, study the Quran, and practice the Message of the Quran, fully comprehend the meaning of what Baba Ganj Shakkar said long time ago.

Along with water ‘roti’ is one of basic needs of a human to survive, and worship one true God. What may happen if centuries-old unjust social and economic system can’t nab hoarders and profiteers, and the price of ‘roti’ further goes up and remains beyond the reach of the ordinary citizens?

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