Hazaaron saal nargis apni be-noori pe roti hai..

Category: Articles/Opinion
Written by: Umair Khan (on January 25, 2008 - 03:12 PM)

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When reading Tulo-e-Islam by Iqbal I came across the following lines.

It impressed me so much that I read them again and again. Who else can write such a beautiful poem other than Iqbal. What was going through his mind when he wrote these two lines? Or he might be thinking of those rulers which did not value their common people (nargis i.e narcissus) but he actually did not know that after some years these lines would actually fit his dreamed nation.

Yes, we Pakistanis are living a chaotic life, here by Pakistanis I mean those poor and depressed people who cannot even quench their hunger.

To describe the reasons why Pakistan is not among the developed countries and why the common people are still not satisfied, it is a long discussion.

Let’s discuss the one aspect of this story:

Over the last 60 years, Army rules this country approximately 36 years. I think people coming in the Military force are trained for the following things:

• How to take over the country when the present govt blind trust you?
• How to switch your job from Chief of Army Staff to President of Pakistan?
• How to involve in politics and join a political force?

Army usually took over the command of this country saying the political rulers are not sincere; they are corrupt; the country is in the state of political chaos and thus they started ruling the country. Some times it was called Marshal Law and some times declaring emergency, they adapted their so called mission -to move the country from chaos to stability.

Unfortunately we still are in a state of chaos and the old Army professional or better to call him a candidate of Muslim League (Q) trying to move this country in a stable state. Analyzing the current Military rule, from last eight or nine years we are in worst conditions.

“Hamey tou shayad roti bhi khaanay nahi dain gain agar phir sa Army aai”
(We won’t be able to eat bread if the Army took over this country again).

This is the reply of a typical Pakistani when I asked him about the next elections.

Further elaborating he told me:“I am a daily wager, having two children (third not allowed if following the govt rules) working under a contractor and daily gets Rs 200. Children are usually hungry when I go back to home after daily working. Due to the strikes and all I am not even getting my daily wages and living hand to mouth.”

This is one out of those millions of stories of many Pakistani families which are waiting for a miracle to occur in the coming elections and the govt could be successful in providing them bread and butter. I think this government is only for the rich people who become more rich and rich day by day and the poor are getting poor day by day.

These poor Pakistanis are still waiting for a “deedahwar”(according to Iqbal’s couplet) – a person who can bring happiness in their eyes and can raise their  living standard. Let’s hope for that miracle to occur and got those rulers who have eyes to see the actual condition of poor and hungry peoples and count them as nargis. (narcissus).

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