The Pessimist

By Muhammad Umair Vohra

I have thousands of reasons to hate my country. Despite the fact that I am born and will die here, too, I have been unable to fall in love with the 'land of the pure'. Astute analyses reveal it is not my country which I hate, but the people who are responsible to put up this shame together. Yes, I like the cup but I don't like the coffee inside.

Every single day people are being bombed out; ironic but true that both the bomber and thebombed end up in heaven. Who is spreading this extreme terror and who should we fight against are simple, unanswered questions. Disappointment is now part and parcel of this deadly game. I need not mention that I live in an "Islamic" republic where "disappointment" is considered a sin. Unfortunately, we have double standards everywhere. We might have people belonging from most "pious" social group but their bank account could be traced back into some commercial bank which is "haram" in the first place. The rationale - we live in "dar-ul-harb" where it is the responsibility ofthe state to provide the environment to practice true Islamic way of life. The sad part is that most Muslims simply refuse to even adapt the dynamics of the modern world. Where sophisticated speakers are used to invite the people to worship, they prefer to use those outdated radio speakers. 'Nothing is permanent except change' is not something my countrymen believe in.

You might see people travelling in most luxurious imported cars while talking about imbalance it creates for the national economy. As long as their standard of living is up and running, the national economy can be revitalised any time: either by begging from our own people or some foreign financial institutions. The iron man, while formulating the policy of national interest, seems to be fully aware of this contingency. Otherwise, he would have surely given some more thought towards developing the re-paying capacity. The only repaying capacity we have now is our young blood, butthe poor performance of the economy is unable to accommodate this young blood. Words like "job" and "market" sound alien in an environment where "cost cutting" and "layoffs" are buzzing over their shoulders. Probably they forgot to bring in the golden spoon along!

Talking about the golden spoon, the resourceful political populace, the alumni of reputable international educational institutions continue to play their role in the political drama live and exclusive. The king of jungle, after returning back from the great escape, was seen to be fighting for Justice! I wonder how people could possibly forget the time when the same king smashed stones right into the pillar of the state.

The poor people and the middle working class which is the majority are the biggest losers. However, I say that they opted for this state. They decide their future by either selling their right to vote on the day of election to their respective feudal lord or sleeping the day long. Who cares about the winners! Someone wrote somewhere that when you cannot defeat them – join them. Yes, I joined the fools (thinking I would defeat them) but alas! I ended up in the fool's paradise. I am no longer an optimist but a realistic pessimist.

Published 19 Feb, 2010 - US Magazine

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/feb2010-weekly/us-19-02-2010/index.html