Pakistans begging bowl runs deep
Allah Ditta hurriedly hides his ration and relief packets under the shabby rug which adorns his clumsy tent dwelling as he sees a TV team approaching his relief tent. His wife Naseera has now joined the queue to get another packet or two of the relief goods containing pulses, cooked rice, mineral water and biscuits. The anchor person along with his cameraman stops in front of his camp as the latter fixes his shot and peeps inside through the lens to see if the shot is worth taking. The camera is now rolling and anchor person asks a few questions to Allah Ditta, Tell us Mr Allah Ditta, since how long have you been encamped here and what treatment has been meted out to you so far? the anchor person ask politely in a sympathetic tone. Allah Ditta starts his tirade rather mechanically and abruptly
Let me ask a few elementary questions which are not difficult to answer. Why is it that in the wake of any calamity, we look upon the wealthy nations to come and rescue us from the situation which is no fault of theirs? Why is it that we are still passing through testing times even after 63 years of our existence? Why is it that despite favorable climatic conditions, sizable English speaking class and fair international exposure we could not achieve our goals?
Perhaps this begging bowl is the only object which unites all and sundry of the country without making any distinction. Ruling elite, ferocious opposition, military, opinionated anchors, think tanks and intellectuals and the hapless oblivion, no one even bothers to raise question as to why we have become a crowd of beggars where everyone right from president down to a slum dweller asks for aid without any iota of shame. A picture of Pakistan on electronic media these days paints a thousand words of the mess we are in.
Self-reliance is the master key which unlocks all difficulties in life. Help yourself and heaven will help you is a maxim which receives daily confirmation. While help from within always strengthens, help from without enfeebles the recipients. It is not by the use of corks, bladders and life-buoys that one learns to swim but by plunging courageously into the waves and buffeting them.
Earthquake in Iran
Iran experienced the worst earthquake in 2003 in her Southern city of Bam which killed thousands of people. The whole world wished to extend a helping hand to its ruling clergy isolated on charges of Irans clandestine nuclear program. The ruling elite however decided to not ask any help from any country especially Western countries and issued a specific list of emergency articles instead to a few developed Islamic countries. No foreign aid worker landed on Iranian soil and both the government and the public sustained the gruesome incident on their own.
Every cloud, however has a silver lining; misery brings with it immense chances of turning it into strength. Japan and Germany suffered humiliating defeat at the hands of allied forces in World War II. Heroshima and Nagasaki had been annihilated from the face of the earth by the rampaging Little boy and Fat Man German Army had lost its awe and grandeur after taking many kingdoms in its strides. How these nations resurrected themselves and bounced back with proverbial vengeance make interesting reading
Post World War II Japan
Sheer commitment, dedication and zeal of the Japanese people saw the country rising from the ashes of World War II and by 1960 its astounding pace and exceptional economic growth had stunned the world. According to an analyst the period leading up to the late 1960s saw the greatest years of prosperity Japan had seen since the Sun Goddess shut herself up behind a stone door to protest her brother Susano-os misbehavior. Former Prime Minister Ikeda started on an inspiring income doubling plan that saw lowered interest rates and taxes to private businesses. In addition, due to the financial flexibility afforded, Ikedas government rapidly expanded government investment in Japans infrastructure super highways, railways, new airports and exceptionally large dams besides investing heavily in communication sectors. The result present day Japan!
Post World War II Germany
Recovering from the destruction of World War II, Germanys rags to riches story is also not very different its economy experienced a long period of strong economic growth and widely referred to as the German miracle. During this period of growth, extensive and generous social services and benefits accompanied high-tech market capitalism. The whole nation rose up to snatch back its lost glory and the world saw a broad and unprecedented cooperation between the government, businesses, and labour that complemented free market principles in economic decision-making. Companies were considered responsible not only to shareholders but also to employees, customers, suppliers, and local communities. The capitalist model that linked business to a social conscience worked perfectly well and western part of Germany was able to contribute hundreds of billions of franks to impoverished Eastern wing after its unification in 1990
Modern China
Deng Xiaoping is widely hailed as the founder of modern China. Transformation had been made with utmost caution as the initial process of reform was proposed to ease the economy gently into its new guise, whereby any significant disparities between an open economy and the Chinese one would be ironed out. Key to this was expansion and liberalisation of the export program, Xiaoping focused on cheap power generation and exceptionally hi-tech infrastructure to lay the foundation of worlds second biggest economy. China has experienced unprecedented growth in the past thirty years, with GDP rising on average by 9.5 per cent per year over that period.
Recent flash floods have played havoc with already fragile economy of the country. Almost all of Pakistans GDP has been washed away in the deluge and in real terms country will witness a 0 per cent growth rate the lowest in three decades. Pakistans economy has suffered due to the large amounts that have been spent on the security of Pakistan and weak policies. Inflation rose by 25 per cent the highest in the last three decades. Pressurehas mounted on foreign reserves and the exchange rate has depreciated.
Drastic times call for drastic measures modest estimates suggest that we could manage to generate Rs 350 b domestically through austerity cuts. Pakistan after all did come out of the ignoble PRGF program of the IMF successfully in 2006 and we said Good-bye to all its programs. History may repeat itself if resilient Pakistanis and people in the highest echelon remain unyielding, come hell or high water.
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/1262/pakistans-begging-bowl-runs-deep/
Allah Ditta hurriedly hides his ration and relief packets under the shabby rug which adorns his clumsy tent dwelling as he sees a TV team approaching his relief tent. His wife Naseera has now joined the queue to get another packet or two of the relief goods containing pulses, cooked rice, mineral water and biscuits. The anchor person along with his cameraman stops in front of his camp as the latter fixes his shot and peeps inside through the lens to see if the shot is worth taking. The camera is now rolling and anchor person asks a few questions to Allah Ditta, Tell us Mr Allah Ditta, since how long have you been encamped here and what treatment has been meted out to you so far? the anchor person ask politely in a sympathetic tone. Allah Ditta starts his tirade rather mechanically and abruptly
Sahab, are we the humans or animals? For the last two days neither me nor my children have eaten anything. You should better kill us instead of meting out such humiliating treatment.
While no country is free from its due share of natures wrath, no other country in the world is afflicted with dependency syndrome quite like us. It is our consistent pattern as a nation which certainly perturbs the sensitive ones. We expect foreign aid and do not realize that the country is fast becoming a laughing stock in the eyes of the world. We as a nation are plagued with dependency and despondency syndrome with no panacea insight to wean the nation away from this lethal mind set.
Let me ask a few elementary questions which are not difficult to answer. Why is it that in the wake of any calamity, we look upon the wealthy nations to come and rescue us from the situation which is no fault of theirs? Why is it that we are still passing through testing times even after 63 years of our existence? Why is it that despite favorable climatic conditions, sizable English speaking class and fair international exposure we could not achieve our goals?
Perhaps this begging bowl is the only object which unites all and sundry of the country without making any distinction. Ruling elite, ferocious opposition, military, opinionated anchors, think tanks and intellectuals and the hapless oblivion, no one even bothers to raise question as to why we have become a crowd of beggars where everyone right from president down to a slum dweller asks for aid without any iota of shame. A picture of Pakistan on electronic media these days paints a thousand words of the mess we are in.
Self-reliance is the master key which unlocks all difficulties in life. Help yourself and heaven will help you is a maxim which receives daily confirmation. While help from within always strengthens, help from without enfeebles the recipients. It is not by the use of corks, bladders and life-buoys that one learns to swim but by plunging courageously into the waves and buffeting them.
Earthquake in Iran
Iran experienced the worst earthquake in 2003 in her Southern city of Bam which killed thousands of people. The whole world wished to extend a helping hand to its ruling clergy isolated on charges of Irans clandestine nuclear program. The ruling elite however decided to not ask any help from any country especially Western countries and issued a specific list of emergency articles instead to a few developed Islamic countries. No foreign aid worker landed on Iranian soil and both the government and the public sustained the gruesome incident on their own.
Every cloud, however has a silver lining; misery brings with it immense chances of turning it into strength. Japan and Germany suffered humiliating defeat at the hands of allied forces in World War II. Heroshima and Nagasaki had been annihilated from the face of the earth by the rampaging Little boy and Fat Man German Army had lost its awe and grandeur after taking many kingdoms in its strides. How these nations resurrected themselves and bounced back with proverbial vengeance make interesting reading
Post World War II Japan
Sheer commitment, dedication and zeal of the Japanese people saw the country rising from the ashes of World War II and by 1960 its astounding pace and exceptional economic growth had stunned the world. According to an analyst the period leading up to the late 1960s saw the greatest years of prosperity Japan had seen since the Sun Goddess shut herself up behind a stone door to protest her brother Susano-os misbehavior. Former Prime Minister Ikeda started on an inspiring income doubling plan that saw lowered interest rates and taxes to private businesses. In addition, due to the financial flexibility afforded, Ikedas government rapidly expanded government investment in Japans infrastructure super highways, railways, new airports and exceptionally large dams besides investing heavily in communication sectors. The result present day Japan!
Post World War II Germany
Recovering from the destruction of World War II, Germanys rags to riches story is also not very different its economy experienced a long period of strong economic growth and widely referred to as the German miracle. During this period of growth, extensive and generous social services and benefits accompanied high-tech market capitalism. The whole nation rose up to snatch back its lost glory and the world saw a broad and unprecedented cooperation between the government, businesses, and labour that complemented free market principles in economic decision-making. Companies were considered responsible not only to shareholders but also to employees, customers, suppliers, and local communities. The capitalist model that linked business to a social conscience worked perfectly well and western part of Germany was able to contribute hundreds of billions of franks to impoverished Eastern wing after its unification in 1990
Modern China
Deng Xiaoping is widely hailed as the founder of modern China. Transformation had been made with utmost caution as the initial process of reform was proposed to ease the economy gently into its new guise, whereby any significant disparities between an open economy and the Chinese one would be ironed out. Key to this was expansion and liberalisation of the export program, Xiaoping focused on cheap power generation and exceptionally hi-tech infrastructure to lay the foundation of worlds second biggest economy. China has experienced unprecedented growth in the past thirty years, with GDP rising on average by 9.5 per cent per year over that period.
Recent flash floods have played havoc with already fragile economy of the country. Almost all of Pakistans GDP has been washed away in the deluge and in real terms country will witness a 0 per cent growth rate the lowest in three decades. Pakistans economy has suffered due to the large amounts that have been spent on the security of Pakistan and weak policies. Inflation rose by 25 per cent the highest in the last three decades. Pressurehas mounted on foreign reserves and the exchange rate has depreciated.
Drastic times call for drastic measures modest estimates suggest that we could manage to generate Rs 350 b domestically through austerity cuts. Pakistan after all did come out of the ignoble PRGF program of the IMF successfully in 2006 and we said Good-bye to all its programs. History may repeat itself if resilient Pakistanis and people in the highest echelon remain unyielding, come hell or high water.
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/1262/pakistans-begging-bowl-runs-deep/
