Libre Magazine

Once upon a time I had a dream , dream that the world we live in ceases to show any economic disparity , people living if not in harmony as that’s against human nature ( so conflicts still exist) but no one dies of hunger.

A few years ago when I used to think what it would be like to live in the year 2008 and onwards I assumed a world much similar to that of the one depicted in the sci-fi movies and fantasy fiction. Technology would have taken over the problems that are too distracting in human growth in general, places like Gaza, Chad, Darfur, and Afghanistan etc. will be relatively better off in terms of making themselves a better bargain for futures ahead.

Upon my waking up and that to the reality where all has changed with time and for the worse, the crises on the earth (political as well as socio-economic) have not only gotten mature but have consistently perpetuated themselves. Ironically 2008 is no different than the dark alley of a tunnel whose length and width are not known owing to human indifference to studying nature at times.

Speaking of 2008 being the year of Olympics, what seemed to many a source of bliss and pride as Pakistanis or Asians so to speak, we were the atypical host of the Olympic torch and Islamabad was not a surprise picking in this regard. Since than much has been said and written about the pride we should take as a nation in being the neighbors of People’s Republic of China and of course as Pakistanis and in particular to the position that we some how suddenly have acquired to be given the status of an Olympics torch host alongside countries like US, UK, France, and India.

All this sounds music to the ears when I gaze at this pleasant state of the affairs and indeed take pride in the spirit of the Olympics- united and equal, we are but one world.

But a prompt Shift in the frame of reference shatters all this vanity and takes away all the pride that I endure in being who I am and where I am. What good all this do? Or the recently acquired (or rather fought out) democracy, more so when in these contemporary age being amongst the only few nations capable of making their own unmanned spy planes. On the contrary some things beyond truly dreadful happens under the same sun in our very own premises, where a mother of two ( a five year old son and four year old daughter) taking along her two kids decides to be rundown by a passing train owing to excruciating circumstances i.e. ; poverty , and a young man in his 20s shots himself in a street in Rawalpindi crowded by many also due to the same reasons ( he was unable to find a job despite having a degree) , as if all this hadn’t been enough where a Rickshaw driver is seen with an advert on the back of his rickshaw saying ‘ kidney for sale’ all this due to him being unable to repay his loans and bear the expenses of livelihood. All this being just a glimpse of how things have gone wrong economically and socially.

Many Development Economists can indeed dispute here with me on this one and will counter this change of heart to the notion that economic disparities are a global phenomenon, joblessness is a problem even in developed nations, and inflation is an issue even in developed countries like Japan. But than the leaders and the so-called decision makers in all these nations do something, just a bit to counter the inevitable that haunts all the pessimist of the world. We on the other hand sadly are only entangled in issues like who should be the chief justice and which party should have more been given ministries in the interest of a certain province. All this may not be trivial but what about the people and their problems, after all this is done in the name of the very people in torment.

All this takes me back to my dream, a dream that ceases to fade away more so due to the hope tangled with it, as some one rightly said dreams may fade but hope shall never. So I continue to hope because hopes don’t cost anything they only make u live longer.