March 23 – Memories & Nostalgia
The first two decades of the country’s history were marked with remarkable attainments against numerous and formidable odds. The third decade witnessed the dismemberment of the country and nationalization of basic industries in the name of social justice. That wobbled the nascent industries, slowed down economic growth and reinforced the grip of feudalism on the polity.
The fourth decade found Pakistan engulfed in a proxy war with a super power. Among the deleterious effects of this war were the Klashnikov culture, widespread informal economy, drug barons, smugglers, and a spurt of violence and crime because of easy access to war surplus weapons.
The fifth decade and the period thereafter till the military take-over in October 1999, witnessed the leadership of the country falling into the hands of two puny leaders who were too incompetent to provide the much needed buttress to a badly hit economy. They could hardly provide a solution, inasmuch as they constituted themselves the major part of the problem. They used power chiefly for personal pelf. Both were tall on promises and shockingly short on delivering them.
Major events of this entire period come rushing to mind when I reminisce today about Pakistan. The mosaic of memories carries some amusing patches too. These directly occur to mind perhaps because I miss similar sights in the US.
Man has contributed immensely to the charm and beauty of California -a vast desert in its natural state. The sand hills and dunes have been turned into verdant hillocks studded with houses built on steppes and clearings on the hillsides. These houses look like doll-houses from a distance.
The emanating stenches might be a nasal disaster for a Western visitor but for the locals they are the cure for many mental ailments, arrogance for one.
A cynic attributed Benazir’s 25 foreign trips in as many months of her rule to this ubiquitous stench. She is now in a self-imposed exile to London/Abu Dhabi enjoying her wealth, irrespective of its source. So is her alter-ego in corruption, the biggest crook the country has produced.
There are more cars here in just one city, Los Angeles, than in all of Pakistan. Yet, there are fewer accidents. A bruised, dented and accident-damaged car is seldom seen. Traffic is well regulated and the ‘meek’ drivers religiously obey the traffic rules. The traffic jam, a monster spawned by civilization, has been largely brought under control here. It is so colorless, so prosaic.
In the middle of this mess could be seen three or four traffic constables blowing their whistles and shaking their arms in all directions. Theirs is no mean contribution to this mess. Some give them total credit for it. I have never seen a situation so dismal that a policeman of Pakistan couldn’t make it worse!
History tells us how Moses crossed the Sinai with his people, how Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his men, how Sultan Muhammad Fateh crossed with his armada the strip of land to reach the Basphorous and conquer Constentinople (Istanbul). A pedestrian who manages to cross a street in say Karachi amid such a traffic jam deserves no less a notable place in history.
