Pakistan an intellectual wasteland
Ambassador’s Diary
Dr Samiullah Koreshi
Monday, November 22, 2010 - Recently India’s world class achievements were in lime light during Obama’s visit to India, for its miraculous break through in the ranks of world’s scientifically advanced countries, not only for its astonishing economic progress. Obama talked of India’s solid base in technology, of its home made super computers- those used in producing nuclear weapons and space research- industrial base created by its own people not by aid, India’s planting of its flag on the moon, world level production of computers. This was followed by announcement in Lok Sabha of American support to India’s permanent seat in UNSC. It meant India is now count in world’s high class educated countries. Obama was not there to offer a Kerry Logger Bill to India but seeking India’s partnership for its own benefits.
This shows the new ranking of Asian countries. China, Japan and India in the top bracket. Once India and Pakistan were treated practically on same footing .Gone are those days. The only thing Pakistan still has of world class is its Armed Forces. Weaken them and Pakistan would be an Afghanistan which is reflected in the new terminology Pak-Af . Inherently and potentially we are a regional power World politics is like a stock exchange in which each country like the strength of a company determines the price of its stock. Pakistan should worry for its tumbling rating in international standing.
There are many ills which have entered into our body politic but far more in our social and public morality I am using the word morality not in the manner the religious people do but as social political evaluation would. Morality in the domain of social matters This has caused poor leadership in all spheres, not only in politics, not only the bankruptcy of the politicians, but in every sphere of society. Corruption, pattey bazi, or deception in dealings is the order of the day. Deception in politics, deception in business dealings, deception in personal relations, use of words for concealment of the double face. The political malaise is not the cause of these ills but it is symptom of that rot which has taken place in the society. This malaise has been taking place for several long years.Musharruf’s era and present “democratic system” are out come of that. But I would not be so silly as quite a few persons have now been by uttering rubbish that “for the last 63 years it has been the same” Not in the least.
I am daring to compare Hindu and Muslim societies which is the cause of phenomenal advancement in matters of learning between Muslims and Hindus, or geographically Pakistan and India. Greed – profit as much as one can make- has been a prominent feature of bania. Of course in Hindu society there were classes in which honour was the base of their code, in the old families and the Rajputs In Muslim society the old values were totally opposite to what they are in Pakistan of today. Fellow feeling was feature of Muslim society , halal and haram were the first words we heard from our infancy in the list of don’ts and dos. They were part of our social morality and personal code of conduct. Rishwat was haram. Like in all cases, in the west there is a lunatic fringe with which any thing goes, but otherwise public morality is much higher in the west than in many non-western countries. I remember in my childhood parents used to ask us not to eat in such and such’s house whose father was a rishwat khor.. But in education Muslims were in pre-independence days no match to Hindus. After the failure of War of Independence of 1857-58 the Muslims became down trodden since the British suppressed the Muslims whom they considered their rivals from whom they had taken power. I remember in my childhood in India very few Muslims were in universities even lesser in technical subjects Just to add a personal note I had mathematics in my B.A.
Honours ( 1943-44) My very friendly Hindu professor Mitra used to say “O Mussaley tu yahan kiya kar raha hai. Mathematics musalmano key bas ki nahin”. Number of Muslims in educational institutions used to be nominal. This is why the first Muslim political movement in India was Mohammaden Educational Society of Sir Syed, Aligarh Muslim University, and later many Muslim institutions like Sindh Madrasatul Islam, Islamia College. The competitive spirit with the Hindus sharpened with the rise of Pakistan movement. We topped in our subjects in university, like Zunnurain in Allahabad university one of the top Hindu universities, and so on so forth. It was the pre-Independence day generation like Dr Zia uddin Ahmed ( Vice Chancellor Aligarh University) Dr Salemuzzan Siddiqui FRS, Dr Raziuddin Siddiqui , the top scientists of their times in the subcontinent surfaced. Earlier there had been solitary intellectuals among Muslims like Iqbal, Sir Syed etc, but they were exceptions rather than a phenomenon like it happened in Pakistan Movement days. Competition with Hindus in learning was the moving spirit of our generation,
It was in this spirit that the Muslims scientists, economists, experts in other fields worked when Pakistan came into existence. This resulted in nuclear scientists like A Q Khan and Mubarakmand emerged. There has never been a greater galaxy of experts in all important fields in Pakistan than accidentally in Ayub’s Era- this is why such advancement was achieved in Ayub’s days. In economics, Shoaib, MM Ahmed, SS Jafrey, Uquali, Qamrul Islam were the bae of Ayub’s Decade of reforms which out of jealousy subsequent rulers described as mere propaganda. When such galaxy of intellectuals and experts emerge in any days they add brilliance in the Era like the nau rattan ( nine jewels) of Akbar’s Era.
The permanent base of power of a nation is its brain power, the scientists, the learned persons, the intellectuals, the educationists, the economic experts. These are generated in the Universities and academic institutions. In Pakistan “the brain” does not count in country’s affairs In fact it is excluded from the ruling elites., The learned expert does not get a hand in nation building, consequently mediocre leadership minus “the brain power” lives on slogans and photo-session.
Pakistan is an intellectual waste land. The academician, the scientist , the man of knowledge receives no place in nation building. Look at US, Germany, Japan, China, India the brain, the academician, the learned if associated in nation building, . If you have a look at our cabinets and of India, Japan, US, France, etc, it would have quite a few university professors and academicians. In Egypt the number of Professors with Ph Ds in their line were quite a few, There seemed a good relationship between politics and universities. What about Pakistan for example in the present cabinet how many have doctorates and are academicians. Is there a lend-lease between universities and parliaments?
Is any importance given to the universities by the Prime Ministers and Presidents. They are not themselves men of letters. They cannot honour men of letters. Akbar was illetrate but knew a jewel of a learned man and its importance. A number of universities have been created, but are they centers of teaching. Is there ant institution in Pakistan equal to any one of the five Indian Institute of Technology. Recently I attended a Book Fair in Karachi, a stall of text books by Indian publisher, Most of the books were by Indian professors prescribed by Indian teachers. Are there any technical books written by our professors ? Our students depend on Indian text books, We are far behind India in matters of “brain”.
This shows the new ranking of Asian countries. China, Japan and India in the top bracket. Once India and Pakistan were treated practically on same footing .Gone are those days. The only thing Pakistan still has of world class is its Armed Forces. Weaken them and Pakistan would be an Afghanistan which is reflected in the new terminology Pak-Af . Inherently and potentially we are a regional power World politics is like a stock exchange in which each country like the strength of a company determines the price of its stock. Pakistan should worry for its tumbling rating in international standing.
There are many ills which have entered into our body politic but far more in our social and public morality I am using the word morality not in the manner the religious people do but as social political evaluation would. Morality in the domain of social matters This has caused poor leadership in all spheres, not only in politics, not only the bankruptcy of the politicians, but in every sphere of society. Corruption, pattey bazi, or deception in dealings is the order of the day. Deception in politics, deception in business dealings, deception in personal relations, use of words for concealment of the double face. The political malaise is not the cause of these ills but it is symptom of that rot which has taken place in the society. This malaise has been taking place for several long years.Musharruf’s era and present “democratic system” are out come of that. But I would not be so silly as quite a few persons have now been by uttering rubbish that “for the last 63 years it has been the same” Not in the least.
I am daring to compare Hindu and Muslim societies which is the cause of phenomenal advancement in matters of learning between Muslims and Hindus, or geographically Pakistan and India. Greed – profit as much as one can make- has been a prominent feature of bania. Of course in Hindu society there were classes in which honour was the base of their code, in the old families and the Rajputs In Muslim society the old values were totally opposite to what they are in Pakistan of today. Fellow feeling was feature of Muslim society , halal and haram were the first words we heard from our infancy in the list of don’ts and dos. They were part of our social morality and personal code of conduct. Rishwat was haram. Like in all cases, in the west there is a lunatic fringe with which any thing goes, but otherwise public morality is much higher in the west than in many non-western countries. I remember in my childhood parents used to ask us not to eat in such and such’s house whose father was a rishwat khor.. But in education Muslims were in pre-independence days no match to Hindus. After the failure of War of Independence of 1857-58 the Muslims became down trodden since the British suppressed the Muslims whom they considered their rivals from whom they had taken power. I remember in my childhood in India very few Muslims were in universities even lesser in technical subjects Just to add a personal note I had mathematics in my B.A.
Honours ( 1943-44) My very friendly Hindu professor Mitra used to say “O Mussaley tu yahan kiya kar raha hai. Mathematics musalmano key bas ki nahin”. Number of Muslims in educational institutions used to be nominal. This is why the first Muslim political movement in India was Mohammaden Educational Society of Sir Syed, Aligarh Muslim University, and later many Muslim institutions like Sindh Madrasatul Islam, Islamia College. The competitive spirit with the Hindus sharpened with the rise of Pakistan movement. We topped in our subjects in university, like Zunnurain in Allahabad university one of the top Hindu universities, and so on so forth. It was the pre-Independence day generation like Dr Zia uddin Ahmed ( Vice Chancellor Aligarh University) Dr Salemuzzan Siddiqui FRS, Dr Raziuddin Siddiqui , the top scientists of their times in the subcontinent surfaced. Earlier there had been solitary intellectuals among Muslims like Iqbal, Sir Syed etc, but they were exceptions rather than a phenomenon like it happened in Pakistan Movement days. Competition with Hindus in learning was the moving spirit of our generation,
It was in this spirit that the Muslims scientists, economists, experts in other fields worked when Pakistan came into existence. This resulted in nuclear scientists like A Q Khan and Mubarakmand emerged. There has never been a greater galaxy of experts in all important fields in Pakistan than accidentally in Ayub’s Era- this is why such advancement was achieved in Ayub’s days. In economics, Shoaib, MM Ahmed, SS Jafrey, Uquali, Qamrul Islam were the bae of Ayub’s Decade of reforms which out of jealousy subsequent rulers described as mere propaganda. When such galaxy of intellectuals and experts emerge in any days they add brilliance in the Era like the nau rattan ( nine jewels) of Akbar’s Era.
The permanent base of power of a nation is its brain power, the scientists, the learned persons, the intellectuals, the educationists, the economic experts. These are generated in the Universities and academic institutions. In Pakistan “the brain” does not count in country’s affairs In fact it is excluded from the ruling elites., The learned expert does not get a hand in nation building, consequently mediocre leadership minus “the brain power” lives on slogans and photo-session.
Pakistan is an intellectual waste land. The academician, the scientist , the man of knowledge receives no place in nation building. Look at US, Germany, Japan, China, India the brain, the academician, the learned if associated in nation building, . If you have a look at our cabinets and of India, Japan, US, France, etc, it would have quite a few university professors and academicians. In Egypt the number of Professors with Ph Ds in their line were quite a few, There seemed a good relationship between politics and universities. What about Pakistan for example in the present cabinet how many have doctorates and are academicians. Is there a lend-lease between universities and parliaments?
Is any importance given to the universities by the Prime Ministers and Presidents. They are not themselves men of letters. They cannot honour men of letters. Akbar was illetrate but knew a jewel of a learned man and its importance. A number of universities have been created, but are they centers of teaching. Is there ant institution in Pakistan equal to any one of the five Indian Institute of Technology. Recently I attended a Book Fair in Karachi, a stall of text books by Indian publisher, Most of the books were by Indian professors prescribed by Indian teachers. Are there any technical books written by our professors ? Our students depend on Indian text books, We are far behind India in matters of “brain”.
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