Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space.
No work is bad
Life without work is meaningless, dull and boring. It is work that fills life with joy and happiness. Not every activity qualifies as work; only those that are productive and beneficial for individuals or society deserve to be called such. The work of a sweeper is as sacred and noble as that of a bureaucrat or a doctor. A busy person remains happy and healthy, whereas an idle person is often gloomy and sick.
Even the wealthiest individuals engage in some form of work to avoid boredom, as idleness can erode the soul. Work fosters optimism, confidence, and pride in individuals. It’s essential to understand that no profession deserves disrespect. Whether one tills the land, works in a mine, factory, or builds houses, every occupation is honourable. If workers recognise the dignity and importance of labour, they will feel confident and avoid falling prey to inferiority complexes. Many educated individuals harbour misconceptions about labour. Workers are the backbone of our nation.
MUNAEZA NASI
Turbat, Kech
Fundamental right
I’m writing to say how very concerned I am about critical problem of citizens in Karachi not having equitable access to clean water. Lack of access to clean, safe drinking water impacts the health, well-being and dignity of people and is a fundamental human right, not merely a question of convenience.
Being the centre of Pakistan’s economy and one of the world’s most densely inhabited cities, Karachi has been battling a severe water shortage for years. The lack of access to clean water has triggered a series of issues that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations and widen the gap between the rich and the poor. It is depressing to see a modern city with so much promise struggling with a problem that ought to have been fixed a long time ago.
First, Karachi’s poor public health is severely impacted by absence of equitable access to clean water. Water sources that are contaminated are a haven for waterborne illnesses and present serious health concerns to everyone who consumes or comes in contact with contaminated water. A few illnesses that are linked to drinking unclean water include cholera, hepatitis and diarrhoeal illnesses. Children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems bear a disproportionate amount of the burden of these illnesses, which feeds vicious cycle of illness and poverty.
ZAINAB ARIF KHAN
Karachi
Essence of religion
In the vitiated communal environment dominating around the globe, perhaps there lies an urgent need of getting enlightened from the attitude of a Constable of Kolkata police Abdul Kalam Khan who has spent large portion of his life’s savings to build a temple in his ancestral village and dedicated it to Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. He had never differentiated between people based on their religion and believed in treating everyone as equal irrespective of caste and creed. Most importantly ground floor of the temple, which Mr Kalam built with Rs.18 lakh out of his provident fund savings of Rs. 22 lakh, has been dedicated to poor and destitute through running of charitable clinic and free coaching class! And what is the economic /educational/ social background of this Constable Khan! Before joining this low post in Kolkata police, Khan had worked as porter as he couldn’t venture beyond the secondary level of school due to dire poverty! Apart from drawing inspiration from Khan’s compassion towards the poor who can’t afford medical service and tuitions, would the self-declared educated class afford to open their eyes and mindset and try to appreciate the real essence of religion! Is flexing of communal muscle so as to dominate over others form the last word of religion! Or call of communal brotherhood with feelings of love and respect towards each other and dedication to serve the humanity form the epitome of religion!
May the likes of unsung marginalised Abdul Kalam Khan continue to make their presence felt amidst the deluge of hatred and division! May this attitude and mindset exterminate the merchants of hatred from the Indian society!
KAJAL CHATTERJEE
Kolkata, India
Balochistan lacks educational facilities
Balochistan despite being the largest province faces several problems but the most disheartening is education crisis, as without education neither progress nor prosperity is possible. Because of lowest education ratio, the province is far behind Punjab, Sindh and KPK. Various contributing factors are responsible for low education in Balochistan and that includes unemployment, poverty, lack of awareness, teachers’ absenteeism, deficiency of good educational institutions and lack of checks by government.
According to some figures, there are some 12500 schools in the province yet almost 7000 schools are without roofs and are in shabby condition, while 1800 schools are dysfunctional and not running effectively. Additionally, 6000 schools are being run by single teachers and 2200 schools lack basic facilities including, drinking water, toilet rooms, etc. As per Unicef report, 60 to 70 percent of children are out of school and some of them worked in different places as labourers due to family’s poor background while thousands of children are away from education as a result of unavailability of good educational institutions.
HAMMAL NASEER
Balnigwar, Balochistan
