Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Nuclear weapons
26th September is marked as the day to denounce nuclear weapons and to call for its complete abolition.
The point to ponder over is, How has this unprecedented technology and scientific invention shaped current human society and what’s our future with or without nuclear weapons?
Science has given many fascinating gifts to humanity and has eased our lives beyond imagination, but it has also put the future of humanity at stake.
Every second, human race is at the brink of survival and complete extinction owing to nuclear weapons, for a mad general can blow up the whole world anytime.
During WW-II, Robert Oppenheimer used Einstein’s idea and fathered the most destructive weapon in human history – nuclear bomb. Using this weapon, America obliterated two flourishing and crowded cities of Japan to bring Japan to its knees.
It succeeded in war but failed humanity. As the mushroom clouds of smoke rose to the sky, the founder of Nuclear Bomb, Robert Oppenheimer quoted lines from Bhagwat Gita, “Now, I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Threat of misuse of nuclear weapons always looms over our heads. We can be next after Hieroshima’s citizens to think a star is falling down until we realize it’s “Fat boy” and we land in heavens the next moment.
Currently, there are nine countries which possess nuclear weapons. However, there is also a greater threat of its going into the wrong hands.
However, this idea of “going into the wrong hands’ has caused more destruction than the nuclear bomb itself.
Following such skepticism and allegations, America attacked Iraq killing millions of innocent civilians and also sanctioned Iran, while on other hand it delivered nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. Hence, the threat of misuse of these weapons is from both the parties – East and West, if not anyone and everyone.
MUHAMMAD OTHO
Khairpur Mir’s
MBBS in Balochistan
In Balochistan, the students who dream to become MBBS doctor struggle have to struggle a lot.
They travel from various regions of Balochistan to Quetta city to get the fundamental educational facilities as they lack these facilities in their areas.
They struggle for two and more years to get admission in BMC for MBBS program. But unfortunately the technical issues of the examination department in the online MCAT test make students’ efforts waste.
However, students demand the solution from the government, it does not listen to them and also compels them to protest against the department. Unfortunately when they do so the security forces arrest the students, but the government does not care about this.
It just does that after three days it shoots a video of chastising the police department, but the government does not try to solve the main issue. It must be that the government has deft use of political power to take out the future doctors of Balochistan from the deep well.
ABU BAKAR USMAN
Islamabad
Agera, A harvest festival
The East Indian community of Mumbai celebrates Agera on the first Sunday in October annually. It is in thanksgiving for the rich harvest of grains.
‘Agera’ is derived from the Latin word, which means field. It is a celebration of the plentiful and bountiful yield. This harvest festival is being celebrated for several centuries.
In the villages, a few sheaves of rice are cut symbolically from the fields by the parish priest. The sheaves are then carried to church in bullock carts to symbolise this feast.
In the city, the sheaves are carried to the church in a procession from the nearest cross. The women wear traditional lugras and the men wear surkas.
An East Indian brass band accompanies the parishioners and the priest playing their lilting East Indian Marathi songs while Altar boys and girls lead the procession carrying a cross or a lighted candle.
The rice sheaves are distributed to the congregation after being blessed. It is then displayed at home to symbolise that we are thankful for the rice that we are fed with daily.
JUBEL D’CRUZ
Mumbai, India
Over-dependence on technology
In the 1990s, people had no awareness or understanding of technology, even after its arrival. Instead, they used to communicate through letters.
But once they got familiar with it, they became dependent on it. No doubt, technology has various advantages but its over-dependence is making us lonely by weakening our relationships, reducing our mental capacities, and decreasing physical connections.
To begin with, enlarging technological involvement weakens relationship bonds. Text messages, Facebook, Tiktok and other apps are make people busy.
They feel free to share things with their friends and posting statuses instead of spending time with their families.
What’s more, previously a child’s mental capacity improved by playing games and participating in physical social activities whereas today’s children are technology bound.
Parents, themselves give devices to their children. As a result, lack of physical brain exercise reduces their mental capacities.
It is argued that technology facilitates people in terms of saving time, business transactions, and knowledge enhancement.
However, technology reduces physical connections. Video and zoom meetings prevent people from learning about other cultures and infrastructures.
Moreover, technology promotes introversion while decreasing physical connections. Because advanced technological collaboration brings down social transmission.
In nutshell, excessive inclusion of technology not only leaves harsh impacts on relationships, mentalities and physical connections.
So, parents as well as today’s youth should focus on learning and balancing circumstances in a better way to protect increasing ratio of loneliness and consume technological benefits in a balanced manner.
RAGNI LUND
Daharki, Sindh
