26.05.2013

Social insecurity
Social security for home-based workers needs to be examined in the context of employment security and income security
By Ume Laila Azhar

Social protection refers to a set of benefits available (or not available) from the state, market, civil society and households, or through a combination of these agencies, to the individual/households to reduce multi-dimensional deprivation. This multi-dimensional deprivation could be affecting less active poor persons (e.g. the elderly, disabled) and active poor persons (e.g. unemployed).

This broad framework makes this concept more acceptable in developing countries than the concept of social security. Social security is more applicable in the conditions, where large numbers of citizens depend on the formal economy for their livelihood. Through a defined contribution, this social security may be managed. But, in the context of wide spread informal economy, formal social security arrangements are almost absent for the vast majority of the working population. Besides, in developing countries, the state’s capacity to reach the vast majority of the poor people may be limited because of its limited resources.

In such a context, multiple agencies that could provide for social protection are important for policy consideration. The framework of social protection is thus capable of holding the state responsible to provide for the poorest sections by regulating non-state agencies.

By Asian Development Bank’s definition, social protection consists of policies and programmes designed to reduce poverty and vulnerability by promoting efficient labour markets, diminishing people’s exposure to risks, and enhancing their capacity to protect themselves against hazards and interruption/loss of income.

According to ILO, social protection is associated with a range of public institutions, norms and programmes aimed at protecting workers and their households from contingencies threatening basic living standards. Broadly, these can be grouped under three main headings: social insurance, social assistance and labour market regulation.

Social insurance consists of programmes providing protection against life course contingencies such as maternity, old age or work-related contingencies like unemployment or sickness. Social assistance provides support for those in poverty. Normally, social insurance is financed by contributions made by workers and their employers whereas social assistance is tax financed. Finally, labour and employment standards ensure basic standards at work. These institutions have been fully established in developed countries, but in developing countries their development has been uneven.

At present, four out of five people worldwide do not benefit from a level of social protection that allows them to realise their human right to social security. There has been an increasing informalisation of the labour force in developing countries over the past few decades.

Home-based workers are invisible, non-unionised and the lack of collective action can make them very vulnerable. Ignoring their existence and the perspectives of such workers by focusing social protection on the formal sector was one of the mistakes of previous policy makers. The magnitude of home-based work and the degree of exploitation of these workers call for much greater public intervention and collective action to improve home-based work in terms of occupational health and safety.

In terms of social protection, workers in the informal sector tend to be by far the most vulnerable. Poverty is a static concept, while vulnerability is a dynamic one. The lack of insurance mechanisms can have serious consequences for income growth at household, hence at a macro level.

In Pakistan, the implications of economic shocks to the ultra poor households are considerable. Once the implications triggered by these economic shocks are understood, it becomes obvious that the ultra-poor need healthcare and social security coverage, and in particular hospital treatment and hospitalisation cover, which are not offered by even the best of the primary healthcare facilities and Basic Health Units (BHUs) in Pakistan.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has adopted various recommendations and conventions on social security, which provide a comprehensive definition of social security. Pakistan has ratified three of them (C18 on Workmen Compensation (Occupational Diseases), C19 on Equality of Treatment (Accident Compensation), C118 on Equality of Treatment (Social Security)). In Pakistan, social security and pension schemes sponsored by the government actually benefit a small proportion of the population in the formal sector, even though a number of programmes are in place.

Though Pakistan has ratified all eight ILO core labour standards, it has not brought national legislation in compliance with the ILO Conventions No. 87 (freedom of association) and No. 98 (right to collective bargaining).

Social security needs to be examined in the context of overall needs of the home-based workers. Home-based workers need employment security, income security and social security simultaneously.

The writer is free lance journalist and development manager and can be reached at laila.azhar@gmail.com

26.05.2013

Water wasters
Perception about the quantity and quality of water needs to be changed to ensure efficient use of potable water
By Mohammad Niaz

Over 97 per cent of the water on earth is salt water while only three per cent is fresh water of which about two third is in the form of glaciers. The remaining unfrozen fresh water is groundwater. However, only a small fraction of water is present above ground.

Because water is a precious resource, its prudent and careful use is need of the day. There is a need to promote the habit of water conservation in homes, schools, work places, offices, industries, and agriculture. While travelling or somewhere outside the home range, every one cares to ensure efficient and wise use of a bottle of mineral water as no one tries to waste that water carelessly. Therefore, in normal daily life we need to promote this spirit of saving the potable water.

Quite often, use of water for various needs at local level is not recognised as a matter of high concern. In routine daily life, saving water being not a high priority results in water wastage. However, this sort of water utilisation becomes over exploitation of the available water. Water can efficiently be conserved through better engineering structures and behavioral practices as well as simple tips in workplace and homes.

At domestic level, water is used in a number of ways. Mostly water is used in kitchen, washrooms, and washing. Most of the water is wasted in kitchen while washing dishes by running the tap for long during rinsing utensils. A bit of conservation steps would save water such as not allowing continuous flow of tap water. Similarly, wise use of water is required during bathing, soaping face, hands, brushing teeth, and shaving. It is estimated that about 75 per cent of water used indoors is in the bathrooms. Low flow toilet tanks and showerheads should be used to minimize extra loss of water. Less water consumption will also economize our expenses as the water tank once filled will serve for longer duration and will seldom require refilling.

Similarly, car washing, laundering, floor cleaning, lawn watering etc. are some other domestic activities where water can be conserved through wise use. It is wise to water lawn and plants in morning or evening times than noon or when heat is more to ensure less evaporation. Increased frequency of use of water pumps for filling the water tank is a tool to check water consumption. An eye should be kept on water tank being filled as often they overflow and more water is wasted before the water pump gets switched off. Cloth should be washed in bulk at one time together rather than washing less number of clothes every day.

Some water pipes spread in different parts of the working places, homes, offices and other places leak and less attention is paid which not only cause water loss but can also be a potential hazard to the buildings. Therefore, leakage of pipes and water tanks should be checked regularly to avoid water loss and damages.

In hilly areas or arid areas where rainfall is seasonal or scarce, certain techniques can be adopted to save water. Ponds formation is an easy technique to save water and use it for cattle or other indirect use. Similarly, water from roof can be collected in a huge drum and used for later domestic needs.

Water pollution is one of the major problems. Though enough water is available in our surrounding, less is human usable due to pollution. Therefore, pollution of ponds, rivers, streams, lakes are not only environmentally unfriendly but also register impacts on human health and biodiversity.

Proper maintenance and repair of water drains would avoid wastage of water. Moreover, continuous loss of water from drains becomes stagnant and serves as breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. Simple lifestyle also contributes to water conservation, because more water can be saved by doing simple basic needs of life.

One of the common dilemmas of water use is the perception that there is enough water for different uses. But this is not the case. There is very little amount of potable water for drinking purpose. Therefore, water conservation can also be ensured not only by educating people but also adopting practices for wise use of water on need base. It is our joint responsibility to ensure sustainable use of available water. There is a need to change perception of people about the quantity and quality of water so as to ensure efficient use of water for multi-stakeholders.

Every one of us acts as a manager and planner in his or her own place to ensure efficient use of water. Every sector and person is responsible to act at local level and contribute to larger level by adopting water conservation practices and approaches for our benefits, healthy environment and biodiversity.

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

26.05.2013

Our loss is their gain
While investors see Afghanistan as a very productive
market, Pakistan has failed to find its share
By Aoun Sahi

Afghanistan is called ‘virgin market’ as years of war and conflict not only destroyed the entire infrastructure and institutions of the country but also created a lot of opportunities for investment and business. There was hardly any foreign investment in Afghanistan for almost three decades from 1970s to early 2000s in Afghanistan. The situation, however, changed after the fall of Taliban and investors found Afghanistan a very productive territory as the economy grew by 10 per cent for five consecutive years.

Reconstruction of Afghan infrastructure and economy is being carried out with the donations by international community, especially the US and Europe, but still the country provides greater business and investment opportunities.

According to the World Bank, Afghanistan has emerged as the fastest-growing economy in South Asia. “Afghanistan’s economy grew robustly by about 11 per cent mostly due to a good harvest,” said the World Bank’s report on Global Economic Prospects for 2013. The report also cautioned that after security transition, the rate could drop over the next three years.

Afghanistan has a lot of potential in agriculture, mining, energy and power, transport and logistics, housing, tourism and road infrastructure and communication sectors. In addition, Afghanistan holds a very significant geostrategic position which makes it even more attractive for investment. Afghanistan shares borders with six neighbours — Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and Pakistan — and is considered as a land bridge connecting Pakistan with energy-rich Central Asia.

Pakistan, being the neighbouring country with centuries of cultural and religious bonds with Afghans, can also explore these opportunities. But, Pakistan’s role in reconstruction process of Afghanistan is not very prominent. It is a big player when it comes to security policy of Afghanistan, but comes at bottom when it comes to making investment in Afghanistan.

“The historical problems between both the countries, lack of confidence and traditional mindset of Pakistani establishment is responsible for failure of Pakistan to capture the Afghanistan market,” says Hassan Khan, Islamabad-based expert on Pak-Afghan relations. “The major issue is that Pakistan has never seen Afghanistan as a business opportunity. We always see it with a security perspective,” he says.

Pakistan has even failed to tap potential in the sectors it has expertise in. For example, more than $1.8 billion had been invested in the telecommunication sector of Afghanistan over the past decade. Pakistan, with a greater expertise in the field, has not been able to get a share in the sector at all. The sector is dominated by Indian investors and companies.

According to a 2006 US Geological Survey assessment, undiscovered petroleum resources in northern Afghanistan are up to 36.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Estimates of oil range up to 3.6 billion barrels and estimates for natural gas liquids range up to 1,325 million barrels. The agriculture sector also has a greater potential especially in fruits. The packing and processing sectors have brilliant future.

Pakistan can also cooperate in the power sector. Afghanistan’s total power need is less than 1,000 megawatts and small and medium dams on Kabul and other rivers close to the border would help Pakistan fulfill its energy needs. “There are many areas where Pakistan can invest in Afghanistan, but we have not seen any serious effort by the Pakistani government and business community to do so,” says Najib Manali, advisor to Afghan Finance Ministry, adding apart from some small projects, Pakistan has not undertaken any major initiative. “Pakistan is doing very little in the reconstruction process of Afghanistan. Most of its projects have not completed even after several years; like Jalalabad-Torkham road is still under construction after 7 years.” Describing Afghanistan’s economic outlook very encouraging, he says, “We have built over 20,000 kilometres of roads in our country over the past decade or so. We have built our first railway network. Over 10 million students are enrolled in Afghanistan schools; the number was only over 100,000 a decade earlier. The per capita income has crossed $700 mark; it was $150 less than a decade ago. So, Afghanistan is a changed country now.”

Mohammad Sadiq Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador at Kabul, says that Pakistan has completed several projects in Afghanistan in last one decade or so. “Pakistan has completed several education, health and road infrastructure projects. Pakistan provided assistance of $330 million to Afghanistan for projects in the infrastructure, health, and education sectors,” he tells TNS. “Pakistan has been working closely on bilateral, trilateral and multilateral levels to support intra-Afghan reconciliation. Some of the key projects Pakistan completed in Afghanistan included Rehman Baba School in Kabul, where 1200 students are receiving education. The construction of Allama Iqbal Faculty of Humanities at Kabul University is also completed. We are now furnishing it.”

Listing other projects, Khan says, “A 400-bed Jinnah Hospital Complex is under construction in Kabul, while Nishter Kidney Hospital is completed in Jalalabad. Over 15 urologists for this hospital were trained in Pakistan. A 200-bed Naib Aminullah Khan Logari Hospital is being built in Logar. Sir Syed Science Faculty Block is being constructed in Nangarhar University, Jalalabad. Liaqat Ali Khan Engineering Faculty Block in Balkh University, Mazar-e-Sharif is under construction. Another half a dozen large projects, including two eye hospitals, Limb Centre at Badakhshan, two Nuclear Medical Centres in Kabul and Jalalabad are in the pipeline. Pakistan has also been offering scholarships to the Afghan students.”

Having contributed close to $2 billion in aid over the past decade, India is the fifth largest donor nation to Afghanistan. It has completed projects like construction of 218-km road from Zaranj to Delaram to facilitate movement of goods and services from Afghanistan to the Iranian border and, onward, to the Chahbahar Port. It has also constructed Salma Dam power project (42 MW) in Herat province. It has also constructed the new building of the Afghan Parliament. It has also restored telecommunication infrastructure in 11 provinces and expanded national TV network by providing an uplink from Kabul and downlinks in all 34 provincial capitals for promoting greater integration of the country. There are over 80 small projects that India completed in different parts of Afghanistan. Iran has also been playing a very active role in the reconstruction process of Afghanistan.

In the past, Pakistan and Afghanistan made several efforts to increase economic cooperation, but they yielded poor results. During President Karzai’s visit to Islamabad in March 2010, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to develop the communication network, boost trade to $15 billion a year by 2015 and enhance cooperation in education with exchange programmes and doubling scholarships from 1,000 to 2,000. In agriculture, creation of a Pakistan-Afghanistan food bank was discussed, while in the energy sector joint strategies for early implementation of trans-Afghan energy projects were agreed upon, with particular focus on CASA-1000 and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline. Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement 2010 has also failed to achieve results so far.

Afghanistan, may be for the first time in history, has started looking for other routes through Iran and Tajikistan for transit trade. “Afghanistan has been working on other options like Iran, China and Central Asia for transit trade. Pakistan needs to understand that it is not only Afghanistan that needs its land routes, Pakistan also cannot access Central Asia without Afghanistan,” says Ajmal Baluchzada, a leading Kabul’s civil society activist. “We do not want Pakistan to invest in Afghanistan, we only want it to play its role in bringing peace to Afghanistan,” he tells TNS.

“Central Asia is not economically viable. However, we are in talks with Iran. But still Pakistan is the most important route,” says Najib Manali. “Pakistan should not fear its neighbours. We have good relations with India but they are not at the cost of Pakistan. We have seen a policy shift during the last few years and hope the new civilian government will help further normalise relations between both the countries.

Traders and businessmen on both sides are frustrated with the bitter relations between both sides which diminishes their prospects of business. “Political situation between both the countries is the biggest obstacle in business relations,” says Ahmadullah Afghan, executive director of Afghan chapter of Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PAJCCI). His Pakistani counterpart, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, also seconds his argument. “India, Turkey and Iran have captured the Afghanistan market,” he says, adding that Afghani traders have been doing most of their business through Iran.

“Around 70-80 per cent business activity in Balochistan and KP is directly related to the transit trade. Trade through Iran cost Afghan traders at least $2000 extra to transport goods on one container, but still they are opting that route because of bureaucratic hurdles on the Pakistani side,” he says.

Hassan Khan says as Pakistan historically supported insurgent forces in Afghanistan, it never had friendly relations with the Afghani regimes. “Afghanistan is extension of the Pakistani market, but we have never been able to institutionalise it. It is a country of over 35 million people and can be a great market for Pakistan. But we need to change our traditional mindset and start seeing it as a business opportunity,” he concludes.

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

26.05.2013

Bacha of our age
The writer of crisp and witty letters to the editor and a conscientious lawyer is no more
By Javed Aziz Khan

Barrister Baachaa (or Barrister Bacha), a seasoned lawyer and nationalist leader and a humble human being was known all over the country for his crispy, witty letters to editor in the national dailies. He loved to comment on key issues of the country and the region in the form of these letters that found a place in the newspapers, especially English language.

72-year-old barrister passed away on May 18 after he sustained a head injury while having his routine walk in Hayatabad. He was admitted to the local hospital but doctors could not save his life.

Belonging to Daag Ismail Khel town of Nowshera district in the east of Peshawar, Barrister Baachaa had contested for the slot of president of the Supreme Court Bar Association in 2009 but lost to Barrister Qazi Anwar with a margin of 44 votes. Humble and always available for comments, Barrister Baachaa had a special love for media and media persons. Baachaa played an important role in the Lawyers’ Movement against the government of Pervez Musharraf and remained in jail for 13 days.

Born in 1941, Barrister Baachaa was a popular student leader as he used to deliver speeches at the Islamia College Peshawar (now Islamia College University). He was also elected as president of the Khyber Union, a prestigious student literary body of the Islamia College. When he was a student of class 9, he led a students’ protest demonstration against Israel, UK and France for their attack on Suez Canal for which Egypt’s Jamal Abdul Nasser wrote him a letter of appreciation.

He went to the UK and remained in self-exile for around 11 years when his arrest warrants were issued for criticising President Ayub Khan during a convocation at the University of Peshawar in 1961. During his stay there, he was called to the bar by the Hon’ble Society of the Inner Temple. He joined the Awami National Party in 1992 but was later expelled by the party leadership for alleged violation of the party discipline. e was later asked to join the party which he did in 2008.

His latest statement on May 14 was against the policies of the leadership of ANP. “Bilour’s accusing finger stopped short of spelling out the detestable policies of the party, which included the party leadership’s greed, love for dollars, properties worth millions of dollars in Dubai and Malaysia, and desire to win over the favours of the United States administration at the cost of Pakhtun blood and tears in Afghanistan, tribal areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” stated Baachaa while referring to a statement of Ghulam Ahmad Bilour after his defeat on NA-1 at the hands of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

The statement continued: “The only way to stop the party heading towards oblivion was to replace the present leadership with ideologically sound and committed workers who had the survival, honour and happiness of Pakhtuns closer to their hearts than the greenbacks in their foreign accounts.”

His colleagues and juniors were all praise for the late lawyer. “He was a nice human being and for what I liked him the most was his stance against human rights violations. Besides, he was one of the few people who could use their wit with decency,” says Faheem Wali, a senior lawyer of the Peshawar High Court. He adds that Barrister Baachaa’s one liners in his letters to the editor were matchless.

Another lawyer Khurram Zeeshan was all praise for Baachaa for taking up some key issues faced by the country in the apex courts. “He knew the power of the court and that is why took up every key issue in either the Peshawar High Court or the Supreme Court of Pakistan.”

Barrister Baachaa was much famous for his writ petitions in the public interest issues. Recently, he had filed a case in the Peshawar High Court against installing model of a jet fighter plane in a square in Hayatabad that was named after popular poet and former ANP chief Ajmal Khan Khattak. Baachaa was critical of the Peshawar Development Authority for placing a jet fighter on a square that is named after a poet of peace.

A couple of months back, he had moved the court against the creation of new provinces in the country when the federal government floated the idea. Bacha asked the court to stop the government from chopping different parts of the country. He had submitted an application in the Peshawar High Court in April, asking for the arrest of former President General (Retired) Pervez Musharraf for suspending the constitution.

“He had many friends among journalists as he was not only a lawyer but a very good writer too. He played an important role during the Lawyers Movement and never bowed to pressure,” says Amjad Ali Safi, a Peshawar-based court reporter.

The writer can be contacted at javedaziz1@gmail.com and followed on twitter at @JavedAzizKhan

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

02.06.2013

If bricks could speak...
Once a symbol of the deep connection between liberal England and nationalist India, as well as a sign of Indian independence, Bradlaugh Hall now lies in ruins
By Yaqoob Khan Bangash

The writing of history revolves around personalities and events; seldom have buildings been the subject of historical research. But it is buildings in which these great people live, write, argue, and die. It is these buildings which witness the mesmerising speeches of statesmen, the deafening shots of an assassin, the silence of a writer, and the hushed sighs of a victim.

In South Asia, buildings have little value. Apart from the grand monuments, such as the Taj Mahal or the Mughal forts, few buildings are well-kept. Even important sites are often encroached upon, vandalised, and at times arbitrarily altered or badly restored. This lack of appreciation of ‘edifice history’ means that no one cares to preserve a period house, an old mosque or structures associated with particular events. The fascination with the ‘new’ deeply permeates the South Asian mindset, and as a result relegates history to often boring textbooks.

Learning history through vision, experience, or contact is increasingly impossible in modern South Asia.

Therefore, it is no wonder that hardly anyone has ever heard of ‘Bradlaugh Hall’ in Lahore. The 3000 capacity hall, which was the centre of intense political discourse in Lahore for almost half a century, and which was the main office of the Punjab Congress Committee for decades, now lies in a dilapidated condition, padlocked, with a crumbling roof and a fast flourishing business in drugs centred on it. Only the foundation stone, which notes its opening by ‘The Hon. Surendera Nath Bannerjea, on October 30, 1900,’ gives the visitor the sense that the imposing redbrick building set back on Rattigan Road might have had an illustrious past.

When my friend casually mentioned Bradlaugh Hall some time ago, I admitted to have heard about the place, but had no clue where it actually stood. Thanks to his resolute interest, he found out the exact location of the hall and after some searching we finally found the once significant and vibrant Bradlaugh Hall, forlorn and forgotten.

The website of the Indian National Congress rightly notes that the contribution of British people towards Indian independence is often ignored and mostly underplayed. However, Englishmen, and indeed some Englishwomen, were critical in the development of Indian nationalism, especially during its early phase. While most students of Indian history might have heard the name of Allan Octavian Hume, the founder of the Indian National Congress, and Mrs Annie Besant, the leader of the Home Rule League, few might recognise the name and importance of Charles Bradlaugh, the atheist Member of Parliament [MP] who was controversial both in England and in India.

Charles Bradlaugh was elected MP for Northampton in 1880, but was unable to take up his seat in parliament because he refused to take the Oath of Allegiance to the Crown. An avowed atheist and republican, he was first imprisoned in the clock tower of parliament for attempting to take up his seat without swearing the Oath, and then fined fifteen hundred pounds in 1883 for voting illegally in parliament. His insistence on ‘affirming’ rather than swearing an Oath to the Crown deeply divided parliament and after much wrangling he finally took the oath ‘as a matter of form’ in 1886 and took up his seat in the Commons. With his strong support of secularism (in 1866, he co-founded the National Secular Society), birth control, republicanism, Irish Home Rule, and women’s suffrage, Bradlaugh was a thorn in the side of a deeply conservative late Victorian England until his death in 1891.

Charles Bradlaugh’s death in 1891 drew thousands of mourners. Among them, significantly, was the twenty-one year old Mohandas Gandhi, who was then studying in London to become a Barrister. Undoubtedly, Gandhi had come to pay homage to the great friend of Indian nationalism who had staunchly supported Indian home rule.

Bradlaugh had a deep concern for India. He tabled draft reforms of the Indian councils in parliament, which later crystallised in the Indian Councils Act 1892 allowing for greater self-government. More importantly, Bradlaugh wanted the Indians to become better politicians. He attended the 1890 session of the Indian National Congress where he strongly argued for more political activity and greater efforts for gaining increased self-government. He also made tangible his connection to India and bought a track of land in Lahore, on Rattigan Road, with a view towards developing some kind of a political space.

It is said that the Punjab government was so wary of his presence in Lahore, that they asked him to leave, whereby, he bought a boat and embanked on the river Ravi, claiming that he was not legally on ‘Indian soil’ then. Even though the government finally succeeded in making him leave, Bradlaugh made his mark on the Indian political landscape.

Within a decade of his death, his friends in India built the imposing ‘Bradlaugh Hall’ on the land he had bought a decade earlier, allowing for a purpose built space for political debate.

Over its nearly half a century of active existence, Bradlaugh Hall experienced many shades of Indian political opinion. Almost immediately the hall became the chosen venue of political debate in Lahore, and broadly the Punjab, and everyone from the Congress, to firebrand nationalists, to committed socialists, held their conferences in the hall. The existence of a purpose built, affiliation free, and easily available space spurred on a marked increase in political engagement and debate, allowing for a wide range of opinion to be discussed, developed and disseminated.

Perhaps the greatest, and most controversial, moment in its history came when the Punjabi politician, Lala Lajpat Rai, the Sher-e-Punjab [lion of the Punjab], heeded the call of Mahatma Gandhi to boycott British run institutions, and established the ‘National College’ on the premises of Bradlaugh Hall in 1922. The intention behind this ‘National College’ was very interesting.

Since the advent of British rule, Indians had accepted wholesale British institutions — from Councils to hospitals to schools. This was something Gandhi wanted India to ‘unlearn,’ and develop its own policies and methods. After all, why should India adopt Western styles without question when it was itself heir to great traditions? Few people understood this, and only three people, quite independently, tried to ‘nationalise’ education at least. One was Rabindranath Tagore, who established a school at Shantiniketan, which later developed into the Visva Bharti University, and the other was Abdul Ghaffar Khan who established Azad Madrassas in the Frontier. The third was obviously, Lala Lajpat Rai.

This ‘nationalisation’ of education was very significant, because it provided Indians with ‘Indian’ education — seeped in their own traditions, culture and language. If such nationalisation of education had continued, and developed, perhaps Pakistan at least would not have been in the sorry state where our students do not know any language adequately — they do not know their mother tongue well enough, cannot understand good Urdu, and are barely proficient in English. Such confusion is certainly the result of adopting a foreign system of education without question and adaptation.

Established during the height of the Non-cooperation Movement, the first mass nationalist movement in India, most Indians who joined National College were revolutionaries. Among these firebrands was the enigmatic Bhagat Singh, who studied at the college from 1922 to 1926, meeting his future co-revolutionaries at Bradlaugh Hall. It was, of course, in retaliation for the fatal beating of Lala Lajpat Rai in October 1928 during the Simon Commission protests, that Bhagat Singh killed the Assistant Superintendent of Police, AJ Saunders, and was subsequently hanged on March 23, 1931 — becoming a legend.

The 1920s was a time of intense political activity at Bradlaugh Hall: Mahatama Gandhi presided over the convocation of the National College, Maulana Azad gave fiery speeches against the Simon Commission, and the All India Communist Party held its sessions there. During that time, Bradlaugh Hall epitomised the breadth and depth of the Indian political spectrum.

From the older Lala Lajpat Rai, and the old moderates, to the young and dynamic Jawaharlal Nehru, and IK Gujral, many politicians experienced the charged atmosphere of Bradlaugh Hall. For the self-government starved Indians, it acted at the same time as the Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, the House of Commons floor, and party headquarters. Till the end of the Raj and the partition of India, Bradlaugh Hall remained the Punjab headquarters of the Indian National Congress, and as such a bastion of Indian nationalism, in a building built on an Englishman’s land and named in his memory. Bradlaugh Hall was, therefore, at once a symbol of the deep connection between liberal England and nationalist India, as well as a sign of Indian independence.

Just as libraries are important for intellectual discourse and parks for sporting and recreational activities, public spaces like Bradlaugh Hall are important for a constructive and vibrant political milieu. For nearly half a century, Bradlaugh Hall was utilised by different religious and ethnic communities, hosted often conflicting viewpoints, and gave rise to divergent political agendas. However, it still remained an open space for all, signifying inclusiveness, tolerance and dialogue. Thus, it became the political microcosm of a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, and multi-party India.

It was perhaps poetic justice that the political role of Bradlaugh Hall ended with the partition of India. How could a place where Hindus, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Christians, and even atheists, had shared a platform, retain its role in a country founded specifically for one community? When again would people like Bi-amma (the mother of the Ali brothers), Gandhi, and Subhas Chander Bose, be able to share the same podium? How could the place which was home to the party which declared ‘Purna Swaraj’ (complete independence) as its goal during its 1929 session in the same city, co-exist with a party which demanded a separate ‘Muslim homeland’ just a few miles away in 1940?

The post-1947 life of Bradlaugh Hall has witnessed it being a storage house, a steel mill, and till latterly a small technical institute. Today, it stands decaying, locked and forgotten. The relegation of Bradlaugh Hall to the memory of a few historians, or the old grandmother who can still remember Gandhi spinning at the wheel outside it, is probably apt since Pakistan had also forgotten the people associated with it.

The national outlook of Lala Lajpat Rai, who established the Gulab Devi Chest Hospital in Lahore (opened by Gandhi in 1934) in memory of his mother who died of tuberculosis on the same spot, the revolutionary spirit of Bhagat Singh, and the nationalist Indian Muslim outlook of the Ali brothers and Maulana Azad, are also forgotten in Pakistan.

Bradlaugh Hall needs restoration and reopening again as a space for constructive political debate, just as Pakistan needs reopening to the committed, broad-based, and refreshing political debate Bradlaugh Hall once epitomised.

The writer is Chairperson, Department of History, Forman Christian College, Lahore

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

02.06.2013

The price of development
Considered mankind’s greatest threat, climate change is likely to have profound
consequences for socio-economic sectors
By Alauddin Masood

The concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere crossed the alarming level of 400 parts per million (ppm) threshold, in mid-May this year, posing serious threats to the human life and economic activities on the globe.

Deep divisions between the developed countries of the North and the developing states of the South about cutting the atmospheric emissions have largely contributed to this phenomenon. Under the landmark 1997 Kyoto Protocol, it was obligatory for the developed countries to cut down carbon emissions to the 1990 level by 2012. Well before the deadline, the developed nations managed to get a big breather — at least five years extension under Durban (South Africa) accorded of December 11, 2011.

Environmentalists criticise the Durban package — as did many developing countries during the 13 days of hectic talks — for failing to move faster and deeper in cutting carbon emissions. Logically, the time to act is now, scientists maintain. They say that unless carbon emissions, chiefly CO2 from power generation and industry, level out and reverse within a few years, the earth will be set on a possibly irreversible path of rising temperatures that lead to ever greater climate catastrophes.

The developing states want the US and other developed countries to cut the emissions the most, arguing that historically it is the industrialised world that is responsible for contributing 70 to 80 per cent of the carbon pollution in the atmosphere. For over 200 years since the industrial revolution, it is the industrialised North that has emitted large amounts of CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. But, the US and other developed states argue that the developing countries like Brazil, China, India, South Africa and South Korea, which are growing rapidly, should also control the emissions.

The greenhouse gases, like CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, build-up in the atmosphere and lead to climate change or global warming, posing grave threats to human civilisation. In other words, when CO2 rises into the atmosphere, it screens the sunlight, allowing the sunlight in but preventing the heat to leave.

By the year 2100, the global average surface temperature on earth, as estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), might increase by 1 to 3.5 degrees Celsius (about 2 to 6 F) with an associated rise in sea level by 15 to 95 cm (about 6 to 37 inches), posing extreme dangers to human life in low lying regions and low-lying Island States, like Venice and Fiji. But, the environmentalists forecast that due to greenhouse gases global temperature can increase by three degrees Celsius by the year 2040 and by the end of the century by five to six degrees Celsius, generating sand/dust storms, micro cloudbursts and tsunamis, if urgent remedial steps are not taken.

As concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has reached new heights, scientists believe any rise above 2C threshold could trigger far reaching and irreversible changes, both over land and in the seas. Global warming at 3 degrees can result in the crossing of many “tipping points,” including instability in the South Asian summer monsoon, near disappearance of the Arctic summer sea-rise and degradation of the Amazon rain forest, rendering any remedial action ineffective. In case global warming reaches 4 degree C, climate scientists warn, only one-tenth of the global population will survive.

The highlands, in particular, are vulnerable to ‘Glacier Lake Outburst Floods’ as overall glaciers retreat and additional snow melt can increase the amount of water dammed in the vicinity of a glacier, and the added pressure enhances the likelihood of disastrous outburst flooding. The effects of global warming, observed over the last century, include: Increase in sea level by 1-2 mm, retreat of glaciers, decrease in snow cover, shifts of plant and animal ranges, increase in coral bleaching, earlier flowering of plants and insect emergence. The main factors contributing to climate change are: burning of fossil fuels, industrial emissions and deforestation.

Though like other developing countries, Pakistan’s contribution to global warming is negligible – as low as 0.43 per cent, it ranks at the top among countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. According to scientists, 2010 and 2011 floods in Pakistan, forest fires in Russia, mudslides in China and droughts in Sub-Sahara Africa were enunciations of scenarios that experts had been predicting since long due to the impact of greenhouse gases.

In 2010, R. K. Pachauri, Chief of the Inter-Government Panel on Climate Change told Inter Press Service that the floods of the kind that hit Pakistan may become more frequent and more intense in future. Pakistan also figures among the countries which are at risk of droughts and where agriculture produce is likely to be affected adversely.

In addition to rainfall variability and changes in the marine ecosystems, evidence shows that most of the glaciers are melting and consequently shrinking in size and retreating, posing a serious threat to freshwater availability. In South Asia, glaciers of Karakoram and Himalaya ranges are reportedly under threat due to climate change. For example, Siachin glacier is melting at 110 metres per year. And by the year 2100, the experts believe, the Himalayan glaciers would disappear.

Pakistan has some 5,218 glaciers, over 13,680 square km or 13 per cent of mountains in the Upper Indus Basin, and 2,420 lakes of which 50 are reportedly highly dangerous and may cause flooding in the plains in Punjab and Sindh. Pakistan’s Indus delta also remains exposed to sea rise and sea intrusion, causing an upward shift of almost 400 metres in the coastline.

Pakistan is also experiencing biodiversity loss, shifts in weather patterns and changes in fresh water supply. The phenomenon of global warming might impact the snow and rain patterns and the snow melt during the summer. At present, Pakistani rivers receive 70 per cent of their flow from snow melt. If not addressed appropriately, these changes could accentuate after 2050.

Considered mankind’s greatest threat, climate change is likely to have profound consequences for socio-economic sectors, like health, food production, energy consumption, natural resources management and security. In fact, the harmful impacts of the global warming are already manifesting themselves in the form of storms, tornadoes, floods, droughts and increase in natural disasters to 400-500 in a year against 125 in the 1980s.

Global warming is the price of development that human beings are paying. But, the fruits of development have been harvested by the rich developed countries where development activities are contributing in a big way to global warming. But, developing countries, like Pakistan, with least contribution to this phenomenon, have to bear most of the brunt of ravages.

The rapid rise in greenhouse gases is reducing our ability to limit warming to safe levels, lending credence to apprehensions that the prospects of limiting the warming may close in this very decade. Furthermore, 13 of the warmest years recorded have occurred within the last two decades and the year 2011 caps a decade that ties the record as the hottest ever measured since 1850 when accurate measures began.

Across the world, over 710,000 people died from 1991 to 2010 from 14,000 extreme weather events, incurring economic losses, in today’s terms, of over 2.3 trillion US dollars. When seen across this 20 year period, not a single developed country features in the top 10 for climate risk. Only one — Russia — features in the top 20 as a result of the July 2010 heat wave, but that was an exception. The results underscore the vulnerability of poor countries to climate risks.

The experts apprehend that the climate change would have a wide-ranging adverse impact on human health: It would increase mortality rates due to heat stress and lead to increase in the potential transmission of vector borne diseases, including malaria, dengue and yellow fever. Moreover, it will hardly hit the poor, who are more dependent on natural resources and have less ability to adapt to the changing climate. However, increase in winter temperatures in high altitude areas could lead to decrease in mortality rates.

While highlighting the urgency of shifting away from fossil fuels, this brings to the fore the need for taking up steps to return carbon to where it belongs — the soil — through regenerative agriculture. This approach represents our greatest opportunity to reduce the atmospheric CO2 levels, enhancing soil fertility and biodiversity as well as the land’s ability to retain water.

The geographical location and socio-economic fragility of Pakistan, like some other developing states, make it more vulnerable to the environmental, social and economic ramifications of climate change, while the lack of resources/capabilities to adapt to the changes can worsen the situation. This brings to the fore the need for constant monitoring/research of the impact of climate change on human life/glaciers, and mainstreaming climate change into development planning at all levels and sectors. In addition, the complexity of the problem calls for the need to increased access to innovative farm production practices and irrigation techniques, and improving forest management and biodiversity conservation.

Adaptation to climate change, aimed at allowing vulnerable groups to adjust and live with the change in the environment and economy, would require a heavy expenditure over a long period of time. Since the phenomenon has been unleashed by the developed countries’ unhindered pursuit for accelerated development and material gains, the international community, in particular the developed states, should make focused efforts to bail out the third world vulnerable countries from a bleak future, a situation in which they are likely to land for no fault of theirs.

In view of the serious nature of threats to the mankind and human habitats, one would suggest that the UN/international organisations and the developed states should set up a special fund and a dedicated organisation for mitigating the effects of climate change and providing help to countries affected or likely to be affected by it. Without international assistance, it would be very difficult for debt-ridden states like Pakistan to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The authorities in Pakistan, on their part, need to take up this issue at appropriate fora, making a beginning by sensitising Pakistan’s ambassadors abroad and creating awareness within the country about the ways this nation can contribute to lessening the impact of climate change.

The writer is a freelance columnist based at Islamabad. alauddinmasood@gmail.com

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

02.06.2013

A new counterterrorism doctrine
The inability of the US to win the war in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the World against terrorism may come as a resounding reminder to the American realists that there are some real problems with their prescriptions
By Raza Khan

The policy speech by United States President Barack Hussein Obama, mapping out new counterterrorism doctrine, is extensively realistic and could be instrumental in putting an honourable end to the Global War on Terror (GWoT) for Washington. The policy direction, which the new doctrine contains, could be effective measures to counter extremism and terrorism.

In the policy speech, President Obama, admitting the mistakes and flaws committed in the conceiving and execution of the GWoT, also suggested rectification measures. Obama’s speech may sound idealist and a departure from the well-entrenched realist American foreign policy traditions but as realism has failed to buy Americans the most sought after value, security, it is indeed a time to let idealism play its role in putting an end to the one of the longest war of the modern history and human suffering thereof.

The announcement by President Barack Obama to restrict the use of drone attacks in countries with which the US is not at war will have major repercussions for Pakistan. In a related development, President Obama has also announced shifting of the control of drone attacks from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to the country’s military. To date, the CIA has carried out the largest number of drones strikes anywhere in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). Tens of the al Qaeda commanders and fighters of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been killed in these strikes, but a large number of non-combatants have also perished in these attacks. Resultantly, Washington has been facing extreme pressure from human rights groups both within the US and outside as well as political circles particularly in Pakistan.

Despite announcing to reduce the number of drone strikes, the White House justified the large number of drone attacks in recent years. In a bid to deflect criticism, it argued that drone strikes were the most ‘discriminating’, meaning having caused extremely limited collateral damage relatively to other strikes. Although this argument has a substance, it cannot be used as a blanket justification for using the lethal weapons in a foreign land.

Sounding as a typical idealist democrat, Obama said that the US was at a crossroads after spending over one trillion dollars and paying the sacrifice of around 7000 lives over the last one decade in the GWoT. He said, “We must define the nature and scope of this struggle, or else it will define us.” This policy direction was indeed required on part of Washington as the GWoT has been seemingly futile and rudderless.

In times of crippling economic situation, Washington had no other option but to define the contours of the remaining part of the war. Speaking in idealist overtones, Obama said, “To say a military tactic is legal, or even effective, is not to say it is wise or moral in every instance.” This means that idealism has started overtaking the naked and ruthless realism of American foreign policy. The inability of the US to win the war in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the World against terrorism may come as a resounding reminder to the American realists that there have been some real problems with their prescription and doctrine.

Making the right analysis of the US interventions in the 21st century, President Obama said the US military entanglements in foreign lands did not ensure security of American mainland and instead fomented radicalism. Obama said, “A perpetual war — through drones or Special Forces or troop deployments — will prove self-defeating, and alter our country in troubling ways.” Obviously this has been the lesson which anyone with an average intellect could decipher from the events and incidents in the Af-Pak region. The US has been losing an increasing number of soldiers in Afghanistan without any sight of victory. If one does retrospective analysis whether extremism in the name of religion has grown or has reduced it transpires that it has exacerbated. Thus, it means that the GWoT has failed to achieve its objectives.

The most important part of President Obama’s new counterterrorism doctrine is emphasis on the need to locate the root causes of extremism. He maintained that although the attacks in the West continued while referring to the Boston and London strikes, but stressed that Washington should seek to address the “underlying grievances and conflicts that feed extremism.” The panacea which he suggested was expanded foreign aid and diplomacy. The doctrine in this regard is quite realistic because it has been due to the failure of diplomacy that wars have raged in the 21st Century.

A part of the blame in this regard can be attributed to the conduct of diplomacy in the full-blown public and media lens. In our era, the diplomats have also been playing to the gallery instead of focusing on their primary objective of furthering their respective interests through negotiations, tact and compromise — the very ingredients of diplomacy. A deeper look would reveal that even in a country like the US, if not entirely, a significant part of the foreign policy particularly related to defense has been formulated by the military and the intelligence agencies, which had disastrous consequences.

Insofar as provision of foreign aid is concerned, obviously this can go a long way in mitigating the sufferings of people in the Af-Pak region as well as Iraq, Yemen and North Africa, where al Qaeda has cultivated strong basis. Apart from it, foreign aid could increase the capacity of both the state institutions to provide good governance which is the main cause of rampaging extremism and terrorism in these regions. However, in order the aid to be effective it needs to be given in the right hands.

The most important issue regarding terrorism which the US faces right now is the issue of home-grown terrorists. Obama, realising the problem, said that after a successful fight against al Qaeda in the Af-Pak region Washington should now focus on the problem of home-grown terrorists. It means that there is a need to have a critical analysis of the American society and understand the dynamics of deviant behaviour displayed by Muslim Americans and that why many of them have decided to become terrorists.

Dismissing that al Qaeda is a serious threat, Obama, like a true statesman, argued, “In the years to come, not every collection of thugs that labels themselves al Qaeda will pose a credible threat to the United States. Unless we discipline our thinking and our actions, we may be drawn into more wars we don’t need to fight.” This is where Obama calls for soul-searching and wants a reassessment of the societal and social and state institutional processes of the US which have been contributing to the menace of extremism in the US society. Now this is the most apt approach to addressing the issue of religious extremism and terrorism because this means finding faults within than without. Now whether the American state institutions and policymaking circles would concentrate on what their scholar president has directed them to focus on is anybody’s guess.

Obama also called for formation of a special court to assess and give a go-ahead to drone strikes. This aims at inclusion of a third branch of government into the decision-making and execution of these lethal attacks. However, the attempt by President Obama to give a legal cover to lethal part of the counter-terrorism strategy may not turn out to be very successful in achieving its aims.

In a nutshell, President Obama’s recent policy speech regarding the priorities and challenges of the US existing policies has put an end to the notion of a ‘perpetual’ war. This would scotch many conspiracy theories regarding the covert intentions of the US in the Af-Pak region. At the same time, Obama’s speech has also laid the foundation of a new national security framework which is more realistic, comprehensive and noble vis-a-vis the existing paradigm which has been unrealistic, incomprehensive and ignoble.

The writer is a political analyst and researcher who hold doctoral degree in International Relations:razapkhan@yahoo.com

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

02.06.2013

Food for thought
Migration, urbanisation, improved life styles and income levels have
complicated our food intake patterns. So ‘eat whatever you want but mostly plants’ and ‘avoid whatever your grandmother would not recognise as food’
By Syed Mansoor Hussain

For centuries, food that was eaten was pretty much unchanged in a particular area. There were differences in quantity, richness and style but the essential ingredients were the same. However, the last few decades have seen a major transformation in what we eat. The major reasons for these changes are migration, urbanisation, improved life styles and income levels, increased amounts of processed and refined foods, sugary beverages, fast foods and greater consumption of meat.

In a country like Pakistan where a majority of people are still living on the edge of poverty, many of the above factors are less important but we still see rising incidence of ‘chronic’ diseases that are at least partially related to diet. In particular, we are seeing more obesity in younger people, a virtual epidemic of high blood sugar (adult onset Diabetes), high blood pressure, increased incidence of blockages of heart arteries (coronary artery disease), and complications from these conditions.

As far as adult onset Diabetes and obesity are concerned, these are definitely related to what we eat. The more we eat of refined starches like white bread and white rice, refined sugar and high fat diets, greater the incidence of obesity and Diabetes. And Diabetes as well as a high fat diet definitely increases the risk of coronary disease. Also we are eating more processed and fast foods that contain greater amount of salt and that contributes to the incidence and severity of high blood pressure increasing the risk of brain damage (strokes).

Even though modern medicine has made great strides in controlling Diabetes, high blood pressure and high blood fat levels, that can lead to coronary disease and other complications like damage to limbs and the eyes or kidneys, proper diet still forms a an important part of prevention as well as treatment of these conditions. But I really want to talk about what normal people eat. Clearly there are no absolutes and the Internet and magazines are full of different diets and lists of miracle foods that would make us live forever.

The first thing to remember is that an average person, weighing around 65 to 75 kilogrammes who does not work as a day labourer or a farmer needs to consume around two thousand calories a day. Any excess intake will be stored in the body as fat. We don’t have to weigh ourselves every day to find out if we are putting on weight. Our clothes will tell us that. But being slightly overweight is not all bad and recent ‘studies’ suggest that people with some extra fat have a better survival when they become seriously sick compared to those that are thin.

Clearly the important thing then is to eat enough to maintain a certain weight. Here diet as well as the amount of physical work we do is both equally important. Food is the primary source of energy but types of food we eat is also important. Different types of food provide a variety of nutrients and minerals that the body needs besides just calories. It is for this reason plain sugar and foods heavy in sugar are often called ‘empty calories’.

First about fat in our diet; without fat we would not consume what we call ‘fat soluble vitamins’. So some fat is necessary but it does not have to be only of animal origin (ghee). Much is made about the source of a particular fat or oil but basically it is the quantity that matters. Olive oil or other oils from seeds all have their supporters. Another source of ‘good’ fat is nuts but these are too expensive for most people to use as a primary source of fat in their diets. The important thing, however, is to cook using as little fat or oil as possible.

Next is the question of proteins as in meat. Some animals, especially cattle, in west are bred to provide fatty meat — the ‘marbled steak’ for instance. From having meat as the main source of calories, we now believe that meat should be used more as a ‘side dish’. And it should be lean rather than fatty. Fish and poultry have less fat than beef or lamb. That makes them a better choice as a source of protein. Fish also provides certain oils that are felt to be beneficial. However, legumes (daals) and beans are also an important alternative source of proteins. The ‘lowly’ egg has come back in fashion as a source of fat, proteins and minerals. But eggs cooked without fat.

The primary source of calories for most people is the carbohydrates as in bread, potatoes and sugar. Here it is important to understand the concept of ‘glycaemic index’ or how rapidly a carbohydrate is absorbed into the blood after it is eaten. Generally speaking, purer a carbohydrate is like sugar or refined starches (white bread or white rice), the quicker it is absorbed and produces a physiological response that can be detrimental in the long run. In general, whole wheat, multi-grain flour, brown rice and unrefined sugar are better. Another major advantage of whole wheat type starches is that they contain dietary fibre that has distinct advantages when it comes to intestinal health.

As far as ‘plants’ are concerned, this includes vegetables as well as fruits. These provide a large number of nutrients that are vital for health. In general, vegetables should be eaten as close to uncooked as is possible. Another interesting fact about ‘plants’ especially fruits is that the more colour they have the better they are in terms of important dietary supplements called ‘anti-oxidants’. And plants are also a great source of fibre that as I have mentioned above is important to keep our intestinal systems working efficiently.

Another source of calories and minerals especially calcium that is needed for bone strength and of fat and proteins is milk and dairy products. We go through periods where one type of dairy product is thought of as better than another. Essentially all of them are useful but not as the primary source of calories. Yoghurt especially that contains live cultures is accepted as a good source of dairy intake.

So, some basic ideas that have evolved over the last few years. Multiple small meals are better than two or three large ones. Drink a lot of water but avoid sugary drinks like sodas and fruit juices sold in cartons and avoid processed food and fast food. And then there are two general guidelines that I find particularly useful. The first is that ‘eat whatever you want but mostly plants’. Second is that avoid ‘whatever your grandmother would not recognise as food’.

The writer is former professor and Chairman Department of Cardiac Surgery, KEMU/Mayo Hospital, Lahore: smhmbbs70@yahoo.com

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

02.06.2013

Challenges, opportunities
As the ban on kite-flying and making continues, the youth at risk look for alternatives
By Naila Inayat

For some, it is painful to think of all the art and the skill that has died with the ban on Basant — the vibrant colours, the festivity, the string and the kite-making, the flying techniques and, most significantly, the youth who lost their livelihood. For some, kite-making was a family enterprise.

30-year-old Nasim Bano is one of the many who fell prey to the circumstances after the ban on kites. “String and kite-making was our business, we weren’t dependent on anyone for our living. But the ban on Basant took everything away from us. As a youngster, this was a skill and business that I inherited from my ancestors — thinking that our future generations would also benefit from it.”

“There was a time when we as a family were deprived of even having a single proper meal in a day,” she says with teary eyes.

Bano, a resident of Kot Lakhpat, Lahore, has studied till 5th standard. She is married and has the responsibility of six children on her. “I wish I had completed my matriculation that would have given me an opportunity to take up an alternative. But now I’m trying to make ends meet so that I can at least feed my children,” she says.

According to the Kite Flying Association of Pakistan, around 3,30,000 people have lost their jobs due to the ban. However, in 2006, kite flying was banned in Punjab due to the rampant use of glass-coated or metal kite-strings, also called the killer kite thread, which took the lives of several motorcyclists.

Since then, the debate whether the ban is justified or not, or the government should have tried to regulate the making of strings continues with less focus on the individuals who lost their bread and butter.

Kite-making has always been a business restricted to the informal sector. It was the work that kept both women and men earning. It was shared by entire families, who could earn up to Rs 2,000 a day. Today they are broke with no work to do. In rare cases have those affected been able to shift their line of work, but even then they are reported to not be as prosperous as they used to be.

“Kite-making was totally a home-based work done by families that brought them decent income. Due to unemployment and increasing poverty, young girls were forced into prostitution while the young men took up odd jobs,” says Maria Kokab, Programme Officer at HomeNet, a national NGO.

Having closely monitored the ordeals of the kite-makers, HomeNet decided to raise voice for the women kite-makers, who had no alternative skill and many of them were supporting their families.

“Where unemployment and inflation keep increasing on weekly basis and population ratio is also on the rise, it becomes imperative to encourage the cottage industry and informal sector employment. The “Empowering Home-based Workers” project for kite-makers initially engaged 500 women workers in order to give them alternative employment — something that the government failed to do,” Maria says.

It was not an easy ride for the resource group as it faced difficulties in reaching out to the young kite-makers who were neglected and isolated. Though they were in large numbers, they were not ready to share their problems due to the ban and police raids on their homes.

When the focus groups tried to understand their problems, they were threatened by police who assumed that they are going to restart their kite-making business. “In some cases, men stopped their women from meeting our team. But slowly, we built their confidence, had long meetings with the male members of their families and convinced them to join training,” Maria says.

The ‘National Policy On Home-Based Workers’ reveals that most of the home-based workers, who represent 60 per cent of women workforce in the country, are piece rate workers involved in manufacturing and post-manufacturing tasks such as embroidery, carpet weaving and handlooms, wood work, bangle making, dates cleaning, packing prawn peeling and many other similar tasks.

The project began from two cities of Punjab, Lahore and Jhang. Considered a hub for kite-making, Walled City, Kahna, Kot Lakhpat, Shahdara, Imamia Colony and Guddi Market in Lahore were focused. Kasur, Gujranwala and Faisalabad were other important districts of Punjab where a large number of women kite-makers were targeted.

Nasim Bano is one of the home-based beneficiaries of HomeNet. Her eyes shine when she begins to talk about the project, “For me this opportunity came as a big relief. We have been imparted skills like needlework, knitting, dastkari, stitching, dyeing etc. I recall the time when I wasn’t employed; I didn’t even have the money to get my shoe stitched. But today, I can sew shoes — that is something that I learnt at one of the training workshops,” she says.

Bano doesn’t want to look back as she plans to start her own stitching school. “My area (Kot Lakhpat) has a lot of young female workforce but there are no means to engage them. With the help of HomeNet, I want to set up my own stitching school where I could pass on the skills to the youngsters in my community,” she says.

The writer is a staff member. Twitter: @nailainayat

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)

02.06.2013

lesson
Schools in Gadap Town are getting clean drinking water and functional washrooms, thanks to HANDS
By Shahid Husain

About 25 kilometres from the Karachi city in Al-Haj Dur Mohammad Baloch Goth, in Malir district, Gadap Town, is situated a beautiful school named Government Boys Elementary School. Its magnificent Neem trees and chirping birds remind one of Tagore’s Shanti Nakatan. There are 220 students and a team of 11 dedicated teachers — three of them female.

Mohammad Aslam, 40, the headmaster of Government Boys Elementary School told TNS that about 100 years ago a person named Dur Mohammad Baloch migrated from Turbat in Mekran Division in Balochistan and settled down in this village. In the beginning, he involved himself in agricultural pursuits, but one fine morning an idea clicked his mind that he should establish a school for village children.

“Initially, the school was established in 1933 in Mirpur Sakro because Dur Mohammad Baloch could not get land in Dur Mohammad village,” headmaster Aslam said. Thereafter, the school was shifted to Damloti, the place from where the people of Karachi used to get drinking water.

“The school was then shifted to Sheedi Khan Goth and in 1948 it was relocated to its present premises in Darsano Channo in Union Council-2, Gadap Town, Malir,” Aslam said.

Malir in Sindhi language means “fertile” and it happened to be the food bowl of Karachi until it was devastated by “Reti Bajri mafia” that devoured its sand and gravel and destroyed Malir River. The buildings in Karachi city have been constructed with the sand and gravel of Malir River but at a heavy cost. The river that received water from the hilly tracts of Gadap has been totally ruined. So have the fertile Malir valley and its farm houses.

A few farms exist but the vast majority of agricultural land has been acquired by builders. The “Reti Bajri mafia” operates in connivance with police, land mafia, bureaucrats and feudal lords.

HANDS, the brainchild of eminent pediatrician Prof. A.G. Billoo has done a remarkable job. It has provided filter plants to hundreds of schools in Gadap town and taught hand washing with soap to students as well as teachers, ‘chowkidars’ and other staff of schools. “HANDS have taught our children and staff hand washing according to WHO standards,” Aslam said.

“Many important personalities hail from our village and some of them have studied at this school,” Aslam said with a sense of pride. “Abdul Hakeem Baloch, MNA-elect from PML-N, Ghulam Hussain Baloch, Director Finance, government of Sindh, Mohammad Saddiq Baloch, DEO, Elementary Schools, Karachi and Ghulam Mustafa Baloch of non-governmental organisation SPO studied at this school,” Aslam said.

“I am headmaster at this school since 2011. Our students get filtered water thanks to HANDS. It has also constructed five washrooms. Nine classes are functional,” Aslam said.

“But we have persistent problems too,” Aslam said. “One is loadshedding. On an average, we face loadshedding for over 7 hours daily. Sometimes, we don’t have electricity for three days,” he lamented. “We don’t have funds to hire ‘chowkidars’. Hence there is always a threat of theft,” he said.

The school is neat and clean. “However, every month there is a cleanliness drive and all the students and teachers participate in it,” said Bilquis Rehman, General Manager, Communication & Information, HANDS.

Amir Ali, 14, a student of class VIII, said shyly he wants to become a doctor. His father Umeed Ali is a police constable. He has 5 brothers and one sister. His mother is a housewife.

Abdul Khalil, 25, is a voluntary teacher. He is Matriculate and has also acquired a degree in “Shahadat-e-Alamia,” a religious degree equivalent to Masters. “I volunteered so that kids of my village may become educated,” he said.

It was now noon but Neem trees had kept the school cool. The school bell rang and young kids came out from their classes in a queue and dispersed.

Yet another school visited by TNS was Hashim Khaskheli Government Girls Primary School. It has 150 students from Class I to V. It was established in 1995. HANDS have entered into partnership with the government school and conducted renovation, planted trees and installed swings for children.

Safia Tareen, who works for HANDS, lives there and teaches hand washing with soap to the students. There are 7 teachers in the school whose educational qualification is from Matriculation to BA.

TNS also visited GGBPS Primary School Hashim Jokhio in Gadap Town. Prominent documentary film-maker, author, environmentalist and leading debater of yesteryear Javed Jabbar who graduated from the University of Karachi in the 1960s shot his famous film “Ramchand Pakistani” in 2007 at this school. There are 10 girls in the school. The rest of the students are boys. There are five teachers; one of them is female.

Headmaster Mohammad Azam, Matriculate from a school in Memon Goth, told TNS that HANDS constructed washrooms in the school.

“There are three washrooms; all functional,” said Saeed Ahmed, an engineer from HANDS who lives there. The washrooms had WCs and clean towels too. They had overhead tanks and were connected to a big underground water tank through pipes. One could also find green Peepul trees and beds of ornamental flowers.

TNS also visited low-income locality called Surjani Town where HANDS has constructed a filter plant. Kids as young as 4 were collecting drinking water in bottles from the filter plant.

The demand for water in Gadap Town is 45-50MGD but it’s getting 18MGD, an engineer from Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, who requested anonymity, told TNS. “Summer brings crisis here,” he said. “We are focusing on distribution of water.”

__________________
"Nay! man is evidence against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses." Holy Qur'an (75:14-15)