LOSING IDENTITY!
Who doesn’t crave for their white
skin and blue eyes, their typical English accent and their advanced world with
the cutting edge technology? You would have guessed that I am talking about the
Western people. Most of us feel like hiding from the grim reality that we have
complexes. If you had a chance to decide your birthplace, I bet most of you
would go for the Western countries. If you don’t agree with me, then observe
your surroundings.
At every public place, you will
find some people struggling to speak labored English in the most fabricated
accent. You will find aunties pronouncing English words in the weirdest manner,
rebuking their children if they speak in Urdu because they want to portray that
they are from the elite class. But why? Simply because they have a complex and
feel insulted to speak their mother tongue. Ok, then you have to face people
who start off with a long speech that English is the International language of
communication. But why trying to replace your national language with the
international language of communication? The eye-brows of most parents get
creased if they find a D in English
Language in the grade book of their child and then they will enroll their child
in the most renowned English Learning Centre. But they hardily pay heed if
their child is scrambling in writing good essays in Urdu.
Most bachelors want to marry a
green-card holder. There is so much corruption, unemployment nepotism,
injustice, insecurity of life and property, sectarianism, poverty and the
litany of problem goes on. But what is guarantee that you can survive happily
in the Western world? How can you be sure that you will find an appropriate,
white-collar job? Is the high G.D.P of the Western world, a guarantee? Ambitious and talented individuals emigrate
to study abroad. This is appreciable! But then earning their and getting
settled permanently is sheer selfishness and dishonesty. Every child writes an
essay in Grade 2, announcing that if they become a doctor or an engineer then
they will serve their country. But there are very few who fulfill this commitment.
Otherwise, Pakistan would not face an acute shortage of good doctors.
Most bachelors want a
life-partner with a fair-complexion. Even if they don’t, their mothers hunt for
a WHITE daughter-in-law at every public place. The thriving skin-whitening
products’ industry and those advertisements speak of this SNOW-White Syndrome.
So, this is another complex-Asians hate their tanned complexion.
How can I miss the trend of
wearing skin-tight jeans, sleeveless shirts, backless tops and any other
obscene or vulgar fashion that has appeared? Wearing such clothes that fit like
a second skin which makes you look like one of those Western temptresses is
entitled “ MODERNIZATION”.
Why trying your level best to
smother and strangulate your culture, national language and national dress?
Would that fake accent and provocative clothing camouflage your real identity?
No, you will always be what you are. If you try to conceal your real “identity”
by posing to be someone else, you will become “UNKNOWN”. Then, you can’t run back towards your
original identity nor you can fool people by portraying to be someone else.
The crux of the problem is that
the ones who hold the power to bring a revolution have changed. They have
molded themselves to fit into the Western culture and life-style. While the
lower class that is actually immune to modernization, has no power to bring
about a change. This is widening the chasm between the two strata of the
society.
Why groping the wrong end of the rope? There
is nothing wrong with your identity. You don’t need to mimic their culture or
life-style; there is something else that you need to learn. You need to learn their
working strategies and you need to MIMIC their educational system. Confess this
that you are standing on the shore of the ocean of educational and
technological advancement when the rest of the world is nearly half-way in
conquering the ocean. Upgrade your text-books and encourage creative thinking
rather than the run-of-the mill ROTE-LEARNING SYSTEM. Pakistan has loads of talented individuals
but they need guidance and an appropriate way to channelize their talents
effectively. People dominating the economic, military and political arena need
to delve into the Western economic, military and political systems to see what factors
are earning them success and stability in these spheres.
Hope is not lost! Whenever I see
veiled women speaking Urdu proudly, whenever I find a skilled professional with
a degree from Oxford, Howard, Yale, Cambridge or any other top-notch university
serving his homeland, I am filled with hope. No matter how dark and depressing
the night-sky is, there are always those shimmering stars, whose light
re-assures you that there will be a new DAWN.
