I suppose, in the ultimate, when it comes to the subject of children in any given society what is of paramount value and concern is the relationship they will have with the future. Tomorrow belongs to them, and they will inherit what the outgoing generations will leave behind.
With reference to Pakistani children, one does wonder what kind of society are they going to inherit, given the state of the country. And one does need to bear in mind the diversity of the socio-economic, and socio-political backgrounds that these young citizens of tomorrow come from, in a swiftly changing environment. And the signs of the times are worrying to say the least.
Thoughts about Pakistani children and what kind of Pakistan they are going to inherit, whether they like it or not, came to mind as one sat at the 19th International Children's Health Conference on 6th April that was held to mark the World Health Day at a local hotel. The theme was "1000 cities, 1000 lives, Urbanisation: a challenge for public health" .It was organised by the Hamdard Public School (Madinatul Hikmah) and the Hamdard Foundation.
The above theme for the World Health Day was that of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and therefore, it was understandable that the president of the children's conference was Dr Khalif Bile Mohamud, WHO Representative in Pakistan. And what is significant is that he has been working in this country, since 1993. Seventeen years in Pakistan for him, and there are indications that he will be leaving shortly.
That much has happened in this country during this period, of which he has been a witness, is something that is so obvious. He would have so much to say on what he has witnessed experienced and I hope that he does write about it sometime in the future. Perhaps, our health planers would have something to read, learn they will not. That is not what I am suggesting, even remotely! The bureaucrats and the professionals who have managed our health care system in the public sector have delivered little when it comes to the common man. And the private sector in the health field has a tariff that is out of reach for ordinary people.
As I sat through some of the children's speeches, and that of Dr Mohamud and the chief guest, Dr Mervyn Hosein, Vice Principal, Hamdard College of Medicine, I was conscious of the newspaper headlines of that day, which mirrored the present state of the country. Over the years, I have come to realise the strong, though somewhat intangible relationship there is between these daily newspaper headlines and the reality on the ground. There is more than a symbolic meaning that is evident. They are the real signs of the times, if one looks deeper into them.
I would like to reproduce some of the headlines from 6th April (Tuesday last) which was the day after President Asif Ali Zardari had addressed the joint session of the Parliament in Islamabad. One headline said that "Accountability should not be selective: Zardari"; "Urges MPs to approve landmark reforms without delay; says 18th amendment to restore provincial rights and parliamentary sovereignty." And a related headline said that "Nawaz was not invited" (to the above mentioned session of the parliament). If only Pakistani children could understand what these "cold and hot wars" in the country are about. Perhaps, they do, in some measure. And we think they do not.
Then there was another headline which read "45 die as bomber hits ANP meeting in Timergara" (Lower Dir). This was a reminder of how suicide bombers have been targeting peoples, places and events in the country for some years now. And children surely are aware of these terrorist activities. For they have been taking place across the country, in varying degrees of intensity and danger. Have we ever wondered how fearful our children have become over the years, especially those who have experienced these bomb blasts in urban centres? That too is a face of urbanisation - and this is the face that brings frequent anxiety to my mind. What is the psychological damage being done to them? The least we can do is to try and understand the phenomena.
Another story (read event) that was on the front pages was about "eight killed in three blasts near the US consulate in Peshawar", and that "TTP claims responsibility, President, PM condemn explosions" These blasts were also shown in detail as the TV channels covered them extensively, throughout the day. What do children from Peshawar think of their city when they see these blasts, or even hear them? What do children think of bomb blasts in their cities, be they Lahore or Islamabad or Karachi - wherever. What do they think of Pakistan?
I am unsure of whether we are doing enough to understand their hearts and minds, and what goes inside them when they hear of the troubles that strike us, almost without respite. I would like to believe that often Pakistani children are within the hearing range and the perimeters of fright and trauma when these catastrophes strike Pakistan.
Sadia Rashid, President of Hamdard Foundation Pakistan, who furthers Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said's crusading tradition of caring and providing education for children, told them that evening that when she was their age "we used to be told that in our country - for that matter our region, - because ours was an agriculture based economy, about 80 percent of areas... and only 20 percent in urban areas. Over the years, there has been a gradual shift in statistics."
But this evidently was not looking at the harsh realities that children in this society face. Urbanisation has brought many horrors to children as well. What children are going through in cities and villages is another story, glimpses of which we periodically get through the media and real life encounters, stories and conversations.
About fifteen speeches were enthusiastically made by Pakistani schoolchildren as well as boys and girls from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Japan.. The large audience of students, teachers and parents heard them with interest and when Dr Khalif Bile Mohamud expressed his appreciation, they were thrilled.
I want to end with the imaginative tableau that was presented by zealous boys and girls of Hamdard Public School, which sought to underline the urbanisation that is taking place. Two little girls enacted small cats, a city cat and a village cat. The latter comes to the city hoping to have a better quality of life - but eventually (soon enough) realises that it was better to have less to eat - but lead a safer and peaceful life in the village.
Of course, I thought of the rough time that stray dogs and cats have in Karachi - and the fact that our overall collective attitude towards animals is so disappointing. Has ongoing urbanisation and the continuous price rise of food items had an adverse impact on animals in this society. What it has done to people is obvious [email protected]
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