Fair & Square: ‘Zara Sochiay’ to end ‘Ayaame Jahiliya’

Corruption is a lesser evil than perversion and perversion is a lesser evil than ignorance. I’m left with no choice other than commending my colleague Aftab Iqbal for terming ‘Jahalat’ or ignorance as one of the biggest manifestations of corruption. I, however, opine that it is a bigger curse than corruption and perversion, combined. And Aftab ought to be congratulated for inviting teachers to his famous TV programme ‘Khabarnaak’ with focus on ‘Zara Sochiay’ that I rate as one of the sincerest endeavours to transform the society in an institutionalized manner. In fact, it is not just transformation in the strictest sense of the (traditional) term. It is, instead, something more than that as it is a serious move aimed at sounding the death knell of ‘Ayaame Jahiliyaa’ (the era of ignorance) whose long spell has marred all our abilities to think, ponder and analyze.

I think this ‘Zara Sochiay’ is the panacea of all ills as it is exactly in accordance with the teachings of Holy Quran that repeatedly poses one question to the faithful and that is “Afaalaa Yaaqayloon” (“Don’t you possess reason?”). Humans become supreme over and above other species because of this gift of God i.e reason. And in the comity of nations, those nations have excelled and dominated others that believe that ‘Knowledge is power’. For sure, knowledge is as much of half faith as cleanliness is half faith (‘Safai Nisf Eemaan Hai’) because knowledge also tends to clean and purify humans lock, stock and barrel.

I’m happy to note that the incumbent government, especially its Punjab chapter, headed by CM Mian Shahbaz Sharif, is passionately involved in the empowerment of youth through enlightenment and education. However, one must not forget the services rendered in this field by the former chief minister, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, as highlighted by Aftab Iqbal.

It was during Elahi’s incumbency that some direly needed steps were taken towards improvement in the field of education. Leaving aside other measures, one of the main endeavours undertaken during that period under the direct supervision of the then Education Minister, Mian Imran Masud, was provision of missing facilities. No one had ever thought of identifying these missing facilities previously although lack of teaching staff, toilets, classrooms and no roofs above the existing classrooms (if any) had become a big menace rather a stumbling block in the pursuit of education.

Some people closely known to Mian Imran Masud told me that the former provincial education minister and one of his highly educated relatives, Ms Ayesha M Hamid, have embarked on a number of educational endeavours on their own to empower the youth through academic pursuits of international standard. It gladdened my heart to know from them that Madam Ayesha has successfully imparted modern and morally sound education to hundreds of children through a system that is compatible with American and foreign universities’ curricula. By way of this endeavour the erudite educationist has helped the youth in their capacity-building besides providing them an enabling environment to prove their mettle in foreign lands.

Mian Shahbaz Sharif has also demonstrated this passion and commitment, time and again, in this particular sphere as he has been sending delegations of talented students to some of the best- and most renowned- educational institutions of the world, till recently and intends to encourage, motivate and empower yet greater number of talented young ones by providing them more opportunities to interact with foreign scholars, professors and students who have made the mark in education.