Leaders of our neighbouring country should pay attention to what their young people are trying to tell them
Accusations of the Pakistan government stifling education and keep the masses as illiterate as possible made me appreciate India more, because this is a country that takes education seriously, and diverts more money towards schools and colleges than anything else. Representation Pic/istock
I don’t pay much attention to Pakistan on most days. This isn’t only because I am not an Indian politician with little else to do, but because I have no right to comment on what they choose to do with themselves. They have their own leaders, and their way of life, and if they choose to turn into a failed state because of corruption, misplaced priorities, and an unhealthy obsession with religion, who am I to get involved? As long as India doesn’t have those issues, I’m okay with the way things are.
A few days ago, however, an opinion piece published by a young Pakistani studying in America was forwarded to me. It wasn’t meant to catch my eye, or any eye for that matter, because it was pulled down soon after it appeared in a Pakistani newspaper. Given how these things tend to work though, that authoritarian act only made a lot more people look for copies and circulate them widely. What was meant to be buried was promptly excavated and paraded in the online town square that is social media.
For those who haven’t read the essay — and there may be many, given the dwindling number of people who read anything these days — there were a lot of interesting things being said by the young Pakistani gentleman, all of which could help his country’s leaders if they were to take his advice to heart. They could start by not silencing him, which is something India would never do because freedom of speech is sacrosanct here. No one from Pakistan can ever accuse India’s government of trying to muzzle free speech.
The writer made the argument that Pakistan’s rulers have lost influence over the younger generations. He added that state-sponsored campaigns to promote patriotism were no longer effective, which is solid advice that India has long followed. No one can accuse the Indian government of obsessing over patriotism or forcing it down everyone’s throat in ridiculous ways like playing the national anthem before every movie or something. It’s another thing Pakistan would do well to take seriously.
Another valuable piece of advice about patriotism referred to how it can’t be manufactured but grows organically when citizens have access to things that matter. The essay mentioned equal opportunities, guaranteed rights, infrastructure, and systems that function — everything India manages to do so well. It made me realize how much Pakistan could learn from us on those fronts too: how we build the best roads and bridges; how we make sure the poor have access to the same things as the rich; how we ensure that every Indian citizen’s fundamental rights are absolute; and how everything works smoothly and seamlessly in this country from the time we are born until the sad day when we have to leave the world’s fourth-largest economy behind. There were a few accusations in the essay too, particularly one about how the Pakistani government has been trying to stifle education and keep the masses as illiterate as possible. That made me appreciate India more, because this is a country that takes education seriously, and diverts more money towards schools and colleges than anything else. It’s also why Indians have a huge capacity to think for themselves, and don’t parrot what the government asks them to. We have our own minds and use them, wherever we are, which is another thing that differentiates us from our troubled neighbours.
The last thing that struck me about the essay was a comment about why so many young Pakistanis are doing everything in their power to leave the country because they have no hope. The writer blamed this on their belief that nothing would change, and that those speaking out would only be silenced. It made me proud to be Indian because our young people will never know this kind of repression. Unlike Pakistan, India’s youth are never silenced for speaking out against the government. They aren’t held for years without trial just for asking questions, and that comforted me because it made me certain that India would never walk any of the paths that have been forged by so many failed nations.
Part of me is certain that the government of Pakistan will learn nothing from the essay. It’s why that country will continue to ignore what its young people are saying and pay the price for its blinkered view. I don’t see the government of India ever making that kind of mistake, which makes us a smarter nation.
When he isn’t ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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