October 2016 - The Debates

Archive for October 2016

"The rough diamonds"

The episode of the chai wala, a young cat-eyed boy working on wages at a tea café, invited mixed responses from the viewers both nationally and internaionally. Some sections of the society hailed it as positive step simply because a poor guy’s financial status got improved and he was evolved to his niche on the dint of his charming appearance, whereas others slaked, and termed it as the media’s usual bid for ratings and sensationalism. Objectively speaking it could be reckoned as an assertive action on part of the media. However, the worrying bit is the sheer dearth of the lesson learned out of the episode.

The common interpretation of the story is that the guy by the dint of his charming looks deserved to be a model or actor in the show business rather than a wage earner at the tea café, the guy was inducted into his deserving field and the thing is over. This indeed is a disturbing outcome of the episode, and points to a high level of societal indifference and lack of the critical and investigative vision. The episode should have been interpreted as realization of the fact that the society abounds in the ilk of the cat-eyed guy, who could be better players in all walks of life. What is needed is lack of the ventures aiming at such discoveries.

It is an established fact that Man does not born with predetermined qualities of being a talented and genius ,good-natured (with minor exceptions) or evil-inclined, but is the society around him which influences him and moulds his character accordingly. The environment and opportunities around him lick him in either way. Those who are entitled to opportunities make their marks; those deprived of the due opportunities become part of the downtrodden sections of the society.

A critical glance at the workplaces around us, such as workshops, hotels, factories, and other industrial units, reflects the sheer availability of rough diamonds working as apprentices or wage earners. They may possess numerous talents but needs a little effort to get their potentials polished and bring them forth as finished products.

The episode of the chai wala should have been taken as the beginning of a venture which aims at the discoveries of the hidden potentials and rough diamonds present around us. It should have been an unceasing venture of talent hunt bringing the rough diamonds to the their proper niche not on the base of appearance only, but the various type of deft and genius they possess. It should have not been taken as a single episode ending with induction of the cat-eyed guy into the field. The worrying bit again is the lack of lesson learnt on part of the public.

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How to get a job in Pakistani universities? A “legal” favoritism.

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How to get a job in Pakistani universities? A “legal” favoritism.

Some people do illegal things directly whereas other seek means to do an illegal thing legally, a best example of the latter could the recruitment system of the Pakistani universities. You may find large size advertisements of vacancies, a strict and laborious process of submitting the application with high processing fees, followed by many formal practices such as test/demonstration/selections boards and their ilk, but at the end of the day you will see someone selected for the post who has already been working on the same position. All the process, from advertisement to the final interview will seem nothing more than a formality. Isn’t it strange enough, doesn’t it boggle one’s mind? Yes surely.

The technique is simple, which in the common parlance may be termed as “legal favoritism” which is indeed a soft tool of jobbery that neither accrues infamy nor any kind of accountability. The modus operandi is as follows. The desired candidate is first inducted either through the need-based, ad hoc-based or a short term contract. These processes don’t create any noticeable fuss and rarely come into the limelight, the process in concluded peacefully inside the premises of the campus. The designated person remains more a yes-man than a professional in these hours of probation. He has to develop cordial relations with all the stakeholders and may go to any length, because the people around him will certainly have a say in his final selection. The experience of these days is crucial for him as it will tell upon his final selection or rejection. The favor of informal recruitment (need-based, ad hoc-based or a short term contract) is extended to few and is not an open opportunity to all. They may include relatives of the already working employees, a student of the university (with certain desired characteristics) or someone recommended by someone.

Advertisement for the vacancies appears in dailies, the unemployed lot rush to submit their forms, formalities follow, and at the end of the day the face does not change who has already been working on the same position, what changes, is his attitude, he transforms from yes-men ship to a professional man because the reign of uncertainty is over then, and he finds himself landed on a safer shore.

The transparency is demonstrated by the presence of an external member in the selection board, but the logic is simple. If he shows reluctance in accepting the recommendation from the host university, tomorrow a member from the host university may visit his university ex-officio. Therefore they can rarely ignore each other recommendations.

The autonomy of the universities should not be questioned but it must pertain to the academic process. The recruitment system needs to be made transparent and across the board, which in the present setup is largely vulnerable to numerous irregularities. The best option will be to form a permanent universities recruitment commission, or empower the existing public services commissions to make a uniform recruitment for all the universities under their jurisdiction. Only then one can see some light at the end of the tunnel.

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Categories: jobs in Pakistan recruitment in universities. universities jobs in pakistan

Afghan refugees' repatriation and moral questions.

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Afghan refugees' repatriation and moral questions.

The phrase Kala ba zai (when you will go) has been in the air since the issue of Afghan refugees’ repatriation has surfaced. The phrase is being derogatively directed against the Afghan refugees by Pakistani in the Peshawar region and it surroundings. A general observation yields that the local hurl the slang at the refugees whenever they see them. According to media reports the said act has resulted into scuffles and acrimonies at various occasions. The act needs to be examined in light of local norms, humans’ self esteem, the rules that govern refugees’ affairs, and international morality.

The locals think that the Afghans refugees should be grateful to them for their decade long hospitality, and many believe that local law and order situations have been deteriorated after the Afghans’ exodus, it is time they should leave for their own country and leave us in peace. The Afghan refugees on the other hand, hold a different stance. They believe that Pakistan has been one of the elements in the political instability which has been reigning in Afghanistan and Taliban is a tool of Pakistan in the Afghan proxy war. Every attempt for stability in Afghanistan is foiled by Taliban and Pakistan, being its mentor, has its role in it. Therefore the feelings of the refugees and locals don’t reciprocate, and they largely remain at cross purposes.

Only an objective analysis of the issue will unearth the ground realities. No sensible man, with an iota of knowledge about the recent past of Afghanistan’s affairs, can deny the veracity that Pakistan has its role in the Afghanistan affairs be it the American sponsored project of Jihadism, the surge of Talibanization or the post 9/11 war on terror, and all these are open secrets now. Even today whenever an untoward accident takes place in Afghanistan, the blame is immediately externalized by the Afghan officials. The issue of refugees is therefore the by-product of the internal situation of Afghanistan.

As Afganistan turned into war theatre, especially in the 1980s, people dispersed in search for safer places of survival, they migrated to most of the countries ,however majority of them went either to Iran or Pakistan. Iran dealt them in the way the refugees are dealt, they were kept in camps and provided them with moral and humanitarian support which they needed the most, even today the same status is being accorded to them. Whereas in Pakistan the case was altogether different.

It was the vested interest of the then ruling class, which made them have a different approach towards the refugees. The Afghan people were not accorded the status of refugees as it has been an established practice in the world, rather the public opinion was so shaped that receiving more and more refugees was a religious act, they (locals) were exhorted to open both their hearts and localities to refugees , the refugees being holy guests ( muhajireen) and locals being holy hosts ( ansaar). The practice continued for long in a devoutly fashion until Pakistan was filled to the mouth and the exodus receded.

The practice was a great boon for the then reckless ruling community of Pakistan. They used the refugees as showpieces in Pakistan for various types of international aids and donations, and it was this critical time when the Swiss bank in its report said that the deposits in accounts of the Pakistan’s officials have grown considerably, which earlier even did not deserve a separate mention. However, repercussions of the exodus were later felt in all walks of life in the country, be it economy, law and order social fabric and public morality.

Government of Pakistan never made serious efforts to ensure the repatriation of the refugees, whenever such attempt was made, it was either foiled by the intervention of UNHCR or government’s own lack of will. However this time the government seems somewhat serious as the matter has been linked with the security concerns of the country. Although the first dateline has been extended, yet a large number of families have been witnessed leaving for their homeland. The process may continue if the government remains stuck to its decision. However, during all this process what remains the responsibility of the general public is indeed a crucial issue.

The public has been witnessed in humiliating the refugees; the police excesses and a disposition full of hatred further exacerbate worries of the refugees. The way the public (some sections) participate in the discourse of repatriation is in no way acceptable by any canon of the international morality. One such example has been the practice of hurling the slang at the refugees whenever they come to interact. Such practices do not behove a polite and sensible population. It is high time the public lend moral support and facilitate the process of peaceful repatriation of the Afghans’ refugees.

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