Loud Thinking

Archive for September, 2014

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity. ”

—Gilda Radner (1946-1989)
American Comedian, Actress

“In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.”

— Walter Cronkite

Show You’ve Changed Even If Your Role Hasn’t

If you’ve been in the same role for a while, looking for a new job can be tough. But even if your resume doesn’t reflect it, you can show that you’ve grown in your career. First, seek new training opportunities and informational interviews to bring your industry knowledge up to date. Explain to recruiters how your role has changed, even though your title hasn’t. Share what you’ve learned from handling projects over the long term. Recount any new skills you’ve learned on the job. Highlight key moments when you pushed back or took control. Make the most of recent successes. And present your situation as a conscious choice: “I wanted to stay in the role to see how I could develop it.” Have an answer for when someone asks you: “Why haven’t you moved on earlier?” Maybe you wanted to see a project through, or maybe you’re loyal to your team. Whatever you do, just don’t blame the economy.

Adapted from “ How to Explain a Career That Looks Stalled” by John Lees.

“I like physics, but I love cartoons.”

— Stephen Hawking

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ”

—Mark Twain (1835-1910)
[Samuel Clemens] Humorist, Essayist, Novelist

The burning question of the teeming millions of Pakistan is that why not to change the ENTIRE decadent system and why we are still in a quasi one unit system?

The fact is that even after 68+ years of age, Pakistan is still standing at a dead end. The reason being that almost more than 95% population is totally disconnected with the concept of Pakistaniat or our nation hood, which means “the state or quality of having a status as a separate and independent nation”. Alienation of such a huge population from the main life stream of Pakistan, is virtually a fatal disease.

This alienation of 95+% country’s population is tearing apart the country which has already been economically and socially blown to the smithereens by terrorism and other violence.

The terrorism can never be eliminated from its roots, if the society cannot provide justice and social security to its poorest of the poor. In fact, injustice and social inequality, breeds violence and terrorism. As such, our current system, is the biggest enemy of our statehood.

However, the fact which is more dangerous and perilous is that we have turned ourselves into a more fragmented society than our forefathers could have ever imagined. The schism (division or disunion), is so intense that if immediate corrective steps are not taken, God forbid, this country may even see, more turbulent times.

And from this divided society, the hydra (Greek myth a monster with nine heads, each of which, when struck off, was replaced by two new ones) of sectarian violence, is massively shaking the foundations of Pakistan.

The writing on the wall is clear for all to read. The decadence of Pakistani society in every sphere of life, is abysmal, to say the least.

Hardly, any day passes without reports of suicides committed by the poor, due to the economic hardships. Children did not not die in dozens, but in scores, due to the measles outbreak and; strangely enough, no soul moved and not even a single person was held accountable.

Imagine the level of meanness and corruption that children were provided fake polio medicines to mint money over the haplessness of the poorest of the poor.

Years after years, hundreds of hundreds kids, women and men are dying in Thar area, just due to diseases and malnutrition, but our ministers and public representatives made sure to enjoy their feasts, right in the middle of the starving population of Thar. These beasts are more callous, than the Changez Khan.

To top it all, the worsening conditions of law and order, excluding the war on terror connected problems, with particular reference to the sectarian violence, is a matter of highest alarm, which deserves top priority tackling, not only by the government and its law enforcing agencies, but by the civil society, as a whole. This problem can never be resolved till such time we abolish two separate educational system catering separately the poorest of the poor children and the kids of the elite class.

The current frame work, under which the country is being run will not take Pakistan any forward, even if it is allowed to continue as such, for another 100 years. All small and big nations in our region and the world have overtaken us, in the basic fields of health, education, justice, law and order and food security.

On the other hand, the exploitation of the country’s resources by the powerful elite has made them the richest rulers of the South Asian region.

It is high time that all stakeholders in Pakistan must wake up, as the nation is moving fast towards destruction; and business as usual, can do no good for Pakistan; our survival is directly linked with the existence of our nationhood, whose essence is vast vanishing in the thin air.

Pakistan needs a turnaround; for which the basic need is our adaptation and readiness for the CHANGE, not in cosmetic but in the most real sense. We need a complete change from one era to another, like the one witnessed during the past 4-5 decades by China, South Korea, Singapore, UAE, Malaysia and Indonesia. And the secret of their rapid success was keeping the self interest and politics, subservient to the national interest.

Hence, for all Pakistanis, failure is not an option, but success is also not automatically guaranteed. In this regard, I would like to suggest that we formulate a new social contract, for the common people (95+% of the country’s population) of Pakistan, who always pays 100 percent bills and taxes; and never defaults on their bank loans.

Let us make a new Pakistan, which is redesigned to practically cater to the needs of the exploited masses.

In this connection, we must know that the biggest ailment of Pakistan and its governance is the order of the CENTRALISATION, which started from the concept of the ONE UNIT. Still, geographically and population wise, these four provinces are so huge and un-manageable that for all intents and purposes, they are still ONE UNIT, for the general masses.

We have to realise that the very survival and interest of Pakistan is far more supreme than the political interests of some large and small political parties of Pakistan.

All crime centers can be easily located, controlled and eliminated, if the administrative units are minuscule. I wonder ever in their life time, a CM or an IG has ever visited Minchinabad, Maroot, Panjgoor and many such far off Pakistani towns. In fact, in such far flung areas, the SHO, is the IG for the local population and the Assistant Commissioner, the Chief Minister.

However, If we have to put the politics of the vested interests before the national interest, then forget about the survival of the country.

What we have to and we must do, is to first determine the national interest and then keep it supreme over all other considerations.

In my opinion now a time has come for taking the following decisions IMMEDIATELY:

– To create easily governable administrative units or provinces. In this regard, there should be no discrimination or injustice with any province and ethnic or linguistic group; and each division of the country repeat each division, should be converted into a province, which may for political reasons be given the name of an administrative unit or RIASAT etc. Moreover, in order to remove any semblance of ethnicity or linguistic bias, these provinces/administrative units/RIASATS should be named like the NA seats; and mentioned as PK1, PK2, PK3 and so on.

No need to panic in creating about three plus dozen provinces in Pakistan. Turkey has 81 provinces and same is the case with Iran, Afghanistan, China, India and Thailand etc.

This will also work as a panacea (an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties), for the eradication of linguistic, sectarian and any other type of frictions and doubts, about the hegemony of one class of the people, over the other.

In fact, it will work wonders in the speedy development and unity of Pakistan; and kill instantly, any secessionist, linguistic, or sectarian activities, currently prevailing in some parts of the country.

– Moreover, the current election system is so flawed that any Tom Dick and Harry can easily manipulate it to defeat the basic purpose of the democracy. Just imagine in the current system, one can easily get elected by getting even less than 10% of the total registered voters. So, if the basic electoral process is retarded, how can it give birth to genuine representatives of the authentic democracy?

Changes must be also be made in our constitution, to make it a presidential form of a democratic set up, where the whole country directly votes for the president.
However, before voting, the candidates of all political parties for the presidential post, must notify (in advance) a list of their MPAs, MNAs and Senators, who will be automatically considered elected, according to the percentage of votes cast, in favour of all the candidates, for the top post of the country.

This change of electoral system will greatly facilitate participation of expatriate Pakistanis and also allow local Pakistanis to vote at any polling station of the country, consequently, increasing the overall voters turn out.

– The decision for Pakistan’s charter of development for building dams and mega projects like CPEC etc., for the next 50 years should also be finalised, on which, later on, no politics should be allowed, for any political party.
In other words, all the registered political parties must decide now, where they would like to see Pakistan, in EACH and EVERY field of the life, after 50 years. This plan should be further divided into ten five year plans.

In view of the foregoing, may be, we have one last chance to stem the rot; to unite the people and to give them a prescription, to rise again and re-build the nation from the ashes: because, for the overwhelming majority of the ordinary public, a time is coming fast, which may force them to think that: no life…no nation.

No political party can perform in this decadent system – Why we are still living in one unit era?

Even after passing of over six decades, Pakistan is still standing at a dead end. The reason being that almost more than 95% population is totally disconnected with the concept of the nation hood, which means “the state or quality of having a status as a separate and independent nation”. Alienation of such a huge population from the main life stream of Pakistan, is virtually a fatal disease.

However, the fact which is more dangerous and perilous is that we have turned ourselves into a more fragmented society than our forefathers could have ever imagined. The schism (division or disunion), is so intense that if immediate corrective steps are not taken, God forbid, this country may even see, more turbulent times.

And from this divided society, the hydra (Greek myth a monster with nine heads,each of which, when struck off, was replaced by two new ones) of sectarian violence is massively shaking the foundations of Pakistan.

The writing on the wall is clear for all to read. The decadence of Pakistani society in every sphere of life, is abysmal, to say the least.

Hardly, any day passes without reports of suicides committed by the poor, due to the economic hardships. Children did not not die in dozens, but in scores, due to the measles outbreak and; strangely enough, no soul moved and not even a single person was held accountable.

Recently, hundreds of hundreds kids, women and men died in Thar area, just due to diseases and malnutrition, but our ministers and public representatives made sure to enjoy their feasts, right in the middle of the starving population of Thar. These beasts are more callous, than the Changez Khan.

To top it all, the worsening conditions of law and order, excluding the war on terror connected problems, with particular reference to the sectarian violence, is a matter of highest alarm, which deserves top priority tackling, not only by the government and its law enforcing agencies, but by the civil society, as a whole.

In view of the foregoing, maybe, we have one last chance to stem the rot, to unite the people and to give them a prescription, to rise again and re-build the nation from the ashes; because, for the overwhelming majority, a time is coming that the masses, may well be forced to think that: no life no nation.

The current frame work, under which the country is being run will not take Pakistan any forward, even if it is allowed to continue as such, for another 100 years. All small and big nations in our region and the world have overtaken us, in the basic fields of health, education, justice, law and order and food security.

It is high time that all stakeholders in Pakistan must wake up, as the nation is moving fast towards destruction; and business as usual, can do no good for Pakistan; our survival is directly linked with the existence of our nationhood, whose essence is vast vanishing in the thin air.

Pakistan needs a turnaround; for which the basic need is our adaptation and readiness for the CHANGE, not in cosmetic but real sense. We need a complete change from one era to another, like the one witnessed during the past 4-5 decades by China, South Korea, Singapore, UAE, Malaysia and Indonesia. And the secret of their rapid success was keeping the self interest and politics subservient to the national interest.

Hence, for all Pakistanis, failure is not an option, but success is also not automatically guaranteed. In this regard, I would like to suggest that we formulate a new social contract, for the common people (95% of the country’s population) of Pakistan, who always pays 100 percent bills and taxes; and never defaults on their bank loans.

Let us make a new Pakistan, which is redesigned to practically cater to the needs of the exploited masses.

In this connection, we must know that the biggest ailment of Pakistan and its governance is the order of the CENTRALISATION, which started from the concept of the ONE UNIT. Still, geographically and population wise, these four provinces are so huge and un-manageable that for all purposes and intent, they are still ONE UNIT, for the general masses.

We have to realise that the very survival and interest of Pakistan is far more supreme than the political interests of some large and small political parties of Pakistan.

All crime centers can be easily located, controlled and eliminated, if the administrative units are minuscule. I wonder ever in their life time, a CM or an IG has visited Minchinabad or Maroot, the farthest areas of the province of Punjab. In fact, in these type of areas, the SHO, is the IG for the local population.

If we have to put the politics of vested interests before the national interest, then forget about the survival of the country.

What we have to and we must do, is to first determine the national interest and then keep it supreme over all other considerations.

In my opinion now a time has come for taking the following decisions IMMEDIATELY:

– To create easily governable (at least for the next 50 years) administrative units or provinces. In this regard, there should be no discrimination or injustice with any province and ethnic or linguistic group; and each division of the country should be converted into a province. Moreover, in order to remove any semblance of ethnicity or linguistic bias, these provinces should be named like the NA seats; and mentioned as PK1, PK2, PK3 and so on.
This will also work as a panacea (an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties), for the eradication of linguistic, sectarian and any other type of frictions and doubts, about the hegemony of one class of the people, over the other.
In fact, it will work wonders in the speedy development and unity of Pakistan; and kill instantly, any secessionist, linguistic, or sectarian activities, currently prevailing in some parts of the country.

– Moreover, the current election system is so flawed that any Tom Dick and Harry can easily manipulate it to defeat the basic purpose of the democracy. So, if the basic electoral process is retarded, how can it give birth to genuine representatives of the authentic democracy?
Changes must be also be made in our constitution, to make it a presidential form of a democratic set up, where the whole country directly votes for the president.
However, before voting, the candidates of all political parties for the presidential post, must notify (in advance) a list of their MPAs, MNAs and Senators, who will be automatically considered elected, according to the percentage of votes cast, in favour of all the candidates, for the top post of the country.

– The decision for Pakistan’s charter of development for building dams and mega projects for the next 50 years should also be finalised, on which, later on, no politics should be allowed for any political party.
In other words, all the registered political parties must decide now, where they would like to see Pakistan, in each and every field of the life, after 50 years. This plan should be further divided into ten five years plans.

When there are equal number of Chinese & Indian troops the retreat of Indians proves it is an army of straw and they can only commit genocide against the un-armed Kashmiri civilians…!

As China pushes, Indian troops make tactical retreat at one spot (TOI reports today).

NEW DELHI: China is getting increasingly aggressive on the border even as Indian troops hold forth with equal force. The continuing high-altitude military faceoff at Chumar in eastern Ladakh, with around 1,000 Chinese soldiers ranged against an equal number of Indian troops in sub-zero temperatures for the last 12 days, has led Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag to cancel his proposed visit to Bhutan.

READ ALSO: Xi is ‘open-minded and realistic’, Dalai Lama says

The Army chief decided to stay put after Indian forces had to make a tactical retreat at one of the eight places of standoff in Chumar three days ago in the face of heavy Chinese troop presence. The government has now decided to send in more troops as the standoff persists.

Gen Suhag’s three-day visit — his first foreign trip after becoming Army chief — was called off at the last minute after the People’s Liberation Army troops showed no signs of withdrawing from their forward positions in the Chumar sector on Monday despite diplomatic intervention. Indian and PLA troops continue to “hold” their “tactical positions” against each other at heights around 14,500 feet.

READ ALSO: Chinese military says there are ‘differing perceptions’ of LAC

Home ministry sources said Chinese troops have been “quite aggressive” in the past few days and three days back even forced Indian troops to make a tactical retreat about two kilometres deep inside Indian territory at one of the eight points in Chumar where the standoff continues.

A senior government official said, “Our troops too are standing forth with equal force. The retreat was made tactically as Chinese strength on that point was far greater. More reinforcements were sent later and now we are holding position.”

Sources said the standoff continued as China was not ready to relent on its road-building exercise near the border and India was unwilling to bring down some structures it has built near the LAC. “It’s a question of who blinks first. Chinese want us to dismantle some structures that we have built to sustain our forces in Chumar. We are not ready for that,” the official said.

While the “strategic message” being sent through the “tactical faceoff” is still not very clear, it’s felt that China is playing a double-game. “There is a clear disconnect between what President Xi Jinping told PM Narendra Modi at their summit here last week and the attitude of PLA commanders on the ground. It’s simply not possible that the PLA would flout the orders of Xi, who is also the chairman of the Central Military Commission, to withdraw,” said the source.

The Indian Army and the PLA are currently locked in a stand-off at Chumar sector (shown by the red pin) in Jammu & Kashmir. (Google Maps)

Interestingly, the Chinese government in Beijing on Sunday directed its top military brass to ensure “all PLA forces follow the instructions of President Xi Jinping” and remove “inefficiencies” in the chain of military command. Meanwhile, Xi is also learnt to have asked his troops to be ready for a “regional war”.

Gen Suhag, along with his director-general of military operations Lt-Gen P R Kumar, has been briefing the PMO and others in the government on the Chumar standoff on a regular basis.

READ ALSO: No breakthrough in Ladakh face-off despite Modi-Xi bonhomie

The rival troops, depending on the harsh terrain in the disputed stretch, are separated by distances ranging from 700 metres to 1.5 km at eight “tactical” locations. “We are adequately prepared and deployed for the long haul if it comes to that. The PLA will find it tough to either increase the strength of its troops in the region or sustain them beyond a point through airdropping of supplies by helicopters,” said a source.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) with PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi
Though the assessment is that the PLA troops will eventually withdraw after “saving face”, the Army is keeping its 15 battalions (800 soldiers each) as well as “reserve units” in eastern Ladakh on “high alert” to cater for any contingency, as reported by TOI.

Sources said China seems to be testing the Modi government’s resolve both on the land boundaries as well as the Indian Ocean Region with its Maritime Silk Route construct. During the 21-day Depsang faceoff at the DBO sector in April-May last year, just before Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit here, India had got conflicting signals from the PLA commanders on the ground and the political leadership in Beijing.

Similar messaging is happening in the ongoing Chumar faceoff, which coincided with President Xi Jinping’s visit here. “It’s very difficult to believe that local PLA commanders would act like this without the top Chinese leadership’s nod. We have asked China to adhere to the 2005 protocol on CBMs on the LAC,” said the source.

READ ALSO: Chinese helicopters drop food for their soldiers in Ladakh as stand-off continues

It had taken intensive diplomatic intervention to finally defuse the DBO faceoff last year after India dismantled “a tin shed” at Chumar and the PLA troops simultaneously withdrew from the Depsang Valley.

Similarly, this time the Chinese troops are also asking Indian troops to demolish a recently-built hut at Tible in the Chumar sector, as reported by TOI earlier.

“Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is that you’re stupid and make bad decisions.”

— Bill Murray

World Cup 2015 – Few proposals for Pak cricket team..! Pakist. http://t.co/0WQXuiTK5b