UNITED NATIONS, A BRIEF OVERVIEW

UNITED NATIONS

The Name UN: 

• Coined by the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt
• 1st used on 1 January, 1942 during 2nd world war in UN Declaration.

Officially Established: 

• In October 1945, when 50 countries got their representatives together at San Francisco and the UN Charter was formulated.
• These 50 states are often referred to as the "Original Members" or the "Founding Members" of the UN.

Total Member States: 193

Non-Member States:

• The UN Charter dictates as to who can be a member of the UN and who cannot.
• A total of 54 States are not full members of and are partially recognized by the UN.
• Some states worth mentioning here are as follows.

• Palestine and Kosovo are non members due to lack of International support. Palestine however was given the observer status by the UN in 2012.
• Taiwan, initially a part of the UN left in 1971 when the Republic of China became a member.
• Vatican City is a small state with a small population and holds permanent observer status at the UN and is not a member by its own choice.

Official Languages of the UN

The SIX languages that are officially the part of UN include the following.

1. English
2. French
3. Russian
4. Arabic
5. Chinese
6. Spanish

UN Logo

• Designed by a team lead by Oliver Lincoln Lundquist in 1945.
• The Emblem comprises of a World Map with a wreath surrounding it.
• It received approval on 7th December, 1946.

Nobel Peace Price

• Received Nobel Peace Prize 11 times since its inception.

Main Heads/Organs: 

• General Assembly

• Develops policies and all 193 nations are represented in it. It thus is the only organ occupying the status of Universal representation within the United Nations.           
• The annual General Assembly session is held in New York every year in September.

• Security Council

• Responsible for maintaining peace and security in the international realm.
• 15 members, out of which 5 hold permanent membership status while 10 are such members whose membership is temporary.
• Has a President that is changed every month.

• Economic and Social Council

• involved in reviewing policies, collaboration between the states, conducting discussions and talks on different issues and implementation of goals related to development.
• 54 members that are appointed for 3 year terms by the General Assembly.

• Trusteeship Council

• Created in 1945 for the sole purpose of supervising 11 Trust Territories.
• Aim was to make the Trust Territories independent and self reliant.
• The purpose was achieved by 1994 and the members agreed to meet only if deemed necessary.

• International Court of Justice (ICJ)

• The only body within the United Nations that is principally takes up the Judicial role.
• Located at the Peace Palace in Hague, Netherlands.
• Gives advice and verdict on international disputes and matters filed in or referred to it.

• Secretariat

• Responsible for carrying out the everyday tasks of the United Nations.
• Consists of a huge staff of over tens of thousands of people from all over the world and the Secretary General.
• The Secretary General if appointed by the UN General Assembly for five years. His term can be renewed.

BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY THE EASY WAY

Vocabulary enables us to Interpret and to express. If you have a limited vocabulary, you will also have a limited vision and a limited future.

(Jim Rohn)

Whether you need it for better understanding of literature, for improving your conversational abilities, for enhancing your perception of things, for an exam or for grooming your personality, Building vocabulary requires a dedicated effort. 

Determination and Perseverance is the key

Once you decide on improving your vocabulary, you need to make sure that you do so on a regular basis, Starting and giving up immediately or losing interest will not benefit you in any way and so once you have made up your mind, you need to keep your nose to the grindstone. This holds true not just for enhancing your linguistic skills but for anything that you wish to achieve in life. 

A few Tips and Tricks on enhancing your vocabulary are listed below.

1. Read Newspapers, Magazines and Books

• Develop a habit of reading. If you cannot read a lot or if you are not a fan of reading books and other stuff, just read one small paragraph at a time.
• Highlight an interesting word and note it down in your word journal or in an index card.

2. Using Post it Notes or keeping Flash or Index Cards in office or at home

This technique is what helped me the most in improving my vocabulary. 

• Write the word and its meaning with an example on a Post it note and stick it where you can read it even if you don't want to. Like on the fridge, on the study table, etc.
• Write the word on a flash card and keep the card with you. You can read them even when doing some house or office chore, while watching TV or doing office work.

3. Maintaining a word Journal

• Grab a notebook, a small diary or if that is too much trouble then just use the notes app on your mobile phone and write down the words that you find interesting.
• Keep reading them everyday so that the words become a permanent part of your memory. 
• Try using them in sentences.

4. Write More

• Write Letters and use the new words in your sentences
• If not letters then write Articles or Essays. That will give you the added benefit of improving your writing skills.
• If you hate writing then at least you can Text. Instead of using slangs and abbreviations, use complete and proper words while writing texts to your family and friends and add new words wherever you can. 

5. Download a Vocab app

• An application on your phone that notifies you of a new word each day, such as the app by www.dictionary.com, which is easily available for downloading on most android and iOS devices, have a widget that gives you a new word to learn daily.

6. Watching English movies with Subtitles

• This is something that will serve a dual purpose. While providing entertainment, it enables to build your conversational skills and learn new words and ways of using those in sentences.

Building vocabulary needs constant revision of words because if you don't use the words, you forget them. Incorporating the newly learned words in your conversations, either they are face to face or on the phone, is what will help you in the long term. 

THE TIMELINE FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS CONVENTION (NWC)

A multilateral treaty that has been proposed to ban Nuclear Weapons is what the Nuclear Weapons Convention is all about. This is somewhat similar to the conventions on Biological and Chemical weapons. 

According to Arms Control Association Pakistan is a signatory to Biological and Chemical Weapons Convention but has not signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty as yet.

FAILED ATTEMPTS

The cold war left all parties across the globe to end the creation and proliferation of Nuclear weapons. A few proposals were put forward at that time which did not lead to any favorable results. 

These include but are not limited to the following,

• Baruch Plan (1946)
• the Reagan-Gorbachev summit meeting in Reykjavik (1986)
• Rajiv Gandhi’s action plan presented to the UN General Assembly (1988)

MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS

Over the years, the following developments took place.

• During the 1950s, UK and the US continued conducting nucleur tests.
• In July 1955, Russell–Einstein manifesto was issued which warned of the hazards of using nuclear weapons.
• During the 1960s, France and China conducted Nuclear tests.
• On 1st July 1968, 1st Non Proliferation treaty was signed that lead to nuclear disarmament and a ban on future acquisition of nuclear weapons of the parties involved.
• During the 1970's India conducted a nuclear test and a Nuclear explosion in the South Indian Ocean possibly by South Aftrica took place.
• During the 1990s, South Africa, South East Asia, Africa and Ukraine turned into Nuclear free states.
• At the end of Cold War, UN General Assembly posed the following question and asked the International Court of Justice its opinion on the matter by adopting a resolution 49/46K on 15th December, 1994.

 Is there any circumstance in which the International law permits the threat of or the usage of Nuclear weapons?

The International court of Justice (IJC) responded on 8th July 1996 by announcing the following statement,

 “there exists a legal obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its respects.” 

• On 24th September, 1996 China, UK, France, United Nations, United States and Russia signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which India refused to put its signatures on.
• In the year 1997, a draft was made by a group of experts and was presented to the UN General Assembly by Costa Rica for discussion. It was updated and used in 2007 as the Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC) and was based on different chemical and biological conventions.
• In the year 1998, India and Pakistan conducted Nuclear Tests.
• In 2006, 123 state parties including Pakistan and India asked for starting up negotiations in Nuclear Weapons Convention regarding banning the acquisition, manufacture, testing, stockpiling, transferring and usage, threat and proliferation of Nuclear weapons.
• In 2007, ICAN (International Campaign to abolish Nuclear Weapons) created an improved model of Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC).
• in 2008, UN General Secretary, Ban Ki-Moon presented a five point plan regarding disarmament of nuclear weapons by countries.
• In 2009, the first set of recommendations for Nuclear disarmament in a Nuclear convention were presented in draft form. It went unsuccessful.
• In May, 2009 a program of work, entitled “Cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament” was approved and thus adopted by the CD (Conference on Disarmament). 
• In September 2009, The United Nations adopted the Resolution 1887 which was proposed by the United States. Two more resolutions were adopted by the UN in the same year regarding Nuclear Disarmament.
• In 2010, member states of Nuclear Proliferation Treaty adopted the Final Document proposed by the NPT Review Conference.
• In 2013, "Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act" was Introduced which called for elimination of Nuclear arms in all countries by 2020.
• In 2014, 164 member Inter Parliamentary union approved a resolution that urged countries to start negotiation regarding Nuclear disarmament as soon as possible.
• In 2016, different sessions of open-ended working group (OEWG) were held whereby proposals and negotiations on nuclear bans were carried out. Challenges regarding the imposition of the ban have been discussed as well.

The Nuclear Weapons Convention is still a matter of discussion at the United Nations and at the Conference of Disarmament (CD). More and more conferences are being conducted on the matter.

ORGANIZATIONS FOR REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION (SAARC, SCO)

One of the most significant developments in the world trading system came up with the emergence of the phenomenon of Regional Cooperation during the 1990s.

This Regional Cooperation,

o   is a way of gaining economic security and developments within the regions involved.

o   helps group remote areas of the world so that the nations by entering into regional agreements can benefit from each other’s assets and resources.

o   facilitates competition among countries and helps them attract more investment and state of the art technology.

SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC)

SAARC is an organization for both political and economic cooperation between eight member countries in the South Asian region. Its history and other important aspects are listed below.

1.     Establishment: At Dhaka in 1985

2.     Secretariat: Kathmandu, Nepal

3.    Secretary General: Arjun Bahadur Thapa

4.     Members:

·        India                   ·        Pakistan

·        Sri Lanka            ·        Bangladesh

·        Nepal                  ·        Bhutan

·        Maldives            ·        Afghanistan

5.     Observers:

· Australia, China, The European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea and the United States of America.

6.     SAARC Recognized Bodies

·        SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry

·  SAARCLAW (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law

·        SAFA (South Asian Federation of Accountants)

·        SAF (South Asia Foundation)

·    SAIEVAC (South Asia Initiative to End Violence against Children

·        FOSWAL (Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature)

7.     Objectives of SAARC

•       To eliminate all forms of Corruption
•      To fast-track the growth of the economy
•     To promote cultural and social growth of the members
•   To Buildup trust between the regional states and creation of mutual reliance

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION 

(SCO)

   SCO is basically an organization formed between the governments of six countries whereby Pakistan acts as an observer state. This organization has broadened its goals since the time of its inception and is considered as an essential forum for boosting confidence and strengthening friendly relations among the member states. 

1.    Initially Named as: Shanghai Five (Inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001 changed the number of member states to 6)

2.     Renamed to: Shanghai Cooperation Organization (2001)

3.     Establishment: At Shanghai in 1996

4.     Two Headquarters:

·        Secretariat: Beijing, China

·Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS): Tashkent, Uzbekistan

5.     Secretary General: Dmitry Fyodorovich Mezentsev (Russian)

6.     Members: 6 member states

·        China             ·        Russia

·        Kazakhstan    ·        Kyrgyzstan

·        Tajikistan       ·        Uzbekistan
  2 Acceding States 
·         Pakistan 
 ·        India
(Signed memorandum of obligations on  24 June, 2016 at Tashkent)
(Expected to become full members by 2017)

7.     Observers: 4 observer states

·        Belarus          ·        Iran

·        Mangolia       ·        Afghanistan

8.     Objectives of SCO

·        To work on improving the security situation in the member states.

·  To fight the three evils, namely “Terrorism, Extremism and Separatism”.

·       To demilitarize the borders of member states and thus build confidence.

·        To share Intelligence between member states with the purpose of countering all anti state agents.

·        To promote economic initiatives in the region, e.g. Eurasian Economic Union (Lead by Russia) or Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative (Lead by China)

·       To collaborate in order to avoid international conflicts and offer and implement peace solutions.

The boy who lived!

How do you define SHOCK? TRAUMA? According to The Merriam Webster dictionary, Shock is a mental or emotional disturbance that is sudden or violent. Healthline defines it as a state that leads to a physical shutdown. So is that it? Does that child reflect Shock? Trauma according to Dictionary.com is an experience that leads to psychological pain or injury.

Or is it Numbness? Indifference? Or a sign of acclimation to the terrifying environment in which he has been living? I honestly cannot tell. Omran!!! Sigh! How old do you think he would be? 3? 4? 5? Did he deserve this? Wiping blood and dust off his tiny hands onto the chair and that hollow expression!!! The blood on his innocent face, his dusty hair and oh those eyes!!! It is unforgettable and will numb the mind of any sane human. But he is not the only one. There are thousands of other humans, children, women and men suffering at the hands of these Terrorists, not just in Syria but all over the world. Who are they really? 

How do they do it? How do they justify themselves? Do they have no empathy? No soul? Why don't we do anything? Do WE have a soul? So many questions and absolutely no answers.

This child is a reminder of how much the people in Syria, in Palestine and and in Kashmir are suffering because of the ongoing conflicts. People who stay and those who try to migrate in search for some peace and solace almost always face the same fate i.e. More tragedy and death. According to reports, since the start of the war in Syria, the number of children who have died as a result of the conflict in the city Aleppo, where this particular attack took place, alone is about 4,500 and is mostly attributable to the imperialistic and selfish designs of the US.

People such as Donald Trump and his followers want to ban the entry of these refugees, these innocent children, into the country. Thus refusing them the right to a better life. But no one is  willing to take responsibility and whatever is being done to stop this war is not enough and is obviously causing more harm than good.

Will this child and others who manage to survive these atrocities will ever be able to lead normal lives? I don't think so. This trauma and pain is going to build up hatred and animosity in the boy's heart. He and others like him have only seen blood and death and if not all then at least some of them will want to seek vengeance and justice in one form or another. They know violence and they might eventually tread on the same path as that of the perpetrators of these crimes because these incidents will keep haunting them almost all their lives.

#Omran

Will this picture stir something positive? Some kind of a longterm impact? Will it lead to anything beyond this short term outrage?

Individuality is an ugly illusion. One cannot survive in isolation. People live in communities and helping only the ones WE feel deserve it is wrong. It is high time that we raise our voice, make our contributions and put a stop to this catastrophe. Helping everyone without prejudice, without any consideration to race, gender and religion is how we can save ourselves and thus save humanity and our future generations.

Starting small is the key. 

Pakistan and India, The best of Friends

The rivalry between Pakistan and india dates back to the Pre-Independence era. History is a testament to the fact that everytime Pakistan is at the brink of a crisis or is engaged in some kind of celebration, India tends to remind the Pakistanis of its ominous presence either by opening fire at the line of control or by some other theatrical stunt. 

The same happened on 14th August when while people in all provinces of Pakistan were celebrating the independence day, India revealed its nefarious mindset once again by starting an unprovoked firing session at the Line of Control. The Pakistan army obviously responded with full might and silenced the Indian armed forces. On recording protest towards this uncalled for firing and demanding a reason for it from the Indian DG, no proper response was obtained as is the norm of Indian forces and its government. 

This is nothing new as Indian forces have a proven record of behaving unjustly and irrationally towards Pakistan but since Pakistan as a part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has come into focus, the dislike and contempt of Indian officials towards Pakistan has been at its peak. 

Another obvious and never ending bone of contention between the two countries is the issue of kashmir, which unless is resolved, peace between the two will be impossible to achieve. India once again, instead of repenting on and apologising for its inhumane treatment of the Kashmiris fighting for their rights, has levelled allegations against Pakistan for engaging in extremist activities in and against India. These recent allegations were no doubt an attempt made by the Indian government to divert the attention of the world away from the atrocities committed by them against the Muslims in occupied Kashmir.

Funnily Narendra Modi in his statement ascribed responsibility of the incidents against the Kashmiris to ''some deviant and corrupt" people and not the government of India. What he needs to understand however is that a few perverted people without the support of an entire army cannot impose stringent rules on people and impose permanent curfews in the entire Kashmire valley. A few corrupt people can't cause more than 60 deaths in a single month coupled with causing injuries and permanent damage to hundreds of innocent Kashmiris by using the so called harmless Metal pellets.

Injuries caused to a Kashmiri boy by Metal pellets
Source: http://www.thequint.com/kashmir-after-burhan-wani/2016/07/13/wani-burhan-kashmir-violence-srinagar-metal-pellets-crowd-control-crpf-indian-army-stone-pelters-eye-surgery

Instead of abusing its power in Kashmir, if India fulfills the plebicite obligation imposed by the United Nation as a permanent solution to the plight of Kashmiris, Kashmir can become a gateway of friendship between the two countries. But neither of the two is willing to backdown and the ultimate sufferers remain the people of Kashmir whose resilient spirit is the only thing keeping them alive amidst such aggression.

We need to act as humans and if the Indians are not willing to back down, maybe the other side of the dispute should. Maybe that would  bring an end to the long enmity between the nations and most importantly put a stop to the miseries of the Kashmiris who have suffered enough already. 

CHILD ABDUCTION IN PAKISTAN: A Humanitarian Crisis

"A child is an uncut diamond"

(Austin O' Malley)

Children are little angels, innocent of any evil with no predujice and vices in their pure hearts. These flowers are unaware of the heinous intentions of the people surrounding them, engrossed in their own worlds, not hurting anyone, not inflicting pain on anyone and being nothing but a source of joy for all. 

However, the world has turned into such a dark and horrid place where people have lost their humanity altogether. Innocent children are now being targeted all over the world for various reasons such as to earn ransom by kidnapping them, to use them for beggary, to sell them to the highest of bidders for prostitution and such and/or to abduct and murder them for their body parts and organs. 

“It's the children the world almost breaks who grow up to save it.” 

(Frank Warren)

While cases of Child abduction and abuse is not that rare of an occurance in Pakistan, it has now risen to a level that is alarming to even the most ignorent of people. About 600 cases of child abduction have been reported in the past couple of months alone, mostly from different areas of Punjab, particularly Lahore. The police, however, is in denial claiming that the media is exaggerating the numbers which is obviously not true because a new kidnapping case emerges everyday with parents protesting sometimes by burning tires on the streets and complaining that the police and the government is unresponsive and not doing their best to find their kids.

The supreme court took notice and has called for senior police officers and IG police Punjab, Mushtaq Sukhera, to present a report on all the events involved. The opposition parties, such as Tehreek-e-insaf, have decided to raise the matter in the Punjab Assembly in order to find a solution to the burgeoning issue. The government has responded by announcing the introduction of a digital Child Abduction Alert System, that would have a developed database of missing children and will work by disseminating this gathered data to the relevant officials in order to make it easy for them to trace the children. Moreover, training programs for volunteers who will raise awareness and provide guidance to the public at large on how to avoid kidnappings will also be initiated by the government. The Prime Minister played his part by instructing concerned officials to increase sharing of intelligence and enhance cooperation between the federal and provincial units to combat the increasing trend of child abduction.

The question that comes up in the mind of all is if this is enough? Giving a statement, compiling reports and plans on introducing a new software, etc. are not going to bring a child back. The police is adamant and no efforts are being made to improve this department. The police are there to provide us protection but time and again they have failed to do so.  How can i person sleep peacefully at night or remain calm after dropping his kid at school in a country where everything is so unpredictable and where the police fails to take responsibility for protecting the citizens. What are they there for?

Right now, however, one thing that the parents can do is to teach their children about safety and personal protection and about being cautious without adding to their fears and scaring them. They should be taught to

• Avoid talking to strangers and accepting gifts from them
• Avoid going to any place with a stranger no matter how tempting he/she makes it seem. 
• To scream and run if someone tries to follow them or force them to come somewhere with them.
• Discuss it with you or any other trustworthy adult in case they feel scared and uneasy about something or someone
• Never leave the house without permission
• Never open the door for a stranger
• Know their home number, address and your contact number 

These tips should be remembered and taught to the children repeatedly as a mantra so that they remain cautious and remember what to do if a bad situation comes up.

Nothing can be more tragic for a parent than losing his child. In our society the unfortunate reality remains that people and government both are numb to other people's problem and woes. Lack of empathy and concern for the well being of others and active engagement in selfish pursuits is the norm in Pakistan. Only when a tragedy strikes close to home is when someone wakes up a little. Media alone can do nothing if the people themselves do not fight for their rights, safety and protection being one of the most fundamental ones. The need of the hour is to not ignore what is happening, to unite and to urge the government and all others involved to ensure the safe arrival of the lost ones, to prevent future incidents and punish the perpetrators in the severest way possible so as to set an example for anyone who dares to even think of playing with the lives of our children.

Cyber Crime Bill (2016), A Slap on Democracy

A major Difference between Democracy and authoritarian rule is that the former offers liberties such as Freedom of speech, religion and press as an inherent right of the people in a country. Citizens are given the freedom to protest, discuss and criticize anything they are opposed to. They can raise their voice at any available platform , expressing their reservations about something or someone, and thus get their issues addressed by the government or any other entity in question.

The Cyber Crime Bill, 2016 goes against this very basic tenet on which the foundtion of Democracy rests. This electronics prevention bill, after about 55 amendments (47 proposed by the standing committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications and 8 proposed by opposition) to its structure finally got approved by the senate unanimously.

According to the proponents of the bill, it is a step in the right direction. This thought to some extent is true as a vacuum existed in terms of regulation of Cyber activities in Pakistan and efforts in one form or another were underway since 2002 to eliminate it. The bill which has been proposed and accepted, however, is quite controversial, with no clarity as to whose interests the bill will truly serve.

PROVISIONS OF THE BILL

• The bill entails 14 years of jail time and Rs. 5 million for cyber terrorism
• 7 years of imprisonment for anyone who campaigns against an innocent on the internet, hate speech and racism, direct or indirect involvement in Child pornography (accompanied with fines of about 5million Rupees), hacking, electronic fraud, terrorism and for raising funds for terror activities, etc. 

Let us ELABORATE this a bit.

• TERRORISM in this context might also include any such thing that can lead to or cause the downfall of the governmententailing a jail sentence of 14years with accompanied fines.

• A person or entity sharing something that can be deemed VULGUR is subject to criminal prosecution according to this bill. But the term VULGUR is too broad and can encompass a million things.

• Expressing views via memes, cartoons, blogs or any other social media platform on political issues and/or personalities can lead to heavy fines and imprisonment. 

• Propagating religious views and HATE SPEECH has also been banned but again what classifies as HATE SPEECH is debatable.

CRITICISM ON THE BILL

The bill has garnered huge criticism from many sectors of the society especially by activists, IT experts and media groups. This criticism, in addition to other reasons, can be attributed to the fact that the article 28 (1) gives the investigating officer the right to demand laptops, cell phones, etc., of an individual, intercept conversations, and so on, thus infringing upon the basic human right of privacy. This is in Contradiction to the constitution of Pakistan according to which no such law can be made that violates the fundamental rights of people, and privacy is one of those rights. The bill also Contradicts the right to Free Speech, thus violating another article of our constitution. These loopholes provide people the opportunity to misuse the bill to their advantage. The bill also strongly favors the government which alongwith the opposition parties is being criticized for having colluded to get the bill passed. As Unlike before, it is quite possible that anyone, who writes a comment against someone like Maryam Nawaz Shareec, e.g., on twitter or Facebook, be prosecuted for it. 

Social media and networks was increasingly becoming a platform where the young and the old alike had started to vent out their anger and frustration about different issues in the home country and abroad, on government and political personalities acting as feudal lords through online debates, comments, memes, etc., and to raise awareness in this way. This would no longer be possible.

PTA has been given the authority to ban anything they deem necessary. The qualifications of the personnel working at PTA comes into mind then as these people will be determining what stays and what gets banned. A Special Court for cyber crime investigation will also be set up where trials for the Cyber criminals will be held.

It is good that the bill caters to criminal offenses such as Cyber Stalking and Identity Theft which have escalated in recent years. Many fake accounts exist, many women are being blackmailed and this bill can put a stop to it. But these same provisions can be misused both by those at higher ranks and by the comman man. The proponents of the bill claim that safeguards exist but they have neither been defined nor discussed at any medium. 

It is undeniable that the the bill is a blatant slap on democracy as it violates many of the fundamental human rights. It is important to make the bill more People Centric rather than Government Centric before it can be enforced. Only then the people can and should accept it.

Source
http://pankajsuri.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-pillars-of-democracy.html

WEDDINGS AND HOW MUCH PEOPLE SPEND ON THEM

The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession or in lavish expenditure, but in its wise application.

(Miguel de Cervantes)

Marriage is a big business in which some lose and some gain. The ever escalating competition as to who spends how much on his/her wedding, despite being a huge strain on the pockets of parents, is becoming a never ending tradition.

Almost all the females and some males develop some kind of fantacy about how their wedding would be like, the dresses they will wear, the food that will be served, the venue they will choose for the ceremony, the number and kind of people they will invite, and so on. This is something that costs huge sums of money and they kids demand that their parents or whoever is sponsoring the entire thing, spare no expense, without even slightly considering the burdons they are placing on the sponsor. 

Initially it were the social pressures, the fear of people talking down upon the family, the demands from the in laws of the daughter who is to be wedded, the need to uphold family honor and to maintain a good social standing. Parents tried to save money for the marriages of their daughters and tried to spend as much as they could to make the ceremonies as lavish as their incomes would afford. The daughter mostly supported the parents and tried to cut down her expenses as much as she possibly could to facilitate them.

Now, however, things seem to be a bit changed. In addition to the society putting pressure on the family members, the girl, does not sit quiet and has a list of demands of her own. Her dress for Barat, e.g. must be Designer wear and should at no cost be below 1Lac Rupee (this amount too is quite low considering the present scenario), the venue should be the best wedding hall available in the city or even in some cases beyond the walls of the city, no matter what the cost be. She also demands a huge stream of functions from a week long of Dholki's (with separate dresses for each day) to Mayoon, Mehndi, Nikah, Baraat, Waleema, Maklawa and has a long list of guests that must be in attendance during all these events. 

The Dowry is a separate story altogether. A huge sum of money has to be saved for this purpose as well. Besides the inappropriate demands of the in laws, the girl in question herself prepares a humongous list of items that she 'MIGHT' need after her marriage.

The funny thing is that most of the dowry items on this list stay locked in a storage cupboard and keep getting old and useless. The same goes for the wedding dresses of the bride which can almost never be worn again for the fear of looking ridiculous in such heavy dresses. These dresses get worn out and colors fade. With the person the clothes age too and no one even remembers neither cares about what the bride wore on her wedding. 

Islam, the ultimate religion, teaches us simplicity. It wants us to be moderate in our spendings, in our outlook towards life and the way in which we carry out our daily activities. Only Nikah and Walima are the two ceremonies that need to be carried out according to the teachings of the religion and that too in the simplest manner possible. 

A marriage no doubt is a big day in the life of any person and it should be celebrated with joy but by cutting off a few unnecessary festivities and spending a bit less saves not just the family member from huge financial burdens but the same amount can be invested in something positive. 

• The couple can save it for their future
• Some of it can be used to help the poor and the needy
• The couple can use the same amount to go on a trip and visit someplace
• The amount can be saved for the education of their children
• It can be used to buy a house or to make some other beneficial investment
• The parents can just keep their hard earned money with themselves and spend it at their own pace to fulfill their own dreams and desires.

David Henry Thoreau rightly pointed out,

That man is richest whose pleasures are the Cheapest

The next generation, which is better educated, instead of burdening their parents and pressuring everyone else in the society to carry out with the same nuisance by setting ridiculous trends, should try to eliminate this menace from the society. Our youth should try and set an example for others by celebrating their marriages by spending less. They should themselves engage in Philanthropy and teach others to help those in need instead of wasting money on ludicrous pursuits. Truly, real happiness lies in the purity of their relation and the compromises the newly weds are willing to make for a better future for themselves and for the generations to come. 

Review: Bundu Khan, A Meaty Food Journey

No matter where you live or what you do, Spice and Meat are two things that us Desi's can not ignore. Sometimes the craving is so bad that you would jump at any invitation that offers even the slightest prospects of some spicy food with meat.

Bundu Khan has always been a favorite among the Pakistanis with its unique flavors, mouth watering Behari Kababs and Nanns, no one would refuse an offer to eat out when the venue is Bundu Khan.

Imagine my surprise when i found a branch of Bundu Khan in USA, with the name Bundu Khan Kabab House, wedged between two shops, with the name written in bright red. I could feel good vibes emanating from the restaurant mixed with a spicy aroma. I had to go in and eat there. 

Just like the exterior, the interior was simple with rows of plain dark brown tables, plain looking walls that were painted in brown color with a couple of wall hangings and wall mount fans here and there. The interior was dull to say the least. At the front of the dining hall, there was a similarly painted order counter where an old Pakistani man was busy taking orders from the customers.

Bundu Khan, Texas (USA)

Almost everyone in the restaurant, from the staff to the large number of people dining there, was Desi, Pakistanis and Indians. It was good to see so many people from my country at one place, all speaking Urdu and enjoying the Desi food and environment. Because of the dull interior, however, i was skeptical of the food at first, even though the large number of people that had come to dine their stated otherwise. I had to take my chances.

I finally placed my order at the counter and waited for them to bring the Behari kababs, Badshahi Haleem, roasted chicken and Lachcha parathas at my table. The smells coming from the kitchen at the back were divine. My tummy was grumbling. I drank the delicious Mango milkshake i had ordered while i waited and observed my surroundings. The Lachcha paratha and Behari kababs are believed to be one of their specialities and this proved correct once i tasted my food.

Bundu Khan Kabab House

If you are against oily food or parathas with too much grease on them, the Lachcha parathas are not for you. You can order their delicious Tandoori Naans or Plain Tandoori rotis that are equally yummy.  The combination of Lachcha paratha and Badshahi Haleem is divine. The meat, chicken and kababs were cooked with an amazing blend of spices. I kept on ordering more parathas and took what little i could not finish there back home with me.

I was surprised at the amount of food i had consumed and the vigir with which i had consumed it. I guess a place such as Bundu Khan can do that to you, prompting you to eat till you have no more room and motivating you to cone back for more.

Behari Kabab

The rates are reasonable too and they offer a variety of Daals with the Achaari Mash ki Daal being my personal favorite for people who do not want to eat meat. 

I for one will definitely be visiting this place again to indulge myself in their amazing flavors and aromas and for once get the feeling of being at home. 

Quinceañera (Mexican Sweet 15) (15th Birthday)

Quinceañera (pronounced as Kin sia niaira) is an old mexican tradition that probably has its roots in the Debutante balls that announced the coming of age and entrance of females into the society in the United Kingdom and United States in earlier times. 

This event is celebrated with as pomp and joy as possible, with parents lavishly spending on everything from the dress, the tiara on the girl's head to the party theme and decor. Their utmost try is to make this event as special for their daughter as possible. 

Even though this day was celebrated as a kind of coming of age party of their daughter by the parents in earlier times, the trends have changed now. Quinceañera has now merely become a Mexican tradition, which parents are obliged to perform. This becomes even more important when the couple has just one daughter. Mexican people tend to look down upon those families who fail to celebrate their daughter's big day.

I, during one of my travel adventures, accidentally got invited to a girl's Quinceañera. I have to admit that it was one hell of a party. It enlightened me not just about Mexican traditions and culture but also on the importance that they give to their families. I was asked to dress in a formal attire. It was my first time attending such a party and i had no idea as to what i should expect but my experience was a pleasant one. 

Sweet 15 cake

On reaching the party, i was greeted by the parents first and then the girl in question, who was dressed in a huge green gown, at the entrance of the ballroom. Her gown was beautiful, with beaded pearls and roses, it draped past her torso and made her look extremely elegant. The ballroom was big and brightly lit, with green and white curtains hung on the walls, chairs with greens bows on them, tables with brown and green gift bags. Everything about the party seemed to revolve around this specific theme, from the green and silver dress of the birthday girl to the huge white and green birthday cake, everything seemed extremely well coordinated. Even all the guys at the party were wearing suits with matching ties and shirts. Someone had put great effort into organizing the entire thing. Apart from me and my friends, about 200 other people, mostly close relatives of the girl and her friends were present at the party. 

Party Decor

A lavish bufett was set up for the guests, who were invited to eat. After the guests had filled their plates and were settled on their tables, the birthday girl and her cousins surprised us with an amazing dance performance. It started with a waltz on a very melodious spanish song and the tone but later they started dancing on songs with more fast music. It was
highly entertaining. They had all practiced a lot and it showed the love the cousins had for their sister for they bad obviously put a lot of effort into learning those dance moves. 

The dance had only just finished when we got another surprise, a Meriachi band. This was the first time i had seen or heard them play and i was deeply impressed. They played for about an hour after which the cake was cut and served to the guests, party favors were distributed to all the guests. I myself got a very cute box filled with keychains and chocolates. 

Meriachi Band

Afterwards the lights were turned off, voofers were on and the music loud, everyone jumped onto the dancefloor. It was amazing. By 12 at midnight everyone was tired and we were ready to head home.

All in all, the Quinceañera was a magnificently arranged party that perfectly upholded the Mexican traditions and which i am delighted to be a part of.