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.