really? the magnificent Pakistani nation, is it an amalgamation of country bumpkins desperate to be other than what they are? Are we a almost 200 million people sighing, needing, wanting, urging, wishing for something other than what is?
We are desperadoes! we are desperate to be the other! we are an unhappy lot who aspires to become something beside itself, who is always hankering to cut the ties that bind us so that we could tie the same strings to something better. The pretentious aristocracy (for we have none) wants to become statesmen and leaders but they lack the leadership potential and only want the trappings of success minus the hard work. The middle class hates itself and wants to be in the upper class (whatever that may mean) and derides and denies any connection with anything twardy like lack of money, poor relatives, poor education and so on... the uneducated want to sound and appear educated by using fragments of English and imitating pseudo living styles of the rich - fast food, fast cars, loud mouths, louder music, atrocious fashion sense and horrendous get up.
The non-believers are desperate for salvation hence the mushrooming of all things holy, beards, higher shalwars, arabic interjections, and an desperation to please GOD. I don't seriously think God wants to be pleased and flattered every five minutes! That is a very shallow view of God itself, are we bribing god here or what??
The desperation of unmarried men and women to get the spouse of their lives (as if there is such a creature), the desperation of mother's to see their girls hitched and settled, then the desperation for children. That is one wish that is beyond the pale of at least my understanding? Why in a country of multitudinous souls, cramped against each other like sardines in a can, are we so anxious to have more children????
Then the anxiousness for something better translation monetary and material success by hook or by crook! we want to win and winning is always in comparison with another. Must get more than the next guy is our motto.
We are desperate to become a powerful nation, but want a short cut to glory what they call the pattli gali in desi lingo! Why? We want to have nukes but hardly understand the implications and talk about second strike when there isn't such a thing! we want to get that job, that juicy posting, that very lucrative assignment at all costs and the tragedy of all is that we hail the desperado at the cost of the content man. We like the smart aleck who can pull a few strings and do naughty tricks to get ahead in the race!
We are desperate women wanting a man to fill up our lives, to provide for us, to cajole us because we are too lazy to fend for ourselves. We are desperate men who want women other than their wives, we are children who want to be in another country altogether. So what exactly do we have??
Comments
Post a Comment