Debunking the slogan of Naya Pakistan

 PTI government lacks the will, commitment and vigor  to undertake political and social reforms

 By Naeem Masood

naemasud@gmail.com

Historical facts and social evolutionary evidences  demonstrate that to achieve a supreme form of government; where human rights are well guarded, a well-established education system, a strong family system, modernization, a just mechanism of permissions and prohibitions and equity based social values are to be injected into the ecosystem of a vibrant social structure.

In contemporary world, where media holds a pivotal position and societies depend on technology, there is a great need to draw attention to poor industrial conditions and unscrupulous business practices.

But, still the wielder of power who run the affairs of state, lack the will to come up to the expectations with regard to their promise of well-being of common man and enhancement of economical ecology.

Eighteenth Amendment was truly a great step in the direction of achieving all above stated social goals but the detractors and handful of people, who brokered and played central role in the introduction of the 18th Amendment, started despising it and fomented negative vibes against the same amendment.

 All this happened because of a renewed zest for a new political slogan of Naya Pakistan as some of those political leaders joined a new political party, which zealously claimed to have reinvigorated the youth and challenged the status quo.

Indifference to the predicament of poverty stricken masses, stringent media policies, turning a blind eye to degrading standards of higher education, suppressing political dissenters and paying least attention to the development of infrastructure are some of the irks which need to be addressed immediately, to get the nation out of a social stalemate.

The incumbent government lacks vigor and much needed spark to engage technocrats, who can contribute enormously in paving a smooth way to reform social and political landscape. Meaningless policies are on ignorance mode and meaningful policies are on a pause.

In this conundrum, promotion of modern techniques stemming from scientific pursuits can bring a radical transformation in the societal outlook. This can be achieved by encouraging scientific, engineering and medical domains by the state. A key part of the efficiency movement has been waiting for scientific management, or "Taylorism".

Despite being a unique and a distinct theory for those who believe in knowledge based economies, this theory can do wonders for a developing society like that of ours.

Modern themes and statistical reviews with deep rooted observable theses are significant facets of industrial engineering and management. The integral ingredients of such these include; critical analysis, synthesis, logic, rationality, empiricism, work ethics, efficiency and elimination of waste, and standardization of best practices. In the generation of a theory and formulation of a law, the sequence of information, hypothesis, deductive or inductive approach and well documented data yield the best possible outcome.

The majority of free thinkers and logicians envision a political system where reforms are ingrained in local government, public education, modernized industry, well-built communication set-up and a diverse religious environment. In academia, the researchers and professors must take the lead in transforming the research culture by thinking out of the box, but not at the cost of pedagogical practices. 

They must not delink with their students and learners in all such endeavours. Teachers are running around the stomach, labor unions are voiceless too in present time. Hence, the hopes are transfigured onto lawyers, who too lack zest for any social, political or legal reforms.

It is an undeniable fact that between 1890's to 1920's, social activism and political reforms transform the outlook of United States. The republicans like Theodore Roosevelt, Robert M. La Follette Sr., and democrats like Charles Evans Hughes, William Jennings Bryan, Woodrow Wilson, and Al Smith played intrinsic role in the evolutionary journey of the states. Using the federal power of government, they altogether infused new reforms into the existing stale systems.

In our surroundings, we can see the abnormal growth of concrete structures and emergence of concrete jungle without considering the loss of green pastures and lands to cater the burgeoning needs of population settlements in urban settings.

This is all happening because of absence of any tangible and workable urban policies. In the name of modernization, we are destroying our own lives. This mess will lead to the problems of traffic congestion and pollution as well.

Unfortunately, the detractors of M1 motorway won’t pay heed to this quagmire. Being an atomic power, we can have alternative methods of energy and can figure out best possible means to alter our current situation and play a significant role in curtailing the carbon emissions into our environment.

We need to play our part in countering the global warming by just applying common sense and replicating the technological advanced countries to meet our energy requirements.

The progressive thinkers believed in the Hamiltonian concept of positive government by promoting national governments at home and offshore.

They contemptuously looked at strict composition of constitution by Conservative legal policy makers, as they feared that it will foment restrictive form of government which will eventually curb social rights and values.

 New political leaders like Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Murad Ali Shah, Haider A. Hoti, Asad Umar and Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman should put on microscopic and telescopic lenses to understand progress and progressive thinkers.

Thinkers like John Dewey and Lester Ward placed great importance upon a universal and comprehensive program of education above all other programs. Consequently, they were able to establish an informed and modern society.

Naya Pakistan" is proving to be a successful slogan for garnering a large scale support, without any tangible results for the masses. Whereas, Roosevelt by relying upon Benjamin Parke Dewitt; devised the concept of a modern state with best possible reforms for their people.

He argued that a modern economy can sustain itself well by harboring corporate giants despite their monopolising strategies. For him, the massive resources and magnanimous economic scale of such entities can provide incomparable impetus to the United States.

This in turn would be beneficial for the United States, and small corporations and businesses stand no chance in boosting the economy. When large corporations abuse their financial power, the government can interfere and formulate policies to keep a check on such abuses, so that the interests of masses can be protected at all costs.

Thus, Roosevelt was triumphant in supporting the idea of modern economies and that is well interlinked with the philosophy of "New Nationalism".

                                                                 Naeem Masood

(Professor Naeem Masood is leading educationist, public intellectual, political analyst and columnist. He writes regular weekly column in largest Urdu newspaper Daily Jang. His writings also appeared in different journals )