Back in January 2007, I wrote about beggars on the streets of Lahore, Karachi and the growing indifference in our society towards these extremely poor and forgotten people. Hundreds of organized gangs are operating in almost every big city of Pakistan who amputate the organs of little kids, old and young people and then leave them on streets to make good money for them. But what about the unfortunate beggars themselves?
We see them every day at traffic signals and footpaths from our car windows and most of the times just throw a coin at them and try to ignore them as they don’t exist. This level of indifference in our society is sad. May be we were put on this side of the car window for a reason, to be able to help those on the other side.
Our courts are too busy solving the legal and constitutional issues, the law enforcement agencies are occupied keeping an eye on politicians or arresting and deporting them, and all of us are too busy debating all this … but, for whom? Maybe it is those who are debating the ‘big picture’ who are really missing the big picture that can only be seen in the small pictures.
The photograph above by Jawad Zakariya, once again reminded me of the miserable life of these unwanted people in our country. Society rejects them and police harshly beats them on daily basis, adding to their misery.
Jawad writes with this photograph on flickr and I can totally relate to him as many times I must have done the same:
As I was taking photos in and around Data Darbar. This old man asked me to come over.
“Will you print these photos in the newspaper?”, he asked. Before I could explain that I wasn’t affiliated with any paper, he continued. Tell them how the police brutally beat us up all the time….and he showed me the injuries on his arms and legs.
“Why do they do that?”, I asked.
“Because we sit here begging. This is Data Darbar ! where else can I go.”
… and he started crying … print this in the paper maybe then they’ll stop … then he thought for a moment …
maybe if you print it they’ll get more angry….
another pause …
print it, maybe some higher up will see it and make them stop.“They hit old crippled men”…..”shameless animals”….”Is this why we made this Pakistan”…..”Is this Why ???”………..he kept asking as he wept.
I had no answer … I got back into my Civic … turned on the AC … and started driving away.
“Is this why we made this Pakistan?” I have asked myself this questions many times and never found an answer. Can you think of an answer?
You are right to highlight our indifference towards poor. We worry about religion, about politics, about economy, but not really about people.
Classof71 got it exactly right. No more discussion needed, really.
Human beings are NOT equal by birth. It is where they are born, the circumstances, environment and other factors that practically determine the inferiority or superiority.
I mean c’mon, can you explain it to me how can a person born in a beggar family and the one born in President’s house is equal? It is not logical.
“Are some of us ‘Primus inter pares’, or are we all equal?????”
Adam Khan has raised a very important question here. Are all of us equal by birth or not. If all human beings are equal by birth, one of the tenets of our religion Islam, then why do we consider others among us inferior than ourselves. Why do we scorn and mistreat our poor.
When most of us think of ourselves only.
When most of us stick to onesleves only.
When for our own selfish motives we bypass and deviate our ethics
When for one small cost efficient short term gain we give up a solid foundation and solid gains
when for one small comment that hurt our ego we make a straight forward person’s lif miserable
when for one personal gain we divide and redivide the strength into millions of scatterred pieces
when we elect under Democracy (the second worst form of government only second to anarchy) under the influence of emotional and unreasonable basis
when after electing the leader from day one we make their miserable because we think now we elected them we should get EVERYTHING without raising our fingers
when we still hire people under their family or friends influences and ot under the influence of their abilities.
Now my friends, remember one thing “CROWS” are black in every country.
So what will make Pakistan different is if we actually DO something, undivided, supportively, no matter who comes in power support him/her till his terms. Tolerate the vices and let the person do his/her job. And Elect and VOTE even if it means a military man.
ASK not what your country can do for you but what YOU can do for your country.”