Adil Najam
These photographs were taken at Daata Sahib (Daata Darbar), Lahore, on Sunday, May 4, by Associated Press photographer Emilio Morenatti. The suggested photo description reads:
Pakistani[s] struggle to get a piece of bread during a food distribution outside the Data Durbar mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, on Sunday, May 4, 2008. World rice and other grains prices have risen sharply this year because of growing demand, poor weather and rising cost of petroleum in some grain-producing countries. Some Asian countries, including India and Vietnam, recently suspended rice exports to guarantee their own supplies.
The current – and future – food crisis (in Pakistan and elsewhere) is something that I spend a lot of time thinking about in my professional life these days. And Daata Sahib is a place I have been visiting for longer than I can remember. Based on this, I can say that had the photographer gone to Data Sahab at just about any time he could have taken such photographs of people who come to get food being distributed as charity by the devotees. That fact notwithstanding, the pictures are poignant metaphors for a food crisis that is real and shows all signs of becoming ever more real for ever more people. And all over the world, including in Pakistan.
In the case of Pakistan, the food crisis comes hand in hand with an energy crisis and in an environment already rife with political uncertainty and extremist threats. Food and energy shortages could become worse this summer. Food shortages do not make a companion to long periods of energy outages (load-shedding). This is a dangerous mix and those currently engrossed in political shenanigans might soon find that their best laid political plans would come to naught if these basic needs remain unmet.
Passions flared by empty stomachs and load-shedding induced restlessness can be a terrible thing.
Ik Tamasha hay,
samajhnay ka ne samjhanay ka
Hota darbar ne Data ka,
to iradah tha
bhook say mar janay ka ?
@Langar Bat raha hay, Pir kay mazaron par,
Ghareeb kay ghar, roti pakay hawaon par
Pir Qabr mein, ya ho PM House mein,
karamat hay, pakti rotian hein dono mein
Har aik MP, Khakay roti, Karta hay behass,
Dundday kha kar, sirf larti hay bechari awam
Ishtiraki khir mein dalo ilhadi Badaam,
Zafrani musawat aur-warq nazuk andaam
Yun Khayalon mein, paka kar rotian, khata hon mein,
Day kar Dua’ein app ko, chupkay say soo jata hon mein
Rafay Kashmiri
Everything has to do with feudalism in Pakistan.
All political parties (including MQM) are feudal.
NOTE: MQM is feudal due to the way they run Karachi and extort votes, etc.
I don’t wish to be considered other’s slave. That is why I have no passion for Pakistan. Yes, I will keep on having my Pakistani passport, praying for it and visiting every now and then…however, to me Pakistan is a total failure and not even worth the love I could give it (although I don’t hate it) and still think we are better than India.
The number and intensity of problems suffered by Pakistan is worse than that of poor countries like Kenya, and Latvia – at the end of the day atleast they have better sanitation than Pakistan!
Pakistan is a major crop producer, even after all the smuggling to Afghanistan, we should have enough – the math doesn’t hold up. Remember we have the most extensive irrigation network?
I have wasted so many years of my life loving and caring about Pakistan. I know more about Pakistan than where I live. I don’t wish to hate Pakistan either so I will just have to leave Pakistan out of my life.
From the time of independence, when millions of non-muslims left for India, some smart people came to Pakistan and they took over all the vacant properties and farms and mills. Today they are the Kings and Pakistan is their Kingdom.
Not only muhajjirs are to blame, but indigenous Pakistanis too- they too took equal advantage of this. To this day, their only concern is to make money and to keep their power and influence.
Just today Pakistan announced that it will ‘give’ Afghanistan 50,000 tons of wheat. So let me get this straight (although Afghans are our brothers): We don’t have enough to avoid food crisis in Pakistan yet we are giving away wheat?!?
If you are a Pakistani and you love Pakistan, there are only two possibilities:
. Either you live in Pakistani and are rich.
. You live outside and have forgotten the realities of Pakistan.
The world (as well as Pakistan) is not suffering from food shortages. We are suffering from food management (or mismanagement) at local, national and global scales.
The planet, as for now, produces enough food to feed 9 billion poeple. Only 6 billion live today, yet over 2 billion sleep hungry.
Its a shame for the humity as a whole.
Climate change and ethanol has something to do with the food crisis, but very little and only in the US. Certainly not in Pakistan. Its certainly not JUST Musharraf, but he and more importantly Shaukat Aziz have a lot to do with this.
The food crisis is a worldwide phenomena caused by climate change (global warming) and the use of grains for energy (Ethanol production) as well as food.
Currently both Cargill and Archer Daniels corporation posted huge profits. Along with the Exxon Chevron bunch, they are raking in money at the masses expense.
Blaming Musharraf is a lazy excuse.