A Letter to T.H.E Chowkwala

Re : Greed

How much is enough? Indeed such a question can lead to an existentialist debate accomplishing nothing in spite if jewels of arguments supporting either side.

Indeed You mentioned some thought provoking ideas, and it does touch one to see such sentiments expressed, but the next question is the one which i find very difficult to answer. Where to from now?

Its the lack of action and honourable words, which create a dichotomy in any discussion about tyhe betterment of a debilitated society such as ours. I ma not casting criticism of your heartfelt system, i am merely criticising myself, for having seen what you describe, and having left it behind, in order to pursue a better, and more promising finanicially and ethically rewarding life.. but wait... i have the weight of such burdens often pulling my chest, when i try to sleep at night, in my warm comfortable bed, seeing my wife, already asleep, breathing softly next to me, all peace an slumber... Its aty moments like this i am not at ease with myself. A thousand images flash by my side. The poor beggar boy, barely 6, clutching his bowl saying, as we wind up the automatic windows of our new car, ``bhai gee, thori madad kur do, mein ne din bhar se nahin khaya``, the poor girls, the respectable peon not letting anybody see the big boss, a government officer, unless and until we cross his palm with a piece of paper, seeing the look of disappointment on the young educated minds of today, unable to get a job, having a family to raise or provide for, young pretty girls, with sadness in their eyes, as yet another possible suitor backed away from accepting her, just because her father was not ``industrial`` enough to provide him with a microwave oven, as well as a suzuki 800, the reprehensible treatment of women specially in the rural areas as third rate citizens of a 4th world country, the rampant abuse and mistreatment of women under the immoral banner of islam, the shambles of the education system of such a country, the supposed tolerance of others who happen to be different at an all time low, the persecution of religious minorities, the use of child labour, and so much more...

yes, indeed where is one to start rebuilding a nation which has gone from conception to the dark ages in a mere 5 decades...Indeed i can excuse myself from it as i am the lucky one who got away, the one who is looked up to by his family in pakistan as being capable, and highly itelligent, allegedly, that he made something out of his life. I am not so suRe at times...particularly late at night when the stirrings of the norwegian insects at night, cause me to think while lying unasleep.....

And it is then i make my resolutions to do something... to make enough money to go and start a business there... but when will i have enough money!!! yes indeed, i want to get a nice house, a nice Audi A6,i want to send my kids to the best public school in UK, and later send them to US to the IVYleague coleges,,,, where is all that funding going to come from... when will i have achieved all my objectives... when can i safely return to pakistan, for not being shot at for expressing sentiments such as the dissatisfaction above... like the question how much is enough, i donmt have the answer, but i am hanging on to that thought and hope that once day, i shall wake up and my mind will ,be made about doing the ``right`` thing, and returning back, inspite of everything....

To others i might just be rambling on, indeed perhaps i am, but i am getting my resolutions written here on the printed word, so that i may not forget them one day, such that the chowkwallahs will hold me accountable to these words, to which i have to abide, indeed if i am ever to be called a gentleman.Perhaps more of us need to at least have a plan to do something...

Perhaps then we can all answer within our heart of hearts how much is enough for us?, and then start to think about the people, and the images that flash by about the land that had so much associtaion with us, (eighteen years for me), and to which we ultimately shall owe for having given us the wings to fly away for better climes....

Regards

Asim

Re:Shahbano

Thank you for the praise! Must say am thrilled to see you! De ja vu or what!(Just like all those sessions over cups of tea:-)You have pointed the argument to an interesting direction. What you ask is a question of justice. If wealth and our values are relative (which is what I say), how much is Enough? Is it not the Capitalist System of plundering..the fact that wealth is a function of numbers (interest and the time value of money) which perpetuates the rape of humanity? I wonder myself. And yes, I do sometimes feel that the socialist view of justice had more to offer to humanity than Capitalism and lament the fact that it was implemented or managed so badly.

How about an article on this? Would love it in Chaathouse.

The first two paragraphs of this piece are beautiful.

I just want to add that Poverty exists because obsence, criminal wealth exists. Just yesterday, the CEO of Disney made about 575 million USD (on the sale of his stock) in one day. This is the same guy who thinks its okay to pay women workers in Haiti, making mickey mouse garments, 28cents per hour. At this rate the best this woman can do is earn between 500 to 1000 USD per year. Which means that she has to work anywhere between 57,000 to 99,000 years (at the rate of 28cents per hour)to make what the CEO made in a day. Please, someone else calculate this and tell me I am wrong about the number of years. But, this is the prepostorous number I keep coming up with.

The point is that its not only too many babies and mouths to feed; its how much each mouth consumes. There are mouths that want to consume 10 mansions, 25 cars, 2 planes and others who just struggle to get enough to eat. The resources one greedy mouth takes up in one lifetime are equivalent to the resources generations of poor mouths consume over liftimes.

I am not saying population growth is not a problem, especially for Pakistan. But, it is not the only porblem. It is a symptom of poverty and all that it accompanies; it is certainly not the cause of it.

I may be simplifying and distorting your argument, let me know if I am...

Keep writing these wonderfully thought provoking pieces...

Shahbano

``Haves`` and ``Have-Nots``

Scented lives that drift along:
from birth a sugared, rosy path;
pandered to and money spent,
with no thought of an aftermath.

Children brought up like this can see:
nothing of the agony
of hapless souls who cannot boast
of riches beyond their parent`s scope.

Selfishly they pick plums:
dangling from life`s fruitful trees;
they merely leave the emptied skins
to their peers who despise the loss.

They will not be asked to share
the richer pickings offered once;
the spoiled ones quickly seize the
chance and simply scoff the lot.

Small wonder then:
the poor ones will revolt
against the greedy ones;
and demand with violent threat,
their rightful share of fruit they
need to get.

``Haves`` and ``Have-Nots`` ...
They both sound as dirty words!
That we ``have`` to:
make guns and bombs,
kill each other,
use spies,
have peace talks,
share prizes of peace.

Perhaps we should
make calm, eh?
How to do it?

It is so easy ...
Just stop it!
Change industrial resources:
Make everybody articles,
Food, shelter and garments,
Develop rarming tools,
and industrial productivity.

Did you say ``have not expenses``?
Pleeeeazzzzzzze ...
Compare to weapons!