Colour discrimination Sameena

It was your first attempt at Chowk, but obviously not at English writing.

My compliments for writing such a flowing, speaking and driving article.

Technologically Challenged Desi You remind me of a freind of mine whom I taught a couple of days back, how to set a scheduler alarm on his mobile phone!
Once he learnt it, he was jubilated. He now says, he can organize his otherwise quite busy life.

Next month, he is going to USA for about a year. He says, although he would not need and use a mobile phone in there, still he would take it along for its `scheduler value` to too much to be missed.

I told him, he could purchase a PDA from 30$ to 1000$. He is again very excited.

So Gautham, my dear sir, techonology is about possiblities - not liabilities.

If you enjoy watching movies on your DVD, may be you would enjoy more, if you could see photos of your son`s birthday on the same TV / DVD !!!!

All the best, anyway.

Changing The Thana Culture The assumptions made by by Khar while developing his argument, although cursory, seem to be correct, I humbly opine. There was absolutely no need for him to delve into deeper chapters of medieval European history. In my opinion, only at the end of his essay he failed in finally concluding his argument by not drawing the vicious cycle of mis-governance in Pakistan.

There is thana culture in Pakistan as there are no political democratic institutions. Such institutions are absent becuase our social & moral values do not support democratic ideas. Our social values are power and nuisance based - very much supported by and supportive of ``feudal`` and ``politicized-pir`` culture. Such power hungry values require a compliant local thana for thier extension - and thus the ends of the cycle are met.

He is correct in pointing out that feudal and pir culture is dying out, courtesy biology and education. but he has failed to appreciate that feudalism is creeping into our national psyche. Feudalism is not only a system of land holding, rather it is an `attitude`, which in turn is marked by `no respect to law`, `refusal to respect rules` and `arbitrary decision making`. Look at our industrial baron politicians and their way of governance. They are as arbitrary in thier styles as would a feudal lord from interior Sindh would be.

I believe, only mass education, high rate of employment, increased income levels and strong local government system are necessary in whatever order are necessary to uproot all these three ills. Keep one thing is mind - we cannot rid ourselves of either of these independent of other ones.