Author: Muzaffer Hussain
Publication: Mumbai Tarun Bharat
Date: May 25, 2001.
The programme often discussed in
India - "Kaun Banega Crorepati" is also extremely popular in Pakistan.
Not only that, but there is a tremendous fascination in their mind about
the Indian Film Stars. We had given some amusing information in this column
some days back based on the newspapers in Pakistan. As Amitabh Bachan
is popular in Pakistan also, his style is copied there. His dialogues
in movies, his style of presenting "Crorepati" are also ditto copied there
in everyday transactions. Hence cliches like "Lock Kiya Jaay?" ,
"Akhari Jawab?" have become everyday phrases in the daily talk of people
in Pakistan. The demand that a programme like this should be started in
Pakistan also is getting stronger. The funny part of it is
that the newspapers in Pakistan also are not free from the fascination
of "Kaun.".
In 27th April issue of "Friday Times",
there was a letter from one reader Jahid Hussain in which there are many
interesting things recorded in it about the state of affairs in Pakistan.
In "Kaun ." Amitabh Bachan asks a question to ten contestants. They
are to be arranged in ascending order. The one who answers first
and accurately, is chosen for this game. Using this style, Jahid Hussain
asked a question to citizens of Pakistan.- Kashmir, employment, education
and Law and Order situation, arrange these problems faced by Pakistan
in order of their intensity starting from low to high. There was a guess
that answer for the most important issue would be Kashmir. Because,
Kashmir is the issue which is most frequently discussed in Pakistan Newspapers.
But everybody was surprised when the answers were received. Because the
people had given their verdict that Kashmir is the least important and
not even cognisable problem. More important was education and Law and Order
situation was still more important. The most difficult problem according
to the people was of employment. . . Only those who want to get power
in Pakistan or want to rule give highest important to Kashmir problem.
But citizens consider this problem of low priority. Whether Kashmir remains
in India or Pakistan, it does not make any difference to the condition
of the people there. It is more an emotional issue with which the Pakistan
rulers are blackmailing the people. The biggest problem is that of
employment. People say that if they get employment, they will be
able to send their children to the School. If there is no employment,
there will be chaos everywhere. Therefore, employment is the first necessity
even before Law and Order situation.
Encouraged by the popularity of
this letter, "Friday Times" published a full length article on the same
lines in which the writer raised before the citizens a number of questions
and appealed to the people to send their answers. The readers have
fearlessly replied all these sensitive questions and the paper also printed
them faithfully. On reading the reply, one can guess as to what are the
thoughts in the minds of ordinary people there. Some questions are
so daring that any amount of appreciation of the courage of the citizens
answering them will be small. Following is one of the questions:
Who is the most corrupt person in
Pakistan ?
Options :
1. Leader, 2)
Cricketeer, 3) Film Actor or 4) the Military.
Reply given to this questions was
"The Military is the most corrupt". The answering people said that the
General, Colonel and officers on high posts are the most corrupt people.
Higher the post, more corrupt the officer. The effect of this reply on
General Musharrf is not known. But those who were asking the account
of the corruption of others were themselves put into the box of accused
by the people of Pakistan. The next place was given to political leaders,
third place to cricketeers and fourth to film actors. This also means that
the film actors in Pakistan do not miss the Income tax, have contacts with
underworld or take drugs.
What sort of Government you would
prefer?
Options :
1) Military Rule, 2)
Dictatorship or 3) Democracy.
Answer to this question is also
startling. 95 % people have given top priority to Democracy.
50% of the rest have preferred monarchy and only 34 votes (say about 5
% of the total votes) were for Military rule. Common people in Pakistan
are totally disgusted with its corruption and communalism.
If you are allowed to go out of
Pakistan, where would you like to settle ?
Options
1) Saudi Arabia, 2) Turkey,
3) Europe or 4) America
On this question, 75% readers have
given their preference to America. 20% people wish to go to Europe and
5 % people would like go to Saudi Arabia. But nobody thinks of going to
Turkey. Due to insecurity in Pakistan, people are unhappy to live
there. Hence, if such people get 'Visa' they will be immediately
leave Pakistan. The serpentine long lines in front of American Embassy
to get Visa indicates how strong is the desire in the mind of the people
to go to America. Citizens of Pakistan are willing to spend lakhs of rupees
to get American Visa. In fact, they could do good trade in Pakistan only
with the amount of money they are willing to spend to get American Visa.
But the people have no desire left to live in Pakistan.
There was another question about
the various currencies of the world. Of all the currencies, Pakistani people
expressed their full faith in American dollars. Next, they prefer to transact
business in Dinar and Riyal. However, no Pakistani citizen wishes to use
"Taka" of Bangladesh.
"Which do you think is the least
corrupt leader in Pakistan ?"
1) Benzir Bhutto, 2) Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto, 3 Marshall Ayub Khan or 4) General Zia.
Amazing thing is that Pakistani
people have given verdict that Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto was the least corrupt
leader while Benzir Bhotto has been
pointed out as the most corrupt
leader.
"Who is responsible for the backwardness
of Pakistan?"
1) Political Leader,
2) General, 3) Traders or Maulana.
Readers have opined that Maulanas
are responsible for the backwardness of Pakistan. They think that the Maulanas
had no part in creation of Pakistan. The real creator of Pakistan is Mohammed
Ali Jeena. But they think that those who are leading Pakistan to
destruction, are Mullahs-Maulvis. According to some readers corrupt
traders and selfish political leaders were responsible for the backwardness.
What profession should be followed
to become a Crorepati in Pakistan?
1) Soldier 2)
Scientist 3) Engineer/Doctor or 4) Industrialist
85% readers have said that the easiest
way to become a crorepati is to enter the army. Because in Pakistan
with a gap of few years, the military rule has returned every time. Hence,
the real owners of the Pakistan are the soldiers. If somebody has his nephew,
uncle, or maternal uncle in the army, then his luck knows no bounds. When
they will be ordered to protect the citizens, they will loot the very citizens
and become crorepati. If they are sent on border, they will do smuggling
and if they are appointed on the Government post, they will obtain some
contract and appease their hunger for money.
Among Indian products, Pakistani
citizens' first preference goes to Indian Motion Pictures, second to Paan
(betel leaves), third to Indian Sarees and fourth to Indian Sweets.
"Friday Times" has brought forth
the thoughts and mindset of Pakistani citizens in a different style. In
fact, this is not a humorous writing or a writing intended to attract people
by lively and brisk style. A realistic picture of Pakistan comes before
us from the answers actually sent in. If the Pakistani leaders think over
them seriously, neither they themselves will be miserable nor they will
make India unhappy. This letter of Jahid Hussain has given an opportunity
to Pakistani people to have a look inside their own mind.
