Preliminary Suggestions.

7/24/2019 Preliminary Suggestions.

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/preliminary-suggestions 1/8

PRELIMINARY SUGGESTIONS:

When the Population reaches critical mass and living conditions reach deprivation on a

large enough scale, something is bound to give! The Media revolution and resultant instant

access to information will leverage this reaction and intensify emotions very swiftly. It is not

necessary to dwell over long on the negative aspects of the State of Society! ather a suggested

adeuate response to "#st $entury %& challenges and opportunities is being presented.

The World is beset by a number of problems, not the least of which are'

(unger.

)*treme poverty.

Malnourishment.

Illiteracy.

Poor health and sanitary conditions.

&egraded )cosystems.

+urgeoning populations.

&windling and degraded atural esources.

-anishing +iodiversity.

&eforestation.

lobal Warming/ $limate $rash.

ross pollution of the %tmosphere and round Water.$rime and desperation.

%ggressive and vigorous action needs to be ta0en at all levels in order to ward off the

great dangers that we are faced with.

The state of affairs in the reen Sector is positively not sustainable! %t the present rate

we will have completely degraded and/ or e*hausted our enewable atural esources within a

matter of a decade or two. The tremendous population pressure that we are e*erting will soon

reach crisis proportions. It is a great shame that when there is plenty of scope for improvement

and enhancement, we are forced to face a situation of need and scarcity. It is not my intention to

e*pose our ational &irty 1inen in Public. The tale is too well 0nown to bear repeating. The

causes of this situation are myriad and are beyond the scope of the present effort. (owever, the

cures to some of the physical manifestations are presented for consideration. o claims to

e*cellence are made2 rather, an effort has been made to gather a bouuet of treatment.



The effort towards &evolution is a step in the right direction and should be supported to

its logical conclusion. True epresentation2 True democracy or the rule of the ma*imum number

of the populace is not served by eliminating those who garner less support than others. &oes this

not signify the disenfranchisement of large chun0s of the populace3 This leads to disaffection on

the part of those who fail to achieve representation. 4or e*ample in a population of #5,555 souls

we witness the following results. $ome election time only 6,555 people cast their votes. These

cast say #,555 vote for the leading candidate, 755 vote for the second place and 855 for the third

candidate. The rest are divided in small numbers. &o we mean to say that the candidate

supported by #5 9 of the populace is a true representative of the area and the rest have to remain

unrepresented3 $an we establish 1ocal Self:overnance at the rass roots level that is the

-illage or Mohallah and not only the ;nion and &istrict $ouncil level3 In order to avoid

replicating the divisive and competitive system of first past the post rule of the largest minority

as a practical result of the democracy as practiced by us that is a masuerade for oligarchy or the

rule of the rich, with Page:an0 %lgorithm Social etwor0 analysis that uncovers the <ne*us of

trust= by highlighting the <flow:betweeness= of individuals within a social networ0. (ere nobody

<stands=for elections rather the entire micro community >village/ ward? selects five individuals

from amongst the voter lists. The results are <ran0ed=through the page:ran0 %lgorithm which in

turn is displayed as a social networ0. The central five are selected to form the e*ecutive council

of the village/ ward whit the center most or ne*us of trust of the entire networ0 as the

chairperson. This would uite easily avoid the self aggrandi@ement, abhorrent to the principles of

Islam, with a rehabilitated and rationali@ed, egalitarian Panchayat/ Airga system whose leaders

are replaced by more deeply representative members who do not compete or vie for leadership3

&oes this not eschew the violence and divisiveness of society as we are witnessing even today3

$an we engage in a dialogue to weigh the pros and cons of an alternate system that see0s to

replace the e*ploitive structure with a truly participative and empowered local self:reliance3

iven a wor0able mechanism and framewor0 can we rethin0 our <TaleediB development with

rational measures in consonance with our peculiar circumstances, culture, identity and history3

$an we not establish a response to current challenges and imperatives based upon a rational

development of Islamic society that would have been emplaced if it was not subverted by

opportunists, plagues and e*ternal forces3 &o we have to go through the rigors of re:evolving a

modern society by repeating the mista0es of others3 &o we change the system or Cust the faces3



%n appeal is made to all right thin0ing individuals to cast aside the veils of preCudice and

self:interest and ta0e into account the sorry state of the environment and the fact that over D5 9

of our population is faced with malnutrition! If this was a condition that was inescapable, it could

be borne with resignation. When there is plenty of room for improvement and only a matter of

getting our act together under visionary leadership, it is a crying shame.

% serious attempt to ma0e a diagnosis in order to arrive at a cure is definitely the first step

towards recovery. Therefore, in order to achieve complete recovery the diagnosis must surely

itself be complete and the prescription offered must be effective.

Ta0e into account the fact that despite being guilty of self inflicted wounds, our society is

never the less subCect to innumerable conspiracies that ta0e advantage of our wea0ness and herd

us towards situations that are in consonance with the designs and aims of these conspirators. %s

such they cannot be discounted but rather have to be included in our diagnosis. Is it not possible,

as held by some responsible members of society, that due to Ethe long history of dictatorships,

we have developed a strong culture for conspiracy theoriesB can read that as a result of long

history of conspiracy, we have developed a strong culture for dictatorship!

It is important to first reveal as to who is referred to as <we=. Which part or whole of our

society can be included in this mythical proactive <we=3 &o we include the dispossessed2

marginali@ed and e*ploited yet silent maCority, desperate for some small modicum of relief in the

never ending battle for survival and subsistence3 Is the <we= all inclusive or is it the e*clusive

and elitist few that are the real actors who determine the course that is set for the ation to steer

by3

Is it not possible that the root cause rests upon the failure to establish or rebuild a vibrant

and homemade ethos that would drive us towards progress3 If we are to Efi* responsibilityB and

Eunderstand why we are where we areB it is important to first understand where we are in the

first place! The social order of yesteryear consisted of the degenerated remnants of feudal

imperialism subCect to colonialism whose successors, the economic neo:colonial imperialists,

won the Second World War. The evolved social conte*t was that of rigidly stratified yet self

reliant microcosms e*isting within a survival of the strongest and most ruthless milieu. With

increasing awareness and the opening out of economic opportunities, this framewor0 bro0e down

to create a disCointed free for all attempting to attain personal self:reliance. In order to attain

some form of a harmonious whole we turned towards the model of +ritish parliamentary system



at ational and Provincial levels. With failure to attain ational or Provincial self:reliance the

e*periment of 1ocal +odies was tried out twice and on both occasions on the behest of Military

1eaders trying for some semblance of ational cohesion, ostensibly to devolve governance to

local self:governance, surely a contradiction in terms! The truism that any system is as good or

as bad as the people who run it, overwhelms the intrinsic efficacy or otherwise of any system.

I strongly believe that the best leaders are those who after they depart the people say Ewe

did itB, the <it= being progress and prosperity. This transient personality and dynasty based

leadership, subCect to delusional visions and messiah comple*es on the part of leadership can

only serve or disserve in accordance with their inherent ability or lac0 thereof. True development

can only come about if the s0ill and drive of the people is tapped and channeli@ed in accordance

with a vision that is mutually acceptable by all involved or affected.

The promise of Efreedom, democracy, prosperity, and social Custice in accordance with

the principles of Islam that galvani@ed the Muslims of South %sia to launch >the? Pa0istan

movementB followed by Estrong civil and military bureaucracy hiCac0ed the state as political

institutions were wea0 and in early formative stage.B

In order to attain the promise and eschew hiCac0ing, which must include corrupt

politicians, we need to consider the following. Should we not resolve the choice between

westerni@ed elitism and traditional culture3 Will this step not include the vast maCority of our

populace who may have better leadership2 vision2 solutions etc. that could be tapped to achieve

progress and prosperity3 The impotent efforts on the behalf of the )cological Preservation

proponents are not enough to stem the tide of oblivion that threatens to engulf the sordid remains

of what is a noble attempt on the part of ature to bring Frder to $haos. What can an ordinary

$iti@en do in the face of -ested short:term interests and pressure groups fuelled by blac0 money

often made by the immoral proceeds of activities that are directly contributing to the very

problems enlisted above3

Fver the years overnments and Politicians have contributed in well intentioned schemes

that have failed to have ma*imum impact and have resulted in a great deal of waste and

indebtedness. More emphasis has been placed upon infrastructure than economy generation.

Fpportunities and Cobs have not been created. esources have been over:e*ploited.

It might be pertinent to enlist the underlying problem areas that have to be concentrated

upon in order to overcome the very real threat of )co &isaster!



Subsistence, non:irrigated agriculture is the rule rather than e*ception.

;se of unstabali@ed fertili@ers in inefficient manner is causing atmospheric pollution, below

grade water pollution and raising soil p(, thereby restricting available nutrient upta0e by the

plants

Soils are depleted and yields are low.

Poor cultural practices and lac0 of storm water drainage contribute to loss of precious topsoil

in large uantities every year.

4orests are heavily e*ploited and not sustainable at less than G9 of the area.

Infrastructure in the shape of roads is less than sufficient and usually in a state of disrepair.

Water supply is mostly self:arranged2 this is usually a burdensome tas0. % few schemes in the

area provide water to the doorsteps of about D5 9 of the inhabitants. Springs and running

streams are available but highly polluted. echarging of shallow auifers is slow and

restricted. The area is increasingly facing water scarce months and lower rainfall in one of

the two seasons that formerly prevailed, i.e. delayed winter rains.

)lectricity is practically unavailable to most households due to load:shedding and line losses/

inefficiency/dishonesty.

Sanitation if present though not hoo0ed up to central or efficient systems even in Islamabad.

Solid and liuid waste is a maCor pollutant.

Poor maintenance standards of vehicles available to commuters are causing air pollution by

emission of to*ic fumes.

Schools and +asic (ealth ;nits are lac0ing in facilities and under:staffed, both in ualitative

and uantitative terms.

1ivestoc0 is poor in uality and e*erts pressure upon the e*isting resources. 1ocal inhabitants

resort to clearing of trees and burning of grass at particular seasons, to ensure more

availability of grass to their ruminants. This grass is usually harvested in winter to supply

winter:feed.

Thus, overall, rural infrastructure is poor. (owever, rudimentary infrastructure does e*ist but

is poorly maintained and grossly under:utili@ed.

The above factors need elaboration to bring home their importance.

The Petro:+ased )conomy seems to be the root cause of many of our problems.

&egradation of the )co:System2 lobal Warming and Pollution of the %tmosphere and possibly



$limate $rash leading to a return of the Ice %ge can be directly attributed to the Petro:based

)conomy. The eo Strategic maneuvering of the "#st $entury is very much hinged upon the

control of dwindling Fil esources. The ugly faces of religious differences and racialism are

mere window dressing to the actual reasons of conflict in the Middle )ast, Iran, Pa0istan,

%fghanistan and soon $entral %sia. Much desperation and suffering results from the callous

pursuit of materialism that reaps a bonan@a of material returns by fuelling the %rmaments

industry, that most criminal of human activities. % small fraction of the e*pense underta0en at

preserving their hold upon Fil Sources would adeuately pay by see0ing brea0throughs in Solar,

4uel cell, )thanol, Methane, Thermal and other sources of low:cost power.

Water, the most precious resource is estimated to be short by 659 by the year "5"G as,

according to the ;, D billion people or 659 of the World=s proCected population will be facing

acute and chronic water shortages. ecycling2 &esalination2 Water (arvesting2 %uifer

echarging2 1ined $hannels and &rains2 $onservation Irrigation and a host of other measures

will have to be ta0en in order to curtail the deleterious effects of water shortages.

4ood is yet another source for maCor concern. %s according to the World +an0, per capita

acreage of cultivated land supporting food production dropped by almost G59 between #H# and

#HH8. It is proCected that by the year "5G5 this figure will fall further by 659 or more. %lready

around 755 hundred million people go hungry every day with more than half of them severely

malnourished. Intensive food production with higher and better uality produce is the only

recourse for a hungry and desperate world. The +io:Technology revolution, with stringent

chec0s and balances, is more than li0ely to provide a solution to this critical problem. That is

provided that rationalism and egaletarism prevail over materialism, whether dialectic or

otherwise.

Sanitation is essential to continued and healthy e*istence. What manner of civili@ation

will tolerate the constant degradation of its biome3 Solid and 1iuid Waste can be readily treated

by the +iotechnology Tools at our command today. It is imperative that resources and

technologies are marshaled in order to stop further befouling of the nest that supports our

e*istence.

+ioenvironmental Management, the absence of which is deemed a problem, is itself

capable of providing an ama@ing range of solutions to most of these problems. (unger2 )*treme

Poverty2 Malnourishment2 Poor (ealth and Sanitary $onditions2 &egraded )cosystems2



&windling atural esources2 -anishing +iodiversity2 &eforestation2 lobal Warming2 and

ross pollution of the %tmosphere and round Water.

Population $ontrol is obviously a number one priority for any rational human being. The

proponents of religious intervention with claims of divine intervention are simply too absurd to

be considered as a barrier to achieving some semblance of control over a problem that eats into

whatever advances are made to support its growing demands by rapidly increasing that demand

to outstrip supply. %s the (oly Juran states EThey are themselves the perpetuators and yet they

say the %llah >SWT? has done it! %nd %llah >SWT? is swift in Punishment >Sareeh ul Iab?!

(ealth is obviously a highly pri@ed and valued adCunct to life itself. +io Medical and

atural remedies to old and new man made problems in the health field are very much a

possibility.

1iteracy is so basically important for fulfilling the inherent talents and latent possibilities

within humanity that it should be a crime to deprive anyone the right to a basic education. We

must not abandon our own $ulture and traditions and &ivine uidance! What we have emplaced

is a system that is unaware of the latent potential inherent within Man0ind!

)ual Fpportunities are vital to a healthy and thriving society. o social system can bear

the strains of bondage and slavery for too long a period without crashing down upon the heads of

unCust and e*ploitative society. The very secret to dynamism is upwards mobility and eual

opportunities afforded to most of the population.

Austice is perhaps the single most important factor that needs urgent consideration and

constant attention. It is Custice to ature to institute +ioenvironmental Management2 it is Custice

to provide eual opportunities and a share of essential commodities to each and every living

organism that inhabits the lobe. It is Custice that fuels and propels humanity towards e*cellence

and prosperity. )*ploitation and deprivation must be made things of a shameful past that needs to

be buried before it buries humanity.

Converting Adversity to Opportunity

Problems are structural2 good people even with adeuate resources are unable to produce

favorable outcomes wor0ing within such an environment. The point that emerges is that

technical solutions cannot, on their own, solve what are essentially failures in policy.



4inally we must learn to nurture nature in order to ensure that nature continues to urture

us and live in harmony with nature by creating vibrant, dynamic and locally self:sufficient

communities.

Preliminary Suggestions.

Documents

Transcript of Preliminary Suggestions.