Caravan of Light

What are the possibilities of human imaginations and creativity? Has he got the powers to conquer all that he comes across? This question needs to be answered carefully. The attempt to restrict the boundaries of human capabilities and weaving fascinations about the unseen, declaring it unconquerable by the powers of a man can have serious results. Such an endeavor which narrows the range of individual possibilities may end up emanating feeling of powerlessness, decreased self-efficacy, leading to utter hopelessness and a helpless state of mind. Even a handful of individuals with such an approach can disrupt the natural social life. Social values and norms may take a shape in which the skills of a man are now attributed to the powers of some character of a fanciful world. A time comes when ‘change’ becomes unlawful and every zealous creature is considered a ‘rebel’. Insecurity about the future rises and the commutative social achievements decline. Further the limited perceptions about...

Legacies should be transferred from one generation to the other in a way that neither their originality nor their impact alters. And to adopt something that comes from the time preceding us, we need to live that time, feel it, evaluate it according to the preceding as well as the current circumstances, and have a look at where it projects, before beginning to like or dislike it. Waheed Murad is a legendary icon who had to offer a lot not only to the people of his own time, but for many generations to come after him. Developing an inspiration for him needs us to embark on a journey to his world, which may lead us to ‘a castle of many mirrors’ where we can reflect on ourselves and our surroundings in a much better way. Let’s begin NOW… The initiating step on this journey can be the intro as to who Waheed Murad was, and what position he held in our society. Without having adequate knowledge about him the gap can not be bridged, and our goal can never be achieved. ‘Why’ Waheed Murad he...

Studying the rise and fall of emperors, their empires, riches and armies can be of little benefit to a student of History, with an inquiring mind and healthy approach. The concerns of a common man, his happiness and sorrows, his morale and his influence over the matters relating to himself, And the compassionate kindness and compassionate sacrifice exhibited by a community, their perception about their common goals and the strength of their cultural, religious and political hubs defines their place in the book of history. Studying history and great men of past in such light can help a student reach the source of their power, reasons behind their success/failure and may foster his analytic abilities, And motivate a community to help steer itself in order to secure for it a reasonable place in the tide of time.

The ‘after freedom’ position requires a nation to decide with utmost clarity what relations it intends to keep with other members of the world it dwells in, especially with its former masters, as any nation in the condition of slavery tends (and mostly ‘needs’) to adopt norms and customs, literature and the ways of thinking of their masters. Freedom, once achieved, demands an outlook different from the previous, hence former influences can either be washed away, or (better still) molded so as the free nation can benefit the most out of them. An question, however, is raised as to what status of relation does the independent state enjoys with the previous masters and based on what lines or factors any equal platform may be worked out for future. After a state achieves freedom, establishing foundations of relations with the former masters on equal footing requires a development involving psyche of the people and their social canon, helped by the literary circles, historical ident...

In this world of missiles and other massive destruction arms, one may argue that there remains no need to train a common man for his self-defense, because it is virtually impossible for a man to combat against the possible destruction a missile brings. But I would argue that such training can certainly decrease the losses of a community under attack. Also, two parties, possessing equally destructive weapons would want to avoid declaring wars on their borders, resulting in a battle that is entirely staged on roads and near civil localities, which we may term as terrorism. Such circumstances put responsibility on the shoulders of civilians, because intrusion of army in civil localities may create more confusion and a sense of decreased civil liberty, further complicating the issue. Hence, training residents of a locality so that they may help each other before, during or after an adversity can be of help. Such training may start at school level, where basic rescue tactics, param...

On the road to transformation… Realization is the first step, Raising voice is the second, But there comes a point when mere blind-ended ‘discussions’ can lead a people to hopelessness, Its now when we collectively need to take a step forward The third step being that of ‘Action’; For no caravan can reach its destination if it feels satisfied after taking only the first few steps! ‘Action’ with ‘discipline’ and a sense of ‘responsibility’ can turn a barren soil, with no prospect of bearing fruit, fertile. This fertility results only when labor is employed to till the soil properly, with every person using full potential of their position and role. We need to adopt an analytical approach towards knowing what stage on the road to transformation we are at, both individually and socially, to secure what we dream to achieve.

Love, with its universality, attired in simplicity can lead one to the highest points of Human capabilities and gives man a unique strength to fight against all odds, learning to sacrifice his desires for others … This is something I learnt when I first got a chance to watch a Pakistani film. For me, films are an attraction, not just for entertainment, but as a learning house too. A film can teach me something I missed out on books. Pakistani films in their Classic Era have given us both, entertainment as well as awareness. Higher human values, Love in its highest form residing in the heart of ordinary people and social norms based on love, equality and sacrifice thriving in a society were introduced to me by these films. Making me conscious of my identity, these films boasted my morale, made me think high of myself, my nation and my cultural and religious distinctiveness; consequently acting as a social binding force and nurturing collective psyche of a nation with values of its ...