Four young, barely teenage boys decide that life is not worth living and commit suicide in a matter of a few days; this is tragic, to say the least. The trickle down effect of the misery the country is going through is frightening. We have been hearing about married men with families committing suicide due to their inability to support their family and dependent parents. We are getting used to seeing young and educated people caught in daylight robberies, but to see children resorting to these desperate acts is a shameful reminder to all of us that there is a fundamental correction required in the way we are living as a nation and members of society. Nations are built on aspirations and hopes of the youth of the country and it is their sentiments that bode ill or good regarding the future of Pakistan. Despair and dejection are a lethal combination, leading to desperation. This is what the youth are going through.
Having a youthful population is considered a huge opportunity in the world. The biggest example is India that has used its huge segment of young people as a marketing point for investors globally. They call this a demographic dividend where investing in the youth has paid a handsome return. The reason for this is the maturing of the demographic markets in the west. With shrinking birth rates, they are really in a fix how to deal with an aging population whose productivity is faltering and state expenses for providing old age benefits are multiplying. To sell their burgers and cokes and their Harvards and Stanfords, they need a young and upwardly mobile market that India offers. Pakistan, with an even higher proportion of population lying in the age group of below 30 years, has on the other hand not earned a demographic dividend, rather a demographic tax. The major difference is that in India a first class public education system, a secure investment climate, a growth rate of almost seven to nine percent has made the young vie to excel and compete in many fields to keep themselves in the race. In Pakistan, the terrible public education system, the crashing economy and insecurity has created a vicious circle of those who can afford private education and those who cannot. Not only is the literacy rate low but those who do manage to get educated become even bigger liabilities as they then find themselves unable to compete with the private sector educated class for good jobs. Moreover, they are unable to go back to their rural background and accept semi-skilled employment. This so-called educated class is the most dangerous segment. They are disillusioned, bitter, and become misfits. It is at this sensitive age that their minds start rebelling against the system. These intelligent brains become breeding grounds for destructive thoughts. Many of them then turn to justifying short cuts and avenging the system by taking the law into their own hands by indulging in robberies, murders or suicides.
The impact of a social rebellion is a trickle down effect. Young children from average households, huddled together in a few rooms, are not protected from what is being felt and practised by the elders of the house. In fact, they idolise their older siblings and cousins, emulating most behaviours they see them indulging in. Thus, when they see their elders groaning, moaning, and taking their frustrations out on them, their own tolerance level slides sharply, forcing them to become cynical prematurely. The present rate of suicides resulting from mistreatment at school or home is a reflection of children always on the edge.
Another main factor of children rebelling against life is the pressure exerted by parents on them for studies and grades. Parents of middle class households have built all hopes on their children doing well in studies. Most parents work very hard to send their children to school. With spiralling inflation, the cost of sending a child to school is huge and the parents afraid of bad grades and the child not being able to move up put extreme pressure on the latter to obtain good grades. Scarcity of resources and career opportunities puts such an extreme pressure on the family that getting good grades becomes a matter of life and death. Afraid of failing their parents’ expectations, the innocent yet stressed young brains of these children compel them to end it all with life itself.
This state of affairs is especially disturbing as the youth of Pakistan is one of the most talented in the world. Every year, we see a Pakistani boy and girl beat a world record in academic areas, IT and computer sciences, etc. Youngsters in the field of arts have also proved that they are comparable to the best. Aside from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy winning an Oscar, our singers have outshone the ones in Bollywood, and our sportsmen have repeatedly stunned the world with their individual and team brilliance. However, these performances are despite the circumstances and without any support from the state and government. Countries that grow consistently ensure that the talent pool they have is nourished with proper support, sponsorship and in an enabling environment. However, in our country the young are left on their own, struggling to discover their own talent and aptitude, subject to the vagaries of the environment. Some of them are strong enough to continue their search and discover their identity and destiny, but most are left psychologically and emotionally stranded where, lost for guidance and direction, they lose themselves in the din and noise of a society constantly discouraging non-conformity in thinking. How many bright ideas created in university projects and home garages are throttled due to a complete lack of moral and financial encouragement available to these young minds oozing with talent? The danger is that if the creative innovations of these youngsters are not positively channelised, they start diverting their mental energy to destructive creations. Thus, the chemical that was used to produce an alternative to energy production becomes a source of producing homemade bombs. To prevent this eventuality, it is imperative that the young of this country are treated as real assets and are given the opportunity to realise their talents and aspirations.
The writer is an analyst, consultant and information Secretary of the PTI Punjab and can be reached at