What is the true essence of Mahrang Baloch’s narrative. This so-called tragic story is the “reason” for her bitterness, or is this merely an “excuse” for bashing the state.
Is she lamenting her impoverished upbringing during her formative years, or is she highlighting the deprivation of her rights as a child and student at the hands of the state.
Is she mourning the circumstances of her childhood, or is she casting blame on the state for her past hardships.
Does this reflect a deeper hostility towards the state, or is it a convenient excuse she employs to hold the state accountable for her misfortunes.
What, ultimately, is her intention in sharing her story, tears brimming in her eyes.
Is she merely seeking to portray the state as the antagonist, or does she possess a more profound message to convey.
Mahrang, who scored only 67% on her exams, managed to get into medical college, while a student from Punjab with a score of 93% was left out of government medical colleges. It is important to mention that medical colleges in Punjab have a quota system to allocate seats for students from Balochistan, which includes a combination of “Goodwill” and “Reciprocal” quotas, totaling 22 seats across various institutions.
The real issue lies in the education crisis in Punjab, where many families struggle to afford school fees, leading to around 10 million children out of school.
160000 students appeared for the Punjab MDCAT test, and even those with 92% marks could not secure admissions to medical colleges. Despite this, Punjab has reserved seats for students from Balochistan.
Despite her lower score, Mahrang claims to be a deprived individual from a disadvantaged region. In Punjab, students with similar marks to hers can’t secure spots in private colleges.
Ironically, Mahrang got into medical school through a government scholarship that covered most of her expenses, yet her mother had to sell clothes to cover the rest. It’s hard to believe that selling used clothing could significantly fund medical education.
The real issue lies in the education crisis in Punjab, where many families struggle to afford school fees, leading to around 10 million children out of school. Although Mahrang’s situation might seem lucky-pursuing an MBBS degree on a scholarship-she still complains about her circumstances.
It’s worth noting how few students actually get to study MBBS on a government scholarship-it’s a select few, not a broad group. Even among this fortunate crowd, she still acts like a victim of poverty, spinning an emotional tale that’s largely fabricated.
Moreover, we need to critically assess how she funds her foreign trips. She’s not a well-known doctor; her income likely isn’t sufficient to cover such expenses. Clarifying the reasons and sources behind any sponsorships for these trips would be beneficial. How does someone from such a poor background afford these international jaunts. It raises serious questions about the origins of her funding and the motive behind her narrative.
This so-called impoverished woman should drop the emotional manipulation and instead reveal the unvarnished reality of her feelings. Is Mahrang operating under a soft image while actually supporting terrorists under various pretexts, propagating an anti-state narrative to gain sympathy for separatists.
The writer is a freelance columnist.