Daily Times

Every new crisis triggers a non -stop debate for 24 hourly basis on our media, be it print media or electronic, be it Sahiwal tragedy or Zainab murder Tragedy, suicides among youth andother tragic crisis there is a churning of monotype non-stop analysis and the list goes on. Very aggressively the writers and the anchors pin the topic and bombard on the lack of lawlessness, pathetic society and insensitivity of the masses. Right after the incident it’s totally forgotten and then a new issue is cherry picked.

Of course evenwhen the media stops telecasting the analysis over   the issue, the issue does not evaporate in the air. After every crisis the traumatized families and children keep on suffering till a time unknown. Children right after their parent’s encounter that occurred before their eyes they were visited, probed and interviewed so ruthlessly by media and officials. For weeks I kept on reading about stuff on the tragedy, but not for once there was any question raised on needs of Trauma rehabilitations needs, at least a center where children needs to be rehabilitated emotionally with care. But the debate was non -stop on the what? Issues, Why and how? To go ahead we need this epistemology needed, issues need to be addressed and solved too. The state announced to look after the well-being of the kids, but what well-being the payment of school fees only, where is the child protection policy to visit and take a record of children’s issues. The intellectual talk under discussion is by the most educated minds in country, however the most pain staking part is the lack of solution oriented discussions and forums.

Children are sent home after medical treatments even right after the rape incidents, Kasur is the biggest example neither justice is served, nor the criminals hanged and children were left to suffer till unlimited time. It’s a proven study that many a times child abuse victim later turns into a perpetrator himself. Has there been a rehabilitation or counselling plan ever chalked out, had there been any discussion on media about the way ahead. Unfortunately everyone is talking about everything no research or expertise is required for any analysis. Non-academicians working as free-lance teachers, unprofessional are sittings as experts, untrained hired as guards of civil society. The problem isn’t the questions, the problem is the lack of solution orientation.

The lack of policy discussion, lack of responsible reporting and anxiety oriented approach, if other things were not enough, it came as icing on the top. The hypocrisy does not end here, the same people hiring child domestic help raise hue and cry over child labor issues on public forums , the same people nonstop arguing about lack of meritocracy refuses to meet or listen to someone without reference, the same academicians crying over lack of motivation themselves have just sarcasm to offer to their students .Being an academician I often hear a lot of criticism about lack of motivation among students, lack of respect among teenagers etc, by the fellow academicians, what we hear, talk and see through our lens is just bombardment. Do we ever try to solve the puzzle or even make an effort to make a difference..

Every new crisis triggers a non-stop debate for 24 hourly basis on our media, be it print media or electronic, be it Sahiwal tragedy or Zainab murder Tragedy, suicides among youth andother tragic crisis there is a churning of monotype non-stop analysis and the list goes on. Very aggressively the writers and the anchors pin the topic and bombard on the lack of lawlessness, pathetic society and insensitivity of the masses. Right after the incident it’s totally forgotten and then a new issue is cherry picked

The crisis does not emerge out of problems they occur due to lack of solutions, we discuss too many problems but literally doesn’t want to work on solutions. Lack of quality is our complaint all the time, I myself have experienced that most of our known figures are least into quality raising among youth, if it’s a one day seminar with photographs and publicity it works but nothing beyond.

Any program on child protection, parenting, trauma treatment or career counselling is never seriously well taken. If one keeps on shouting about a headache or injury it will doattain public attention but till the time nobody takes him/her to doctor this injury cannot be healed, same is the case of our intellectual corrupted policies, there is a hue and cry a lot of public attention is grabbed via media and other public forums but no route to solution.

There is a certain pattern of confusion, which has seeped into our mind pattern as well, we have issues and problems but how can we solve them, that should be the self-actualization top of needs pyramid. We have a full lot of volunteers who actually want to go and work, but we need to favor and help them. The commercialization of intellect had been the worst of all crisis, we ever had. As intellectuals are the utmost source of strength for any nation in times of crisis, but when thinking minds also succumb to the commercial values that is a biggest tragedy of all.  If only a mono patronized  style of analysis, sensationalism and sizzling news tickers, same debate every day then I wonder where and how  to look ahead.   Publishing only big known ones, broadcasting only selling topics, responding to only reference based people, negating the ideas because it does not have a brand attached to it. Branding of intellectualization is our biggest crisis, when genuine issues are crushed and selling issues are presented the entire society starts believing in halo effect. Unfortunately that’s the biggest battle, confronting this intellectual commercialization, branding of thoughts and patronizing of ideas. Genuine solutions can only be found if genuine thoughts are put into, if one just relents thought on what is portrayed, printed and telecasted and taught than survival of creativity and critical thinking is literally impossible. Reminds me of my very experienced teacher at University of Punjab Late Naqqash Sab a very experienced journalist editor, who every time used to discuss how not to use the style of evening newspapers, he used to call them sizzling eveningers, he passed away long time back but his terminology flashes in my mind when I watch tv, or read articles. The intellectuals like Dr Mehdi Hassan, who never followed any band wagon, and always had the courage to question and negate any stereo types that were just of commercial values, although I was never his students to my bad luck as he retired long back I studied journalism. Yet his intellect made me read and listen to him whenever possible. These and many others were the people who enlightened the mind rather than puzzling , manipulating and projecting sizzling sensationalism.

Yet the picture is not bleak and some fresh breeze do pass by, the very publication of these thoroughly non -commercial write up   in this newspaper is a proof itself, yet more a lot is required in the right positive, thought provoking directions. The responsibility of intellectuals is very high as in Noam Chomsky’s words the intellectual’s role in creation and analysis of ideology , it’s the responsibility of intellectuals to insist upon truth and work on solution in historical perspectives, yet at the same time an intellectual is not an expert and all issues cannot be referred from his approach. Simultaneously Nussbaum’s phrases it that every human should be given the opportunity to make some contribution to the future of humanity, there are so many ways doing it, political engagement, donations, teaching and helping children, you don’t have to raise hue and cry and topple world to bring change.

A change is what always chanted at our forums but how many are there genuinely interested in letting all be part of it and be a guiding source than a firing gun. The worth of an intellectual is much more than an army of hundreds, but that beacon needs to light up minds and work for a contribution, if intellectuals themselves will be part of a horse race than who will bother to think!

The writer is an academician at University of Punjab, child right activist and Sociologist

Published in Daily Times, February 17^th 2019.