Quetta Jolted with trembling Earthquake

By

Talha Masud

 

It is not for the first time that earthqauke had spread fright in the Quetta masses. The historic 1935 earthquake in which the ancient Quetta was almost completely transformed into the new Quetta, there always remained fears in the public that this catastrophe can any time occur in the terrain. Quetta has witnessed most earthquakes after the Skardo district in Pakistan. More or less, it again has brought extreme destruction and frustration. Being located on the quake-sensitive zone, the city is always in danger of this natural calamity.

It was the year 1992, in which I was five and half years old when I witnessed the first earthquake of my life and despite being a kid that time, I always remembered that horrible scene and the aftermath of the quake. Since than, it was embedded in my mind that this is the most sudden natural occurrence and one should be well prepare for it, more importantly, when you are in the danger zone. Seismic activity/waves are always horrifying but a pre-defined point in this is that the collapse of buildings is the only reason of the loss of numerous lives from the earthquake. Even in the recent one, the Ziarat district is almost destroyed and Khanozai area of Pishin plus few outskirts are heavily effected. Throughout Balochistan, this development has increased much more concern for the people and agencies not to waste any time of doing a positive action by rescuing as much survivors as they should.

8th October 2005, was very disastrous for the people of Pakistan and there is no need to explain about the immense destruction and the aftermath which is known by many but the supportive gesture from the common public was exemplary which really negates the point that we are not ready to give a crushing reply to these mishaps. When I was in the fund raising team of my college, I have even seen the man on a donkey cart donating five hundred rupees that activated me a big deal. Though personally, we can’t make much difference but many a little really makes a mickle as did in one of the most devastating earthquake. I do not advise expecting from Government. I firmly believe that we should expect from ‘Ourselves’ to face the disaster that can bring us back on track more quickly.

Taking the opportunity, I appeal to all my friends and readers of this blog that please take a step for giving a hand to the fellow-men of ours because who knows tomorrow we would be the victim and some other kind hands would come up to take us out of the rubble of not only stones, but of despair as well.

 

 

 

Student’s Obstacles in Balochistan

By Talha Masud

 

 

 

It was a usual routine day in my college. The first period normally began late due to the torrents of late comers, habitual of being late in the class on regular basis. Suddenly our 34-students class came to an utter silence. What we saw is a girl entering in the class with our Principal. This sight was little strange for the class because it was an year passed that the class enjoyed no female representation just because of the constrained parent’s attitude sending out their girls for combined education system in our college, famous for it’s slangy students. The Principal gave a brief introduction of our new female peer with some strict orders and warnings of displaying civilized behaviour with the shy class fellow of ours.

 

The writer was in the proportion of those students, whom did not like this induction just because the ready_made environment of the class was male_based. It was also in writer’s mind that this girl would encounter a lot of problems being with the fellows, not so kind.

 

Ironically, the later period proved this reservation wrong. Surprizingly, the induction brought a drastic variation in our class. The writer with his many peers started to feel the heat of competative environment just because of a girl exhibiting a good class participation. The class, which was not used to have combined students unlike in the institutes of a few urban areas of Pakistan, was almost transformed.

The changes were enormous. Even the dull and sluggish guys started to show the enthusiasm and interest towards studies. The backbenchers were mostly found surrounding the teacher yearning to grasp more and more. All of a sudden, I thought it a new class. The general performance, attitude and discipline were scintillatingly transformed.

 

In the cities like Quetta and other parts of Balochistan, the main reason of the decline of education criteria in the high schools and colleges is just because of unavailability of positive study environment, which can enhance themselves for the universal competition. It is not only about Co-education that is not appreciated due to the conservative mindset and cultural bondage in which the majority declares the co-education system a mere flop in Balochistan.

Lack of competative environment contains much. Firstly, one has to analyze what are the problems that are considered as ‘minor’,

 

But in fact makes a great deal of difference.

 

The educational environment comprising of all the addressable factors is worse. The political made minds of the ‘young chaps’ initiate the first leap in the regard. The political as well as of tribal influence, there can’t maintain the balance amongst the education seekers resulting into frustration and complete stoppage of competition. It does not suffice here but the overall environment only suits to the Business class elite, Bureaucrats and people with political background that is more active in Balochistan than any other province of Pakistan.

Another reason is unavailability of quality coaching centers. In Quetta there are very few coaching centers and most of them are located in the Bazaar(city area) and the students residing in the far flung areas have no or limited access to them. Good coaching institutes include Qartaba College located next to the Kehqabad road, National Coaching Center located on the Hari Krishan road, The Science and Commerce academy situating along with the Moti Ram road and somehow the Oasis institute, doing good with the commerce students. Other than these, no noticeable institute is present in the premises of Quetta city. This is the most annoying factor for the students requiring some educational assistance due to the problems they face with their regular studies, which is quite natural, do not even have a lope hole to counter their struggle. There are many teachers, professors and lecturers doing this on their own but again, this is not sufficient and many students can not pay their high fees as they charge more from individual or small groups of students as compared to the collective classes of the coaching centers.

 

“We all belong from poor families and staying out of our native areas bearing the boarding and lodging charges as well and we can not afford paying a professor two thousand rupees per subject and thus, we prefer doing combine group preparation of our exams,” told a BCS student earlier. In addition to this, there is no welfare organization which can promote the students in their academic and professional education with or without some monthly payment to them as there are numberless organizations like the said are purely active in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Faislabad. The writer visited one of a leading organization providing academic, professional and financial assistance to it’s hundreds of selected students whom are selected after examining the real background and some entry tests in Karachi. After posing a simple question before the operation director of this very organization that since you are well provided with funds from Governmental and non_Governmental sectors for the noble motive then why are the authorities of your prestigious organizations demur to start this in smaller and unprivileged parts of rural areas and more in Balochistan or Quetta, which is a capital city of a province is well and no way is counted with the rural or unreachable areas of Pakistan? He responded;”It has been six years since our inception and we are not yet allowed by our board of directors but we always advertise relaxed form of tests and minimum required percentage for the students from sort of areas you mentioned and for Balochistan too“.

 

The answer was offcourse an other question that the students of remote areas of Balochistan whom after all their efforts, manage to reach and stay in the Quetta city for the due course of their higher studies, how come they can travel towards cities, hundreds of miles away from their place and study there with temporary residence leaving their regular studies aside in the city they left? This almost was an answer worth laughing but also states that our students have many problems to face even if they are ready to make a mark in their respective fields.

 

The general educational environment is a big question mark on those who are always showing ‘ok’ signs and the government which is desperately trying to allay the public fears about the prevailing circumstances when it comes to highlighting the core issues. The politics is at it’s peak that is very different from the past. Even the two biggest Colleges i.e. The Science College at Jinnah Road is claimed to be dominated by a Pashtoon political party and Degree College situated at Saryaab road is considered to be dominated by Baloch parties unanimously.

 

This is worth mentioning here that most of the students in Pashtoon and Baloch separates themselves with the parties of their respective institutes but still are bound to support them. A minority of settlers always faces serious problems under these circumstances in the educational institutions, almost all of the institutions enjoys political and tribal influence.

 

On broader perspective, University of Balochistan is also affected by the political and regional havoc happening in the past and lately. Last year, there was much noise on delaying the MSc exams just because of the three to four months study period entitled to the students but the vice chancellor at that time was not humble enough to concede this to the students. Almost all of the departments are badly shattered and their course is like never ending happening. The most affected are the students from the IMS(Institute of Management Sciences) department. According to them, the MBA that was expected to get accomplished eighteen months before, is still in progress. The students have no other way out but to pay for a course twice just because the first was left incomplete and university remained closed for months. The students are horrified with this and according to a third semester student, “We are almost stuck and trapped with this degree and our fellows in the other cities are already into the practical world”. Now we can not quit nor take our money back or to go and sought admission in other university, so the only resort we have is to continue swallowing this bitter tablet“. Because of the same constraints, the students who can or hardly can afford to migrate to other cities, prefer to seek their last academic or professional degree and certifications from the same city where they wish to start their careers and they do not find the conditions friendly in their birth place.

 

The scarcity of opportunities is an other addition to the list. Very few multinational companies are investing in Balochistan due to the uncertain conditions and those too consist in majority of pharmaceutical companies and leaving the province becomes must with this shortcoming and bleak scope and limited professional growth. The leftover are those who somehow manage themselves in these limited opportunities or have well back up provision and support from the family. This indeed is a serious concern for many authorities linking to these mishaps directly or indirectly and they have to determine their future measures with some thoughtful approach for the welfare of the students of Balochistan.

 

Cheating and horrible correction policies are also causing solemn fears in the student’s community. Good marks are considered a ‘lottery‘ or mercy of the checker and more emphasis is on just passing the exams and getting them through because it is quite clear to the students that the position holders are only from the influential backgrounds which unfortunately tends to get proven sometimes. These slackened them from working hard and jumping into a competition with open and fearless hearts. Girls again have no good chance to step out for good contest and extra_time education in the institutes leaving them behind from their peers and class mates in other cities and hence proving it to be true that small cities or villages always remain behind in every spheres which is disgusting and not bought by the writer. Henceforth, Big universities are reluctant to establish their campuses and the fee structures of contemporary private universities are beyond the reach to common masses.

 

In the present times, seeking a quality and good education has become a nightmare for the students. And if there are series of problems attached vis-a-vis education concerns, then the need arises to eradicate them all one by one from our society which is not that difficult if the concerns are well versed and aware to it and are in to put their serious efforts for the sake of the future builders of the country. There should not only be inter-provincial competition and when the way clears for the Balochistan students to tie the knots for inter-country competition, then they surely will prove their mettle to the people and the education bar in Pakistan undoubtedly would clamber much higher.