Every year on 14th August the Independence Day, the Government of Pakistan bestows highest Civil Awards both to Pakistanis and foreigners having performed extraordinary high in different fields. This year Foreign Minister’s Honour Award, among other, has been given to two Pakistanis working in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
2. The official detail for the award has been given that these two gentlemen during Covid-19 “coordinated with Pakistan Embassy” and distributed 2,500 bags of dry ration to needy families including 1,500 to Pakistanis in Bahrain under the banner of a Party which on a specific day weekly distributs Biryani (rice meat popuar sub-continent dish) amongst needy workers.
3. I am living in Bahrain since four decades. Though I have never been associated with any local community association or NGO etc yet, for some reason, I have a large social network. For the first time I have come to know names of those honoured two gentlemen. Their photographs are unfamiliar to me. I checked with two past community leaders, senior citizens born here, they too are ignorant of these two names. Now after the awards through net earch, I found the names of those Biryani dstrbutors hardly approximately once a year in the archieve of the local newspapers.
4. The local Bahraini most popular English daily keeps on regularly almost once a fortnight highlighting plights in one form or the other of expatriate low paid labourers working in Bahrain. For example, on 3 October 2019 the Daily highlighted the miseries of a group of some 30 labourers from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan not getting salaries since months. The Indian Social Forum Kerala Chapter in Bahrain came forward to help those destitutes and the Indian Community Relief Fund affiliated with the Indian Embassy provided essential logistic needs to them (including Pakistanis). The Daily also covered plight of another group of Indian, Bangladesh and Pakistani labourers a few months back when Indian community workers including Indian “officials” came forward to look after all of them. I can’t instantly newpaper trace reference to that. I don’t recall having seen the name of this “Biryani” group coming forward to help above unpaid among those Pakistanis affected if not all. The truth is since 10-15 years there is no collective community-work concept left amongst the Pakistanis here in Bahrain. Pakistani elders here did marvelous community work in 1950s, 60s and 70s. Most of them have today either died or are too old. The middle aged ones, after getting Bahraini nationality thanks to this welfare state, are today more busy in their own welfare and thus Pakistani community generally is a herd without a sheprd. That is why hardly any Pakistani community activity comes to the knowledge through press.
5. Were these 2500 food bags from “Biryan” group of 50-60 kgs each to cover a family’s a month needs? A pipe’s dream! 28 October 2019 the largest English daily of Bahrain covered this Biryani group distributing “a month” ration to 45 Indians, Bangladeshi and Pakistani unpaid labourers. As such charity work how minimal it may be is not complete without a photograph for “record”, the photograph showed 26 men receiving a small heap of food materal nakedly visible hardly to meet 45 men’s one or maximum two days needs. A few months back the newpaper published a photograph showing three fruit empty cartoons; two filled with packets of Biryani and one with some apples put on the back of a car with open dicky proudly presented by a such a fame seeker group. The two cartoons must have the most 30-35 packs of Biryani. I am puzzled as to why the large network of local Bahraini press did not cover 2,500 bags distribution?
6. Knowing the psych of the Pakistani familities generally and extremely annoying facility of “24/7 free mobiles local calls”, it would had like a jungle fire spread from one mouth to another ear distribution of free food bags. But it was never heard of. Last month after a funeral, I enquired from the attendees. None confirmed he himself or anyone known to him received this aid-package. 2,500 is not a small number.
7. Keeping in view the nakedly visible quantity of dry ration claimed for “a month” distributed end October 2019 by the group, one can easily imagine how much quantity would had been per bag to 2,500 families distributed fetching Pakistan Independence Award. Irrespective of the fact what was the real value of distributed food to each family, can it be termed in any way an extraordinary service to humanity in Covid-19? What can real be a service in extreme situation like that of Covid-19? The example can be given that of Indian Samajan Club which chartered 8-10 flights to take stranded Indians affected due to Covid-19 back to their home in India. This was a real service. The real service was Philippines Embassy giving to every Filipio in Bahrain BD 75.000 in this extreme difficulty. World is unanimous that Doctors and paramedics are the front line hereos in relation to Covid-19. There are hundreds of Pakistani doctors and paramedics in Bahrain who stood on the front line with the State of the Kingdom of Barain in its fight against the deadly disease. One of them should had been an honest recommendation and nomination. During the last 4-5 months, I have not seen any Doctor physically examining a patient. Doctors keep the patient at quite distance, just listen them and based on patient’s narration give medicines. Administrative staff does not even touch appointment paper or visitor’s Identity Card. In such situation I saw repeatedly one Pakistani doctor here, examining each and every patient physically by laying the patient on the bed, use stethoscope, examine ears, throat, eye ball rolling etc not caring about himself but more the patient as per his orthodox oath. More than Biryani service, to me he, and anyone else from hundreds of unsung heros should had been the one honoured.
8. Since about five decades each successive Government in Pakistan under political compulsions more vigorously abused true merit in every field may that be appointments or admissions in educational institutions. Last month hearing a petition against appointment of the provincial ombudsman, Chief Justice Lahore High Court observed that on the criteria the ombudsman was appointed, his peon/office-boy having no knowledge of law at all could too be appointed as the ombudsman. We know that there is a “punch line” in every news item which only the visionary eyes of a serious reader can catch. The punch line in the official hand out is two small routine text word “connected with” standing merit for the highest honour and Award for the two Biryani distributors.
2. The official detail for the award has been given that these two gentlemen during Covid-19 “coordinated with Pakistan Embassy” and distributed 2,500 bags of dry ration to needy families including 1,500 to Pakistanis in Bahrain under the banner of a Party which on a specific day weekly distributs Biryani (rice meat popuar sub-continent dish) amongst needy workers.
3. I am living in Bahrain since four decades. Though I have never been associated with any local community association or NGO etc yet, for some reason, I have a large social network. For the first time I have come to know names of those honoured two gentlemen. Their photographs are unfamiliar to me. I checked with two past community leaders, senior citizens born here, they too are ignorant of these two names. Now after the awards through net earch, I found the names of those Biryani dstrbutors hardly approximately once a year in the archieve of the local newspapers.
4. The local Bahraini most popular English daily keeps on regularly almost once a fortnight highlighting plights in one form or the other of expatriate low paid labourers working in Bahrain. For example, on 3 October 2019 the Daily highlighted the miseries of a group of some 30 labourers from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan not getting salaries since months. The Indian Social Forum Kerala Chapter in Bahrain came forward to help those destitutes and the Indian Community Relief Fund affiliated with the Indian Embassy provided essential logistic needs to them (including Pakistanis). The Daily also covered plight of another group of Indian, Bangladesh and Pakistani labourers a few months back when Indian community workers including Indian “officials” came forward to look after all of them. I can’t instantly newpaper trace reference to that. I don’t recall having seen the name of this “Biryani” group coming forward to help above unpaid among those Pakistanis affected if not all. The truth is since 10-15 years there is no collective community-work concept left amongst the Pakistanis here in Bahrain. Pakistani elders here did marvelous community work in 1950s, 60s and 70s. Most of them have today either died or are too old. The middle aged ones, after getting Bahraini nationality thanks to this welfare state, are today more busy in their own welfare and thus Pakistani community generally is a herd without a sheprd. That is why hardly any Pakistani community activity comes to the knowledge through press.
5. Were these 2500 food bags from “Biryan” group of 50-60 kgs each to cover a family’s a month needs? A pipe’s dream! 28 October 2019 the largest English daily of Bahrain covered this Biryani group distributing “a month” ration to 45 Indians, Bangladeshi and Pakistani unpaid labourers. As such charity work how minimal it may be is not complete without a photograph for “record”, the photograph showed 26 men receiving a small heap of food materal nakedly visible hardly to meet 45 men’s one or maximum two days needs. A few months back the newpaper published a photograph showing three fruit empty cartoons; two filled with packets of Biryani and one with some apples put on the back of a car with open dicky proudly presented by a such a fame seeker group. The two cartoons must have the most 30-35 packs of Biryani. I am puzzled as to why the large network of local Bahraini press did not cover 2,500 bags distribution?
6. Knowing the psych of the Pakistani familities generally and extremely annoying facility of “24/7 free mobiles local calls”, it would had like a jungle fire spread from one mouth to another ear distribution of free food bags. But it was never heard of. Last month after a funeral, I enquired from the attendees. None confirmed he himself or anyone known to him received this aid-package. 2,500 is not a small number.
7. Keeping in view the nakedly visible quantity of dry ration claimed for “a month” distributed end October 2019 by the group, one can easily imagine how much quantity would had been per bag to 2,500 families distributed fetching Pakistan Independence Award. Irrespective of the fact what was the real value of distributed food to each family, can it be termed in any way an extraordinary service to humanity in Covid-19? What can real be a service in extreme situation like that of Covid-19? The example can be given that of Indian Samajan Club which chartered 8-10 flights to take stranded Indians affected due to Covid-19 back to their home in India. This was a real service. The real service was Philippines Embassy giving to every Filipio in Bahrain BD 75.000 in this extreme difficulty. World is unanimous that Doctors and paramedics are the front line hereos in relation to Covid-19. There are hundreds of Pakistani doctors and paramedics in Bahrain who stood on the front line with the State of the Kingdom of Barain in its fight against the deadly disease. One of them should had been an honest recommendation and nomination. During the last 4-5 months, I have not seen any Doctor physically examining a patient. Doctors keep the patient at quite distance, just listen them and based on patient’s narration give medicines. Administrative staff does not even touch appointment paper or visitor’s Identity Card. In such situation I saw repeatedly one Pakistani doctor here, examining each and every patient physically by laying the patient on the bed, use stethoscope, examine ears, throat, eye ball rolling etc not caring about himself but more the patient as per his orthodox oath. More than Biryani service, to me he, and anyone else from hundreds of unsung heros should had been the one honoured.
8. Since about five decades each successive Government in Pakistan under political compulsions more vigorously abused true merit in every field may that be appointments or admissions in educational institutions. Last month hearing a petition against appointment of the provincial ombudsman, Chief Justice Lahore High Court observed that on the criteria the ombudsman was appointed, his peon/office-boy having no knowledge of law at all could too be appointed as the ombudsman. We know that there is a “punch line” in every news item which only the visionary eyes of a serious reader can catch. The punch line in the official hand out is two small routine text word “connected with” standing merit for the highest honour and Award for the two Biryani distributors.
