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Soldiers replace Taliban as ideal of Swat youth
Monday, June 28, 2010
Ghulam Dastageer
DRUSHKHELA, Swat: At a time when war psyche has obsessed the children of Swat, the establishment of child protection centres (CPCs) as part of a Unicef-funded project in various union councils of Swat will go a long way in helping them overcome the trauma of war.
When Taliban were calling the shots in scenic Swat Valley, children would play the Fauji-Talib by making two rival groups of soldiers and militants to start a mock fight with their toy weapons. Civil society activists in Swat recalled that at that time the kids would idealise Taliban and the group of children posing as militants would emerge triumphant in the fight.
Now the situation is altogether different. If one asks students about their choice of career majority of them would opt for joining the army. When asked about the reason to join army, they say with sheer innocence that the soldiers had cleansed their homeland of the brutal Taliban who were once their heroes.
Joining army is not a bad idea, rather it is a great service to the nation, but in Swat it seems that children do not have any desire to serve the nation. Instead the feelings of revenge dominate their innocent minds, which is not a good omen for the days to come.
Nobody says he wants to become a doctor, engineer, educationist, police officer or judge, a local, who wished not to be named, said, posing a query that if everybody joined army how would the social system, which needs skilled persons for every trade, run?
Keeping in mind the abovementioned approach of Swati children, the establishment of child protection centres is no less than a blessing. There are 30 CPCs, three each in 10 union councils, where over 3,000 kids are imparted informal education. Besides, the CPCs provide employment opportunities to local people.
The children who used to play war games now make drawings of national flag, holy places of Muslims, sceneries of picturesque Swat Valley, etc, in-charge of the CPC in Bara Drushkhela, Ms Nageena, told The News.
Standing beside a small court of badminton where kids were playing, she said the centre imparted formal education from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its a friendly space for children. We engage them in healthy activities at the time of their leisure, she said.
A chat with seven-year-old Imad Hasan, a student of 2nd grade at a local private school now enrolled in the CPC, lent credence to the assertion of Ms Nageena. He said he loved to come to the centre, most probably because there was no traditional educational system of Danda culture (corporal punishment) there.
Another centre at Piya village in Fatehpur Union Council at Madyan was also providing informal education to over 300 children.Muhammad Afzal, the 47-year-old former nazim of the Fatehpur Union Council, is hopeful that the establishment of CPCs would help children refrain from indulginng in anti-social activities. Our children would wander in the area and some began involved in criminal activities. Now they have a friendly space to use their energies in healthy activities, he said.
Afzal said more such centres should be established bearing in mind the fact that educational activities in Swat have yet to be fully revived. Militants had destroyed or damaged 401 schools in Swat region. Presently, most of the schools in Swat are housed in tents. Around 202 of the 226 partially damaged schools have been repaired while only six of the 175 destroyed schools have been reconstructed.
Soldiers replace Taliban as ideal of Swat youth
Nice to see kids, having a bright future, and having faith in the Pakistan army!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Ghulam Dastageer
DRUSHKHELA, Swat: At a time when war psyche has obsessed the children of Swat, the establishment of child protection centres (CPCs) as part of a Unicef-funded project in various union councils of Swat will go a long way in helping them overcome the trauma of war.
When Taliban were calling the shots in scenic Swat Valley, children would play the Fauji-Talib by making two rival groups of soldiers and militants to start a mock fight with their toy weapons. Civil society activists in Swat recalled that at that time the kids would idealise Taliban and the group of children posing as militants would emerge triumphant in the fight.
Now the situation is altogether different. If one asks students about their choice of career majority of them would opt for joining the army. When asked about the reason to join army, they say with sheer innocence that the soldiers had cleansed their homeland of the brutal Taliban who were once their heroes.
Joining army is not a bad idea, rather it is a great service to the nation, but in Swat it seems that children do not have any desire to serve the nation. Instead the feelings of revenge dominate their innocent minds, which is not a good omen for the days to come.
Nobody says he wants to become a doctor, engineer, educationist, police officer or judge, a local, who wished not to be named, said, posing a query that if everybody joined army how would the social system, which needs skilled persons for every trade, run?
Keeping in mind the abovementioned approach of Swati children, the establishment of child protection centres is no less than a blessing. There are 30 CPCs, three each in 10 union councils, where over 3,000 kids are imparted informal education. Besides, the CPCs provide employment opportunities to local people.
The children who used to play war games now make drawings of national flag, holy places of Muslims, sceneries of picturesque Swat Valley, etc, in-charge of the CPC in Bara Drushkhela, Ms Nageena, told The News.
Standing beside a small court of badminton where kids were playing, she said the centre imparted formal education from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its a friendly space for children. We engage them in healthy activities at the time of their leisure, she said.
A chat with seven-year-old Imad Hasan, a student of 2nd grade at a local private school now enrolled in the CPC, lent credence to the assertion of Ms Nageena. He said he loved to come to the centre, most probably because there was no traditional educational system of Danda culture (corporal punishment) there.
Another centre at Piya village in Fatehpur Union Council at Madyan was also providing informal education to over 300 children.Muhammad Afzal, the 47-year-old former nazim of the Fatehpur Union Council, is hopeful that the establishment of CPCs would help children refrain from indulginng in anti-social activities. Our children would wander in the area and some began involved in criminal activities. Now they have a friendly space to use their energies in healthy activities, he said.
Afzal said more such centres should be established bearing in mind the fact that educational activities in Swat have yet to be fully revived. Militants had destroyed or damaged 401 schools in Swat region. Presently, most of the schools in Swat are housed in tents. Around 202 of the 226 partially damaged schools have been repaired while only six of the 175 destroyed schools have been reconstructed.
Soldiers replace Taliban as ideal of Swat youth
Nice to see kids, having a bright future, and having faith in the Pakistan army!