Some things in life leave indelible impressions on the mind, heart and even soul; especially during the impressionable age of four to ten years. At this age the mind is clear like a clean slate, the heart at the height of sensitivity and the soul at its purest. A word, a phrase, a tune or anything that appeals to anyone of our five senses; goes down deep like a seed, sown in the soil of mind, to appear at a given time in the form of a plant of that particular species.
It was in my early school days, grade 3 to be precise, that I used to gaze at a framed quote, by whom? I don’t know to this day. ‘When wealth is lost, nothing is lost - when health is lost, something is lost - when character is lost, everything is lost.’ In my child’s mind, I would try to decipher the message conveyed through these words. The wealth part was partly understandable, the health piece was completely convincing but the ‘character’ bit was beyond my developing comprehension. I asked my class teacher, my mother and father, who in their different ways tried explaining ‘character’ to me. The seed had taken root. It sprouted during my high school days, after having read history, stories about the lives of great men and, of course, by listening to
| The poor became rich. The rich became richer. So there were two rich classes now who were vying to surpass each other - the rich and the new rich. Due to their nouveau backgrounds something had to happen. And it did happen. In this clash of the titans, the new rich, having no qualms and scruples, came out the winners but in the process beautiful and innocent things like values and traditions were crushed. |
deeni (religious) narratives of my ever loving grand mother, who always explained everything by referring to God’s word. I had begun understanding the definition of character and the line ‘when character is lost, everything is lost.’
Over the years, I began to see light and it is now glaring with its full force. After partition, while resetting and decorating our newfound home, Pakistan, someone, somehow hung that frame of my childhood classroom upside down and it still hangs that way on the wall. It now reads ‘when character is lost, nothing is lost - when health is lost, something is lost - when wealth is lost, everything is lost.’ While the health part is the same even today - wealth has taken the place of character and this has made all the difference. This is the malaise from which we as a nation are suffering. And it will continue so, till someone, somehow straightens out this frame on the wall. Or shall we call it the writing on the wall? Symptoms of this malady are too many but the ultimately diagnostic report shows overwhelmingly the ailment being CLDS (Character Loss and Deficiency Syndrome).
It’s in the genes they say. Those who say this can’t be wrong. There used to be, I am told by my senior family members, a Cantonment Executive Officer in pre-partition days, Mr. Nasir, posted in Sialkot. One of his contractors, on a Sunday, came calling on him at his official residence. The contractor had come with a ‘Dali’- a big wicker basket full of assorted fruits - a present for the sahib and his family. He frowned when told about the contractor’s coming to his home instead of his office and totally lost his cool when he was offered the ‘Dali’, his remarks being; that the contract to be awarded to him apparently was on merit but the offer of ‘gift’ set him thinking that the job would not be done as honestly and efficiently as he had expected. He had his reservations about the contract. He sent the man packing as the sahib had considered the gift a bribe. One of this gentleman’s sons, Jamshed Nasir was the general manager in the sales department of an oil company in the very recent past. There are stories about him still amongst his colleagues and those who served under him - just one of them being, about his official visit to Lahore, where one of the local dealers offered him a cold drink, which being thirsty he accepted in good grace but then insisted and did pay for it from his official daily allowance. So who could afford to indulge in dishonesty of any sort with such people around? They not only had character but also instilled it into others by their very actions. Another story of another very close relation, the Late Justice Ata Muhammed Jan of Lahore High Court - year 1953. His very own son and a nephew of his go for a special morning show (at half rates) of the classic film Quo Vardis, on a bicycle. On their way back they are challaned for double riding. Coming home they go to the High Court Justice with great confidence and relate the incident expecting him to tear the challan slip and telephone someone. He takes the slip - half the mission accomplished - scrutinises it but does not tear it. And the dialogue goes “do you know where this court number 6 is located”? No, sir. “Find it out, go there, pay the fine and show me the receipt.” A very deflated and sheepish “yes sir.” “So now tell me about the film, isn’t it about Rome and Nero?” These were the people who were character based and they inculcated it in others who were in contact with them.
But what happened along the way? A contract awarding sahib would feel offended if his contractors do not visit him at home in their shiny cars to pay respect to him as it goes towards impressing the neighbours. And they would feel very highly offended ‘if’ - and a big If - they come empty handed as this act deprives their families of luxuries they cannot afford within their own salaries. When did this change creep in? In fact, it trickled down. Like it’s in the genes. In a family it’s the head, the father, who sets examples. In a country it’s the people at the top, the rulers, who do the same.
What, where and when was the starting point of this ill? In our speeding advancement towards gains, gains and more gains if we look into our rear view mirror, we clearly see the silhouette of ‘greed.’ As to when and where; it started immediately after partition. There was a lot of evacuee property in Pakistan to be allotted to the refugees coming from India. Genuine claims were shadowed by false claims to the extent, that locals, who were not even refugees filed claims and from their humble abodes landed into fully furnished and stocked bungalows. There are innumerable rags to riches stories in this context. The already well-to-do also joined the ‘gold rush.’ They had better contacts. The poor became rich. The rich became richer. So there were two rich classes now who were vying to surpass each other - the rich and the new rich. Due to their nouveau backgrounds something had to happen. And it did happen. In this clash of the titans, the new rich, having no qualms and scruples, came out the winners but in the process beautiful and innocent things like values and traditions were crushed.
Pomp and show replaced intrinsic and inherent talent and merit. All evils could now spread their branches and flourish as the greatest of all immune systems, character - the built in self correcting device, got lost somewhere. Evils like corruption, nepotism, smuggling, land grabbing mafias, timber, water and you name it mafias and now even the life sustaining wheat and atta mafia - unheard of in this agricultural land of ours - has come into being. The doers of these evils have justifications like the people in the time of Hazrat Shoaib AS “we have to take care of our families.”
We have been led astray from our deen (religion) by those very people who were to set examples. Today, a child in his classroom does not see such wall hangings anymore. In his or her formative years he or she sees, forced tuition classes in order to pass exams, bribery - from bringing gifts for teaches to cash for better marks by the example setting parents. Overheard near a bungalow in F-8, 3 in Islamabad where some children were gathered one afternoon “Yaar we have five air conditioners in our house but our monthly electricity bill never exceeds Rs. 600 a month” this being said with pride and reflecting the authority, power or prowess of the child’s father.
Loss of character has left us wide open and susceptible to every possible ailment destructive to individual and society. Is there anyone who can find our lost character, anyone, who can correct the frame on the wall? All is yet not lost.
