Stumbled across this hilarious gem of a song by legendary Indian composer Madan Mohan from the first film he ever composed for. The film was Aankhen, the year was 1950. The singers are the vocal giants Shamshad Begum and Mukesh. The song is timeless, and nothing if not pertinent to Pakistani politics these days.
By the way, the news today is that Sindh University has asked the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to be given further two months (TWO MONTHS!) to verify the degrees under its purview. That can mean one of two things. One, that the Sindh educational bureaucracy is really as inefficient as everyone thinks it is. OR. Or two, that after failing to delay the inevitable coming to light of fake degrees by using all manner of underhand pressure tactics (such as blackmailing the HEC Chairman by arresting his brother and raiding his home and threatening other education department staffers), the government has decided to employ this latest tactic of postponing the issue. I really don't feel like discussing this complicated and sordid business any further (yes, it's not a simple black and white case as columnist Mosharraf Zaidi eloquently explains here). But I am quite happy to make light of it, for God knows we need some light in our lives.
So here's to you, Babar Awan.
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4 comments:
Actually, Zaidi takes a fairly black and white point of view himself:
Talking about fake degrees and doing so ad infinitum means that you are either so emotional that you've lost sight of reason or it means that you actively wish to aid and abet the demonisation and de-legitimisation of Pakistani politicians. Neither is acceptable.
Someone can condemn the cheating that is destroying our society without wishing to demonise anyone.
@Sultan: "Someone can condemn the cheating that is destroying our society without wishing to demonise anyone."
On this I will agree with you. Actually, the problem is in how you look at the issue. On a purely simple level, the issue is fairly straightforward: people who committed fraud to get where they are in positions of power, should be condemned and taken to task. I have no doubts about that. The complication is that there is also merit in the point that questions why these forgery cases were kept pending for years in the courts - some of them from the 2002 elections - and only brought up once a the military was no longer in direct power. I have no doubt that that too was done because the courts were unwilling to challenge military authority. Now, when it has become useful to expose these people, the military 'allows' such cases to be decided and the courts follow once again. Nevertheless, I agree with you that the principle still stands.
what.a.fabulous.song. have no channels picked on it for a skit yet?
Wow!!!! powefull song!!!!!
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