Way forward for Hunza
By Inzimam Ullah
I have always wondered why the “98% literate “Hunzukuz” lack basic amenities of life in 21st century, like drinking water, electricity, health!
Is it because of the shortage of funds which elected representatives receive from the divisible pool? Or is it the non-utilization of funds by any means? Too much dependency and over expectations from NGOs? Nager district today simmers with light, when Hunza is in pitch dark. There is definitely a lesson from Nagar District valley. Making a close examination of the twin districts separated by the river Indus, at least in the area of electricity generation and sufficiency besides many others, Nagar District is to be looked-up in a positive way. This should serve as a watershed event. It’s high time people of Hunza especially the younger generation and the civil society does some serious introspection on what went wrong in the first place .
The panacea to our problems rests with us .Its high time to ask ourselves some tough questions. (1) Have we repeatedly been electing representatives who are just there to make earnings for themselves? Contrary to the ideals of democracy, where the authority of an elected representative is a sacred trust bestowed to him by his voters and is accountable to them. (2) Our obsession with NGOs-for which our own intellectuals have been the front men? Making people feel as if NGOs have a responsibility to serve people’s needs, not the state. Perhaps a late realization if there is a genuine intent this time yet again. Arundhati Roy the famed Indian Novelist has to say about NGOs, “Greater the number of (I)NGO’s larger the destruction of Neo-liberalism.”
To sum it up there is definitely a death of political leadership and absence of political consciousness in our society. New faces should come forward with some ideally fresh blood that has a strong conviction of politics; in its essence serving people rather than making it a 9-5 job. Secondly, giving up our obsession with NGOs over a course of time and pushing forward for our due rights collectively.
Today, we ought to work collectively as one unit, with ambition and not despair; not in terms of hollow slogans but positive activism to remove darkness and to bring prosperity.
“Let us hope for bright future; every dark cloud has a silver lining”
Or as Shelly says in his poem “Ode to the west wind”
The trumpet of a prophecy!
O wind’ if winter comes,
Can spring be for behind.
