Death is but a temporary fading
We shall go on after taking a breath.
-Meer Taqi Meer
In the medieval morality play of the same name, the title character Everyman is visited by Death who informs him that it is time. Everyman pleads for mercy, protests that he is not ready but to no avail, Death informs him that he must make the journey but tells him that he may take a companion with him.
Recently a spate of publications on primary level education sector in Pakistan have highlighted the facts that a) percentage of children going to private schools in Pakistan has risen rapidly to about 1/3rd of total by now, b) private schools are not just in urban areas but in rural as well, and c) private schools are not just for the rich and even the poor can afford fees of Rs 50-100 per month. read more…
In this article Ali Hashmi talks about the Progressive Movement in the IndoPak and the role of Faiz Ahmad Faiz in it. The article is written in Urdu and can be accessed through the PDF download below.
My high regard for our national cricketing hero and philanthropist, Imran Khan declined a few notches when a friend forwarded me an article written by him (or in his name) called ‘Why the West craves Materialism and the East sticks to Religion’. This has apparently been circulating for a few months and is prominently posted on several Islamic websites. No wonder, since the essay is an unabashed (and ill informed) defense of religious orthodoxy with some awkward, and factually inaccurate, jabs at Science and Reason. read more…
