The mythology that has been
sold to the entire Muslim world and especially in Pakistan is that our ills stem
for our backwardness in science and technology. Hence science and technology in
Pakistan has become the holy grail for progress and development , shunting out
the social sciences.
Everyone is willing to invest in science and technology. Funds were lavished on
science and technology. We have made the atomb bomb , we have made missiles ,
but we have not be able to ensure that the plug for a mobile charger fits snugly
in the wall socket. Each one of us goes around from one point to another trying
to find a socket wherein the plug will snugly fit without sparks. But this
deterioration in plug’s quality has happened only over the last twenty years
despite all the funds lavished on science and technology.
Another example of covered drains. We studied in our history books that 5,000
years ago cities of the ancient civilizations of Harappa and Moenjodaro used to
have covered drains and streets bisecting at right angles. We have successful in
making atom bombs and missiles but have not been able to master the technology
that can build or maintain covered drains or build cities with streets bisecting
at right angles.
I think the reason for our backwardness is not that we are backward in science
and technology but because we are backward in our social ethics. We are backward
because we de-emphasizing social science and technology.
Only by becoming a better human being , a better citizen who is socially
interactive , can we get out of the malaise that afflicts us. Let us go for
promotion of social sciences