Eid is approaching. Ramadan is
bestowing upon us its blessings. We see delicious dishes piled up high on dining
table at Iftar. The old, the young and children; all are extracting from Ramadan
what, according to them, should be extracted. Everyone seems self-satisfied with
endurance of hunger and thirst in order to achieve an ultimate success in the
world hereafter. Yet, at another side of the city, there are destitute fellows
who are begging for food with sparkling eyes, trembling bodies and vanishing
hopes. There are two different societies living across the bridge. One have much
to boast off, the other have nothing to survive. Therefore, blessings of the
holy month have different meanings and prospects for them. For one, the Eid will
bring spontaneous laughter, pompous celebrations and, perhaps, another way to
outshine. While on the other hand, banal expressions, worn out bones, and above
all, inferiority complex will surface. How strange to see blessings of Eid so
discriminatory .
Surely, we have made them so. It is we who are responsible to create gap between
the rich and the poor. We have started a race which the poor fail to catch up.
The more they try to run fast, the more they are pushed back. This is how our
social order is operating. From the young to the elderly, all are equally
contributing to create economic bifurcations within society. Perhaps, we have
fallen a prey to superiority complex. We are so unfortunate that we are
dependent upon our megalomaniac instincts to feel happiness. Our happiness has
become relative to our social status. If we are low born, we will try to uplift
ourselves to catch up our next neighbor. And if we are born with silver spoon,
we will utilize every means to subdue others. In both cases, we have linked our
happiness to our relative position with respect to others. Therefore, we just
want to overtake others, no matter at any cost.
Resultantly, we see manifestations of extravagant style in our society,
particularly in the upper class. The parents control the subconscious of their
offspring. They program various models of cars, self-set living standards and
various techniques to show off in the very minds of their progeny. Instead of
coming to standstill, this process perpetuates from one generation to another.
Therefore, the most holy days are celebrated in the worst way. Whether it is
Ramadan or the Eid, we celebrate for the sake of hollow happiness. Most of the
Iftar parties are arranged to strengthen personal contacts and advertise
monetary power. The needy are far from conception in such parties.
Therefore, instead of boasting of our affluence and satisfying our avarice for
superiority, we should lift up the needy and the wreck fellows to an average
status, if not to ours. Moreover, we should make them learn how to catch a fish.
Therefore, instead of extravagance, we should manage our finance well to
establish small institutions like vocational training centers, small enterprises
and cottage industry. Such institutions will play their role in capacity
building of the down-trodden strata of society. If we invest our resources and
energies to address poverty and its causes, we will be able to re-orient our
society on more just lines. It calls for redistribution of wealth and resources
which further requires practicable mechanism to do so. It should be born in mind
that concentration of wealth in a few hands will ultimately lead us to disaster.
Hence, Ramadan and the coming Eid are reminder to remember the poor and to
realize a just social order.