Thursday, May 29, 2008

Inspiratorium Says Take Daily Motivational Shower!! Hey, What’s Wrong With Pakistanis????

Last evening I got an opportunity to attend an inspirational talk at T2F, it suggested that Pakistanis need inspiration from within to make a difference and vision is sold with the brand name of ‘INSPIRATORIUM’, a talk ‘developed by a local organization development firm’.

Theme of initial preview talk was that Pakistani nation has a bigggggg problem and need to be fixed, it is not the education but change in mindset and value system can bring the revolutionary changes. Inspiratorium is an effort to inculcate new value system in the social body of Pakistani society……a passionate dream to make a difference.

Speaker also referred Japanese success story, a nation, with no resources have become economic superpower, because of their mindset. It reminded me of my recent visit to Japan, to me present day Japan is made possible because of the enlightened rule “Meiji Restoration” that ended 265 year old feudalistic Tokugawa shogunate. Pakistan has to get rid of status quo to see drastic change; it would come through political consciousness.

Inspirational talk in west is a high selling product, satisfying the need of fast paced distressed workers, exhausted by the rat race and pressure form the capitalist system.

Because of violence, distress, despair and pessimism, an effort is being made to sale the inspirational talk to hungry, shelter less, starved Pakistani hmmm or may be to sale it to fat and rich corporate sector clients. There is nothing wrong in selling any product to anyone if there is any demand. However, commercialization need to be separated from social change dream, may be it is western replica product ‘wearing social attire’ developed for corporate sector.

Anyways, during the motivational talk, I could not stop thinking about the questions such as what is really wrong with Pakistani nation. Why as a nation we are confused? And what is Pakistani identity. Thought process also reminded me of my favorite book ‘The Indus Saga’ and its first chapter ‘The Pakistani Identity’.

It also made me think that value system is developed over the period and it’s hard to change in short span of time. To me daily behavior sets the foundation for norm, leading to the creation of values that moves all the way to generations and become the part of overall culture.

It made me think that instead of daily inspirational shower, the nation needs good governance, change in system, to break the status quo, rather than being inspirational at individual level. It’s the collective political and social consciousness that brings change and it requires continuation of democracy and political process, media freedom. This may involve people in sociopolitical affairs rather than being inspirational materialist, locked in rat race and blind to social surroundings, just like a hungry consumer, churning for more I see more I need.

At times, I get to hear stupid judgments from my so called ‘pseudo intellectual’ educated friends, at times in discussion they even do not know the cultural background of Balochistan or even the geography or without knowing the basics of Balochistan, yet they pass political judgment. At times they raise slogans that may make them look cool, such as, wearing Che Guevara T Shirt, without knowing Che’s ideals.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent post! I ended up here from Google searching for Inspiratorium.

I agree with your analysis of things. The thing that actually compelled me to post a comment was "The Indus Saga". Oh I love that book too. Though I have only read only parts of it, but it definitely shows us the true identity of who we, the Pakistanis, are.

What Aitzaz has written in his book is the right medicine, the right direction for our (now) utterly confused nation!

Imran Baloch said...

Hey Sawant glad to read your reply. I always liked Indus Saga, i agree Aitazaz's has prescribed the right medicine.

Regards
Imran