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Whither are our values?
By Akhtar Payami
 Is it a sign of decadence to think of the values that our ancestors cherished not too long ago? Such problems do crop up when an unstable society is in a state of transition. This is particularly important in an ambience when the whole world is undergoing rapid transformation at a fast pace.
Take the example of China which has a recorded history of several centuries. It had its share of philosophers, saints and reformers. It also had a fabulously rich tradition of cultural norms and practices. Then it adopted a political system that ran counter to their ways of life. But the proud Chinese struck a balance between the old and the new.
This finally helped them to create a place for themselves in an inhospitable world of conflicts and contradictions. From Confucius to Marx, they have traversed a vast unchartered territory. Their wisdom has taught them to keep at bay emotional compulsions. They have learnt how to deal with Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Only a few years back when the youngsters from former East Pakistan arrived here after being uprooted from the land of their first choice, they brought with them a pattern of life nurtured by a culture steeped in old values. While travellingin public transport they would offer their seats to the old and the elderly. But things have changed now. Those very boys have lost touch with their past. They do not show respect to their elders. Not only that, they now make fun of old people.
Not too long ago that a colleague fell ill and his friend visited him at his house. It was just a courtesy call. But another colleague reprimanded him saying that he should forget such archaic values. He said, "Life is fast here. Nobody is under any obligation to indulge in such luxuries. The maximum that you could do was to call him. You should not disturb the rhythm of life in this fast moving commercial city. Moreover, what material benefit can you get by visiting an ordinary, poor co-worker?"
Do we remember Nobel Laureate Dr Abdus Salam ? After receiving his award, he went to Calcutta, called on the teacher who had taught him Physics and touched his feet. The teacher was a non-Muslim. The professor's show of humility and obedience had nothing to do with faith.
Such devotion and display of respect was not a hypocritical gesture. People in those days genuinely believed in those values.
Not that everything that belonged to the past was praiseworthy. Undue restrictions on the freedom of children cannot be condoned. The head of the family, who was the bread-giver, generally acted as a monarch. Every member of the family had to obey him without questioning his authority. He kept a vigilant eye on his offspring and minutely watched their movements. Thus the over-protected children, in many cases, lost confidence. Their faculties could not properly develop and their growth remained stunted.
The young generation of today is impatient and in great haste. Their restlessness forces them to take steps which may not be always desirable. In their quest to reach the top as quickly as possible, they often abandon the minimum requirements of a decent conduct. But the fault is not with the youngsters alone.
As the society is unstable, people belonging to all age-groups and all spheres of life have been affected by the affliction. There is an insane rush for climbing the social ladder by any means, fair or foul. It would be interesting and educative to observe how people in general behave in ordinary circumstances.
Consider, for example, the mad rush by the motorists to overtake others caring least for their own safety and the safety of others, particularly the pedestrians. Every day dozens of cases of traffic accidents, claiming many precious lives, are reported. Can't we wait for a few seconds to ease the congestion?
The fault really lies with our system. Nothing has changed during our long journey spreading over half a century since independence. We are so immersed inperipheral forms and rituals that we hardly care even to look beyond our own surroundings.
The structure of our society has not changed at all. That explains why many people in different parts of the country are still following the primitive norms and ways. It is hard to believe how and why the widely condemned karo-kari and honour killing rituals should be allowed to be practiced with such abandon.
It would be foolish to think that the fault lies with our stars. We should be strong enough to be able to carve our own destiny. We should realize that a nation can achieve nothing if it remains clogged in the contradictions of social behaviour.
On the one hand we ignore the genuine aspects of our rich tradition, on the other, we are ever prepared to emulate others. If we continue to struggle with the cobweb of social anomalies, we will never be able to make any progress.
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