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| India-Pakistan |
| Empty chatter |
| 2015-07-09 |
| [DAWN] THE literacy rate declined by 2pc, reported the print media in mid-May quoting the Pakistain Standard of Living Measurement Survey. One would have expected the media and society to talk themselves hoarse and the political opposition to take advantage of the revelation. Nothing of the sort happened. Feeble mentions here and there were lost in the drumbeat of the metro's inaugural and the annual budget. No one thought of doing a talk show on why literacy declined. While celebrating the uninterrupted growth in foreign remittances for over 15 years, we turn a blind eye to the fact that children of overseas labourers are raised in the absence of fathers, young wives live without husbands and elderly parents have to do without children. The social consequences of remittances do not merit a talk show. While celebrating every year the increment in allocation for the Benazir Income Support Programme, the latter's impact on poverty alleviation is rarely debated. How about linking the programme to sending children to school? No talk show again. The katchi abadis and the homeless day labourers living on green belts and verandahs of shopping centres are also not worth a talk show. |
| Posted by:Fred |