The MDCAT results and the crisis of our collective...

Summary

• It was as though the students of Thar were not human beings but creatures from another world, as though their brains lacked the cells found in the brains of Karachi’s students; as though a student from Thar could never outperform a student from Karachi.
• If we want Karachi’s students to receive their due rights, we must secure those rights not by abusing students from Thar, but by correcting the weaknesses in Karachi’s education system.
• And congratulating a student from Thar on success does not diminish the hard work of a student from Karachi.

AI Generated Summary

Some time ago, when debate over the creation of new provinces in Pakistan intensified, a storm of opinion arose across the country. Some called it an administrative necessity, others opposed it. Some linked it to national development, while others viewed it through the lens of their political or regional priorities. In short, everyone expressed an opinion according to his or her own perspective.

In Sindh, however, the debate assumed a different character. Whether new provinces should be created is a separate and highly important question, but it is not the subject of this article. The real concern is the linguistic and regional divide that has once again emerged within Sindh as a result of this debate. The fear that efforts are being made to widen the distance between Sindhi- and Urdu-speaking citizens in Sindh is no longer merely a fear. On social media, extremely inappropriate, hateful and, at times, unspeakable language is being used against one another. As usual, a few mischief-makers have played their part in further poisoning the atmosphere. As a result, even people who have no personal disagreement with one another, and who have lived together for years in the same city, province and social system, have begun to view each other with suspicion.

Karachi, the economic center of Sindh and, for a long period, the provincial capital, appears to be suffering most from this tension. Many Urdu-speaking citizens living in Karachi are developing a general mistrust of people from the interior of Sindh, while similar prejudices against Karachi and its residents are being encouraged in other parts of the province, specially peripheries of Sindh. The roots of this situation run deep. In Karachi’s past politics, the hateful speeches and political methods of certain leaders strengthened linguistic divisions. In later periods, harsh and inflammatory language used by some nationalist political and non-political forces and various groups in the interior of Sindh deepened the divide further. Thus, the mistrust created between the two sides now risks being passed from one generation to the next.

The situation has reached the point where, whenever any incident occurs, whether or not it has any direct connection with linguistic or regional politics, a new wave of suspicion immediately begins. Karachi’s citizens feel that the Sindh government or people from the interior are deliberately treating them unjustly, while some circles in the interior hold similar generalized views about the people of Karachi.

This situation is not merely regrettable, it is dangerous.

We must not forget that we are all citizens of the same country, live in the same province and are connected to one another through our economic, social and human rights. Islam teaches equality, brotherhood and respect among human beings. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave us a clear concept of human equality: no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab, except through piety. Sadly, however, we have almost removed these teachings from our collective life.

A distressing manifestation of this same mental and social climate was witnessed after the recent MDCAT results.

Students from Thar achieved notable success, while some students from Karachi fell behind in the competition. Whether there was any irregularity, corruption or examination malpractice in the MDCAT results is a separate matter. If anyone has evidence, the relevant institutions should investigate it and establish the truth. That is their responsibility.