Chowrangi

Cable operators and transporters in Pakistan belong to the same group of people, who come into this profession because of having no education, ethics and honesty. Because of their specific evil traits, they are a very easy leverage in the hands of any government, and governments can use them very easily and efficiently in the required times. Those times may be when government needs vehicles to bring paid people to its garish public meetings, or those could be the times when regime needs to ban the cable channels.

The most tangible and deeply felt component of the recently imposed emergency is the ban on news channels. People had grown accustomed to getting their news and views from these channels, and channels like GEO, ARYONEWORLD, AAJ, BBC, CNN and plethora of others were doing a nice job of educating the people. This is not the first emergency in Pakistan, but the strength of reaction in masses is unique, because people are now aware of their rights and the importance of constitution and democracy more than ever.

Just after watching Buddhist monks protesting against a military regime in Myanmar, and viewing the condemnation from all over the world over the military regime in Myanmar, its really hard for Pakistanis to accept and digest what’s going on, expect for the people like Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Ejaz-ul-haq, Fazl-ur-Rehman, and Jamat-e-Islami.

After the closure of Pakistani channels on the cables, now Indian channels have occupied every flick of the button. I just counted some 30+ Indian channels. They may be pertinent to what the want to and accustomed to see in India, but for me they are just very heavy and in a sense very sinister. Semi nude girls, Hindi script, strange Urdu like dialogues, lewd songs, absence dances, wretched soap operas, musical contests, dance competitions and crap like that was all that I found on virtually every channel. Even the Indian Sports channels are very heavy to bear for us.

I don’t want to learn about Dewali, and I don’t want to know about how they pray in temples, and I don’t want to know what Manmohan Singh is saying, and I don’t want to watch the documentary on Amitabh Bachan. I don’t want to watch Indian movies, and I don’t want to listen to Banday Matram. I simply don’t want to watch Indian channels. I don’t pay for them. If Pakistani channels are not allowed in Pakistan, than Indian channels shouldn’t be allowed either. I am afraid of the day, when they would allow Indians here, and Pakistani won’t be allowed.

Other posts by Commoner

• India Wants People, Who are Not There - December 3rd, 2008
• Test For US to Lower Tension - December 3rd, 2008
• Not So Grave - December 2nd, 2008
• Adil Najam: A Mumbaikar? - December 2nd, 2008
• Save Karachi - December 1st, 2008
• Belligerency Won't Take us Anywhere - December 1st, 2008
• Careless Approach by Nuclear India - November 30th, 2008
• Indo-Pak Tension - November 30th, 2008
• India Should Solve Its Own Problems - November 29th, 2008
• Implicating ISI in Mumbai Attacks - November 29th, 2008