Sons of the Soil!

The land you reside on is like your mother. It feeds you, allows you to play, learn, and grow. Like a real mother, it teaches you and helps you grow into an educated or skilled young man.

Dr. Munawar Aziz

But suddenly, the young man, attracted by the charms of the West, decides to leave his mother when she needs him most. He starts criticizing his own mother, calling her dirty, stinking, and ugly!

This is what is happening today. Our young generation, instead of going abroad to learn and then returning to implement the good things they’ve learned, start blaming the older generation for all the faults and problems. When asked why they don’t come back to face the challenges and help bring about change in their fields of expertise, their response is almost always: “We will come back when things are better!”

Why don’t they realize that if everyone thinks the same, how will change ever occur? There are, however, many young people who go abroad, learn new techniques, and return to face the hardships. Ultimately, they succeed and contribute positively to their motherland.

When we talk about medical doctors, there are countless examples of those who, after studying in their homeland, went abroad to further their education and acquire the latest skills. In the end, they returned to serve and earn in their native country.
Medical care in our country is much cheaper than in many other parts of the world, especially the West, where for simple tests and procedures, one has to wait months, sometimes even years!

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet patients from abroad who came here for tests like MRIs. According to one patient, “I couldn’t wait six months for the test and remain anxious all that time, or I would have gone mad.” His tests were completed to his satisfaction within two days.

It is never too late to reconsider and plan to contribute your skills to the motherland, which made you capable of being accepted abroad in the first place.

I agree there are issues at every level of society and government that discourage young expatriates from returning and settling here, despite the government’s big claims. But one must be present to help rectify these problems; otherwise, things will never improve.
The West also faced such hurdles and difficulties for centuries before implementing a workable system. But instead of going through all that hardship for so long, we can adopt the good things from their system.

I would like to conclude with the famous verses of Allama Iqbal from Bal-e-Jibril:

حور و خیام سے گزر بادہ و جام سے گزر
گرچہ ہے دل کشا بہت حسن فرنگ کی بہار

طائرک بلند بام دانہ و دام سے گزر
کوہ شگاف تیری ضرب تجھ سے کشاد شرق و غرب

تیغ ہلال کی طرح عیش نیام سے گزر

*Dr. Munawar Aziz
Abbottabad, KP, Pakistan
aziz.munawar@gmail.com