Ayaz Khan
Once, there lied an Oasis in a desert at the southern end of one of the densely-populated Towns. Contrary to the ‘concept’ of demographical flow of culture and education, the people living in the Oasis, however, could only export ‘matchboxes’ as an import from the nearby Town; because they (people) were prohibited to export other beneficial goods including ‘education’! The order had come from the ‘Royal Palaces’ of the ‘Kings’ living at both far ends (East and South) of the Oasis.
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After centuries had passed and the Kings had become a story of bygone leaving their hires to rule the Oasis. At the same time, the nearby Town had also grown into a quite developed city. With this change, indeed, the economy of the Oasis also became a free economy. The export list extended with another import: beetle nuts! But the controlled list yet complied with the orders not to export other goods including ‘education’, because, for Kings, it was not quite essential and healthy for a ‘kingdom’ to sustain if people were exposed to a very harmful thing: education!
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Time kept passing. The previous-dynastic rulers were replaced with new and energetic hires, politically aware having the expertise to handle masses in a better way. But the nearby Town had gone miles ahead with accepting an industrial revolution. When the kings adopted a luxurious life, the people also demanded to, at least, have a ‘two-wheel’ transport facility. This led to an agreement with the nearby Town for installing industries that should bring some good to the people. With this decision, the kings seemed obsessed with an increase in attacks from neighboring tribes living in the desert. Finally, the kings ordered to build a ‘Great Wall’, as did the Chinese to protect themselves from the tribes living in Gobi Desert, in order to protect the industries being captured by the ‘outer’ tribes. Now, the priority list contained industrialization, yet the import of other goods including ‘education’ remained banned!
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Now, it was 21st century. The kings seemed disturbed with growing trends around the world. They, after a long thinking process, enlisted ‘education’ in their priority list. The kings, thankfully, knew names of some universities as they, time to time, visited other countries for shopping [because people were believed that “dry bread at home was better than roast meat abroad] decided to build an educational institute. After the sane decision, both kings found themselves burdened with the responsibility to educate the people.
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The decree was imposed and the Oasis, which remained in dark for centuries, got a ray of hope. Both kings were in a fix as they got engaged themselves in an ‘educational war’. The ‘King First’ ordered to build a university in one of the cities falling in the middle of his capital and the city bordered with the Town, which was one of the most developed Towns. The ‘King Second’, who had camped at the east of the Oasis, allocated a piece of land for an educational institute close to a very calm place: crematorium! Because the King thought it was quintessential for the educational environment to be calm.
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Time elapsed and the King First’s university became an important change factor in the Oasis. But, as the conspiracy of overthrowing him remained high, the King ordered that all courtiers, loyal to the King, should be inducted to the administrative office of the university and it was made mandatory for the teachers to accept King’s loyalty. This led the ‘educational institution’ to a political ground where there remained hustle during voting campaigns after the King decided to replace kingdom into a modern democracy: a democracy resembling General Ayub Khan’s ‘Basic Democracies’ though!
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Currently, the Oasis has changed and expanded widely. The King First’s university has grown too with fewer students than the courtiers employed! The Kings have abolished ‘kingdom’ and have made their ‘Majlis-e-Shoora’ quite a reflection of ‘Iblees ka Majlis-e-Shoora. Courtiers have thrived into a family in university and they have decided to expend their family while thinking to quit family planning for the betterment of people. The ‘Basic Democracies’ have brought a lot of changing even the economy has soared to the heights. Ironically, the export list includes everything ranging from ‘matchboxes’ to ‘beetle nuts’, but ‘education’ rests in peace within the premises of ‘university’ and educational institutions.
The Writer is a cancer patient suffering from societal malaise, intolerance, religious bigotry, and illiteracy.
Disclaimer: This article is a work of Satire.
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