Patriotism is important for the development of a country. It is the hallmark of a developed nation that its citizens are patriotic, law-abiding citizens. They are proud of their county and try to make a better place by educating and helping each other and contribute to the betterment of their society.
Unfortunately, we have forgotten the moral and ethical values which our elders taught us and have become self-centred and egotistic. We are unable to accept responsibility and blame others for our misgivings. Every segment of society is more concerned about their own personal interests. We have become takers, not givers, and come up with flimsy excuses to only suit ourselves.
I remember reading that Liaquat Ali Khan and his wife gave their personal residence in Delhi to the state of Pakistan after independence. Today it is called the Pakistan House and serves as the residence of the High Commissioner in New Delhi. While nowadays our leaders are only interested in accumulating wealth and building assets while businessmen are concerned about their vested interests rather than the progress of the nation.
Successive governments provided massive relief incentives to industries but we have not witnessed any trickledown effect either in the form of reduced prices to the public, generating more job opportunities or increased wages.
The elites have not passed down the benefits, leading to massive polarization in society. The rich are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer with every single passing day.
How will our society change? Will we have a person like Bishop Lobo who founded the Saint Michaels School and taught children the importance of self-discipline and being a good person? Will we have another personality like Abdul Sattar Edhi who dedicated his entire life serving humanity and gave us a message of compassion?
Today we need many hate preachers who are trying to divide us on the basis of sect, language and ethnicity by spreading baseless rumours. Our greed has made us forget the importance of our country and we are only concerned about ourselves. We must remember that wherever we go in the world, we will be remembered by our country. Our actions will define how we are treated and develop a reputation for Pakistan.
We must develop our country so that we are respected around the world. We can start on our own by small actions such as obeying the law or cleaning our neighbourhood. If each one just starts developing their own area then eventually it will lead to the development of the country. We must remember to stop talking negatively about the state or the armed forces as we are living in an independent country.
