The Next Best Thing

The people in Kashmir are yet to achieve their freedom.

It was first in 1990, when Nawaz Sharif appealed for a strike to honor the Kashmiris' struggle against the unjust oppression of India. As time progressed, the 5th of February became a public holiday.

Kashmir Day is observed even today, after all those years spent in futile rebellion.

Which prevails even today.

Both Pakistan and India want power over the land, but the people there want their land to become one with the former.

Three wars have been fought over this issue, but it hasn't been resolved.

The Kashmiris, I think, will be waiting forever.

In class today, an acquaintance of mine saw me, seated alone and separated from the rest. He came to sit beside me, at the expense of his friends calling out to him, unhappy. They gave up, soon, and this classmate sat next to me for what was an hour. 

The World Health Organization has declared Zika a global threat. 

This virus is quite identical to the mosquito-borne ones we've already dealt with. Spread about by the diurnal Aedes mosquitoes, this virus can be fatal if its symptoms are ignored and no precautionary measures are set in place against it.  

The recent outbreak in the United States has set an alarmingly terrifying precedent for Asian countries. Health activists have been, well, very active and are dispersing informative literature online. But many are still oblivious to the imminence of this threat. 

Doctors and health experts claim that one can ward off the Zika fever with a lot of rest, but no vaccine has yet been developed to terminate the ruthlessness of this strain. 

There already is the Swine Flu on the loose in Pakistan: 
http://sameeghazaal.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-swine-flu.html

And now, yet another invader has proclaimed war upon us.

About 1 in 5 people can be tested infected with the virus. The most common symptoms of this virus are fever, rashes, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other symptoms include muscular pain and headaches. Since there is no vaccine as cure, doctors suggest high fluid consumption and rest, to allay the severity of the virus and possibly even eradicate it. 

The Zika virus is not yet here. But epidemiologists believe that it'll be, soon. And have spoken out to us, so that we may prepare ourselves.

The endurance of the Americans and other encompassed countries is commendable. We must learn from their misfortunes and ready ourselves when our time comes—which, hopefully, will never. The internet is the greatest source for encircling the globe with ease. There is everything about the Swine Flu and Zika on the web. We must acquaint ourselves with the know-how of the dangerous, life-threatening diseases these strains cause. If we won't arm ourselves against them, no one else will.

Let us all make a pact. Let us all do our best for ourselves and the ones around us. Let us all stand up, and protect ourselves, together against Zika and the already rampant Swine Flu.

Before it's too late.

I have been wanting to post about my reading list. 

Miss Palijo seems relentless.

Yet another promotional event has taken place. The efforts being put into the standardization of Sindhi can spark up a revolution! The recent three-day ruckus that was organized at Karachi had ample of "enjoyment" for the visitors; dancing, music and attractive stalls being the major crowd-gainers. The revivalists responsible for giving life to the event claim that thousands came to be a part of the magnificent occasion.

Senator Palijo's inclination towards her mother-tongue—a language that was once glorious—is well-placed. There aren't many, dedicating parts of their lives to the welfare of a language. Many find Sindhi...perplexing. But if they find the right perspective of looking at it, I'm sure they'll go through a wonderful experience; getting to know its unusual but interesting vocabulary and amusing pronunciation.

There have been other similar efforts in the past, none of which have had satisfying results. If the buzz events like this create is kept up, this provincial language will be recognized even further and granted national status and acceptance.

Many oppose this possibility, of course.

The Senator recounts that many hurdles were designed by "some" during the preparation for the event, and her team had to go through those rigors rather uncomfortably. The event was a success, in the end.

The shaping of our country is in our hands. It is unfortunate how only a few have realized this. Let's just hope that the rest catch up.

It's high time that something revolutionary happened, brought about by Pakistan's youth.

Something...unforgettable.