While interacting with your friends, you might have noticed their desire of studying abroad and settling in developed countries. The business of educational consultancy is flourishing day by day. Every day we see new advertisements in papers and sign boards with attractive educational slogans. Moreover, there has been rise in educational exhibitions where thousands of young students, having dreams of studying and settling abroad in their eyes, visit the educational marketing consultants with enthusiasm.
It is of the opinion of many prominent analysts and observers that the youth is the only hope to this country. It can bring reforms and shape it with according to the spirit of the founders of the homeland. On the contrary, the harbinger of the hope is not ready to take the responsibility on their shoulders. Though, there have been promising youth shows by several NGOs, in which the young people are invited to join different platforms to understand the political and legislative system of the country. But, the country is facing another dilemma in the shape of brain drain i.e. the brain drain of the youth. Thousands of our homegrown talented and veteran minds in different fields of natural and social science are serving other nations. There are many views of the youth on brain drain. Some remark this migration of intellectuality correct and vice versa.
Parkha Khan, Shadow Minister of Education, Health and Environment, represents the National party in Sind Youth Assembly, justifies the migration of talent by noting the examples of the tottering economy and bad law and order situation in Pakistan.
Qaiser Shahzad, Minister of Information Technology in the same assembly also backs his colleague by coming hard on the admission criteria of the local universities and their obsolete educational facilities. Furthermore, he says that a new comer might face some problems in foreign educational institutions in starting, but later on, he gets stable with the passage of time as it doen’t happen in Pakistan.
The Statistics reveal that thousands of specialized doctors have migrated to North America. Dr. Ayub Baloach, who recently visited his native village in Malir District after spending three years in Qatar, holds the opinion that handsome earning is the main stimulus that pushes up them to go to foreign land. When asked about the love to his homeland, he stressed that he had love for his country, but the unsatisfactory circumstances have made him to stay away from his native humble abode.
What a man wants in the life? This is the question of Jahanzaib Memon, a member of the youth assembly, and he mentions that emigrants get all the basic needs of life in the western countries such as food, shelter, life security, health and education. Don’t we have all these basic amenities in all major cities of Pakistan? We are not, actually, facing famine like Ethiopia.
Digging more reasons of brain drain, Humna Mehwish, Deputy Speaker of the assembly, says that better opportunities and education in foreign countries are the main compelling forces that drive the youth to risk all their assets to secure their future.
Let us analyze the situation. We are the major ally in the so called war against terrorism and have been fighting others’ war to protect the western countries. Similarly, we are serving other nations, helping them in their economies and other fields. Pakistanis have become main part of British economy. This is the same case in the Gulf region. The observation depicts that we salute and work for others.
The migration of the youth means the migration of knowledge and the world is now going towards the knowledge based economy. Unfortunately, our dangling economy will remain far behind the international standard. Our blueprints of a better economy are being implemented by North Korea. This fact takes after the Urdu quote “Pakahey hum Khahay koi aur” (we cook and eats someone else).
Secondly and more important, it is the great loss of human resource. Nations need pillars to build up or revive the foundations, but here the pillars are giving shoulder to foreign structures. We talk about the vision less leaders. Will we be having same personalities in future? Yes off course! The knowledgeable loss will leave uneducated and fake degree holder legislators.
Let us go back to history. Did the westerners say good-bye to their lands during the Dark Age period? Did the Europeans colonize Asians and Africans or they were colonized. These are the some formidable questions that uncover the nation building formula. Europeans subdued four continents on their knowledge based planning instead of packing bags to live in foreign lands when there was mayhem in Europe and rule of the churches. And thus they rule in a manner that we still haven’t been able to step out of their shadow.
No one can deny the reasons behind the brain drain. Food, Shelter, education and job opportunities are basic rights of every person living in this world, but sadly, we're being deprived of them in Pakistan. And thus, the youth tries to find an escape route abroad being a youngster. However, our youth is making this good decision with wrong frame of mind. One must travel abroad to hone skills.
If our youth think that they can simply go abroad and live as they want there; they are wrong this brain drain is creating a negative image of our country. An example of Gulf State can be taken where Pakistanis are losing preference in job sectors, and Bangladeshis and Indians are getting more jobs same is the scene in England and Canada. If we don't use our skills to improve the condition of our country, the foreigners won't treat us equally. A bachelors in business studies is forced to work on a petrol pump in England only because the English think that we're desperate to earn bucks and we'll do anything for that. Therefore, instead of giving us proper jobs, we're treated like slaves. This situation will keep getting worse if we don't use our skills to improve the condition in our country.
