‘We do not need the educated lot, they elicit more harm than good to us,’ grunted Allah Ditta, wiping sweat, which had started streaming down his chin. ‘What?’I interjected. Deciphering my obvious disgruntlement and bafflement, Allah Ditta waved me to sit down for a few minutes. To convince him with my wide exposure to the literati, staying abreast with sea of knowledge through internet, and having attained a scholarly degree, I chose to sit on a shabby stool in front of him.

Allah Ditta is an old blacksmith in his late sixties. Age has not stolen his strength of hard work and returning   people’s tools as per his commitment. ‘So what were you saying’, I asked him, fixing my tie. Smearing the sweat with his sleeves, he kibitzed, ‘my homeland needs uneducated youth to rise out of the present mess.’ Looking straight into my eyes, he continued, ‘those were the illiterate men, the people who were at the forefront to carve this country, when world would laugh at the demand for Pakistan. Raising his hammer, he proclaimed, ‘They were the men who strove sacrificed for watne aziz Pakistan, without questioning.’

Before I could respond, he hissed, ‘but, who ruined this country of our dreams. Tell me who brought Pakistan to the present jumble? ’Again, without giving me any space to reply, he groaned, ‘the qualified men who boast of having foreign degrees (not education), and up-to-date knowledge. Those who befooled the simpletons like me of rights and routi and equality.’ The country continued to sink to the bottom, whereas, their accounts kept on swelling. We are amongst the leading corrupt countries of the world. These highly educated lot played gimmicks and guzzled billions,’ he sermonized, his voice getting hoarser.

‘Our students, the educated lot is our future ’I protested. Digging his rubbery right ear, he grinned, ‘you mean these students, who proudly import the culture and customs, we had not even dreamt of, to the society. Proudly, they protect and promote those values we would abhor to think of. They feel pride in their foreign language fluency, wearing their immaculate dresses, ways of eating and humming, but when it comes to extract to actions, they do not follow their good traits.’

Goggling the latest news updates, I listened to the boring sermon of Allah Ditta, ‘Telling lies was an abominable sin, while now Allah muaf karae (God forbade), these educated -young people deem it as a skill to extract their immodest motives. Seldom, we would raise our voices to our elders, teachers and gray-haired persons, but today you can see the condition. Parents openly ridiculed, teachers degraded and oldies a mere tool to crack all jokes on the lips, stampeding all cultural norms. And ah, what about the litter all the way round. Driving in luxurious cars, eating MacDonald’s and KFC, they would throw the leftovers on the road or on the tracks where they hop to reduce their bulging bellies.’

‘Please stop blaming our educated people, especially youth for all the ills in our country,’I blurted. ‘Do you want to see Pakistan in dark ages?’ I winced.

Foam flying out of his mouth, Allah Ditta continued with his obdurate exhortation. ‘How about those educated henchmen who do not even hesitate to manufacture substandard life saving drugs, adulterate the edible items?’ ‘And What happens in the courts, where poor  people die yearning for the justice, where your highly qualified judges and lawyers trade justice, and bribery is accepted as  a cherishing gift, ’he boomed.

‘This old ruffian has hammered my mind so relentlessly,’ I thought to myself, unknotting my tie. ‘Puttar bring very nice tea for bavu ji, ’he asked his aide. Dragging his seat a little farther of the fire, he stretched his hand toward my chin, ‘I am sorry for my marathon speech bavu ji,’ his voice shaking. ‘We will have to uneducate ourselves and revert to glorious culture to rise again, ’he concluded. Sipping tea, I glanced at the aide who was coughing at Allah Ditta pointing towards clock. It was time for prayer, perhaps. Grabbing my newly purchased novels, I started homeward.