Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Shining Example


A couple of days back, history was made again in Pakistan. No. Not the sort of history that we get media coverage most of the time in the international press. As a matter of fact, I did not see any media coverage on this topic in the international press. Also, not the kind of history, that makes our people ashamed of.  And not the kind of history that leaves us with in disbelief and disgust. 

But the kind of history, that has set a superior example to all the kids and adults of Pakistan, to follow the footsteps of this young and example-setting individual. The one, who has awed the whole nation with his utter hard work.  The one, who has shown, to the rich and the poor, that the only way to success is sheer dedication and motivation to education and there are no short cuts. 

It is a humbling story of Mohsin Ali. This young man belongs to a small village in Hafizabad. He is an eldest among his 11 siblings. He belongs to a poor family, the kind of family who earn to pay for their meals. He has been working throughout on a tandoor, an oven where bread is baked, owned by his brother. Mohsin, worked late making bread til’ midnight and he would get up early in the morning for his studies. 

He appeared for BA/BSC exam under Punjab University as a private candidate. A total of 143,750 students appeared for this exam. (Private students outsmart regulars in BA/BSc exams, 2012). Mohsin scored 688 marks out of 800 in these exams. His story is remarkable because normally regular students top these exams, not the private students. The private students are those who could not study full-time in the university or college and have to study on odd times. The regular students enjoy the luxury of college environment, teaching and normally do not have to work besides their studies. 

So, Mohsin is also a torch-bearer for all the private students, who aspire to excel in these exams without conventionally attending the college. He has also shown to all the poor people in this country that they all can, with their hard work, get top positions without anybody’s help. So poverty alone is not a hindrance to bigger dreams. 
So the dream for a better country lives on. We can still hope that as long as dreamers like Mohsin Ali are here, we can achieve bigger goals in this country. And the only way to the top is hard work. 

We should all stand up for the champion. We must applaud his efforts and encourage others to follow his lead. This is his moment and he deserves all the accolades. Great job, Mohsin. Keep up the good work and make this country proud.