Guest Post by Uncle in a Pickle
A short story; strangely similar in principle followed by our bureaucracy and financial managers year after year, while preparing the annual budget.
Again, to understand it fully, I narrate it in Urdu: Kai barson ki baat hae, aik nagri ke log bohat khush haal aur pur sukoon zindagi basr kar rahe thae. Nagri kae Raja ne aik din apne Wazir se pucha ke logon ki zindagi kaisee guzar rahi hae; Maharaaj, tamaam log hansi khushi pur sukoon zindagi guzar rahe haen, aur aap ko har waqt duaen daete haen. Aik baat al batta karne ki ijazaat chaahun ga, Kaho Raja ne kaha, Maharaaj, nagri ki khush haali dekh kar dur dur se log is nagri maen rehne ko aa rahe haen, mera khayal ha eke har aane aur jaane wale ko kuch paise aap ke khazane maen jama karwane chahiyen. Raja ne kaha ke log is baat ka bura to nahi mane gae? Wazir ne kaha agar logon ne aitraaz kiya to phir paise nahi laen gae.
Raja ne manzoori dae di aur agli subh sae har aane aur jaane wale se aik rupiya jama hona shuru ho gaya. Kisi ne koi aiteraz nahi kiya aur aik mah baad Raja ne Wazir se puchaa ke paise jama karne ka kaam kaisa chal raha hae, Maharaaj sab hansi khusi aane aur jaane par aik rupiya aap ke khazane maen jama karwa rahen haen kisi ne aitraaz nahi kiya.
Raja ko laalach hue aur kehne laga ke aik se barha kar do kar do agar logon ne aitraaz kiya to wapas aik kar daen gae.
Agle din se aik rupiya ke bajaye do rupiyae jama hone lage. Raja ne phir aik mah baad Wazir se puchaa ke kaisa chal raha hae, Wazir ne kaha sab hansi khushi do rupiyae jama karwa rahe haen kisi ne aitraaz nahi kiya. Laalach ne phir sar uthaaya aur Raja ne kaha ab paanch rupiyae kar do dekhen gae logon ne aitraaz kiya to wapas do kar daen gae, so agle din se paanch ho gaye aur kisi ne aitraaz nahi kiya, sab hansi khushi jama karwane lage.
Kuch dinon ke baad Raja ne Wazir se phir puchaa to Wazir ne wohi jawab diya, sab hansi khushi paanch rupiyae jama karwa rahen haen. Raja ne hukm diya das kar do aur har aane aur jaane waale ko aik aik juuta bhi maaro. Hukm ki taamil hue aur kisi ne aitraaz nahi kiya. Raja ne Wazir ko bulaya aur puchaa to jawab wohi mila kisi ne koi aitraaz nahi kiya.
Tu jhoot bolta hae, Raja ne ghusse se Wazir se kaha maen logon se khud puchana chaahta huun, maere khitaab ka ailaan kiya jaaye. Nagri ke tamaam log aik bare maidaan maen jama ho gaye aur Raja ne kaha is nagri maen khushali hae aap sab log hansi khushi zindagi guzaar rahe haen, hum ne aap ki bhalai ke liye kuch iqdaam kiye haen kisi ko in iqdaamaat par koi aitraaz to nahi, tamaam logon ne aik zabaan ho kar Jai ho mahraaj ki ka naara lagaya aur kaha ke koi aitraaz nahi hae, albatta aik buddhe aadmi ne apna haath upar uthaaya, Raja ne uss se kaha tujhe koi aitraaz hae, buddhe ne kaha nahi mahraaj agar jaan bakhshi ho to kuch kehna chaahta huun. Raja ne kaha bolo, Buddha kehne laga ke Mahraaj juuta maarne waala aik he aadmi hae bohat waqt zaaya hota hae agar aath das aadmi is kaam par laga daen to sab jaldi faarigh ho jayen gae.
Moral of the story is crystal clear; I sincerely hope that the decision makers with this coming budget, DO NOT hammer the last nail in the coffin of Pakistans manufacturing industries. Although they seem bent upon stopping the wheel of Industry in Pakistan.