O’ Lord! ’Pray bless them to succeed for the welfare of all living beings. I am praying for President Obama and his team.

It is taken-for-granted that people pray for their latent selfish reasons. This one is not even enveloped! I don’t share; citizenship, age, scholarship, faith or fraternity with any one of them.

Let me submit for the sake of record. I was born a 2nd class British citizen, on a plantation, in central Punjab, now part of Pakistan. My status, has not changed, eversince! Civic and security circumstances have grossly deteorated, though. The British were rather kind, they kept the “Dogs and Indians” out of some of the designated places. The heirs and successors of the British rulers, in the region, have invited the dogs in and kept the citizens out!

Some other significant events/ disasters also took place during the period of my birth. ie: Americans were suffering from the 20th Century depression and Saudi Oil bonanza was emerging on the calendar. Millions of peoples died of starvation, within the, otherwise bread-basket; Ukraine. The third one is more detestable, but history: Hitler usurped the reigns of power in Germany. WWII followed. As a child, of course, I could not pray to prevent what did follow, because I was just a few years old. I could only cry, which, I am told, I did.

I am writing this in the flickering light of a wax candle, with my faded eyesight. My country is suffering repeated blackouts as if precautionary, black-out against “enemy” air attacks. A dozen non state actors (NSA) are alleged to trigger a highly visible tragedy, over several states. If better sense fails to prevail and stall the escalation, that could also, render this muse to be the “lost” will and testament?

Gracious amongst you, would please pardon, the vulgar use of “I” in this script. It would be even more abstract, if otherwise?

I have treasured the following in my fallible memory for the past several decades.

• William Seward, the aristocratic Secretary of State, barged into the living quarters of President Abraham Lincoln. And found him diligently polishing his worn-out boots. Seward asked: “What are doing? Presidents don’t polish their footwear” Prompt came the presidential retort: “Whose shoes do they polish, Mr Seward?”
  
  
• The second one, is a couplet in Urdu. Roughly translated, it conveys: “The Creator must be amused for having committed the interesting folly of having created this universe.
  
  
• George Barnard Show wrote his famous play: Pygmalion. Lyricists Lerner and Loewe scripted it be a musical and titled it: My Fair Lady. I had watched the show fifty years ago, and have treasured the hard copy of the original, eversince.
  
  

For reasons, unknown to me, I do triangulate President Obama’s election triumph by these parameters. Although billions of people like me, could not vote for him, but all of us treat him as a global harbinger of a change for better. I must plead for redress and relief for my country: Pakistan. Its polity and polities; have a checkered history and extra baggage. May be continued….