By Nisma Chauhan

The animal Pakistan is

I had heard a lot about our sir’s capability to come up with bizarre topics for assignments. Hence, when in class he asked if anyone had any idea for our next week’s blog topic, I stayed quiet despite having thought of one. To be honest, I was hoping for something interesting, which could also maintain the momentum of the class. But this one was rather controversial.

As soon as he announced the topic ‘If the world was a jungle, what animal is Pakistan?’ my brain functioned rather quickly than usual and my mouth uttered ‘Dog!’ Pakistan would be a dog. A golden retriever, a cockle spaniel, an Alsatian or rather a poodle. Dog in the broader spectrum, no specific breed nor structure. Such a reaction was purely based on an innocent thought. I am fond of Dogs. I have wanted to own one since I was very little and once got quite close to having one for a lifetime, but because of religious and social barriers, failed terribly.

When I started to justify my choice to my friends, I began listing the characteristics. By default the first that came into my mind was ‘faithful’; there is something got to be very wrong in that connection.

Pakistan = Faithful. Nah! Who am I kidding?

Then I gave it a second thought and reality struck me by surprise and I murmured ‘Sahi hai na? Pakistan toh kutta he hai! (Isn’t it right, Pakistan is a dog!)’ and smirked. But if I am stating the odds and remarking that Pakistan would be a dog in the jungle, then it would have to learn to act like one. Be brave. Be independent. Fight for its right. Be faithful. Be caring. Be empathetic. I can go on and on with more positive traits than negative. So can this be Pakistan? I highly doubt it.

 I am not being pessimistic here but judging it on the basis of recent events.

So now I am back at square one. What animal would Pakistan be?

I had a whole week to think about it until I sat in my drawing room and mentioned the offbeat topic we had been given. A 70-year old sitting on her takhat (a long bench) voiced ‘ghadda!’ (donkey).

Why didn’t I come up with the obvious?

And yes, my nani (granny) had got it right. Pakistan is a donkey! The one who everyone keeps burdening and yet he says nothing. The one whose voice becomes unbearable to others. The one who can’t stand up for itself. Frankly my dear, the one who no one cares about. (Well I couldn’t help but rephrase the famous Gone with the Wind dialogue)

I don’t think there is a need to elaborate any further on my choice of animal. I myself don’t like donkeys but I do feel sympathetic towards them and for now, that’s all I can do.