So I turn the TV on and switch to Prime TV. It displays in big bold letters "Prime TV: Takes you home". Hmmm.... home, its been while I have been to HOME! This should be fun! Lets watch Prime TV. Next thing on is a song by Ali Zafar. Okay since I haven't been to HOME, lets listen to Ali Zafar and see what HOME 'sounds' like now. To my surprise, HOME sounds alot different and it even looks alot different! "Ahh, nothing has changed", I am thinking, "I have grown old now." After all, times change and people also change. Then there is another song. Then another song, another song, another song... it goes on until it is 8:00 pm CST. Then there was khabarnama. I said, "Wow, they still show khabarnama!" After 20 minutes of Khabarnama, there WERE MORE SONGS! Have I grown too old? I never knew that after I left HOME, things changed so rapidly that people back HOME are having the best times of their lives. They seem happy, singing, dancing, and jumping around. Asking stupid questions on the road and calling it "Road Trivia". Wow, things must be going really well back HOME. Economy must be doing great, people are getting wealthy, poor people are getting their basic needs fulfilled and orphans don't sleep on a foot-path after trying to beg some money! Wow, may be I should go back HOME. So much prosperity. But I must do mention, when my HOM-IES ( :o)) are celebrating, they don't forget the Adhan. They announce the Adhan times regularly on Prime TV, though they start the songs right after they are done announcing about Adhan. So my HOM-IES are still religious, I mean kinda religious, but I guess thats okay. As long as they are prosperous.
So now we have the latest technologies at HOME. Every person has cell-phone, a good TV, with a good cable connection. And they pay Rs. 500-800 a month for this cable connection which includes 48 Indian Channels, 1 CNN, and 1 BBC. On those 48 Indian Channels, all we hear and see is what happened to Sas when the bahoo was dieing. Then 2 indian movies a day on each Indian channel. Now thats a good deal. Two indian movies everyday! And the rate they make Indian movies in bollywood, I am sure if my HOM-IES watched two Indian Movies everyday for the rest of their lives, there would still be a whole lot left as unseen. Then every kid and teenager is glued to the TV, because "its a good family (indian) movie." Then this teenager goes to school next day to tell his friends, what happened in the movie last night and he is looking forward to the new movie of Jaa-rukh Khan. "Man, you should see Jaa-rukh in Angoor bana Langoor. He looks so amazing! I am thinking about getting the same shoes as Jaa-rukh is wearing in this movie." So this teenager is telling his friends about Angoor bana Langoor, when his cell-phone rings and He is delighted to find out that his girl-friend, Zalima, has called and she is ready to watch Angoor bana Langoor at his place this weekend. But then again its okay, because HOME is prospering.
This teenager tells Zalima:"Yaar, tum meri baat ka 'wishwas' karo, main Angoor bana Langoor do ghantay pehlay la kay rakh doon ga"
Zalima: "Okay my Jaa-rukh, main tumhari baat ka wishwas kerti hoon. Acha why don't we skip school tomorrow and go to Pizza Hut?"
Teenager: "Sure, sounds like a good plan!"
But again, its all good, as long as the HOME is prospering.


Ahhh, this is getting long now. But I guess you are getting the idea where I am going. The bottom line: we must sacrifice everything, including religious, cultural and traditional values, as long as the HOME is prospering! I will let you be the judge of whether this is right or wrong!

This is just a beginning. Yes, I am here to point fingers and raise the changing cultural values. I am a proud Pakistani and a more proud Muslim and I never doubted myself, but I must speak the truth to open the eyes of my own HOM-IES. Please comment.