Ministry of happiness and tolerance is visionary political leadership
14 February 2016 Editorial Desk
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has in fact created sensation in the war ravaged Middle East and the world at large announcing the formal launching of a Ministry of happiness to improve the quality of life of the nationals, although it is not something new in some other countries having a Ministry or not. The UAE government has also set up a Ministry of Tolerance and a Cabinet Division to chart out the future development of the nation.
Although it is not a democratic country, but it is a tolerant country and that is why the people from all over come to invest their money. Famously known as UAE is considered a most friendly country to live and has become rich by investment of others.
We believe the UAE rulers have rightly realized the need for new approach to deal with people's expectations and started to move accordingly. It is no surprise that the country is rich and giving emphasize on people's happiness. Not just by developing a country through construction of buildings, roads and bridges that makes the people happy, secure and safe.
The concept of building a happy and tolerant society is a democratic aspiration to be achieved by fore-sighted political leadership. The politicians do not so much talk of development of project constructions but more about development of human services for human happiness. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is also the Vice President of UAE and ruler of Dubai, made the announcement at a time when negative news about the Middle East were tarnishing the image of the Muslim world and the need for focusing on something brighter was all that is more important to inspire the people at national level. To be happy themselves and making others happy by avoiding hostilities and promoting tolerance now occupied the imagination of the country's rulers.
We believe that a Ministry of happiness this time will no doubt give the people a sense to inspire and cherish better life and look back at life beset by sorrows and bad luck from war and hostilities. The Ministry of Tolerance will similarly strike at the bottom of sectarian intolerance, besides promoting harmony among locals and migrant workers at a time when hatred and intolerance have divided the region into rival Shiite and Sunni camps to fight each other to the end.
In fact the UAE is one of the few countries in the Gulf region which is highly prosperous and attracting millions of tourists annually with a fast growing global trading center for oil export, financial services and airlines network. It has the world's tallest skyscraper and such other landmark buildings. Many fear that it may become terrorists' target from Islamic militants such as by ISIL outfits who have already occupied vast swath of Syrian and Iraqi territories and destroying old civilizations.
The UAE rulers have much at stake and we believe their ambitious reorganization of the government with seven female in 29 members Cabinet will definitely influence the people's thinking by way of rapid modernization of the society.
The UAE already ranks 20 in global happiness index of 2015; which is above Britain and below Belgium. These countries have no Ministry as such but people are well cared of. Even our neighbouring country Bhutan measures annual growth in terms of per capita happiness. But it must be acknowledged that UAE has practically beaten all other Middle East and Arab countries by miles of distance setting up separate Ministries of Happiness and Tolerance in a war ravaged region.
Such a Ministry of Happiness and Tolerance will have to address human rights issues without which any government is bound to cause oppression and exploitation leading miseries in the lives of the general public.
How far the bureaucracy will change their way of gaining from the rich after services to the powerless ones is to be seen. But the government of UAE has shown the need of radical change in the way the government should look after the interest of the general public.
Perhaps only other country where it is the constitutional obligation to respect the people happiness as a fundamental right is the United States.
Our people wanted independence from Pakistan to be safe and happy by changing oppressive and unjust rule of Pakistan's inhuman bureaucratic machinery. But unfortunately the bureaucrats in Bangladesh has gained dominance in ruling us and telling us about constructions works as development.
