by Bareeza Rasheed
Choosing modesty in place of shamelessness. These choices may seem ordinary, but together they can revive a society.
There was once a land called Pir Vaer. Its beauty was staggering, with skies alive with colour, clouds moving in dramatic formations, sunsets of rare brilliance, blossoms opening in rhythm with the season, and mountains crowned with snow. Winter turned the peaks into glittering summits, and everywhere the surroundings carried an air of enchantment. In that harmony, it felt as if nature itself whispered blessings upon the valley.
The people who lived there carried the same sense of balance. They were bound by affection and sympathy, and their setting was known for peace and brotherhood. The valley produced men and women of knowledge, refinement, and culture. That is why it came to be known as the land of saints. Relationships were built on respect, modesty was cherished, and kindness shaped the character of society.
Today, that harmony has withered. Courtesy and respect have been abandoned. Families are torn apart by disputes, and arrogance has replaced humility. Sons and daughters no longer revere their parents, and brothers and sisters live without modesty or restraint. Homes that once celebrated unity now quarrel over trivialities, and society itself has lost its moral compass.
Sheikh ul Alam, a renowned scholar, once gave a warning: *Maji kourii naerin athh wass krith douhh din barin gairin seath.* He explained that a day would come when mothers and daughters would collude in wrongdoing. His prophecy feels starkly true today. Modesty is vanishing, respect is diminishing, and immorality is now excused as freedom or modernity.
A mother is the first school for her child, shaping early learning and moral values. Yet in this age, people excuse shamelessness as progress. The more they imitate Western culture, the more they lose their own identity. To learn from others is not a tragedy, but to forget oneself is.
What is most troubling is that it is often educated parents who surrender their children to distractions. Instead of nurturing their children, they hand them devices. Instead of spending time with them, they spend hours staring at screens. If this neglect had come from ignorance, it would be one matter, but from education, it becomes a deeper wound.
The result is a generation raised without values. Children learn what they witness. When they see their parents absorbed in devices, dismissive of elders, and careless of moral boundaries, they follow the same path. A nation is built on families, and when families disintegrate, a nation collapses.
The way forward is refinement. Parents must embody humility, modesty, honesty, and compassion. Schools can impart knowledge, but homes must provide values. A mother’s lap must again be the nursery of character, and a father’s guidance must point the direction of life.
Modernity should not mean the abandonment of identity. True progress lies not in taller buildings but in deeper character. If the people of the valley return to compassion, respect, and modesty, then Pir Vaer will regain its light.
The first steps may appear small. A parent switches off a phone to listen to a child. A son or daughter showing respect even in disagreement. A family honouring its culture rather than mocking it. Choosing modesty in place of shamelessness. These choices may seem ordinary, but together they can revive a society.
The truth is that one cannot change the entire world at once, but one can begin at home. A household that restores respect and modesty becomes a light for the neighbourhood. A neighbourhood inspires a town, and a town becomes an example for a nation.
Progress does not lie in blind imitation, but in holding fast to the wisdom of ancestors while embracing knowledge with dignity. To forget one’s roots is to lose direction. To walk with balance, holding values in one hand and progress in the other, is to shine.
If each person takes that step today, tomorrow need not be lost. The sun may set, but it can rise again, bright, pure, and full of promise.
(The writer is a student. Ideas are personal.)
