Harmony and Peace Education in Pakistan: Focus on Pctb Textbooks of History and Pakistan Studies

Textbooks produce specific minds so are believed the best way to promote peace and harmony in a society. Policymakers draw ideological lines for specific goals and educate the coming generations through the contents of the textbooks. Whatever agenda a nation has, peace and social harmony cannot be compromised so syllabi mean to promote nationalism along with integration. Although history and social studies textbooks address coexistence and tolerance but even then many writers share their reservations about some points. K K Aziz (1993) in Pakistan castigated the governments and the textbook authors on ‘distortion’ of the historical events and deleting important segments of history from the syllabi. Mariam Chughtai shared her reservation regarding the textbooks being published in Pakistan. Romila Thapar in India raised objections against the BJP government’s effort of ‘religionising the syllabi’ and tried her best to introduce non-communal approach based on social harmony in the textbooks while writing history books but her effort remained a mere desire because the ‘religiously’ extremist political party occupying the main corridor of the national government and having no compatibility with her ideas refused to accept the undisputed historical facts. Dr. Mubarak Ali opined while writing on the textbooks that ‘defective textbooks create a defective mindset. Ideology limits people from acquiring new knowledge in order to understand the fast changing world’ (Dawn, April 16, 2016). ‘National History’ reflects national point of view to produce a generation who represents some specific land, culture, religion, political ideology, art and social ethics. Children are taught to grow with their own culture, religion and social norms. This study finds that syllabus of the subjects of History and Pakistan Studies produced by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) aims at educating the ‘national interpretation of history along with respect for other religious groups’ to the posterity therefore no gaps seem in the textbooks of History and Pakistan Studies. Criticism arises mostly on the old textbooks while the PCTB had revised the textbooks massively and all the historical periods including Indus Valley Civilization, ancient India, Sikh rule, etc. Are being taught at the school and college level. The ‘history textbook’ is not a ‘history’ rather it offers interpretation of the historical events. This article further pinpoints some issues such as communal interpretations in the British India, space in the textbooks, administrative, social, political and religious narrations, and the undeniable position on nationalism and patriotism which cannot be overlooked. The textbooks are playing their role in promoting social harmony and this policy has resulted in a coexistence, tolerance and peace in the society.

Identification of Risk Factors in Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Patients and Clinical Trial With Linezolid

INTRODUCTION Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Multi drug resistant tuberculosis is a form of tuberculosis caused by a strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex which are resistant to at least Isoniazid and Rifampicin with or without resistance to any other first line antituberculosis treatment (ATT). Multiple factors have been identified those lead to multi drug resistance response to tuberculosis. Treatment of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis requires treatment with second line drugs, usually four or more TB drugs for a minimum period of 6 months and probably extending for 18-24 months if rifampicin resistance has been identified. Linezolid is an antibiotic used for the treatment of serious infections caused by gram positive bacteria and in highly resistant tuberculosis strain and cases that are otherwise complicated to treat. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to determine the demographic features of participants in this study, to determine risk factors in multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and to conduct a clinical trial for the determination of efficacy of linezolid in patients with multi drug resistant tuberculosis. Study design; To determine the demographic features of Tuberculosis, cross sectional study, to determine the risk factors in patients with Tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis, analytical cross sectional study and to conduct the clinical trial for examining the efficacy of Linezolid for treatment of multi drug resistant tuberculosis, clinical trial was conducted by using the study design of experimental epidemiology (Single blind randomized control trial phase-4) Study Universe: Public sector Hospital, Lahore Pakistan. Study population: Tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients registered or followed by Outpatient Department of public sector Hospital Lahore Sampling Technique;: Convenient sampling for project-1 & 2 and Simple Random Sampling for project-3 Study Duration: One year (1st Dec 2016 to 30th Nov2017) DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE; using convenient sampling/simple random sampling technique, data collected through a questionnaire. Subjects from public sector hospital were enrolled in the study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were investigated, examined, monitored and data recorded in a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version RESULTS; During demographic analysis of patients with tuberculosis, it was observed that female cases were higher than male cases. Age group 18-34 years was maximally affected by tuberculosis. The disease had a decreasing trend with aging. In both genders number of cases was decreasing with increase of age. There were only a few cases above 60 years of age. Majority of cases belonged to Lahore or its suburbs. . Majority of the cases belonged to urban area, had lower class and low socioeconomic status. Males were more educated as compared to females. Majority of the cases were relapsed. Two third cases had extra pulmonary Tuberculosis. In extra pulmonary tuberculosis, majority of cases involved lymph nodes. The risk factors for tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis were not common. In randomized control trial with Linezolid, 90% cases of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis were pulmonary tuberculosis. Treatment with Linezolid proved to be effective in 60% cases. CONCLUSION; In this study analysis of demographic profile showed that the number of female patients was increasing. The age group 18-44 years was maximally affected. In randomized control trial with Linezolid, 90% cases of multidrug resistant tuberculosis were pulmonary. Treatment with Linezolid proved to be effective in 60% cases with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.