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.

Role of Aquatic Plants and Indigenous Microbes in Improving Phytoremediation Efficiency of Industrial Sludge

The aim of the present research was to assess the metal phytoextraction potential of some selected plant species (Hemarthria compressa L., Lemna minor L. and Typha angustifolia L.) growing on industrial sludge along with resistant microbial strains (Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus niger, Bacillus sp. and Acinetobacter sp.) either alone or in combinations. Based upon the result of preliminary experiments, the sludge concentrations selected for the actual greenhouse and field experiments were 30 and 60% along with control (0%). Keeping in view the metal resistance efficiency of microbes, the experiment comprised of seven treatments i.e., C (control without microbes), F1 (Aspergillus terreus), F2 (A. niger), F1+F2 (A. terreus + A. niger), B1 (Bacillus sp.), B2 (Acinetobacter sp.), B1+B2 (Bacillus sp. + Acinetobacter sp.), respectively. Six independent experiments (4 green-house and 2 field) were launched simultaneously. Physicochemical analysis of initial sludge samples revealed that tannery and paper sludge had a high pollution load due to higher values of pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium chloride (NaCl), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and metals like Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb. After 90 days of plant growth in sludge, the growth was significantly decreased with increase in the concentration of sludge. On the other hand, in sludge concentrations along with microbial inoculum, plants showed the maximum shoot length, roots, leaves and fresh/dry weight in F1+F2 and F+B treatment as compared to all other tested treatments. Physicochemical parameters also showed a substantial decrease except TDS that showed an increasing trend. Minimum values of all were observed in combined microbial treatment as compared to control and other treatments. The chlorophyll content of leaves in all selected plants decreased with increasing the concentration of industrial sludge. Plants growing in different concentration of sludge, supplemented with combined fungal treatments in pot experiments and F+B treatments in field experiments, showed higher chlorophyll contents than the plants growing in other treatments. Results revealed that all the tested plants species showed a higher accumulation of essential (Ca, K, Na and iii Mg) and heavy (Cd Cr, Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb) metals at 60% concentration of sludge as compared 0 and 30% after 90 days of plant growth. The metal uptake was higher in their shoots as compared to roots in case of all the plant species, in both paper and tannery sludge. Further, the uptake of metals was significantly higher in F1+F2, B1+B2 and F+B treatment as compared to rest of the treatments i.e. F1, F2, B1, B2, F, B alone and control treatment. The metal extraction efficiency of the experimental plants was observed to be in the order of T. angustifolia > H. compressa > L. minor. The translocation factor and enrichment coefficient indicated that a higher amount of heavy metals was absorbed by the plants than was present in the sludge. The least bioaccumulation was observed for Na in all the cases. Typha angustifolia proved to be a better metal accumulator than all other hydrophytes. Biochemical analysis of T. angustifolia and H. compressa showed that in 60% TS with combine fungal and bacterial inoculum, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity was high i.e. in the order of 60% TS> 30% TS> 0% TS. The results from this work in the light of contemporary literature indicates that a probable genetic modification at cellular level resulted in an acquisition of metal tolerance that was also evident in enhanced biochemical activity of antioxidant enzymes, uptake of high metal contents and ultimately better plant growth in all the treatments as compared to control. The results of these experiments emphasize that efficient pollution hyperaccumulators can be used for commercial and large-scale cleaning and bioremediation of tannery sludge. The plants can then be harvested easily and incinerated. Constructed wetlands offer the treatment benefits of natural wetlands in a more controlled environment, if developed along the industrial units. The treatment processes within such a system will be self- sustainable, requiring little input of energy, chemicals and operator maintenance