This is Mirpur, this is Kharak

This is Mirpur, this is Kharak. These are my roots. Just like all villages, be it in Pakistan or India our grandparents and parents left them in the early 1960’s to build a better life for their families. They worked hard, they were proud, humble and contributed to the success of Great Britain.

We the third and fourth generation may never appreciate the sacrifices they made. They left their country to prosper in another. They left their families, their homes and their history.

Whilst our Parents have provided us with a secure future, our Motherland has suffered. The gap between the rich and poor is far greater than ever before with the poor falling down the abyss of poverty. Simple necessities such as water and sanitation is a luxury in most parts of Pakistan and particularly the region that I visited.

This region is a mixed community of 60% Muslims and 40% Hindus living together. No religious tensions as they have nothing to fight for. Forgotten by their Government, they are losing faith too. They don’t know of a God, to them it’s anyone who could improve their life and provide them the most basic of needs – Water.

It is our duty to take care of our Motherland, though our parents and grandparents did enough to keep a roof over our heads and provide us with an education, we could do the same by repaying this by supporting the poor in the most remote of regions.

We are lucky, we have abundance of food and water available at the turn of a tap. Best sanitation facilities. We are guilty at times of being wasteful, but please spare a thought for those who don’t have these luxuries.