Our National Hero

Our National Hero

A hero is generally supposed to be a human being with super human qualities: someone who has changed the course of history and relieved some down trodden community from oppression and tyranny, by enlightening them and guiding to safe harbour; or someone who gave a unique idea that ultimately changed the sad plight of people; or some sportsman having won a glory to the nation; or a scientist perhaps for some wonderful invention and discovery. All are super human creatures but folded somewhere in the pages of history waiting for someone to unearth and label them as heroes.
Heroes are always from golden past not from present insolence; always extraordinary human beings, not common place citizens like young Aitzaz Ahsan from Hangu who embraced death while trying to stop a suicidal bomber from attacking his school last month. We need to make our heroes more native and more human.
My hero is Arfa Karim Randhawa. Born in 1995 and died in 2012, Arfa Karim lived the life of a rose that despite the shortness of life spread fragrance and beauty all around. She was like a shooting star that shoots across the sky at night and makes it look like a day.
Arfa Karim was born on 2 February 1995 in Faislabad. She became the World's youngest MCP(Microsoft Certified Professional) at the age of 9 in 2004 and was invited by Bill Gates as a recognition for her achievement to the Microsoft Headquarters in 2005. The news of her meeting with Bill Gates spread all over the world and was a headline story of one of America's leading newspapers.
On her return to Pakistan, Arfa received the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award in the field of Science and Technology(2005), the Fatimah Jinnah Gold Medal(2005) and the President's Award for Pride of Performance(2006). She is till now the youngest recipient of the Pride of Performance in Pakistan which is usually conferred upon people who have showed outstanding performance in their careers for a long period of time.
Arfa was a dynamic personality and some of her qualities include poetry, singing and public speaking.
She represented Pakistan on various international forums. Unfortunately she could not live long and died of cardiac arrest in January 2012. She is a true hero of our nation who did not sit silent because of the unavailability of resources. Despite her tender age, this Pakistani girl stood taller than all of us. She was a brilliant poetess too. The last stanza of her beautiful poem 'White Rose' appears very symbolic and seems to address all of our young generation:
Be strong little flower,
Your heart will guide true.
And as long as you want,
I will always talk to you.
(Arfa Karim)

Muhammad Bilal Ashraf
Assistant Professor
Govt. Imamia College
Sahiwal.
03006567899