By: Prof (R) Dr
Muhammad Younas
Ex-Dean FAH, UAF,
Cell: + 92 (0)345-7778494
E-mail: myounas07@gmail.com
Way back in 1970’s some
stalwart Veterinarian felt the need of an animal production degree in the
country. They invited stake holders, had a series of meetings with them,
developed the required curricula and proposed a B.Sc. (Hons.) Animal Husbandry
degree program of 4 years at Faculty of Animal Husbandry (FAH) at University of
Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) in 1973-74 session. This degree existed approximately
~29 years and produced about ~1300 production graduates. This manpower lead
and managed well the Livestock and Poultry farms in public sectors,
revolutionized the poultry sector, developed the animal and poultry feed
industry, feed technology, and put forth the right breeding programs in the
livestock and poultry sectors, feedlot systems, high tech poultry farming and
gave the concept of modern and successful dairying in the country.
Results were marvelous
and the graduates were working fine in their fields of animal farming and
management, breeds and breeding, animal nutrition, poultry husbandry and animal
feed and its technology. The Veterinarians instead of thinking their work as
complimentary to each other, and to develop their veterinary part toward
modernization in clinics, disease surveillance, disease free zones, export and
marketing on WTO guidelines, treatment, surgery, and other ways of modern
breeding and reproduction, they felt them as foe and rival and started starring
at them as bread snatchers.
This
was the time when cold war initiated between Animal Husbandry and Veterinary
Profession. It was not like Pulwama War but it initiated in papers and letters.
Both groups who looked very close to each other but their hearts became apart
and they started winning it through number games. The Veterinarians thought
that this way it was easy to bring their dreams into reality, to establishment
an Veterinary Council of their own. But to collect bio-data, numbers,
particulars and qualification records, etc. was not so easy job to
establish the Veterinary Council. Similar exercise was about to begin for
Animal Husbandry Council. Realizing this stressful exercise and arduous job,
one fine morning, Veterinary people agreed to put AH in the council name if the
AH faculty and graduates will lend them their numerical strength to get the
Veterinary Council registered.
Soon
they got registered, they changed the Council name and all definitions inside
as those suited to them. This was the time when their inner motto was smelled
and the war of two councils came out of the quilt. Dr Muhammad Yaqoob Bhatti (late) tried his best to convince the
veterinary people to put AH name in the council on the analogy of PMDC
(Pakistan Medical and Dental Council) to avoid repetition, to have more strength
and unity of the council and ultimately to avoid many perceptions, sensitivities,
misgivings and bad tastes in the near future. At this juncture, he did his best
to convince the veterinarians to come under the umbrella of one council (i.e.,
Veterinary and Animal Husbandry) for many benefits he has narrated in his
letters. Being a staunch veterinarian, he was a steadfast supporter of Animal
Husbandry (Animal Production). He knew the importance of both and realized that
these two disciplines can work simultaneously and compliment to each other to
take the livestock and poultry disciplines to new heights and solve the riddles
facing to this sector, till this day.
Plenty
of requests were made to all concerned about the Council, Livestock and Poultry
giants, but nobody paid any heed to the requests when the Council was in making,
in National Assembly (21.9.1995), PVMC Act (1996), implementation of unified
degree program (Nov 19, 2001), at UGC/HEC (July 18, 2002), curricula merger
(under the name of improvement, 2002-2010), standing committee (50:50), unified
5 yr DVM degree (Nov 19, 2001), establishing and naming UVAS, Lahore
(1999-2002), meeting at Governor House (Oct 4, 2003) and from uniform minimum
standard to phagocytosis of an independent 4 yr degree program (1974-2003) of B.Sc.(Hons.)
Animal Husbandry included in the first schedule of PVMC Act 1996.
The simultaneous efforts started under the name of curricula improvement of DVM courses and the 4-year DVM courses were expanded/floated/overloaded by putting the production contents. Ultimately it changed the shape and size of the courses and it was tried to scratch each and every line of the production contents to merge in 5-year DVM degree. Many changes took place during this discourse.
i). Shape of DVM courses were defaced rather mutilated,
ii). Contents didn’t fit into hours allotted to the courses,
iii). AH courses were squeezed and they were left to look like bagasse,
iv). Lot of medicine and surgery contents got ignored,
v). 5th year was added in the degree to accommodate the expansion program,
vi) Mental unrest and anguish prevailed in both faculties and
vii) Credit hrs matching with HEC
limits also became an issue, etc.
Through sober and decent
voices, the soft agitations were raised in all meetings and concerns were well
appreciated and agreed by the participants, but nothing was taken serious in
any meeting, at any place. In continuation of these efforts, it was planned to
deal the case in an administrative way by using short-cut. The PVMC management
under the connivance of some higher ups, a meeting of some blue eyed and
like-minded officials, selected stakeholders, and some higher ups of the L&DD
Dept. was managed at Governor House on Oct 4, 2003 and it was decided by an
administrative order to close the B.Sc. (Hons.) Animal Husbandry degree
allowing 5-year DVM to prevail. The decision was conveyed to all Faculties next
day to implement it letter and spirit with a strong follow up. The UAF Vice
Chancellor and the Dean FAH were not informed about the contents and agenda of
the meeting; they were taken as surprise in the meeting. The
Dean FAH went to the court with his grievances but the case till this day has to
meet any decision (the detail will be provided any time next.).
Dr
Muhammad Yaqoob Bhatti (late) requested many many times to give name to the
council on the analogy of Pakistan
Medical and Dental Council, but it didn’t suit to some who had the inner
mischief, Dept frictions, personnel biasness and internal grudges. Dr Bhatti sahib
said many times that this council is half-baked and missing a portion of more
than 50% in the name, objectives as well, and will not yield the desired
results but nobody realized what was being said and what will be the future
outcomes. Many people became speechless till this day to say anything because
of any reason, but they realize that harm has been inflicted and they will be
accountable before the court of Almighty Allah. At this juncture, some friends have
initiated discussion on the love and commitment he had with Animal Production
profession. Being a staunch veterinarian, he was a steadfast supporter of
Animal Husbandry (Animal Production). He knew the importance of both and
realized that these two disciplines can work simultaneously and complimentarily
to each other to take the livestock and poultry to new heights and solve the
riddles facing to these sectors, till this day. He advocated and wrote many
letters to all high ups and all concerned at L&DD Dept, Federal Ministries,
Universities and PVMC, despite everybody respected him too much but didn’t pay
any heed to his words.
Now some friends have initiated discussion on social media that
the love and commitment of Dr Muhammad Yaqoob Bhatti (late) had with Animal
Production profession.
Some
colleagues have given impression to Dr
Riaz Khan that it was the survival of the fittest, but it was wrong as they
didn’t allow both degrees to compete on even grounds, rather they slaughtered
it in a meeting called under any other name at Governor House without telling
the other party the agenda and purpose of the meeting. The Vice Chancellor UAF
and the Dean FAH were caught unnoticed, uninformed and unapprised. The name and
purpose of this meeting was given as the standardization of Animal Science
Education where Animal Husbandry was slaughtered in an undemocratic way. Many
people are witness to this cruel handling and they can be asked before they
disappear from the scene. Dr Riaz Khan has been further
told by his colleagues that Dr Alamdar Hussain Malik was responsible to destroy
the AS program at various institutes while both the degrees were equally
important………….faculties
are there w/o students..……..creating jack of all trade…master of none…… splitting
faculties will not be required…… As per Universities Act, both Faculty exist
already at many places.
I
am glad to hear that now my friend Dr Alamdar
Hussain Malik says that production has become
very important to him and he was not in picture in 1994 when merger took place. My
dear there should be any limit to lie, as this merger took place on Oct 4, 2003
when he was very actively pleading this case and gathering the rewards for his Akhirat.
I hope that the actions and words will be reviewed again to see the depth of
the damage made to the profession. I can quote hundreds of examples where work
has suffered because of these fights and throwing monkeys on others shoulders
at this stage in not advisable. My friend Dr Alamdar says that both degree are
very important for livestock production and health. Now I regret that the decision of merger of AH into DVM degree was not
right. Now I strongly propose to revise it. During the post-merger
scenario, the no of institutions had
suffered, have been spoiled, spirit of DVM has lost, defaced the 5 yr DVM
transcripts, professional uplift has gone to zero, admission toll has gone to
beyond control and quality of graduates have become to ~ zero, sector
development has stopped (rather negative) and huge investment is going in vein,
livestock farms has been wiped off, breeds have lost their identities, students
have been pissed off, evening classes –a burden on faculty and students, next
generation has confused, they are still looking the canals of milk and
mountains of meat. If it is so, than we need to find out the
real culprits who brought the sector at this alarming situation. Now
under this scenario, your POV is strongly propose to revise the AH degree
program. The DVM degree should be given more focus on clinical approach. He
further went on to say that if we can accept the other production (5) degrees,
then why not one degree of B.Sc.(Hons.) AH degree”.
Prof Dr Safdar Anjum has
given his remarks that we have committed a crime by merging AH to a composite 5
yr DVM degree……many disciplines suffered due to mode intent of the
persons…..were not country based……we need to watch the interest of the country.
Prof Dr M Subhan
Qureshi still
needs to understand that the option of 50:50
will not work. This is the point when PVMC left the right track. It
didn’t work in the past, nor will it work in coming future. Two separate
complimentary degrees will solve this issue and huge field problems. DVM
degree was converted or reshaped to Dogs. They further mutilated the DVM and didn’t
care to maintain its accreditation.
Dr Shakeel
Abdullah
says that the Gomal University is offering Animal
Science (AS) and Poultry Science (PS) degrees.
Dr Ali Johar has
rightly said his POV that says that I am glad to hear this
view point of Dr Alamdar Hussain Malik about both degrees and I suggest a
degree in AS to cover all areas not included in DVM…… excellent a step ahead. Later he concluded that we need to offer DVM and AS degrees ……..
shall work together as a team, and there should be no harm of working in each
other supervision either.
Dr Khalid Mahmood
Shouq
addressing to Vet Edu Forum has narrated that time has proved that closure of B.Sc. (Hons.) AH degree was wrong
decision and that decision needs to be revisited. Now instead of one production
degree many people had started many degrees with different names. Now production of more vets has made the
field situation imbalance. Demand and supply situation has to be kept in
mind.
Dr Riaz Hussain, the
Farm Superintendent, GLF, Jugaitpeer, Bahawalpur mentioned that B.Sc. (Hons.) AH is the only solution to
coop up the declining trend in the field of animal sciences. Moreover, he said
that many production posts are lying vacant in the field and many areas have
become deserted. Experiment of composite degree is totally a failure.
My humble request: I (Dr Muhammad Younas) request humbly and conclude
that time keep on rolling and changing. It never behaves today, as it behaved
yesterday. Probably this is not the time to narrate attributes of production
degree after this much exposure with loss of time, money and efforts, it’s time
to re-think about the decision made in haste that has proved other way.
Forgetting past will be useful if it can bring the train on track, redirect our
policies to a right direction. Let’s leave egotism aside, keep our differences
apart and think positive for the country. We don’t have any NAB to take people
to task, we have to correct ourselves and leave further experimentation. Both
degrees and professions (DVM & AH) are sacred and they can run in our
country simultaneously and complimentarily as they have proved in developed
countries. We need to follow the model of developed countries, not the
countries which are developing and have different taboos on milk and meat. FAO
has the same model which has proven over times. We need to take what is good
for us and to have a start for clear targets with a holistic approach for the
benefit of our beloved country and its poor population.
Great
ReplyDelete