February 19-25, 1999
books
Friday Times 20
The myth of ‘transfer of technology’
TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION IN PAKISTAN
by Ghulam Kibria City Press Kanschi: Pp446: Price Rs 300
echnalogy is not a subject many peo-pie in Pakistan will he keen to read. Thiselitre the county’s greatess tech-rulogy espert Ghulam Kibria is lirile known excspt in a rearicted circle despita his distin-gaished eareer. He nrsse from his lintle bust-ness with the iathe in Labore to beenme prest-dem of the Labere Chamber of Conneree & Indeviry in 1985. in 1972, he estchlished Ap-pormiate Technalugy Derelopment Orpnuiss-tion (ATDO) for the PPP government. Aller the impesition of martial lats, Kimia became a cennaltant for the UN and wintt he was forced to leave inrernplete in Swat he applied to conies in Seutheast Asis. Settied in Kar-arlit, he went to adsise the Woold Bank. the ILO and governinents doing projsets in Pakl-stan. Ike leis heen an actixist of the Orangi Pilet Prejest with Hameed Aishtar Kiran and has sex up Pakistan Inuinute of Labour Educa-tion and Research (PILER).
The reviewer is perricularty grateful to
Mr Kiinia for snbstainiating his old objce-tion to Souiti’s demand that North Temsier technology to it raiber than give aid. The decade of the 1970, was lest to the laille up-rear about state to siste tranafer of technolo-gy alier the pablication of the Willy Brandt Repem. No state in the Wext lawnad’ tech-nology to transfer it. Now Mr Kibria says even borrowed and beught technology is of little use. It must spring frem within as a re-anlt of domestic skills. Tnday stolen midear and computer soilware technolegies fall in the same category of useless technologies. (Bad porver and teiephavie cannecicetlo in fact make them dangernnis). The honk telis us that even the tesimalogy scquired by BECO in Labore fruin German war repars-tiorts finally centriimted marginally to the market: PECO kiliod evan that tlnongh na-tienalisation. On the other hand, Ramzan and Sublcan of Batala had made their own fanatce in 1905; and somcene eise had made the diesel engine by 1920 in Labore. This was basis for the hscal techuclogiss thnt beat BECO in the market afier 1947. The teagezly sprang from Pakistan not caring for the local baxe.
It is nnt the North which has to be ready for transfer of technology, it is the recipient ccuntry witich has to be teily for it. in the 1970: when the anny was abls to make its find jeep, defence minister J.A. Rahim re-
Technology Acquisition in Pakistan
Stery of a Failed Priolleged Class and a Saccesfol Werking Class
Ghulam Kibria
jected it becunse be fraal seen jeeps baing msde in shiny now fectoriss in Europe. This is the hlandar thet poshed Pakistan back. The bnak gives us a histncy of technology and eapialits how the US, China, Japan and ether countries of Southeeat Asis arrived at tliair own appreptiate’ technologies after being re-buffed by the devalaped atates. The peirean is this thoss who have azbieved technoingi-eal cuccess have dene it on lini basis of their oun skills, in Pakistan haremeracles spread the myth that Pakistan inbcrited no techno-
logical base from the British and put it in the testheeiks to deam the considerable base that Pakisian hod in fact inhatited in the shape of skills in the Railway Workshop of Labere and the enginecring expertise developed in the Canal System of Panjsh. When the dams were to he comtructed after the Intiits Wat ters Treaty in the 1900s. the govecoment chose to ignore the country’s own expertiss and gave the corunets to fereign firms. The Railway Workshop was likonise aot al-lowed to develop the diesd lexomcive. which was imporied.
Chulam Kibria is a histmlan as well as a seiemist. He understands that tmless faudal-iem is abolished and seciaty is deniocratical-ly mled with a strong indepeeslent juélciary. no gamine growth of techupinge is pessible. Alreatly hampered by lack of capital. the Maxlim mistri was overiaken by martial laws and boreaneratie contral till he was forced to give up hie inventive genitss. He indicis the ruling eliias for Killing techuele gy in Pakistan whirse level was second to none in Aals at the time of papition. His beok contains a lot of history, altich makes the beak readable talthongh he is convinced that no ene will read iil, hat the chapiert on the birth of techcolugy in the inlunnal sector in pre 1947 Pakisum art inz mnat dvcting. fasot ins this veviewer has read the bock and has been Dore Is one Fircu ichoor eiïreit lints fions are fol is alat innde.