To opt between brain and brawn has always been a litmus test to establish the nature of a

The cyclists were given T-shirts and caps bearing the pictures of the ruling party stalwarts. Before that, the contests for Urdu and English speech, milli naghma singing and the quiz programme related to the Pakistan Movement for Independence were also held among schools – first at the tehsil level and then at the district level.

A prize distribution ceremony was held at the district level on the penultimate day. The intriguing part of the whole exercise is that whereas the winners of the cycle race walked away with cash, those in the speech, milli naghma and quiz contests were given only consolation prizes.

The likes of Spartans, Odysseus and Achilles owe their presence in the annals of history to the learned and literary writers like Homer, Aristotle and Sophocles.

The brawn owes the brain. The elite private schools and colleges hold music concerts, sports galas, bonfires, recreational trips and fashion shows, but never any literary programmes or sittings with the literati and academics.

Then why do we question why the likes of Patras Bukhari, Faiz, Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, Ghazi Salahuddin, Mushtaq Yusufi, Dr Mubarik Ali are not being produced now by our educational institutions?

Quite understandably, they win few sponsors. In the bygone golden era of PTV, Naeem Bukhari interviews, Kasoti featuring the intellectuals Ghazi Salahuddin and Ubaidullah Baig, Zia Mohayyudin-hosted shows, Pervez Hoodbhoi's science show, and Neelam Ghar by Tariq Aziz were all literary and informative programmes aired in prime time.

Optics have devoured everything. Adieu with a question: Why does the type of talent displayed at the Got Talent shows come from the lower social classes?