I am writing this after reading biographical sketch of Dr Abdus Salam written by Dr Abdul Ghani which gives a detailed account of events where Dr Salam was persistently shunned by those at the helm of the affairs. After reading it, one finds no suitable words to lament the misfortunes of our country. A 24 year old young man having an extraordinary academic record and a PhD from Cambridge University when returned to his motherland to foster research in the spheres of Physics and Mathematics, was mistreated by his employers and received life threats. Reluctantly, he left Pakistan to take up a lectureship at Cambridge - a fateful decision for the man, who through that decision, was to win the first science Nobel Prize for any of the Muslim countries. It is noteworthy here that before him, only three Indians had an honour to teach at the leading universities of Britian. If this is the plight of a Nobel Laureate, the appalling state of other scholars can be well imagined. The pathetic state of science and technology, lack of industrialization, and increasing brain drain prevalent today is nothing but a culmination of a series of mistakes we have committed throughout the annals of our national history. Let us vow to put an end to this menacing attitude of self destruction - once and for all. ABDUL RAUF, Karachi, April 14.