Another Forgotten Hero of Pakistan
Yasser Latif Hamdani May 2, 2004
#68 Posted by MantoLives on May 8, 2004 5:07:42 am
satyamvada,
Please inform me what your point of dispute is. What truth have I twisted? Just merely throwing up allegations will not win you your argument. Ayesha Jalal`s and the views of her `commie` professor are far from spin... infact they have exposed the googlies of history. My sources generally are history books from both sides of the border as well as Nehru`s own personal diary as I have quoted above.
WRT the post you put up about the mullahs... fine I accept your view wholeheartedly. Please inform us why the Congress Party chose to ally itself with such groups.... like the Majlis-e-Ahrar and the Deobandis? Majlis-e-Ahrar was officially part of the Congress Party since November 1940... it is the same Majlis-e-Ahrar which started to agitate for an Islamic state in Pakistan.
These are the ironies of history.... I can see why facts make you uncomfortable.
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#67 Posted by satyamvada on May 7, 2004 7:11:39 am
Mantolives`ji
I am waiting for you to post references that you used for this article.
I know you are a fan of that spinner Ayesha Jalal.
One thing - your intentions (of making Pakiland a secular, or atleast to reduce
the influence of religion) may be good, but you should not indulge in
twisting truth about JeeNhabhai or others and indulge in manipulations, to place
blame on one person or the other.
Pakistan is a large country - no one person can impose their will on everybody
unless society is willing. The so called leadership of Pakistan has only done
what the people want.
The first thing in curing a problem is to understand that there is a problem
and identify the source of the problem. Trying to place blame on individuals
or digging up some irrelevant quote by the gujju JeeNhabhai is useless.
#66 Posted by HP on May 7, 2004 12:58:24 am
#64 by Mantolives
“While I may not agree with your conclusions always”
You are doing a whole lot better than my wife…she wouldn’t agree with any -:)
Thanks anyway! I appreciate that. I just hope that you keep writing what you feel good about.
There aren’t very many books on Pakistan’s left. You will find bits and pieces spread all over. We tried to put things together and I was part of the research group but we had to face lots of trouble when we were conducting interviews. It was Zia era and Military intelligence thought we were planning some leftist coup.
There used to be an underground paper called “surkh Parcham”. That had lots of info, but I doubt that you can find it anywhere now. Viewpoint’s archive could be a good source. At least you would get to read some editorials by Mazhar Ali Khan. If that archive exits, then I can possibly arrange your access to it.
Better still, may be you wanna try and do some research for a book on Pakistan’s left-:)
#65 Posted by Romair on May 6, 2004 1:51:41 pm
Zakk/HP: ``A book on Pakistans left and centre of left parties s something that is the need of the time, people like Wali khan, Ajmal khattak and Sherbaz Mazari should be interviewed before their stories vanish from history. ``
Sherbaz Mazari has a very good book out titled, ``A Journey to Disallusionment.`` It covers Pakistan`s history in a lot of detail.
Sherbaz Mazari has a very good book out titled, ``A Journey to Disallusionment.`` It covers Pakistan`s history in a lot of detail.
#64 Posted by MantoLives on May 6, 2004 1:24:19 pm
HP,
While I may not agree with your conclusions always... but I am very impressed with the depth of your knowledge about Pakistan`s history. Can you recommend any good books on the history of Pakistan`s left? or leaders like Mazhar Ali Khan etc?
My Khala and Khaloo are committed leftists who haven`t left that fold since the 1970s and a lot of what I know about the left is the little I picked up from them on dinner table.
#63 Posted by MantoLives on May 6, 2004 1:24:03 pm
Freesoul,
The intent of this article is not to dig deep to find leaders. It is to show that the Pakistan Movement was not a monolithic movement ... that there was enough diversity in it, and the horrible mangling of history under Zia to some how create an Islamist foundation where there is none, is wrong. If the mullah, who opposed Pakistan for whatever reason, keeps harping about his version of the Islamic state, we atleast should have the right to rebutt their views.
One should not criticize for the sake of criticism.
The intent of this article is not to dig deep to find leaders. It is to show that the Pakistan Movement was not a monolithic movement ... that there was enough diversity in it, and the horrible mangling of history under Zia to some how create an Islamist foundation where there is none, is wrong. If the mullah, who opposed Pakistan for whatever reason, keeps harping about his version of the Islamic state, we atleast should have the right to rebutt their views.
One should not criticize for the sake of criticism.
#62 Posted by AnOrdinaryHindu on May 6, 2004 8:56:49 am
Dawn`s magazines are full of human interest stories. I particularly liked this recent one -
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/review4.htm
http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/review4.htm
#61 Posted by omar_r_quraishi on May 6, 2004 8:06:38 am
i dont know veeresh sahib .. oops i mean veeresh the elder -- as in dont know who reads editorials -- hahaha actually come to think of it, editors write them, and in pakistan people do read them, unless its editors pretending to be readers and emailing us letters on them -- why no, i don`t know where jhelum is, pray tell me -- veeresh sahib, jokes aside, plz stop before you make a complete fool of yourself --
#60 Posted by omar_r_quraishi on May 6, 2004 8:06:38 am
jay --please check the archives or read the paper more closely -- human interest stories generally do not feature on news pages -- i know that is changing, or has changed, in the case of newspapers in india -- but we still ocassionally have such stories on the news pages -- the weekly magazines have their fare share of them tho -- and since you ask, here`s something from Dawn`s Metro section -- a weekly column -- this one came april 5, 2004 --
Singing in unison
By Karachian
Church choirs are coming into their own. Hamilton Mathew, choir director at the city`s Central Brooks Memorial Church, says that his choir is very busy these days. ``Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday.
Now we are making preparations for two equally important religious services: Good Friday and Easter. We have to put in a lot of effort. Regular practice sessions are conducted, and since we are a team it is imperative that all members are present during rehearsals,`` he says.
Choir practice sessions, though tedious at times, are generally a lot of fun. Youngsters gather in the church compound and play cricket as they wait for their companions to arrive. When all have gathered inside, the practice session begins with a prayer.
``It does get a little frustrating when all the choir members do not turn up on time, since little can be achieved without the rest. However, it`s a blessing to be able to use the gifts God has bestowed upon us to praise Him. May our praise be acceptable in His sight,`` says Mr Mathew.
New director
The Germans have sent at least two women directors to head their cultural centre in Karachi following 9/11. Dr Marla Stukenberg became director of the Goethe Institut in early 2002. She was succeeded by Josef Bornhorst, who had mostly worked in South American countries. Now we have Dr Petra Raymond, who assumed office as director on April 1.
``I might have taken office on April Fool`s Day, but I am very serious about my job,`` says Ms Raymond good-humouredly. Armed with a PhD in the history of the German language, Ms Raymond headed the German cultural centre in Ghana from 2000 to 2004. She is happy that she will have the honour of signing the rent agreement of the future premises of the Goethe Institut, which will be housed in Suman House right across the Chief Minister`s House.
Goethe Institut officials point out that under German regulations the cultural centre must be housed in an earthquake- resistant building. They recall that they had a hard time finding such a building in Karachi. They heaved a sigh of relief when they found Suman House, which meets the requirement.
Enter Muttahida
The ``clean sweep`` claimed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in the recent by elections in Karachi and elsewhere in Sindh has brought to the fore a number of realities. First and foremost is the fact that the Muttahida now plans to be an active political player at the local level instead of opting out of the process like it did the first time round. This has its obvious repercussions for those who, in the absence of this key party in urban Sindh, claimed perhaps an undue share of seats.
More important still is the fact that unlike in the past, when office-bearers of participating political parties were required to resign from their party memberships before filing to contest the ostensibly non-political local body elections, no such restriction was imposed by the authorities vetting candidates` credentials this time round.
The byelections were held under the same laws that governed the conduct of the local body polls held two years ago, and this exposes the hollowness of the restriction.
Local governments in the democratic world are meant to be a nursery for political parties, enabling them to train their cadres at the grassroots level. Under the existing dispensation, it is a big anomaly that Pakistan`s political parties are denied that advantage.
If any other political party had claimed open victory in the manner the Muttahida has done, it would have perhaps risked a wholesale disqualification of the successful candidates.
Whether by doing so, the Muttahida has flung the door open for other parties to follow suit and make the authorities re-think the non-political philosophy remains to be seen. The Muttahida`s opponents will, of course, argue that one would have to be on the right side of the government to do so.
As for Karachi, one hopes that the city government, now with a good number of Muttahida members sitting on the opposition benches, will have more to show for its conduct than just putting up huge billboards with religious inscriptions, all at the taxpayer`s expense.
Aali`s national songs
Lyrical dohas may be the forte of Jamiluddin Aali, but he is equally popular for his national songs. And he has composed quite a few of them over the past 40 years. His latest poetic composition became the theme song of the 9th SAF Games, launched recently in Islamabad amid much fanfare.
``Three years ago, the chairman of the SAF Games organizing committee, Lt-Gen Syed Arif Hasan, asked me to compose a theme song for the major sporting event. Realizing that it was an honour for me, I readily agreed to compose a national song - a job which I have always enjoyed doing,`` says Karachi-based Aali.
``The song urges the participants of the games to transcend their national prejudices and adopt a sportsmanlike attitude,`` he explains. It was the 1965 War which got Aali to compose his first national song. Sung by the late Noor Jehan, Aey watan ke sajeeley jawanoon gained tremendous popularity.
Unhappy with the turn of events in 1971 and the imminent dismemberment of Pakistan, Aali composed his second national song, Jeeway, jeeway Pakistan, in 1971. Moved by the plight of the prisoners of war following the 1971 war, he composed Aey des ki hawaoin, sarhad ke par jao in 1972.
As the world celebrated Women`s Year in 1976, Aali composed Hum ma-ain, hum behnain, hum baiteyan - a song that was banned by the Zia regime and was subsequently employed to good effect by the Benazir government.
Ten years later, Aali wrote a song, Jo nam wohi pahchan, Pakistan, at the request of former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. In 1996, he composed another national song, Mera inam Pakistan, for the celebrated singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In 1999, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif got him to write a national song, Yaum-i-amn-o-baqa, commemorating the first anniversary of the detonation of the atomic bomb. Unlike the government that has repudiated most things redolent of atomic bomb celebrations, he still owns his song and the message it conveys.
email: karachi_notebook@hotmail.com.
Singing in unison
By Karachian
Church choirs are coming into their own. Hamilton Mathew, choir director at the city`s Central Brooks Memorial Church, says that his choir is very busy these days. ``Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday.
Now we are making preparations for two equally important religious services: Good Friday and Easter. We have to put in a lot of effort. Regular practice sessions are conducted, and since we are a team it is imperative that all members are present during rehearsals,`` he says.
Choir practice sessions, though tedious at times, are generally a lot of fun. Youngsters gather in the church compound and play cricket as they wait for their companions to arrive. When all have gathered inside, the practice session begins with a prayer.
``It does get a little frustrating when all the choir members do not turn up on time, since little can be achieved without the rest. However, it`s a blessing to be able to use the gifts God has bestowed upon us to praise Him. May our praise be acceptable in His sight,`` says Mr Mathew.
New director
The Germans have sent at least two women directors to head their cultural centre in Karachi following 9/11. Dr Marla Stukenberg became director of the Goethe Institut in early 2002. She was succeeded by Josef Bornhorst, who had mostly worked in South American countries. Now we have Dr Petra Raymond, who assumed office as director on April 1.
``I might have taken office on April Fool`s Day, but I am very serious about my job,`` says Ms Raymond good-humouredly. Armed with a PhD in the history of the German language, Ms Raymond headed the German cultural centre in Ghana from 2000 to 2004. She is happy that she will have the honour of signing the rent agreement of the future premises of the Goethe Institut, which will be housed in Suman House right across the Chief Minister`s House.
Goethe Institut officials point out that under German regulations the cultural centre must be housed in an earthquake- resistant building. They recall that they had a hard time finding such a building in Karachi. They heaved a sigh of relief when they found Suman House, which meets the requirement.
Enter Muttahida
The ``clean sweep`` claimed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in the recent by elections in Karachi and elsewhere in Sindh has brought to the fore a number of realities. First and foremost is the fact that the Muttahida now plans to be an active political player at the local level instead of opting out of the process like it did the first time round. This has its obvious repercussions for those who, in the absence of this key party in urban Sindh, claimed perhaps an undue share of seats.
More important still is the fact that unlike in the past, when office-bearers of participating political parties were required to resign from their party memberships before filing to contest the ostensibly non-political local body elections, no such restriction was imposed by the authorities vetting candidates` credentials this time round.
The byelections were held under the same laws that governed the conduct of the local body polls held two years ago, and this exposes the hollowness of the restriction.
Local governments in the democratic world are meant to be a nursery for political parties, enabling them to train their cadres at the grassroots level. Under the existing dispensation, it is a big anomaly that Pakistan`s political parties are denied that advantage.
If any other political party had claimed open victory in the manner the Muttahida has done, it would have perhaps risked a wholesale disqualification of the successful candidates.
Whether by doing so, the Muttahida has flung the door open for other parties to follow suit and make the authorities re-think the non-political philosophy remains to be seen. The Muttahida`s opponents will, of course, argue that one would have to be on the right side of the government to do so.
As for Karachi, one hopes that the city government, now with a good number of Muttahida members sitting on the opposition benches, will have more to show for its conduct than just putting up huge billboards with religious inscriptions, all at the taxpayer`s expense.
Aali`s national songs
Lyrical dohas may be the forte of Jamiluddin Aali, but he is equally popular for his national songs. And he has composed quite a few of them over the past 40 years. His latest poetic composition became the theme song of the 9th SAF Games, launched recently in Islamabad amid much fanfare.
``Three years ago, the chairman of the SAF Games organizing committee, Lt-Gen Syed Arif Hasan, asked me to compose a theme song for the major sporting event. Realizing that it was an honour for me, I readily agreed to compose a national song - a job which I have always enjoyed doing,`` says Karachi-based Aali.
``The song urges the participants of the games to transcend their national prejudices and adopt a sportsmanlike attitude,`` he explains. It was the 1965 War which got Aali to compose his first national song. Sung by the late Noor Jehan, Aey watan ke sajeeley jawanoon gained tremendous popularity.
Unhappy with the turn of events in 1971 and the imminent dismemberment of Pakistan, Aali composed his second national song, Jeeway, jeeway Pakistan, in 1971. Moved by the plight of the prisoners of war following the 1971 war, he composed Aey des ki hawaoin, sarhad ke par jao in 1972.
As the world celebrated Women`s Year in 1976, Aali composed Hum ma-ain, hum behnain, hum baiteyan - a song that was banned by the Zia regime and was subsequently employed to good effect by the Benazir government.
Ten years later, Aali wrote a song, Jo nam wohi pahchan, Pakistan, at the request of former president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. In 1996, he composed another national song, Mera inam Pakistan, for the celebrated singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In 1999, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif got him to write a national song, Yaum-i-amn-o-baqa, commemorating the first anniversary of the detonation of the atomic bomb. Unlike the government that has repudiated most things redolent of atomic bomb celebrations, he still owns his song and the message it conveys.
email: karachi_notebook@hotmail.com.
#59 Posted by Urstruly on May 6, 2004 5:28:55 am
Veeresh
The answer to your question regarding the price of newspapers and magazines is that, the GOP controls the import and distribution of all print paper and print material. There are two benefits in doing that (a) kickbacks (b) absolute control over dissemination of information and knowledge. In addition, government controls information by controlling its advertisements to the print media. In a country where everything from God to cricket is controlled by the gevernment, control over advertisements give them godlike powers. Technically and legally there is no censor over news in Pakistan, but government still has an absolute control over dissemination of information aka spin doctroing. The information doesnot get past middle class, which by the way is the most miserable and ineffective/neutered (khassi) class in Pakistan. No small or rural business can afford to get its advertisements in the newspaper because it is expensive and there is no readership among the masses. Never in my life I have seen an advertisement by a local manufacturer of agri equipment in the newspapers; never an ad from a workshop; a bakery; so on and so forth...
The answer to your question regarding the price of newspapers and magazines is that, the GOP controls the import and distribution of all print paper and print material. There are two benefits in doing that (a) kickbacks (b) absolute control over dissemination of information and knowledge. In addition, government controls information by controlling its advertisements to the print media. In a country where everything from God to cricket is controlled by the gevernment, control over advertisements give them godlike powers. Technically and legally there is no censor over news in Pakistan, but government still has an absolute control over dissemination of information aka spin doctroing. The information doesnot get past middle class, which by the way is the most miserable and ineffective/neutered (khassi) class in Pakistan. No small or rural business can afford to get its advertisements in the newspaper because it is expensive and there is no readership among the masses. Never in my life I have seen an advertisement by a local manufacturer of agri equipment in the newspapers; never an ad from a workshop; a bakery; so on and so forth...
#58 Posted by veeresh on May 6, 2004 2:51:34 am
Omar 56 - no, Alephnull is not me. Hello Alephnull, while I like your ``handle``, would you please convince Omar that I am me and you are who?
Omar ji, my humble question on why newspapers and magazines cost so much in Pakistan has till not been answered by you. However, along with the surprise invitation I have received for lecture circuit in towns like Multan and Jhelum, in Pakistan (you know where they are, right?) has come the information that a new newspaper is about to be launched, in Pakistan, with Urdu and English editions, at the target price of Rs 2.50 . . . and the new machinery for this (by Heidelberg, computer to plate top of the line and even I am amazed at the NexPress 2100 ordered . . .) is already on its way to Karachi port.
Omar ji, please appreciate - I am just a seeker, and always willing to learn. Sitting here in India I sought and was able to find out . . . why don`t you too? I mean, editorials are fun, but only other editors read them, right?
Omar ji, my humble question on why newspapers and magazines cost so much in Pakistan has till not been answered by you. However, along with the surprise invitation I have received for lecture circuit in towns like Multan and Jhelum, in Pakistan (you know where they are, right?) has come the information that a new newspaper is about to be launched, in Pakistan, with Urdu and English editions, at the target price of Rs 2.50 . . . and the new machinery for this (by Heidelberg, computer to plate top of the line and even I am amazed at the NexPress 2100 ordered . . .) is already on its way to Karachi port.
Omar ji, please appreciate - I am just a seeker, and always willing to learn. Sitting here in India I sought and was able to find out . . . why don`t you too? I mean, editorials are fun, but only other editors read them, right?
#57 Posted by jay on May 6, 2004 2:17:09 am
Omar,
One more question about dawn. As an avid dawner, I have never come across a human interest story in dawn, about something good a pakistani has done, story of some pakistani who has come up due to hard work, some artsitic achievemenyt.
If there was ever one in recent times pl give me a link. Dawn is full of killings and death, any where and every where.
One more question about dawn. As an avid dawner, I have never come across a human interest story in dawn, about something good a pakistani has done, story of some pakistani who has come up due to hard work, some artsitic achievemenyt.
If there was ever one in recent times pl give me a link. Dawn is full of killings and death, any where and every where.
#56 Posted by omar_r_quraishi on May 6, 2004 2:11:11 am
yes i saw that post veeresh the elder -- i also know that alephnull isn`t you -- or is he?
#55 Posted by gujjubania on May 5, 2004 11:50:00 pm
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#54 Posted by Ras on May 5, 2004 10:31:30 pm
YLH,
thanks for the reminder.
There are many in this category of Pakistanis, of the gem quality that can always
make us proud, but unfortunately are mostly hidden.
The powers that be are beginning to get some sense of direction
and for you to resurrect such a true hero can only be judged as a plus.
Ras
#53 Posted by satyamvada on May 5, 2004 1:49:13 pm
Mantolives,
Please put up references of where you get your info from
You peddle a lot of bs just like Ayesha Jalal.
YLH also keeps repeating that the mullahs did not support Pakistan - but he
doesnt say why some of the mullahs did not want Pakistan. The mullahs
did so because they realized that their effort at making India dar-ul-islam would be
jeopardised. They opposed partition not because of any love for India.
We in India also are never told this truth in our schoolbooks - we are just told
that there were a lot muslims who opposed partition.
For others:
Ayesha Jalal got her PhD from an Indian Commie Prof. The Commies
in India supported Pakistan.
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