| May 12, 2002 | Sunday | Safar 28, 1423 |
Can memory cure mistaken miracle mongers?
KARACHI: The Progressive Writers Association, Irteqa Institute of Social Sciences and Irteqa literary Forum have, in a joint statement, expressed their profound grief over the death of noted poet, lyricist and writer, Kaifi Azmi.
Kaifi Azmi was one of the builders of the Progressive Writers Movement in South Asia. He rose to eminence along with a galaxy of Urdu poets and intellectuals like Sardar Jaferi, Sajjad Zaheer, Sibte Hasan and many others.
A committed Marxist, he was actively engaged with the labour movement in Bombay, and also with the film industry as a screen writer and lyricist.
Kaifi’s faith in the dignity of all humans and his commitment to the cause of the poor, the downtrodden and footpath dwellers was unflinching, later gifted to his eminent daughter Shabana Azmi and shared by his wife Ms Shaukat and son-in-law Javed Akhtar.
Kaifi the poet was equally popular in mushairas and literary moots. Most poets and writers in Karachi would recall their happy discourse with the friendly and amiable poet from India where he was a great source of strength to the people now undergoing the ravages of sectarian violence. “His death has saddened everyone, belonging to anywhere”, the joint statement signed by Rahat Saeed, Iqbal Alvi and Muslim Shamim said.—Hasan Abidi
MAJ-GEN Rashid Qureshi, press secretary to the president, said last week the ‘looters’ who had been in after Gen Zia and before Gen Musharraf wanted to turn back the clock to pre-October 1999 days. The government, he said, was determined not to let that happen.
Welcome words. But, for all the good intentions in the world, the general could perhaps do with a little memory. Suspending and undoing constitutional and political advance has been very nearly a monopoly of the party he so proudly represents. And if some of those tampering with the clock fondly believe they can set it forward they are sadly mistaken. There is, after all, no overtaking Time. Whoever thinks he has succeeded by some clever trick to gain four hours may actually have lost 20, if not more.
Elected ‘looters’ are evolutionary descendants of a rule of law which derives legitimacy from the barrel of a gun. Corrupt leaders and distorted priorities are the norm rather than the exception in societies recovering from such abnormal years. When demi-gods of corruption leave, the gods arrive. Just as its hands must move clockwise while winding down, however frequently you reset the clock and whatever hour you choose, corrupt politics must precede transparency.
There is a tantalizing story by HG Wells called The Man Who Could Work Miracles. It demonstrates, for those who cannot learn their lessons from history, the difficulty, if not futility, of trying to reform the world through miracles. The protagonist discovers during an argument at a tavern his ability to defy laws of nature. Unaccustomed to the power, however, he wields it clumsily and seems always to be doing more unintended harm than anything useful until he meets somebody willing and apparently capable of advising him on how to put his great gift to constructive use. Together, they start one night building a better world. They are frustrated at the thought that time is running out. But, remembers the enthusiastic advisor, cannot the earth be stopped in its spin so that the night will linger on to allow them to finish the good work. Our hero tries and succeeds only to see catastrophic consequences. Realizing finally that playing God without omniscience may be irresponsible, he concludes that it is best for him to leave the world alone. Deciding altruistically to forgo his power, even a memory of it, he turns time back to just before the moment when he had first discovered his power. But then the argument which led to all this is raging and must take its natural course...
A WOMEN’S police contingent last week prevented one of the hardest things to stop by definition — a suicide. Sundas Farooq, who doused herself with kerosene oil in front of the Governor’s House, was once again stopped in time. Ms Farooq has been seeking arrest and prosecution of policemen whom she accuses of extortion, trespass and theft. Frustrated at their apparent immunity, she had earlier ‘attempted’ self-immolation before a Lahore High Court bench only to be reprimanded for contempt. Following several departmental inquiries, including some ordered by the court, some of the accused were found liable for prosecution. They have, however, been granted bail.
That a publicized suicide, even an attempt, can highlight an issue so well as to spark a revolt, is well known. From Mr Gandhi to IRA militants and Bishop John Joseph to Chan Zeb, the results have been mixed at best. Its appeal for the desperately driven, however, remains undiminished. Too aware of the uncertain nature of the community’s response, administrations in our country do their best to prevent it. In Ms Farooq’s case, there seems to have been some advance notice. This may have made the job somewhat easier.
An anonymous suicide in Karachi, however, was much more ‘successful.’ The extent of damage it did is still being debated but if the objective was to highlight the ineffectiveness of our security apparatus, it has, of course, been eminently accomplished.
Two reactions to the sad incident stood out among others. Neither needs a comment. Blaming the stand-off with India for the country’s attenuated ability to deal with terrorism President Musharraf asked the United States and its allies to make it back off and Governor Maqbool claimed that intelligence and security in the Punjab were adequate for the task.
NOTHING succeeds like success — even a hollow success. The ‘success’ of a girls school mentioned recently in these columns for its relentless pursuit of top positions in external examinations has apparently tempted others. A colleague was requested last week by a worried neighbour to talk some sense into a school management insisting to keep children at school from 8am to 5pm. His account of the visit:
“I found a banner announcing the names of students who had done well at the last Board examination. The door underneath, however, was locked from within. Asking a passer-by for help, I learnt that the door was the only entrance to the school. ‘But it is locked,” I pointed out. ‘Shout and you’ll be answered,’ came the reply. I did so for a couple of times before an elderly maid appeared in the dark compound beyond the steel bars. I indicated that I wished to see the principal. ‘Why?’ she asked suspiciously. I explained the need and she said sympathetically that she knew the children I mentioned. A junior teacher then came asking what could be the point in discussing a point on which the management had already made up its mind? I submitted that in that case it might be impossible for the children to continue at the school. Reluctantly, she withdrew.
“The principal came. ‘The children need to be hardy and the parents need to appreciate that,’ she said. She added that she was disappointed at the number of parents seeking exemption. She insisted also that the children understood that the policy was to their advantage and had willingly agreed to it. ‘Now that we have made arrangements accordingly, the parents have started finding faults with it. Can you imagine how frustrating it is?’ I said I had all the sympathy but was convinced that very few children would benefit from the extended hours. Had she spared a thought for their endurance level? ‘What do you mean? How else are we going to be competitive? How do you think are we going to get the affiliation? You think it’s hot in here? We have installed a cooler. We care. The summer vacation here will be no more than two weeks. Why spoil the children?’
“Realizing that the line of argument would get me nowhere, I said unless the management could be flexible in this regard the children would be withdrawn from the school. She offered to call them to vouch for her claim that the schedule was all right. I said it was unnecessary and that I represented the parents. This led to some bargaining in earnest. She agreed finally to 3:30pm.” —ONLOOKER