| April 23, 2007 | Monday | Rabi-us-Sani 05, 1428 |
Panwahar — man of letters and progressive farmer
Mohammad Hussain Panwahar was a genius of varied interests and qualities. Basically an engineer, he was also a progressive farmer and an eminent writer with valuable works on history, anthropology, geography, cartography, social sciences and farming. His services were acknowledged at home and abroad.
With an upsurge in street crime rate across the city, I like many others often wonder how one should react when a pistol is put to one’s head. Many times I have resolutely decided not to put up a resistance but I also know that in a state of panic the mind reacts in strange ways.
A few days ago my friend had an experience that many living in Karachi dread - mugging. The mugger took his cellphone at gunpoint. Fortunately, the friend did not react aggressively. Soon after the incident, I had a chat with my friend. He told me that he felt frustrated because he did not do anything. But, of course, he realizes that any retaliation could have led to a disaster.
Being a mobile phone enthusiast is very frustrating if you live in Karachi. However, I have worked out a system whereby I have not had even one cellphone stolen from me, although I have been carrying one all around Karachi for quite a few years. This may be my luck, but I believe that this is also a matter of common sense. Here are some pointers on how to avoid phone theft and snatching.
Never leave your cellphone where you cannot see or feel it. Girls who generally don’t have pockets in their dresses may face some problems, but guys who have lots of pockets have absolutely no excuse for leaving their cellphone on their desk when going to the washroom or anywhere else. Wherever you go, whatever you do, always keep your cellphone in your pocket or with you. This way you can discourage opportunists who stealthily walk off with phones. I have seen many cellphones stolen from people in exactly this way and all I can say is that if your cellphone got stolen because you left it behind, you have only yourself to blame.
Keep calls short when you are ‘vulnerable’. When you are walking on the road, or in a deserted street, do not answer your phone. If you must answer it, do so quickly and keep the conversation as short as possible.While driving never use your mobile as it may cause a road accident and when you stop at a red light, always remember there are some clever ones who follow people a bit and keep their eyes open to find out who has got the best phone. If it is unavoidable to use your cellphone at a red light, stop your car in the middle track of the road. This may help keeping away those who are watching you as a potential target.
Nothing says ‘I have the latest cellphone’ more prominently than a bluetooth headset stuck to your ear. Keep the headset in your pocket and take it out only to answer a call. This is actually to limit your phone’s visibility. People who want to show off their latest and greatest phone may baulk at the idea, but I think I would prefer to have the phone with me than to have it stolen by showing it off.—HA
Exposure to vulgar talk
It seems now to be a vain hope that the transport sector in Karachi will have well-behaved, polite and soft-spoken people, especially the crew of public transport vehicles. Until recently, say before the devolution (local government) system was introduced in the country, such a hope was nothing but wishful thinking. However, Karachians took it very seriously when the nazim of the first district government of this city firmly declared that being educated and well-mannered would be the foremost requirement for any driver and other crew of the buses and coasters to be inducted by the CDGK.
Although his wish is yet to come true, Karachians did not lose hope as the incumbent CDGK also subscribed to his idea.
Is it possible to replace almost a million transport workers with nice guys? Or, is it possible to educate such a large number of people to improve their behaviour? The answer may be ‘yes’ but ‘how’ and ‘when’ may remain unanswered.
The idea was not just an acquired one. It is anybody’s experience that most drivers and ticket collectors, popularly known as ‘conductors’, simply cannot talk without using vulgar language. Peppered with abuses, their remarks offend the passengers who love decency. And most Karachians do wish decency to prevail in society.
Unfortunately, the driver of a bus, minibus or coaster sits in the compartment meant for women passengers. In rickshaws and taxis, passengers and drivers sit very close to each other. Due to this arrangement, it is not possible for women to avoid hearing the vulgar language the drivers often use with other people, particularly the crew of another vehicle standing nearby. An exchange of filthy words and remarks do not only annoy the womenfolk, but also the men accompanying them and sitting at some distance. Sometimes the utterances are so terribly embarrassing that the male companions would desperately wish the exchange to stop at once. A short-tempered man would sometime even intervene but only to be shouted down by the rowdy people involved.
In short, we all are as helpless as a hostage may be in the whole situation because neither legislation can help modify one’s behaviour nor can the ill-mannered people mend their ways overnight.
—Abdul Wahab Memon
For the love of food
Many have said that the only outlet for entertainment in Karachi, apart from the increasingly polluted seashore, is eating out. No doubt for the gastronomically inclined, Karachi has a food culture to match any in the world. If Paris, Singapore and New York can boast of being food capitals of the world, then why not Karachi?
After all, the city by the sea has a vast range of options for every imaginable tax bracket. From grubby roadside stalls serving up greasy delicacies (eat at your own risk), to atrociously expensive cafes located in upscale neighbourhoods, this city has it all. Restaurant reviews often appear in the press critiquing this eatery or that, but one feels there should be a serious attempt at cataloguing Karachi’s eateries, perhaps similar to the internationally-renowned Michelin restaurant guides.
Foodies of all persuasions will gladly react to such a publication and this could even be used as a gimmick to attract tourism. Think of it: a concise, handy guide listing everything from Burnes Road’s sizzling kebab stalls to Zamzama’s swanky eateries. One thinks this would go a long way in promoting Karachi’s food culture. For there are many amongst the city’s die-hard food lovers who might have a complete knowledge of a certain area’s food hotspots, yet might be completely ignorant about the best place to eat across town.
For instance, while Mr X will easily tell you the best place to find nihari in Malir or the most succulent sweet-meat vendor in Korangi, he might draw a complete blank when asked where to find similar delicacies in Lalu Khet, officially known as Liaquatabad. Hence, a comprehensive, non-partisan guide will come in handy for the hungry and the adventurous. Perhaps if the venture is successful, the experience could be duplicated with a publication highlighting eateries on a national scale.
Of course with all things in Pakistan, the margin for corruption is huge. Just think of it: in order to get a favourable review, restaurateurs might tempt writers or publishers with free, piping hot cauldrons of biryani or perhaps a year’s supply of murgh dum pukht. To resist these delicious temptations, utmost secrecy must be maintained while compiling the guide, so as to create a truly unbiased compendium.
All joking aside, we must take advantage of the few things actually going right for this city, and its thriving food culture is one of them. The only thing is, there should also be a sister guide published listing Karachi’s best exercise spots to work off those pounds.— Qasim A. Moini
Compiled by Syed Hassan Ali
He was born in a farmer family of Ibrahim Panwahar village in Dadu district. He started writing on various subjects at an early age, but finally history, geography and anthropology became his main fields of interest. Being from a farming family, his interest in the field was natural. It made him study different aspects of agriculture, including modern methods to increase output and treatment of crop diseases.
After graduating from the NED Engineering College, Karachi, in 1949, he began his career as an earth-moving and farm engineer. In 1953, he did masters from Wisconsin University, USA, in farm engineering and joined the Sindh government. He also became the chief engineer of the agricultural engineering wing of Sindh and Balochistan. He undertook the arduous task of levelling virgin land falling in the command area of Kotri, Sukkur and Guddu barrages.
For 16 years, he worked as an agricultural engineer and also worked on ground water and hydrology along with soil conservation, which were least-attended areas in the country.
His interest in subjects like geography, history, archaeology and anthropology led him to save some time from his daily schedule for reading and writing. He traveled extensively in Sindh, from Gharo to Kashmore, studying the land, the people and their economy and lifestyle. He learned cartography and prepared maps from pre-historic times to date. He produced about 3,000 maps which were used by other authors and writers. For this contribution, he was accorded the fellowship of the Royal Geographic Society, London, in 1980. As a specialist, he served as an adviser at the Sindh University and a visiting teacher at the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology.
As an author, he has to his credit a number of books, including Chronological Dictionary of Sindh, Social History of Sindh, Source Material on Sindh, Ground Water in Sindh, Sindh-Kuchh Relations, water-related issues, natural resources and modern farming. He had a large library comprising 40,000 books, which were also used by other scholars and writers.
As a student of history, he believed that popular tales such as those of Dodo Chanesar and Sassi Punhoon were not based on facts. However, since it could have stirred a controversy, he did not insist on the hypothesis.
Mr Panwahar was a progressive farmer. He developed his land on scientific lines. He introduced a number of varieties of fruits which had not been grown earlier in Sindh. His orchard has at least 25 varieties brought from outside which were acclimatised to this part of the country. In one part of his orchard, he did not use chemical fertiliser. Instead, he developed manure from crop waste, which proved very effective. He believed that organic farming could solve many of the farming problems.
He also developed indigenous methods to fight crop diseases. In 1988, the banana crop in the country was attacked by a mysterious disease, causing huge losses to growers. He treated the disease with local applications. On this success, he was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 1991. He believed that if the government promoted agricultural research, most of the crop diseases could be treated without spending foreign exchange.
He did not have a Kamdar (estate manager) like traditional landlords. Most of his farm workers were graduates in agriculture, who undertook various assignments and engaged in experiments. His interest in farm engineering also took him to a number of countries with the objective of updating his knowledge.
Mr Panwahar was a lively and gracious person who helped young and promising researchers in different fields of education and science. Taking advantage of his experience, many organisations sought his advice. His death has deprived the country not only of a scientific farmer but also of a man of letters.