It would not be wrong to suggest that the first week of March 1965 was marked by ‘pleas’ made to the people and government of Pakistan by a few very prominent individuals. There was nothing to be alarmed about, though. Bearing in mind how things shape up in Pakistani society, they were regular appeals made to help preserve our culture, society and traditions.

Let’s begin with March 3, 1965, when the then Vice-Chancellor of the University of Karachi, Dr Isthtiaq Hussain Qureshi, inaugurated the Sociology Society of Karachi on the university premises. Addressing the society’s members Dr Qureshi warned against the cultural invasion of the West and made a passionate plea to preserve our own culture and traditions. Imagine, this was said in 1965 by someone who held a responsible position, and there are people in our society who have the same fears 50 years later. It is a wonder the West has not taken over our culture and society yet.

On March 5, Raja Sahib of Mahmoodabad was in the news for more or less the same reason but with a slightly different message. He was at Hotel Jabees (which used to be a pretty swanky venue in those days) attending the monthly dinner hosted by the Karachi University Graduates Association. Speaking to the young people who had gathered in the hotel Raja Sahib said they should direct their efforts in organising a strong cooperative movement and inculcate a spirit of cooperation in the people without which no society survived. He pointed out that moral standards could only be maintained if economic problems were solved, and in that context gave the example of the Chinese nation. Didn’t he sound better than Mr Qureshi?

This was the time when the internationally renowned archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler was in Karachi. He had spent a decent amount of time in Moenjodaro and had a great many things to say about his impressions of, and discoveries in, the region. On March 7, Dawn published an exclusive interview of the archaeologist on the subject. He clearly sounded concern in the interview arguing water-logging and salinity were causing harm to the oldest civilisation in history. He said something must be done to reduce the water levels and preserve the old heritage site. If it’s not done, he cautioned, the water levels would continue to rise with salt which would destroy the brick foundation of Moenjodaro.

If on one hand there were people who were trying to save the historical sites in Pakistan, there were others who were striving hard to beautify contemporary Karachi by building orchards around it. On March 3, it was reported that the Department of Agriculture Karachi had developed a 7,227-acre area for fruit cultivation by modern methods to boost production. To that end, plantation in an area of 250 acres was taken up to step up banana cultivation. Twelve private and two government nurseries had also been developed, and 800 coconut seedlings were sown on the coconut farm in Korangi. Wow! Now that’s what you call urban planning keeping nature’s munificence in mind. This can, in fact, be easily replicated even in the Karachi that has now a population of more than 20 million. It might also help ease the anger and frustration that Karachiites are often found brimming with.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2015

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