When the army officers questioned him, Imdad Chakram looked straight in their eyes, and said, ‘I specialize in raising funds through begging’
HAVE you heard of Imdad Chakram? I am talking to my readers born after 1958, the year that coincides with imposition of first Martial Law in the country, just after eleven years of coming into being of Pakistan in 1947. The man who clamped Military rule on the country was General Mohammed Ayub Khan who in a couple of archival photographs is seen standing at a distance from Quaid-e-Azam as junior military officer.
After giving this country its first Martial Law in 1958 General Ayub Khan fought a 17 day war with India in 1965. Without making the true outcome of the war known to the nation he elevated himself to the rank of Field Marshal, and decorated his chest with a massive medal. You were hardly ten years of age when Field Marshal Ayub Khan after toying with dictatorial democracy for ten years abdicated in favour of General Yahya Khan. Thus, Pakistan experienced second Martial Law in 1968, and within three years thereafter, Pakistan was halved in 1971. Therefore, I do not expect anyone of you to have heard of Imdad Chakram.
Imdad Chakram first breathed in the womb of his mother during the horrible riots that shook the earth in the wake of partition of India, and coming into being of Pakistan in 1947. The savagery witnessed by humanity at large was so atrocious that the world forgot all about the brutalities committed during the Second World War two years prior to the subdivision of the Indian Subcontinent. The Pirs and the Pundits may console themselves by claiming that no religion propagates hatred for fellow human beings belonging to other faiths, but they just can not contradict the tumultuous period around 1947. Mass destruction and devastation of properties apart countless men, women, and children belonging to Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities were dishonoured, ravaged and butchered to death in the name of religion. The history is full to the brim with the irrefutable stories of brutalities unleashed by the followers of one faith against the people belonging to other faith. Even the sects within one faith kill each other with impunity. Take a bit of trouble. Pick up an authentic history. Count the horrible wars fought in the name of religions from the day Adam descended on this earth many millenniums ago. A dervish once remarked, “A religion may abhor violence, but its faithful relish fighting religiously.”
Soon after giving him birth in 1947 Imdad’s miserable mother passed away. He was groomed and brought up in an orphanage operated by the powerful usurpers and the money launderers who within no time had dug at the roots of the mismanaged country. Under their influence Imdad Chakram specialized in the art and science of begging. By the age of eleven Imdad had earned a name for himself in raising and collecting funds, alms, grants in aid, and donations. He was deeply moved by the inaugural speech of General Ayub Khan, when the General announced that Pakistan was passing through most miserable period in its history, and that the country was monetarily and politically doomed, and that he had taken over Pakistan to salvage country’s pride.
Imdad Chakram though novice to the Military and civil bureaucracy contrived connections, and convinced General Ayub Khan’s trusted advisors that he had guts for the collecting funds for the country.
They asked him, “Tell us about your credentials.”
Imdad Chakram looked straight in their eyes, and said, “I specialize in raising funds through begging.”
“That is ridiculous.” They said, “Come what may, we will not put country’s pride at stake.”
For the first couple of years Pakistan under General Ayub Khan’s reign faced sanctions from the democratic world. The Indians laughed at us, and ridiculed our independence as a democratic country. Sudden four prong emergence of global geopolitical conflicts involving USA, USSR, China, South and North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam, and Israel softened America’s attitude towards Pakistan. John F Kennedy invited General Ayub Khan to visit United States. On the insistence of the wise advisors Imdad Chakram was included in the entourage that accompanied General Ayub Khan to America. The visit provided Imdad with God-given opportunity to unleash his skills. He achieved his objective surreptitiously.
General Ayub Khan returned triumphantly. No one back home thought the General had compromised country’s sovereignty. Even his avowed opponents admired his sense of self respect for not taking a begging bowl to America. The mission for begging was secretly accomplished by Imdad Chakram. The financial wizards were left guessing when they witnessed sudden surge of economic boom in the country. Pakistan was no more a badly indebted country. One could buy a dollar for rupees two from vendors throughout the country. It augmented an unending era of minting money in Pakistan.
The lust for money robbed rulers of Pakistan and their cronies of their self respect. Not realizing that Imdad Chakram was an authority over art and science of begging they removed him to obscurity. Since then our rulers have cut a sorry figure all over the globe seeking loans, alms, grants, and aid.
Little before General Pervez Musharraf embarked upon his visit to the United States we saw Imdad Chakram surface from anonymity.
“Knowing that quite a number of foreign trained persons skilled in the art and science of raising funds are in the entourage, what are you expected to do in America?” He was asked.
Imdad Chakram looked at the press reporters, and said, “I have unlearned the art and science of begging.”
“Then, what do you do?” A reporter asked.
Imdad Chakram replied, “I specialize in raising funds by mortgaging dreams, aspirations, honour and dignity.”
