THE editor of the Alhamra Literary Review, Shahid Ali Khan, has placed in the September issue an article which he can claim, in journalists’ jargon, to be a scoop. The article is going to form a part of the seventh edition of Dr Javid Iqbal’s autobiography, Apna Gariban Chak.

Dr Javid Iqbal has talked about the genesis of this article. He tells us that with the purpose to know his sister’s impressions of their father he had interviewed her when she was still a 16 or 17-year-old girl. He interviewed her for the second time in 2012, at the age of 82. The article under consideration consists of these two interviews which will now be accommodated in a chapter forming a part of the autobiography.

“Munira,” says Dr Javid, “believes in anonymity with no wish to speak out.” This is an accurate statement. She was never seen coming out as the daughter of the great poet and speaking in that capacity. That is what adds value to these interviews, which may be taken more as responses of a sister to the queries of her brother. So it is for the first time that we listen to her speaking about her father, and, in addition, about her caretaker, Auntie Doris.

Dr Javid tells us that Munira Bano was born on Aug 30, 1930. Allama Iqbal passed away in April, 1938. That means that she was about eight years old at the time of his death. Still, she remembers much about her father. And as she talks about her father’s excessive love and care for his daughter, we see through her glimpses of Iqbal as a loving father.

How vividly Munira Bano remembers one particular occasion of Shab-e-Baraat when she enjoyed the festival in the company of her father who went on providing her phuljharis one after the other till late night.

She does not agree with those who regarded the Allama as a very serious person. Her experience has been different. She remembers him as someone who laughed a lot.

The Allama was in search of a caretaker for his daughter and Professor Rasheed Ahmad Siddiqi solved this problem for him. “Auntie Doris” was a German lady, the sister of a German wife of an Aligarh professor. She agreed to serve as a caretaker of the little girl. Munira Bano is all praises for her. She started calling her Auntie Doris and was so deeply attached to her that under her care she found solace. She, in fact, discovered a mother in her.

Munira Bano was in those days a student of Kinnaird College. Auntie Doris found out that Munira had to attend Bible classes and reported this matter to Iqbal. In response, Iqbal smiled and said, “what is the harm if she reads the holy book of another religion. We should rather welcome it.”

The Allama was very keen to see his daughter learn the German language under the guidance of her German caretaker. She had at least learnt to say goodbye in German.

On being asked about her marriage arrangements she said, “I myself had given instructions about my bridal dress. Auntie Doris and Apa Inayat assisted me in this respect. The bridal dress was red-coloured. The jewellery too was of my own choice.” She added, “I had made a promise to Auntie Doris that I will not observe the ritual of weeping on the occasion of rukhsati. And I stuck to my promise.”

One being asked about her married life, she said she was happy to land in a haveli bubbling with life. She praises her in-laws, especially her father- and mother-in-law, two loving souls who treated her as their own daughter.

As portrayed by Dr Javid, Munira Bano, kind-hearted and always ready to help those in need, well-versed in English, Urdu, and Punjabi, believes in leading a quiet life with no wish to come out and assert herself as the daughter of the great poet Iqbal.