PESHAWAR: Malala of Maiwand was perhaps the first Afghan woman, who was recognised and recorded in Afghan history for her inspirational role in the fight against British forces in the Second Anglo-Afghan War, said speakers at a function here on Thursday.

The function was arranged by Poha Organisation. The participants listened with deep interest to the speakers from different walks of life sharing their knowledge on Afghan history, especially about the heroin of Battle of Maiwand -- Malala. July 27, the day this Afghan heroin fought alongside men against British was being observed as Maiwand Day to remember this Afghan national heroin and also make youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa aware about her.

Poha (awareness) Organisation arranges such sittings on important historic days of Pakhun or Afghan history to make youth aware about history through experts and hold discussion on it to connect it to the world of today.

The Maiwand Day was observed at Peshawar Museum in collaboration with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Archaeology Department. The participants were informed as to how Malala, born in a small village of Khig in Kandahar province of Afghanistan, fought against the British.

Function held at Peshawar Museum to pay homage to Malala of Maiwand

In recent years often a comparison is drawn between Malala of Maiwand and a young girl also named Malala from Swat who earned recognition worldwide for raising her voice for female education in Swat during Taliban’s presence and later earned Nobel Peace Prize for it. Both represented common Pakhtun girls, who proved heroic when faced with a test.

“Malala is a name of girls common in the downtrodden class in Pakhutn society. It means beauty. Both Malalas have become part of Pakhtun history due to their struggle,” said Dr Sarfraz, director of Area Study Centre, University of Peshawar.

He said that Malala of Maiwand came out in the field and showed manly qualities of valour expected of men that’s perhaps why she was recognised in Afghan history.

“She is from an era when women were not even given the right to own land or carry out any economic activity,” said Dr Sarfraz.

However, Ayaz Mandokhel, a government official known among literary circles and scholars for his expert opinion on Afghan history, acknowledged that despite being an Afghan heroin of battle of Maiwand, there was not much about Malala in history books just because she was a woman.

She was an ordinary Afghan girl, who inspired men fighters including her father and husband to fight when they were about to give up the fight. She inspired them with her poetic verses and boosted their morale by making a flag of her veil encouraging them to fight against the British troops at the Battle of Maiwand on July 27, 1880 or the Second Anglo-Afghan War.

The participants also discussed at length as to how women in history were kept invisible and only few like Malala of Maiwand were remembered for their heroic fight. They also discussed as to how afghan rulers might have won battles against the British but it was only disunity and treachery within that led to the colossal defeat of the ruling leaders of Afghanistan.

The youth during discussion tried to gather sense and draw lessons from the Afghan historic events narrated in details by Dr Sarfraz and Ayaz Mandokhel.

Mukhtiar Bacha, another senior political activist and speaker, said that Pakhtuns could achieve unity and progress if they focused on social, political and economic development than living in the past glory.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2017