IN post-independence Karachi, the Urdu language has played a significant role in giving the city its identity — whether it’s proved to be worthwhile or not is for the future historians to unpack. On March 24, 1970 an organisation called Idara-i-Zehn-i-Jadeed was formed in the city to promote and develop Urdu literature on, what its makers claimed, ‘intellectual lines’. Launched under the stewardship of eminent scholar Syed Mohammad Taqi, it was claimed that the idara would “devote itself to producing the world’s greatest books through translations and compilations in Urdu”. Its first production was a book titled Mantiq, Falsafa aur Science.

One doesn’t know whether the publishing industry was given due importance while coming up with development programmes for the Sindh capital at the time. What one does know is that the authorities in all zones tried their best to cover all the bases to have a handle on things. For example, on March 28 it was reported that the Landhi-Korangi Municipal Committee had drawn up a comprehensive five-year plan for the development of the Landhi and Korangi areas at an estimated expenditure of Rs25 million. The total anticipated expenditure was to cover the 1970-75 period, spent on 17 different projects such as construction of a stadium, a shopping centre, a cattle colony, a dhobi ghat, laying of sewers, storm-water drains, fire stations, schools, dispensaries, parks and gardens.

And if you harbour the notion that the week was relatively trouble-free, well, think again –– Karachi always seems to be grappling with one problem or another. On March 28, hundreds of patients at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre were deprived of nursing care for about six-and-a-half hours when almost all the nursing staff of the JPMC went on token strike at 7.30am. Surgeons had to postpone the routine operations in the absence of paramedical assistance and post-operative care which was usually manned by about 25 nurses at the operation theatres on a daily basis. The worst affected were the patients in those wards who depended on nurses for medicines, temperature record and cleaning.

The Bazm-i-Masail, a nurses’ group, held a meeting at the mess and adopted a resolution reaffirming its intentions to continue its struggle for the early acceptance of their demands for better working conditions. They threatened to go on indefinite strike after 15 days if their demands were not accepted.

It wasn’t the only no-work call that day: students of the Dow Medical College observed a one-day strike to press for the acceptance of their 10-point charter of demands. They, apart from boycotting classes, did not go to outpatient departments to look after patients of the Civil Hospital. A couple of their demands out of the 10, included giving five per cent grace marks to the students of all professional examination of 1969 and fixing of ‘pass’ percentage at 40 and 50 in theory and practical (exams), respectively.

But how could Karachi survive all of these socio-politically charged issues without the artistic activities it is known for? Not possible. On March 26, East Pakistan-born artist Mubinul Azim put on display 80 artworks at the American Centre.

A prolific painter, Azim in his works had captured the scenic beauty of the eastern wing of the country (now Bangladesh). The critics found his paintings attractive because the landscapes in it were made with “harmonious use of lines and brushstrokes”.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2020