LAHORE: Educationist Dr Arfa Sayeda Zehra said on Friday that her life revolved around three loves -- Pakistan, the Urdu language and Lahore.

She said this during the session, ‘Kuch Yaadain, Kuch Baatein’, organised online by Alhamra. In the first episode since the relaunch of the cultural and literary show, guest Dr Zehra shared her experiences and observations with the viewers. The session was moderated by Sumera Khalil.

Answering a question, she said: “Books have always been very close to my heart because I was born in a house with books everywhere. As far as I can remember I never had anything in my life other than the gift of books from my father.”

She remarked that because of this deep connection with books she chose to become a professor. “I always worked hard to acquire knowledge and worked on mastering the Urdu language in which Radio Pakistan also played a very important role.”

Referring to Urdu, she said she got a masters degree in the language for two main reasons: people thought that those who could do nothing else would get this degree, and the most important was that “my entire intellectual and cultural heritage has been acquired from Urdu language”.

“I don’t know why nowadays people consider it an honour to speak only English. In contrast, I did my matriculation as well as my masters in Urdu. I became a student of Urdu to understand the history of the sub-continent better.”

Dr Zehra compared the time of her youth with today, saying her parents taught her the art of living a very simple life in a way that she did not have any desire or longing left in her heart. She shared an anecdote about her mother, who she said taught her not to be impatient because God knew best what human beings were entitled to.

She further said that life was not a list of commands because “getting things done is not a big deal”. Learn to be happy with what you have and learn to tell the truth to yourself and dream with open eyes, she stressed.

Talking about the personalities that left a deep imprint on her mind and life, she mentioned her teacher at Lahore College for Women, Begum Sirajuddin; Dr Nazeer Ahmad, the principal of Government College University; and Faiz Ahmad Faiz. All these people taught her respect, patience and the art of being a good human being, she shared.

At the end of the session, she said she wanted to send out a message to the elders to take care of their “inner child”.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2020