NOWADAYS we hear a lot about inflation. It’s a genuine worry. But there has rarely been a time period in the history of our country when people have not complained about it. The year 1971 was no exception.

On Feb 7, 1971, as reported on Feb 9 by the media, Eidul Azha was celebrated in the city in an unusually austere manner mainly due to the ‘continued’ high prices of essential commodities. There was lesser animal sacrifice compared to preceding years. Another factor, as per reports, that contributed to the ‘subdued’ deals of sacrificial animals was their low supply from Lasbella and some areas of Sindh which had recently suffered heavily from floods and draught, respectively. One more reason for the low supply was the liberal export of goats to the Middle East and the Gulf Sheikhdoms.

While this was going on, ostensibly smaller troubles in some parts of Karachi appeared to have assumed bigger proportions. Ever since the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) was given charge of municipal functions of housing societies, there was tension between societies’ unions and the corporation. On Feb 12, three men — Shafqat Husain, Salim Ahmad and Rahmatullah — belonging to the Housing Societies Youngmen Action Committee — went on an indefinite hunger strike demanding that the KMC’s takeover of housing societies be rescinded and the corporation refrained from levying arbitrary tax on residents. The strike took place on Khalid bin Wali Road where a number of public representatives came to support their cause.

Then the mystery of the death of poet and CSP officer Mustafa Zaidi hadn’t yet been resolved. The case was still in court. On Feb 11, the inquiry into the alleged charge of murder against Shahnaz Gul opened before Kunwar Idris, district magistrate. The examination-in-chief of the complainant, Abdul Rashid Khan, SP Surveys, Sindh, said that on Oct 18 (1970) he took over the investigations into the death of Mr Zaidi from Drigh Road Police under orders of SP (Crime). He started the inquiry under Section 174 CrPC. The same day he visited the late Mr Zaidi’s flat in KDA Scheme No 1 in the presence of witnesses Syed Qaiser and Shahid Husain Abidi from where some articles and four printed pamphlets captioned ‘Shahnaz, the Christine Keeler of Karachi’ were found.

Staying on the subject of poets, on Feb 9, Nazrul Academy held a session of Nazrul Geet in its auditorium. The programme was presided over by singer Mumtaz Ali Khan. Selected pieces of poetry from the great Bengali poet were rendered by Hosne Ara, Qazi Ehsan, Shirin, Shafiuddin Ahmed and Mumtaz Ali Khan. Prior to the concert, the academy’s secretary Prof Mujibur Rahman Khan spoke on Kazi Nazrul Islam’s contribution to the ‘development of Bengali lyrics’.

From poetry to painting, here’s an interesting nugget of information. Colin David was one of Pakistan’s most celebrated painters. Not many would know when his works were first exhibited in the Sindh capital. The following report published in Dawn will reveal that: “Thirty oil and five dry paints mark the debut of Colin David in the art world of Karachi. An exhibition of his paintings opened at The Gallery on the evening of Feb 10 which drew attention of art lovers with his distinct approach to his subjects. Included in the show are 11 exhibits done in sensual glory.”

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2021