MEMOIR: LEST WE FORGET
Over the past few years, participating in the ceremony on Remembrance Day to honour those who lie buried in the Karachi War Cemetery has taken on a deeply heartfelt meaning for me. The plea on many a gravestone,
Will some kind hand
In a foreign land
Place a flower
On my son’s grave
transports me to another time, and I say a prayer for all the brave young sons buried far away from their loved ones in our midst. Kemal Ataturk’s words from 1934 also come to mind: “You, the mothers who sent their sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace.”
Remembrance Day, also known as Poppy Day, will be commemorated today in Pakistan. Throughout Commonwealth
The 100th anniversary of WWI, three years ago, led to a host of personal discoveries that had long lain buried amongst dust and rust. For this I must thank the British Deputy High Commission (BDHC) in Karachi, which invited family members of veterans to share any memorabilia of both WWI and WWII. Odd letters, postcards, citations, medals and photographs surfaced, and soon a patchwork of experiences came to the fore. Many links remain missing, as that generation did not like to talk about events that brought about painful memories.