Comments on: Why I love Pakistan?

By: GSR

GSR — Wed, 16 May 2007 12:20:58 +0000

Yes there is definitley hope in our youth- the fact that they have driven a wardi clad president to frenzy of competitive jalsaas is mind blowing-

Its Ms .

By: Marvi

Marvi — Wed, 16 May 2007 09:34:49 +0000

GSR (Mr. / Ms. ???): Thanks. It entirely depends upon who we think the real people are. If your notion of “real people” includes the poverty stricken bhatta madoors, industrial workers, kisans, kiosk owners, pheri walas, sanitary workers . . . so on and do forth, then believe me, they have been pushed strictly to the deeeeeeeeeeeep darkness of oblivion; where there is no fresh air of ‘aagahi’, ‘ilm’ and ‘idraak’ of the political realities, social injustices, their roots, power relations between apparently indifferent qaurters of social ladder etc. And that is the reason why status quo is thriving by leaps and bounds!

If we think its the middle class (urban or rural), then they are too busy in jumping to the next social ladder to even pay any heed to the redress of uneven and unjust distribution of resources. Both these sagments are very rapi8dly taking refuge under the shallow but seren waters of religion. Hence ever increasing extremism in society.

I’m seeing hope in the youth that is now a days seen on roads protesting against a dictator’s highhandedness and attack on one of the most respectable insitution of the country. Dont you?

By: GSR

GSR — Tue, 15 May 2007 12:14:36 +0000

Marvi- I totally get your point. yes the tablighis and lawlessness is deplorable and it has gotten worse. And it is a relief not to put up with such sights living here in the US. It is the politics and society in Pakistan that are deplorable but not the land and its real people (sans the tablighis, acid attackers, suicide bombers, jihadis.

By: Zia Hashmi

Zia Hashmi — Tue, 15 May 2007 11:59:56 +0000

Living in this day and time in Pakistan rather makes one write on five most detestable than loveable things about Pakistan. I dont want to sound cynical but frankly the way things are happening on evry front fast eroding the very basis of holding simliar passionate views on five things enumerated in this post.

By: Marvi

Marvi — Mon, 14 May 2007 19:26:47 +0000

I respect that. But don’t you think that our “love” can be transformed into an unbeatable strength if powered by logic? I totally understand what you are saying. And I realised it when I reached the Land of Abundance - USA. Could not live there for more than a couple ofmonths. I missed frequent call-ons by my freinds and colleagues on slightest of my migrain attacks, I missed the shopkeeper on the ‘nukkar’ of my street,who would often lend me dozens of cigerrette packs without even giving faintest inkling of reminder to pay. Not because he didn’t care about his money, but because he knew I’m there, and he has to facilitate me. I missed that police wala who made it a point to help me when my car’s wheel got flat one evening, I mmissed that “always available” support network of relatives, neighbours and freinds who would baby sit my daughter whenever I had an odd time meeting. And then, I missed the hullabaloo at the time of iftar, I missed people who wanted to fulfil sunnat-e-rasool at the cost of law of the land . . and even at the cost of fellow citizens’ llives! I missed the sight of that tablighi with ankle high shalwar, spitting with full throttle of his throat in the middle of the road, hurrying to say prayer! I missed the sight of that feudlprince who threw acid on his wife’s face with impunity, missed people who were sitting at the apex of corruption pyramid, talking earnestly about the implementation of shariah law . . . . kahan tak suno gay kahan tak sunaaon, hazaron hi shikway hein . . . . Almukhtasir:

nisar mein teri galiyon ke aye watan ke jahan
chali he rasm ke koi na ser utha ke chalay
Jo koi chahnay wala tawaaf ko niklay
nazar bacha ke chalay, jism-o-jaan bacha ke chalay

Aur:

Khudawanda safar dushwaar rakha jai ga kab tak
merey jaaday ko na-humwar rakha jai ga kab tak
mujhay in jaahilaan-o-soqian-e-sifla perwer mein
Khudawanda zaleel-o-khwaar rakha jai ga kab tak

By: GSR

GSR — Mon, 14 May 2007 12:24:41 +0000

Marvi- When I used to live in Pakistan I shared your views! But believe me having lived 7 years away from it, I actually romantisize Pakistan. Rumi’s post was a great way to kick off my weekend as if someone just peered into my soul and put all the dots of feelings to writing. it is only when one starts living away from Pakistan does one begin to question oneself on “Why I love Pakistan” and neither the question nor the answer need to have a solid reasoning. It is merely the inner workings of the soul which facilitate this particular QA session not reason.

By: A.B.USMANI

A.B.USMANI — Mon, 14 May 2007 05:20:07 +0000

I love Pakistan

and I love Lahore

Lahore is my Birth-place

By: mirashaam (Marvi)

mirashaam (Marvi) — Sun, 13 May 2007 18:25:50 +0000

Rumi Ji,
very nice piece of prose indeed. But represents very small minority. Most of Pakistanis would start their history from 712 AD, the arrival of Mohammad Bin Qasim. They would not like to unite under the same identity of the “Indus Man”. An average Pakistani is not proud of figures like Dr. Abdussalam. Very few would even know Shazia Sikandar. Most of them would rather glorify Nuclear Bomb and Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan as their hero who has made them nuclear capable nation! Pakistanis would like to use mystics and sufis like Bhitai, bullhay Shah, baba farid etc. just to sloganeer.Very few would be exposed to their teachings and their original kalaam. None would recognise that these sufis have never been a part of tablighi cmpaign to bring people in the folds of Islam.

Whether we recognise it or not, the fact remains that most of the people who converted to the folds of Islam in late 8th century and early ninth century under the wrath of the then rulers. Their popular slogan ws “ama-ul-qatl wa ama-ul-islam”. This eventually became the bais of the tadition of changing the names at the time of conversion. The changed nmes were used to increase theeir acceptability by the powerful Muslims and to decrease their vlnerablility of falling prey to the wrath of ruling elite. No where in the wold do muslims have similar sunding names as they do in this region.

You hve written about the cuisine. I think every japanese would love sushi more than anything else in world, every south idian would love dosa and idli, every chinese would love chinese fried rice.So it is but natural that you love punjabi food. If I like the taste of nicely cooked taco, it would certainly not mean that I love Maxico!

Scenic beauty: The premise is cute, but not realistic. I really loved the sight of vast desert of anniya Kumari / Jaipur / Bahawalpur etc. I loved the hilly sight of chandigarh as I liked serene ambience of Babu sir Top, I really liked rain forest of Punchak - 35 miles from Jakarta - the scene that we miss in Pakistan! So the indicators you have used are the ones that immediately put me in love with the entire universe! The entire range of eople arlund the world. Where is the KHAAS elements peculiar to Pakistan? I’m not saying that there is nothing that could make me love Pakistan. The fact that I am not able to leave this country just because general society is averse to the views I have. But I would not buy Sajid’s view of “loving Pakistan because he cant help it”. It is rather an approach that has its roots in excessive sloganeering in our education system.

I think we’ll have to find reasons - solid reasons to love Pakistan!

Marvi

By: neil em up!

neil em up! — Sun, 13 May 2007 17:36:43 +0000

nisar teri galiyon key aye watan k jahan
chalii hai rasam key koi na sar utha k chaley

jokoi chahney wala tawaf ko nikley
nazar chura key chaley, jism o jan bcha k chaley

By: ARK

ARK — Sun, 13 May 2007 16:53:15 +0000

well, yes. but it is in the forced nature of saying it that one is pressed to ask why?

perhaps.

like tony blair saying the other day that the brits are the most blessed people on the earth…