meethapani

  The Myth of Monolithic Societies The Pakistan Pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020 held in 2021, is a watershed in the presentation of Pakistan’s global image. Called Hidden Treasures, the two messages that stand out are Rashid Rana’s design of the pavilion, made up of 24,000 pieces, each slightly different from the other, celebrating diversity, and the exhibits and films that give prominence to the many religions practiced in a predominantly Muslim country. This may be the first time there has been a government policy to celebrate the religious and cultural diversity since the 60s when Aslam Azhar was commissioned   to make a series of documentaries called ‘Colours of a Culture’   that included the Kalash community and Sohail Rana composed Moonlight in the Sunderbans and the Indus Valley Cha Cha Cha. Today ministers attend Diwali and Christmas celebrations. And the government has constructed the Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan for Sikh devotees. This comes on the back o

  The Future of Cities Today we think of cities as state or provincial capitals, although the modern state did not come into existence until the 19 th Century. Kingdoms and Empires had fluid boundaries centred around walled cities. Baghdad, Cordoba, Jerusalem, Constantinople, Venice, London.   Political scientists speculate that once again cities will take precedence over states. The World Congress of United Cities and Local Governments where mayors meet every three years, was established in Barcelona in 2004. It has over 240,000 members in over 140 States and advocates democratic self-government of cities of the world. More than half the world’s population lives in cities and is expected to rise to eighty percent by 2080. As Benjamin R. Barber writes in his book, If Mayors Ruled the World, city management has to focus on the necessities of everyday life- “Collecting garbage and collecting art rather than collecting votes or collecting allies. Putting up buildings and running bu

  The Animal Kingdom Native Americans believe the animal world teaches man how to live close to the earth, respectful of and in harmony with the natural world. In the hierarchy of reincarnation, in both Hinduism and Buddhism, humans have the highest status. Being born an animal is the result of bad Karma in a previous life.    All three Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam believe man is the highest creation, which makes them responsible for the wellbeing of the earth and its creatures, and all prohibit cruelty to animals. Ecclesiastes 3:19 of the Old Testament says “man has no superiority over beast”. The Quran explains in Surah 6:38 that “all the creatures that crawl on the earth and those that fly with their wings are communities like yourselves.” All three believe animals have souls, and are to be valued as God’s creation.   Whether they believe themselves to be superior to animals or not, humans have been fascinated by the animal kingdom. Rudyard Kipling

  ‘o Travelling Together or Going Our Separate Ways We live, and have lived for centuries, in a politically and economically divided world.   Unable to accept these differences, there is always one group that takes the further step of dominating another. The most direct way is for a stronger group to take over a weaker group by sheer force. Where the two forces are equally matched, subterfuge, divide et imperia – divide and rule, is effective. Sometimes all it takes is cultural seduction. Something as innocuous as blue jeans became an important symbol of the Free West during the Cold War. Bruce Springsteen told the East Berlin youth in a July 1988 concert “I’m not here for any government. I’ve come to play rock ‘n’ roll for you in the hope that one day all the barriers will be torn down.”   History books are filled with the constant constructing and dismantling of alliances, based on the perceived enemy of the moment. All the great wars in Europe, India and China were won or lo

    Searching for Afghanistan 10 years of USSR occupation, 20 years of US occupation, and a dangerous interregnum of devastation caused by hidden landmines. A brutal 42 years. It is impossible for anyone to comprehend how Afghanistan resisted for so long. Since all three superpowers with vested interest, Britain in the 19th century and USSR and USA in the 20 th and 21 st centuries, failed to subdue Afghanistan, one hopes that the Afghanis will be left at last, to find their own equilibrium. The main actors of resistance during the two occupations – the Mujahidin and the Taliban – have come to represent the image of Afghanistan.   They are in effect armies, while it is civilians who determine society and culture. Tamin Ansary, author of “Games without Rules: The Often-Interrupted History of Afghanistan” recognizes that there is a nostalgia for a past that can never be restored. However, he says, “That does not mean we should ignore what that nostalgia craves”. So what is A

  Taking Time to Make Time   When the thirty three year old Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Pope Julius II would impatiently ask him when it would be complete. The artist would reply “when I am satisfied". Rodin took 37 years to compete his Gates of Hell. The Taj Mahal took 22 years, two more that the Great Pyramid at Giza. The Great Wall of China took 2000 years! One could say that these were commissioned by the rich and powerful, but then there are the living root bridges of Indonesia and North East India made by villagers for their own use that can take at least 15 years to complete. The concept of time has changed very dramatically. Time was once measured by the movement of the sun. Daytime was for activity, night for rest. The sundial measured the hours of the day. Most people would just guess the time of day by looking up at the sky.   Hourglasses, measured candles, water clocks were some of the devices that measured time independently of the su

  Independence We use the words freedom and independence interchangeably.   To be independent would mean to be able to direct one’s own affairs without the control of others. Freedom is a much more amorphous word. It can mean being unconstrained, but we also speak of academic freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of movement and of course the freedom movements of politics.   There is a causal relationship, as it was the freedom movement that led to Independence from British rule.   For Pakistan it was a double independence -   from British rule and from India.     It took 190 years of struggle, if we take the 1757 Battle of Plassey as the first resistance to foreign rule, and a huge loss of life, yet that struggle had definition, moral clarity and a clear objective.   The struggle for freedom and independence that continues to define Pakistan’s internal and external socio-political structures, has far less clarity. To give some structure to our concerns, we use terms such as fe

  Start a Huge Foolish Project Richard Branson sent his first commercial rocket to space in July this year. His philosophy is: “If people aren’t calling you crazy, you aren’t thinking big enough.” Certainly a crazy idea when the world is reeling from a pandemic and economic difficulties. However, the big idea was not the rocket ‘Unity’, hurtling into space, but the first person who imagined space travel. While many early civilizations speculated on what lies beyond the stars, modern space developments were inspired by a French fiction writer Jules Verne who wrote From the Earth to the Moon in 1865 and Around the Moon in 1869. Jules Verne, who wrote over 100 novels, was no stranger to huge ideas many would consider foolish, but which inspired engineers, inventors and technicians. ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea,’ suggested a prototype for submarines. “Around the World in Eighty Days” inspired adventure travelers and the Siberian Express train. “Journey to the Center of the E

  Women at War The website of peacewomen.org states “ when women are at the negotiating table, peace is more likely”. Women face the loss of home, rearing children in war torn surroundings, and far too often face war-rape , so they have a great stake in ensuring peace. Yet, ironically, in Urdu, the words for war and army are feminine, and the word for peace is masculine. While war has been predominantly the domain of men, throughout history there are examples of women who took to the battlefield. Some disguised as men, some as groups of women fighters, and a few led forces into battle. Many are familiar with Boudicca who led a rebellion in 60 AD against the Romans in Britain, and the 17 year old Joan of Arc who fought with French troops to defeat the English   in 1429. Lady Fu Hao was considered the most powerful military leader of China in 1200 BC. Alexander the Great’s half-sister, Cynane fought alongside her brother. The Vietnamese venerate   Lady Triệu who fought against Chines

  Living Life in Layers A walk through a forest may be simply to get through to the other side, or to study the foraging patterns of ants. Religious devotion can be going to the mosque to pray on the clock, or to spend hours contemplating the hidden meanings of Quranic verses. Most people take the much travelled route to work with bumper to bumper traffic, a few look for alternate routes and in the process discover new neighbourhoods of the city.   Similar choices apply to our perception of different countries, class, race, communities and individuals.   Broad sweeping statements about the West or the East, or Africa, or first world versus developing countries, may be supported by facts, but overlook the nuances and subtleties that reveal the true picture.     Whenever we read a biography or an obituary of a person we thought we knew so well, it takes us by surprise to learn about aspects of their lives we were unaware of. People wear many hats –simultaneously a son or daughter,

  Influencers A successful businessman   once told me he made a decision early on in his career, to choose between having power or having influence. He chose the latter, as it had a longer shelf life. Influence is not as overt as control, it is not as detached as inspiring others. Influence works subconsciously.   It can be the result of a deliberate policy to direct people to make certain choices or buy particular products, or it can be unintentional, influencing others by one’s own lifestyle, such as parents or a role model may do. Influencers have the power to create change without necessarily taking direct action. As soon as humans settled into larger social groups, there must have been individuals who could sway the community to, for instance, go to war or migrate. As civilizations and nations grew, it became even more important to create consensus and obedience through formulating laws or religious doctrine. Where there is a system, there are inevitably those that challenge

  What is Peace? After eleven days of heartbreaking images of destruction and death in Gaza, there was some respite as a ceasefire was announced. But is this peace?   The Caledonian chieftain, Calgacus speaking of the Roman invasion of Scotland, in 84 AD said “To ravage, to slaughter, to usurp under false titles, they call empire; and where they make a desert, they call it peace.” Most western definitions of peace have been the cessation of war, derived from the Roman word pax which meant a call for truce.   As capitalism and colonialism offered new opportunities for economic   prosperity and international markets, it was believed war could be avoided by a balance of power.   However as modern history has shown us, maintaining balance of power itself becomes a cause for war. Nuclear deterrence, the rise of democracy, and economic interdependence are cited as reasons for why there have been no wars in Europe since World War II, a period called “The Long Peace”. However, European

  From Lullaby to Elegy Our first encounter with music is the lullaby sung by a parent, a grandparent, an elder sibling or a nanny. Lullabies across the world and across the ages, regardless of the words, use the same singing tone, accompanied by a rocking motion, in time with the rhythm of the heartbeat and breathing. Perhaps the comforting effect of music throughout life is a memory of that first lullaby.   Brahms composed a lullaby that quickly became popular with mothers putting their babies to sleep. Lullabies follow a 6/8 time which many musicians used   like Woodie Guthrie’s ”Hobo’s Lullaby” and Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry”, Queen’s “We are the Champions”, Beatles’   “Norwegian Woods” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence”.   While lullabies have a soothing melody, very often the lyrics are quite dark and even frightening. They become an outlet for the mother to voice her own fears and concerns.   In Iraqi musical tradition, lullabies are commonly composed, in “wazn

  Things We Forgot We Could make Most markets in Pakistan are filled with imported products, or local imitations of international brands as we play catch up with global marketing trends.   Even the majority of local crafts are made with little love and care. New buildings or extensions spread their ugly disproportions across graceful old architecture, as clients want the most sellable space within the least budget. It is as if we have forgotten how to make things beautiful. The crafts of Medieval South Asia were mainly produced in an agricultural economy. The establishment of Muslim rule in the subcontinent led to the rise of urbanism, creating a demand for luxury goods and attracting artisans to urban centres. State sponsored Karakhanas or workshops, were established to cater to the needs of the royal households and their armies. The first documented karkhanas were established by Firoz Shah Tughlaq, The Mughals developed   them into meticulously organized institutions supporting

  What are Children Learning ? Sufi Tabassum’s Tot Batoat, Sheikh Chilli stories, Ali Baba chalees chor, Naunehal Digest, Syed Tajammul Husain Khan’s Adabi Reader and counting games like akkar bakkar seem to belong to a bygone age.   Today children capture moments of childhood activities against the back drop of political turmoil, war and now Covid. Many village children grow up with absent fathers, earning a living elsewhere. Urban children live in mohallas, apartments or houses, surrounded by strangers.   So what do Pakistani children learn? And who or what do they learn from? There are more than 2.2 billion children in the world. Nearly two billion of these live in a developing country. Pakistan has over 80 million children. The vast majority of children live in rural Pakistan.   Officially, 23 million are out of school. Many who do go to school are ‘taught’ by underqualified teachers and children may leave school without knowing how to read or write. Yet learning is a hum

  Patterns of Infinity If we probe deeper into any phenomena – astronomy, the cycle of life, mathematics, we arrive at the concept of infinity. It is the most abstract of abstractions, although mathematicians have tried to devise ways to measure and rationalize infinity. Trying to make sense of the infinite is a bit like trying to contain the uncontainable. Contemplating infinity inevitably led all civilizations and all religions to the concept of God.   The art of most religions express God as an image or a symbol, perhaps to make it more accessible to devotees, leaving it to the philosophers to come to terms with the nature of infinity. The exception is Islamic Art, which from its earliest expressions of Quranic calligraphy, to the architectural design   of mosques,   made infinity the cornerstone of its expression. While most art continued on a human centric pathway, culminating in the cult of the individual, Islamic art remained rooted to an interconnected cosmic order, exp