No Time to Retire

Zia Mohyeddin departed from our world this February at the age of 91, taking with him a generation defined by elegance, grace and excellence. He never retired, and even in his last hours, requested the doctors to work their magic so he could keep his schedule to perform in Lahore in the coming weeks.

He represented a generation that believed in itself, that believed it had something of value to share and made every effort to achieve the greatest heights of their chosen field. The economic visionary Mahbub ul Haq, Sadeqain who painted on an epic scale, Faiz Ahmed Faiz who spoke across nations, Mustafa Zaidi whose identity as a poet could never be contained by his civil service career, Noor Jehan whose voice was embedded in our hearts, the bold journalists, educationists, philanthropists, industrialists, and war heroes, were giant trees whose nurturing shade we are now bereft of.

In Pakistani society, there is enormous respect for elders, the buzurg. That same respect also removes them from being active members of society as young people rush to assist them so that they need not exert themselves. This results in a feeling of uselessness, being pushed to the edges of the mainstream.

The great Roman orator and politician Cicero wrote a dialogue on “Old Age”-  De Senectute. He makes a distinction between two kinds of old people – those who are cantankerous and ungracious, and those who celebrate “a life well spent and the memory of many deeds worthily performed”, adapting to new ways of contributing their wisdom and experience. The blame, he says “rests with character, not with age”. While old age is accompanied by physical weakness, he says “It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgement”.

The concept of retirement emerged in Germany in 1881 in the context of industrialization where older workers slowed down the assembly line, and to make jobs available for younger people. Western societies came to view older people as a burden, a concept that seems to be spreading to other parts of the world which aspire to emulate the economic models of the West.

The Japanese have the highest senior population ratio in the world, with 29% over 65 years, many living beyond hundred years. They also have the most active elderly people. While the elderly are treated with great respect, to cause meiwaku, or a burden on others, is a taboo. There is no word for stopping work. Instead the term used is ikigai “the reason you wake up in the morning.”

As life expectancy has greatly increased, there has been a lot of reflection on how the retired should occupy themselves. A person may have a good twenty years after retirement – enough to start a new career. While some need to work after retirement to support their family, it is also an opportunity to fulfil a life long dream that had been set aside during their working life.

Far too often elders take themselves out of the equation.  When addressing the youth, older people may say “we messed up, now it is your time”, placing an enormous burden on panic stricken and unprepared young shoulders. If older people give up how can the young strive?

The word retire comes from the French “to step back”.  But there is no stepping back from life.  Society needs the “Deep Smarts” with their accumulated knowledge. The youth need to be inspired by the  Mushtaq Yusufis, the Anwar Maqsoods, the Shahzad Khalils and the Imran Aslams. As the Roman poet Caecilius Statius said “He plants the trees to serve another age”. 

Durriya Kazi

February 23, 2023

Karachi

 durriyakazi1918@gmail.com