meethapani

  Forgotten Farmers   Sitting down for breakfast, lunch or dinner we rarely think about farmers tilling soil, seeding and harvesting, packing and transporting vegetables. The pristine white grains of sugar bear no resemblance to the fields of sugar cane. We don’t feel the heat, the physical toll of tilling the earth, the anxiety of waiting for a successful crop, or its ruination caused by untimely rains or frost. There was a time the farmer was eulogized by artists, poets and socialists. Paintings such as Jean Francois Millet’s The Gleaners, Allah Baksh’s   farmers working the land, or Zainul Abidin’s depictions of the struggle of farmers, seem to be images of the past. The combine harvester is just not as ‘romantic’ as oxen straining to pull a plough in muddy soil. Sowing and harvest celebrations were an important part of the farming communities of Pakistan. Films from Mother India !957 to Waahi 2018, remind us that   farming is still the backbone of South A...

  Ambassadors, Envoys and Emissaries   Kautilya, a teacher at the ancient University of Taxila (300 BC)   and author of the Arthashastra – a survival guide for statesmen,   describes the role of an ambassador. He must be of noble birth, above suspicion, well-read, well-informed and eloquent. He must have an impressive personality, feel no fear and even if under threat, must faithfully deliver the message of his King.   His role was to maintain treaties, issue ultimatums, gain friends, intrigue, sow dissension, gather information, befriend the enemy's officers. He made military assessments of the country, its strengths and weaknesses, established a spy network disguised as ascetics, merchants, physicians, and heretics. He should note any intrigues, loyalties and disloyalties amongst the people, gather information by observing the talk of beggars, the intoxicated or at places of pilgrimage and temples, and by deciphering paintings and writings.   The ...

  Streets Streets are called arteries of a city, but arteries are hidden from the eye. Streets may be better understood as the rivers and canals of a city, ever-flowing, with its rapids, its meandering lanes, it’s teeming and varied life along its edges.   There are streets, roads, avenues, lanes or in Urdu, shahrah, sarak, rasta, gali, each with its own personality.   Blogger Julia H suggests roads represent journeys to or from one place to another, while streets draw attention to what is happening in them. Streets are places of social interaction, neighbourhoods and commerce.   Both streets and roads, have inspired books, poems, films and songs.   The road trip is a much repeated theme in American culture epitomised by the film Thelma and Louise. The road is personalized by songs such as   John Denver’s   Take me Home Country Road and Ray Charles’   Hit the Road Jack; or become a central motif, from Bob Hope and Bing Crosby’s   seven ...

  David and Goliath The most well-known story of a weaker opponent overcoming a much stronger adversary is the story of David ( Da’ood ) and Goliath (Jalut). David, a young shepherd, agrees to rise to the challenge of the legendary Goliath, armed only with a slingshot and five pebbles. A well-aimed pebble to the forehead, brings down the 9 foot Goliath despite his armour and weapons. The story is seen as a symbol of the power of brains over brawn.    A similar story is that of Scheherazade, the Vizier’s daughter, who agrees to marry the belligerent Sultan Sheheryar, who has vowed to put to death each of his wives after the nuptial night, in revenge for the betrayal by his first wife. An educated well-read woman, Scheherazade keeps the Sultan’s attention by relating fascinating stories night after night until his anger abates forever. Immortalized as the Arabian Nights or One Thousand and One nights, the transformation is beautifully depicted in music by the Russian co...

  Cultural Genocide Cultural genocide is a term almost certainly created to alarm and trigger immediate attention. A term first introduced by a Polish lawyer, Raphael Lemkin, in 1943, it is described as “the intentional destruction of assets of cultural heritage which would result in the extinction of some ethnic group’s culture through targeted destruction or forced assimilation into the dominant culture”      While history shows that some cultures and civilizations either became extinct such as the Indus Valley Civilization, or diluted beyond recognition such as the Greek and Roman civilizations, we can only speculate about the causes .   However, closer to our era, we are witness to some horrific and brutal policies to destroy cultures in the name of assimilation. The native tribes of the Americas and Canada, who once rode freely across the prairies, are today confined to reservations, having being coerced into giving up their language, religion and lif...

  Stories Behind the Stories 23 rd March is round the corner.   There will be a thrilling display by the Armed Forces, wreaths will be placed on the Quaid’s tomb, Civil wards will be announced. It commemorates a turning point in the quest for Pakistan. The national narrative then skips forward seven years to 1947 and the raising of the Pakistan flag on 14 th August. But 23 rd March was so much more than a proclamation for a separate homeland. Its enormity can only be understood in the context of that time and the weaving together of many stories.   The events before and after that date establish its true significance.   Although the colonization of India began earnestly in the 18 th century, it took another 100 years before it officially became part of the British Empire in 1857. It took another 60 years for the Indians to transform from a subjugated people to rebels, determined to overthrow the British yoke. It was not a single rebellion as in 1857, but a ...

  Mistakes Does the proportion of an eraser on a pencil imply the number of mistakes that are allowed?   A quarter of an inch of eraser to five and a half inches of graphite.   Art schools are known to insist that students do not use erasers when drawing. Psychologist and activist John W. Gardner said “Life is the art of drawing without an eraser” suggesting we must not fear failure and contribute to society by being the person we are. Robert Rauschenberg used 40 erasers over two months to carefully erase a drawing by fellow artist Willem de Kooning, which was framed and titled “Erased de Kooning Drawing”, 1953. A digitally enhanced infrared scan shows traces of the original drawing. In other words mistakes cannot really be erased, only made less obvious.   As Kathryn Schulz writes in her book “Being Wrong”, we all love the feeling of being right, so accepting one’s mistake, can be a complex matter. From childhood we are taught that those who make mistakes are ...

  To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow* Mushtaq Yusufi, at the launch of A. K. Khan’s book, The Gardener, in his inimitable style, elaborated upon the distinction between a bagh – a large garden, a baghicha – a small garden, and a baghia – a very small garden. A little spot of nature is a cherished place for most people even if it’s a few pots in a balcony. Unlike natural landscapes, gardens need to be planned , designed   and managed, even if it is as simple as deciding which window grill to grow a money plant over.   Planning starts with a study of the land, its terrain, fertility of the soil, and climate; defining the purpose and usage; observing what is worth keeping and what needs to be added, discarded or modified; working with available resources, and being aware of how much maintenance will be possible.   These could equally be the steps taken when taking over a business or being elected to run a government, or undertaking a spiritual journey. Th...

  Creative Housewives How often do we hear a mother or a spouse described as “just a housewife”, implying an inconsequential occupation? While we use Jean Little’s much quoted observation “A man can work from sun to sun, But a woman's work is never done”, home is where a woman is the most invisible. Husbands “protect” their wives by depersonalizing them as   “Ghar wali”, “ Her Indoors” or in Japanese, Gusai, “my foolish wife”. Career women may also consider housewives as leading less meaningful lives.   Barbara Van Schaik says many married women have a “derived identity” determined by the needs of her husband, her children and, in some cases, her new extended family. Her self-esteem, and self -worth is validated with praise, and devastated by criticism. Personal interests can be pursued so long as they do not interfere in fulfilling these responsibilities. In reality the home is a vibrant place of energy and vitality, where it is the presence of a woman that makes a...