meethapani

  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 ...

  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 –simultane...

  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 ...

  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 P...

  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...

  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 instituti...

  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. Ye...