Proud to be a Pakistani

“Pakistan is facing such an identity crisis right now, that it is essential for our generation to understand why this country was built, what happened in its early years and what happened to derail it from its tracks to make it the country it is today?” says a vehement Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, President Citizens Archive of Pakistan.  She is committed to “preserve, record, archive and make available the rich history of the country for future generations in a wide variety of new media”. At the end of the road in 2010 she sees the Living History Museum of Pakistan based in Karachi, a one of its kind, which will serve both as an interactive museum as well as a research facility for students and academia alike or anybody and everybody who is interested in knowing about the past of the country.

Passionately involved in making her dream come true, Chinoy is not a lone rider. She is backed by a ten member team which includes Altaf Qureishi,(International corporate and financial barrister), Durriya Kazi (Head Visual Studies Dept.), Sabeen Mahmud (Director PeaceNiche), Amean J. (Photographer), Minal Rahimtoola, Omar Rahim ( Dance-Chorographer), Sarah Taher (CEO FM91), Fahad Asadullah, Shazieh Gorji (Ceramic Artist). All of them are young entrepreneurs who have opted to come back to Pakistan to pursue their careers inspite of a volatile situation at home.

Working under the umbrella of the Citizens Archive of Pakistan, a non-profit, tax-exempted society, The Oral History Project, trains young interns volunteering to learn and be part of recording personal stories revolving around independence of a generation which is slowly fading and will not be amongst us in a few more years. “We already feel that it is a bit late and we have lost quite a few people who made a mark on the history of the country,” says Chinoy. The urgency in Chinoy’s voice demands attention. However, funds required for the sophisticated audio and editing equipment, logistics and enormous costs of documenting and preserving on digital media are extremely hard to find. “Who wants to give money for history?” questions Chinoy. Pakistan may be a country of philanthropists but the past does not seem to be something anybody seems to loosen his purse strings for. Nonetheless, this has not deterred The Oral History Project team, a group of enthusiastic energetic souls who know that they are making history by bringing forward the voices and images of a generation that put everything on stake for their motherland.

 “I’ve worked in other NGOs but here these people are doing inspirational work.  We are contributing to the history of Pakistan,” says intern Nimra Asi. “Each time I come back after interviewing someone, it just makes me appreciate how much history we have.” Asi’s enthusiasm is simply contagious. Although she will be leaving in a few days for Lahore to pursue her education, she feels it has been “one of the best experiences in life where one can actually see people getting all choked up and emotional when they talk of the Quaid.” The interns work hard handling various responsibilities. Some conduct interviews or document old photographs; others transcribe or make audio clippings of the 6,500 pictures that are currently with the organization. A few weeks back, Intern Fawaz Motiwala had stepped into the office with mixed thoughts about the project. However, now as he handles the audio recordings during the interviews, he feels “privileged to listen to the stories of the older generation”. “The presentation is so amazing, that each interview is like a story and definitely does not resemble a lesson from a Pakistan Studies text book,” Motiwala adds.    

The emotional impact of the project cannot be ignored. All those who are involved have had their moments of discovery. Each intern has one day or the other walked back into the office feeling emotionally moved. Probing into the lives of these great people, the interns and rest of the staff feel a sense of great achievement as they continue to add stories and contribute the larger cause of preservation. It takes three sets of interviews to make a story. “The first interview is biographical. This is followed by a standard interview which is conducted to assess if the person has not forgotten anything or made wrong statements due to a slack in memory because of old age. The third and final interview is a detailed one which deals with the interviewee being part of an important event related to partition”, explains Chinoy. Listening to first person accounts and saving them for future generations is no mean task. “Now one just has to put the headphone to one’s ears and listen to the voices of these great people. Isn’t this an extraordinary experience?” says Chinoy.

Great discoveries have been made by the team on their walk to enlightenment. That in the 1950s riffle training was given to the Women’s National Gaurds, a force of women trained to defend Pakistan, says so much about the role of women in the past. At another interview a man admitted that he was part of a mob that killed Hindus and Sikhs. The recollection of the feeling of sadness that filled the air at Jinnah’s funeral as well as the controversies that erupted after Liaquat Ali Khan’s assassination are no small stories.         

On the other hand, it is also a very rewarding exercise for the interviewees. Mariam Bilgrami, Project Coordinator gives her side of the story. “As I introduce the project to the person, I can always feel the enthusiasm with which the interviewees receive the news. They are elated to hear someone actually interested in listening to their experiences and preserving them for the future generations of Pakistan.”

As a test to assess whether there was “an appetite in the general public for events catered around history”, The Citizens Archive of Pakistan held a four day long Shanaakht Festival in 2007. “The response was phenomenal”, recounts Chinoy. A record 4000 people from all strata and all walks of life walked in. The Karachi Arts Council saw granddads holding hands of their grandchildren, walking past the 4 by 16 feel murals, painted by cinema billboard artist S.Iqbal, each depicting important events of the decade. The organization had run free buses to various localities of the city and there was no entrance fee to an event. A photography exhibition exhibiting memories of partition and also those exploring the identity of the country was curated by Amean J. Another Art Exhibition titled Sohni Dharti was also put up. Over the course of four days, a number of international documentary films focusing on identity and freedom were screened at the indoor auditorium of the Arts Council. A very interesting informal story telling program was held each evening in which old residents of Karachi rekindled stories of early days of Pakistan, and their experiences of partition. Some of the people who spoke at the sittings included Aziz Fatima (Granddaughter of Maulana Mohammad Ali Johar), Retd. Admiral Hasnain(one of the Founding Fathers of Pakistan Navy), Lutfullah Sahab, (who owns the largest collection of Paksitan’s Oral Archive). Apart from these, an interactive evening was held by Anwar Maqsod and Moin Akhtar discussing the country’s past, present and future in their unique style. Sheema Kirmani presented “Jinnay Lahore Nahin Vakhya”, a play set in 1947 about a family who is allotted a haveli in Lahore but when it arrives there finds an old Hindu lady still occupying the residence. Taking its dialogue from poet Nasir Kazmi’s letters and writings, the play was based on a real life incident.

The Shanaakht festival also had Audio-Visual boots where interested visitors could just walk in and record their personal experiences about partition. As part of the festival Ayesha Tammy Khan had also brought six Karachities on stage to talk of their years after independence and the early struggles of the country. For those of us who somehow missed the festival, the good news is that Shanaakht 2008 is being planned for the 23^rd of March next year. The programs will include a host of activities like photo and art exhibits and various oral based presentations. The aim is to facilitate the history and culture of Pakistan by bringing it to life through interactive exhibits in varied genres. At present, the enthusiasm and amount of work geared towards creating The Living History Museum speaks volumes of the team.

“I envision an institution where families come for a day out and go back educated, a place where lectures are held of people who know the real Pakistan, its culture its true identity. I envision a place where academics, young and old, have a field day discovering the past,” says Chinoy.  As Chinoy and her team continue to work towards a dream project, the clock is ticking fast. However at the end of the day, each little effort reinforces the idea that “this is important because we must see the Pakistan of those people who sacrificed their lives, families, everything they had to give us a homeland that we can call our own”. 

 

Historically Correct, Literary Riveting

“To write a novel or a short story is not as difficult as writing about cultural heritage. I have to create within the given limitations of this genre. The facts have to be correct and presented well and yet, I still have to tell a story,” says Ihsan H. Nadiem, author and poet. Keen to procure a place in literature for his distinctive brand of creativity, Nadiem reminisces at his career in archaeology that took him to archaeological places all over Pakistan. Which adds up to thirty-two years before he came to be recognized as a published author in his own right. Ghost- writing for his bosses for nearly twenty years and often under duress to lend his pen to works published under other people’s names, Nadiem allowed his creativity to be taken credit of by others. The pretext being; his position as a serving government servant and then not wanting to leave the “thrill” that comes with exploration as a state department archaeologist. Ironically enough, the first book published under his name, Moenjodaro – Heritage of Mankind, came after much exploitation which is so typical of the bureaucratic line of operation in the country.

“One day a manuscript was sent to me for whetting purposes. I found each chapter incoherent and completely copied from other books without giving credit to the original source. I gave my honest opinion about it and sent it to my senior who in turn sent it to the head office. The then Chief Secretary, who had wanted to oblige the family of a deceased colleague by publishing a book under his daughter’s name, ordered me to come over to Islamabad. It finally dawned that this young lady did not have a clue about conservation or Moenjodaro. Nevertheless I was now ordered to write a book on Moenjodaro in forty-five days. And I did exactly that.” However, as fate would have it, bureaucratic reshuffling saved Nadiem’s work and he finally published it under his name in 1994 with a private publishing house. Moenjodaro – Heritage of Mankind was his premiere into creative historical writing. It opened the way to a long list of publications later in his life.     

 Nadiem has been to the remotest of areas of Pakistan. His positions in the Government department of Archaeology allowed him privileges of traveling under armed escort, official transport fit to explore the rugged sites no sane person would have dared to go. “The past is so interesting,” exclaims Nadiem, though his entree into the field of archaeology was a matter of luck as he puts in. With a Masters’ degree in geography, he was all set for teaching the subject when, the Dean of Arts at the Punjab University, (where he had been a student) was asked to recommend a post-graduate student capable of doing research work. Short-listed for the assignment, Nadiem was thus literally forced to study the collection at the Lahore Museum. At this time in history, Pakistan was in dire need of trained archaeologists. In 1961 he trained as an archaeologist on scholarship by the Government of Pakistan. Trained in excavation, conservation, pottery drawing, site drawing and even vehicle driving as part of the course, Nadiem’s sojourn into the ancient world knew no boundaries. Later, he also specialized in Museology on a French Government Fellowship.  All this, plus his personal inclination to find new things about old places made up the background for his writings. With a natural talent for writing in English, his skill developed as he wrote regular reports and books while in service.

Nadiem focused on writing about the cultural heritage of Pakistan because he found that what had been written on some of the sites were simply published reports by professional archaeologists. Loaded with facts and lot of technical jargon that were certainly least attractive to an ordinary tourist or the general public, Nadiem felt disappointed with the literature published so far. Also amazed at the ignorance of the people who visited the museums and the historical sites, this lone crusader felt a dire need to make public, information about the country’s cultural heritage. “I wanted to write books that were not voluminous, that were not burdened with technical jargon and in which facts and figures did not dominate the writing. I simply wanted to popularize the information I had gathered and learnt to respect as an archaeologist,” says Ihsan Nadiem.    

Ihsan H. Nadiem is the first author to ever have touched on Rohtas. A formidable undertaking in itself, his second publication, Rohtas – Formidable Fort of Sher Shah, was actually begun as a research paper to be published in an international journal. Later the author modified it into a book. It took a whole year to complete this work of creativity. The book introduced Rohtas Fort to the world. In 1997, after eight years of deferrement by UNESCO, Rohtas finally made it to the World Heritage List. Nadiem had pursued the cause by bringing out international standard posters, publications and slides required for the purpose while working at the site. By now he had learnt the ropes of the trade very well.

  

As he travels from the known to the unknown, Nadiem explores and conjures images of people that are no more. He adds “flesh and blood” to the bones of the ancient. All of his books talk about the glorious heritage of Pakistan. Mohenjedaro or the glorious Rohtas Fort, the spread of Mughal gardens in Lahore or the sand dunes of Thar, Nadiem has an eye for detail as he puts forward the facts in an almost musical note. As he talks of the historical perspective of the sites, he digs into the earth for new stories. “With each brick excavated at a site, I explore and imagine a story,” says Nadiem. Blessed with a vivid imagination and the technical creativity to put it all into written expression has helped the archaeologist in him to write of the past and simply set the people in their settings.

Loaded with information and facts, his books are a treat for all his readers, though he does not necessarily have a specific audience in mind while writing. To him what matters is that each of his reader, no matter what segment of society he belongs to, should find his work as if it were written for him. “If an archaeologist reads my books, he should get some new information from them. If an English reader reads them, he should find pleasure from my writings. And if a research scholar reads them, he should feel that my books have refreshed his past knowledge,” says Nadiem. Rightly so, because all of his near one dozen books have the said ingredients which make up for compendium of information and entertainment. As his words paint landscapes from religion, history, lifestyles, food or town planning, vivid images are created in the most exciting manner. Readers are delighted to find information spread between the two covers of a Nadiem publication. Equally exciting for researchers as well as coffee room conversation pieces, Nadiem’s books are also delightful visual treats. Since he has always had his camera with him whenever he visited the excavation sites, his books carry original photographs taken by him. “Photography has always been a passion with me. My university hostel room was a kind of dark room where I exposed negatives taken from my camera,” says Nadiem. When he took up archaeology, he always found taking pictures and making drawings of the sites a very thrilling experience. As, along the way he trained in archaeological photography, it further enhanced his creative faculties.

Nadiem’s service with the Department of Archaeology, Pakistan has taken him to excavate at Bambhore, Swat, Moenjodaro and Tulamba. He has held the charge of curator of museums at Harappa, Umerkot, Moenjodaro, Lahore Fort and Taxila. He has also commanded the Regional Archaeological Offices at Peshawar and Quetta and the department’s Publication Branch, which he successfully reactivated after it had remained dormant for over thirteen years. He has also served as Director in both Northern and Southern Circles of Archaeology, covering the whole of Pakistan. With such vast exposure to sites and people, Nadiem has been able to objectively process information which he ultimately impressively compressed in his books. 

The author, also has under his belt, two hundred and fifty published newspaper articles, over twenty-five research papers in various international journals and an Excavation Report on Panr (Swat). He has also translated into English the first of the three volumes of Al-Amin, a much read book by Rafiq Doger on the Seerat of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). However, right now he has no wish to focus his creativity on translations.            

While living in the present, Nadiem essentially breathes in the past. His indulgence is such that he also enjoys penning down poetry about the sites he has visited and the civilizations he has unearthed. He also has to his credit, two collections of poetry, Illusory Trance and Golden Rays, both essential reflections of his archaeological experiences. Spending time at the sites, digging under the earth, sleeping at the gates of a long deserted fort, enjoying the sunset in the desert, has all led him to express himself in one of the finest forms of creativity. “When I see a site, I see people living. I see them in flesh and bone. I imagine the monks praying, the bells ringing, children playing with the clay toy carts,” says Nadiem. Putting flesh onto the bones of the story, the poet in Nadiem explores his ideas, working from the abstract to the concrete. “I like to develop a theme in the beginning and conclude it in the end. I never like my poetry to be a mere descriptive piece of writing and it never is,” adds Nadiem.

For the future, the author has his hands full with two more books; one on Balochistan and another on NWFP. The first two in the series, Portrait of Sindh and Punjab - Plan, History and People have already been published. Ihsan Nadiem’s works are a compendium of our collective architectural legacy in which he artistically intermingles history, places, people, traditions and cultures. He is a person who thinks about the past, lives in the present and writes for the future in a bit to preserve this area’s archeological history for future generations.