|
|
|
|
 |
 |
  
|
analysis art
Down the melody lane Healing
through art
With old frontlines becoming active again and new ones being opened, it is clear that the situation in NWFP and FATA is becoming dangerous and the security forces are getting over-stretched By Rahimullah Yusufzai A new frontline was opened in Pakistan Army's expanding battle against Taliban militants on the night of Jan 25 when military operations were launched in the gun-manufacturing town of Darra Adamkhel. This happened at a time
when the military was heavily engaged in fighting militants in the restive Meanwhile, about 20,000 soldiers were still deployed in Swat, where the militants led by maverick cleric Maulana Fazlullah had been pushed into the mountain fringes of the scenic valley. Swat hasn't attained normalcy yet and the government still needs to enforce curfew in parts of the district and maintain roadside checkpoints much to the annoyance of the common people. The ongoing military
operations in South Waziristan are bigger in scope and bloodier than the one
in As a BBC reporter commented, Pakistani troops began military operations against militants in June 2002 in the remote Kazha Panga village in South Waziristan and now the battle has almost reached Peshawar. Rather than containing the problem, the military action has somehow caused militancy to expand and spread to newer places. The battlegrounds have grown in number and the death toll and level of destruction is higher. It doesn't look like the situation would be brought under control in the near future. As usual, the government
and the military couldn't take action against the Darra militants when Once the military moved against the militants using gunship helicopters and long-range artillery and mortar guns, it became obvious that the Taliban fighters would not be able to hold their ground for long. Four days later, they had to flee to their mountain hideouts after being evicted from the Darra bazaar, the strategic Kohat Tunnel and school buildings turned by them into fortified bases. Most were reported to have escaped to Bara in Khyber Agency and to the Orakzai tribal region, where for the first time the paramilitary Frontier Corps were attacked and three of their soldiers were killed. The bodies of 13 Pakistan Army soldiers, some of of whom were taken hostage and later executed by the retreating militants, were also retrieved. The troops suffered 23 casualties while the military claimed it had killed 64 militants. As is often the case in
such situations, civilians suffered the most. An unspecified number of The situation started improving on Jan 30 when the Kotal Pass route between Darra and Kohat was opened to traffic and some families started returning home. Subsequently, the Kohat Tunnel was also opened after repairing the damage caused to it by blasts triggered by the militants using explosives packed into two vehicles. The military would now carry out mopping up operations and initiate action against the militants under the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR). That could include demolition of houses owned by the militants. There was also talk of further securing and altering the status of Darra Adamkhel, which is a Frontier Region and is administered by an assistant political agent working under district coordination officer based in Kohat. In faraway South Waziristan,
the military had made advances into militants' strongholds such as In neighbouring North Waziristan, a ceasefire announced by Taliban fighters was holding. It was good news for the government, which feared retaliatory strikes by North Waziristan's Taliban in support of Baitullah Mehsud's men operating in South Waziristan. Revival of the peace accord between the government and the militants, which they unilaterally scrapped some months, remains a possibility. However, a missile strike by a CIA-operated pilotless aircraft on a house in Khushali Torikhel near Mir Ali in North Waziristan threatened to derail the peace talks. Militants' sources blamed the US for the strike and argued that the Americans plan such cross-border attacks from Afghanistan whenever there is headway in peace negotiations in North Waziristan. Up to 15 persons, including some Arab and Central Asian militants, were reportedly killed in the missile strike. With old frontlines becoming active again and new ones being opened, it is clear that the situation in NWFP and FATA is becoming dangerous and the security forces are getting over-stretched. The authorities are at their wits' end as they try one method after another in a bid to tackle the spreading militancy. Even now both military operations and peace talks are being tried to put out the fire and restore calm in the insurgency-hit Frontier. One thing, though, is clear. Pakistan would continue to suffer the fallout from the situation in Afghanistan where US-led foreign forces are struggling to contain the resurgent Afghan Taliban. Musee du
Quai Branly is a museum that showcases art of the non-Western world right
next to Eiffel Tower in a setting that suggests darkness, intrigues, evil,
and the sheer absence of daylight By Saeed-ur-Rehman Public buildings displaying possessions of a nation serve many political purposes. Libraries and museums are often built as signs of liberal promises of the state to citizenry fulfilled. But in France the official imagination has attempted something beyond this usual scope of publicly-funded exhibitionism by creating the Musee du Quai Branly, a museum that showcases art of the non-Western world right next to another hallmark of national pride -- the Eiffel Tower. Designed by Jean Nouvel,
the Musee du Quai Branly is considered an architectural innovation even It is difficult to ascertain whether the resistance of the Louvre establishment was more problematic or the resulting antidote in the shape of the Quai Branly. The museum tries to convince the public that the French or the Western people in general are on the side of light somehow because it displays non-Western art objects from Oceania, Native America, Asia, and Africa in a setting that suggests darkness, intrigues, evil, and the sheer absence of daylight. The windows are darkened by sheets of large plastic with pictures of thick bamboo forests printed on them and the passage ways through different exhibits are brown walls and mud mounds and superficial furrows created by plastering tanned leather to the lumpy protrusions reminiscent of cave-like dwellings. Dotting the brown leathery alleys are multi-media controls for audio and video, beaming out information about the surrounding objects and 'exotic' music from the culture the objects were extracted from. Almost all the informative plates on the walls near the art pieces do not name the non-Western artist/creator but proudly name the curator. The acquirer of "non-Western art" is the real discerner of value whereas the real producer of value, the non-Western artist, has been rendered nameless and often faceless after the contact. The Musee du Quai Branly is
supposed to be for the non-Western art what the Louvre is for the The civilization that runs the museum is also exhibited without being part of the displayed objects. It is on exhibition as part of the implacable and inevitable technological environment. The argument goes something like this: the West has marched ahead on the path of technological sophistication whereas there is nothing resembling the Western present in the culture of the non-West. The non-West remains permanently "primitive" in this display of civilizational contrasts. The cure of discrimination in the established art world cannot help but discriminate in a more condescending and insidious way. This dilemma -- to patronise or not to patronise -- deserves more thorough examination in the form of a built environment in the non-Western world where Western art is given a condescending treatment and is simplistically exoticised and stereotyped. Film composers who started their careers in Lahore and then followed the familiar high road to Bombay... By Sarwat Ali While much has been written
about the actors, singers and composers who came to Pakistan from Since Calcutta in the beginning and Bombay in the later phase emerged as the centres of theatre and films it attracted talent from all over the country. Many Punjabis, Pathans, Sindhis and even Balochis were thus attracted by the magnetism of show business to these centres, but for many from the North West Lahore was the first port of call. The city had emerged as a centre of film making in the 1920s with many studios here giving sufficient opportunities to the promising, talented and the ambitious, who later treated their initial success as a springboard for a safe landing in Bombay. Scant information is available on some film composers while there is hardly any on those who started their apprenticeship/careers in Lahore and then followed the familiar high road to Bombay. Madan Mohan probably because of the ill treatment of his stepmother ran away from home in Delhi and came over to Lahore and it was here that he became the shagird of the late Sajjad Sarwar Khan Niazi; a great connoisseur of classical genre of music. Niazi then was the station director of Radio Pakistan Lahore and the father of Nahid and Najma Niazi; the noted playback singers of our film industry of yesteryear. Madan Mohan learnt
classical music from his ingenious mentor for quite sometime, and it was
Niazi Shyam Sunder was a Punjabi composer in the decades of the 1930s/1940s and just like his other contemporaries such as: Master Ghulam Hyder, Amir Ali, Pandit Amarnath, Pandit Govindram and Lachhiram, began his career as a novice. He was a violinist in the orchestra of Ustad Jhande Khan and he learnt much from the all time great composer. He made his debut as an independent music director in Ravi Paar, few songs of which were composed by Ustad Jhande Khan. Khayyam assisted Baba G.A
Chishti for two years (1945-47) from whom he learnt the intricate art Khayyam received his early training in music from Husanlal-Bhagat Ram, who was Pandit Amarnath's younger brothers and themselves a famous duo of music directors of the 1940s. Khayyam then became Baba G.A. Chishti's assistant in 1945 in Lahore and served in the same capacity till 1947. Khayyam openly attributes his success as a composer to Baba Chishti's dynamic guidance and expert grooming. It is said that Om Prakash Nayyar, popularly known as O.P Nayyar, was born in Lahore and then migrated to Amritsar at the time of partition but not much is known about his early activity in Lahore. According to some sources he was born in Patiala and then joined All India Radio at Jallandhar. He made his debut by scoring background music for Kaneez and then as an independent music director of Asman in 1952 He was a tall-handsome
young man and he too had gone to Bombay to become a hero; but fate Very little is known about Roshan, the famed music director and founder of a film dynasty who was born in Gujranwala. According to Khursheed Anwar, "Way back in the 1940s when I was a programme producer at the All India Delhi, one day a lad of barely 17/18 years of age happened to come up to me. He was shy to speak. I asked him what had brought him there. The lad with a lot of difficulty managed to say, 'Khawaja Sahib please do engage me as an assistant'. Seeing his keenness I gave him a test and instantly realised his innate talent. I let him work as my assistant. Do you know who he was? The lad was Roshan, who later became a successful composer." Anyway, it was Roshan's irresistible love for music which brought him to Khawaja Khursheed Anwar from whom he openly confessed to have learned much. In 1949, Roshan assisted Khursheed Anwar in his super-hit musical extravaganza Singhar. In the 1960s when Babur Bilal, one of the front-line camera men of our film industry went to Bombay, Roshan nearly sat at feet, not alongside him, saying: "You have come from my guru's dharti." Healing through art Attiya Shaukat's exhibition included twenty miniature paintings of varying scale By Quddus Mirza Death is associated with a complete collapse of physical functions, a moment when our bodies stop functioning and we cease to exist. The ultimate demise is often too painful for those close to the one who passes away. Often the relatives, friends and other associates spend prolonged periods of mourning. In some cases, the
suffering is extended due to a state in which certain part or parts of an It seems that art is one of those means that may be employed if the person happens to be an artist. Attiya Shaukat was a student of miniature painting at NCA before her accident in which she fell from a staircase that left part of her lower body immobile. Attiya reacted in a totally different manner to this accident that would have left anyone dejected and demoralised. Not only did she survive it with a brave face, she turned to art which was her first love. She now has several exhibitions to her credit. Her example shows that physical disability or accidents cannot stop an artist and, in some instances, these can be used to overcome the physical disability. During the course of her studies at NCA, Attiya came across as talented and hard working, qualities that improved over the years and were visible in the exhibitions of her miniatures, held both in India and Pakistan. Last year she exhibited her work in New Delhi and recently her new works were displayed at Rohtas 2, Lahore. The exhibition titled 'Bones/Steel' included twenty miniature paintings of varying scale, yet all revolved around a single theme -- her physical state. In a shocking tone, she has depicted the state of her dead feet. Majority of miniatures were drawn with portions of feet put on the lower part of wheel chair, with socks being ripped open, shapes of vertebra and the outlines of a pair of scissors. Often the pair of scissors was about to clip one section of the vertebra or feet were covered in bandages or socks -- visuals that conveyed her condition and ailment. One could draw parallels
with other artists, namely Frida Kahlo who has addressed the issue of On the other hand, the extent of agony that one imagines Frida and Attiya (and probably many more) must have experienced has seeped in their work. Yet both have approached it in different schemes. Kahlo's canvasses reflected her disability and dissection of body parts, but she managed to transform the pain into a visual pleasure. One appears to 'enjoy' the flight of fantasy in her paintings. The cruel images were converted into a narrative that was about the actual state but rendered in an imaginative and playful manner. In comparison, Shaukat has concentrated on her situation. And although she has described it in a creative manner by changing the scale of various objects, a clever combination of symbols and a careful application of medium, the work seems connected too strongly to her physical state. Thus the miniatures, at certain level, serve as documents of her life after the unfortunate accident. Her skill of drawing, grasp on the visual vocabulary (evident in her composition of elements and distribution of background surfaces), and command on the technique of miniature painting has made her works impressive examples of art. One hopes that at some point of her life Attiya Shaukat recovers fully. Otherwise she needs to jump out of her situation and look beyond her wheel chair, instead of letting it take over her art. Solo
exhibition of Attiya Shaukat was held from Jan 24- Feb 02 2008 at Rohats 2,
Lahore
|
|
South Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan. In fact, the unrest in
Darra Adamkhel, or simply Darra as it is commonly known, was linked to the
situation in South Waziristan. The Darra militants hijacked five trucks
loaded with ammunition destined for the troops operating in South Waziristan
and triggered the conflict that forced the army to take action against them.
Darra Adamkhel. But the situation in Darra and the army action became a
matter of greater concern because the place is only 40 kilometres from
Peshawar and serves as a vital road link between the Frontier metropolis and
southern NWFP and beyond. The rise of militants and their ability to take
control of the Darra town and the highway, including the Japanese-built,
almost two kilometres-long Friendship Tunnel, was baffling due to the fact
that Darra is located between two big garrisons at Peshawar and Kohat. It was
a sign that the militants were present in all tribal areas and most districts
of the NWFP and could strike once they gain adequate strength.
they first emerged more than a year ago and started challenging the writ of
the state. They used to patrol the Darra bazaar and surrounding villages and
set up roadblocks on the Peshawar-Kohat road to check vehicles looking for
soldiers and others on their hit-list. Being Sunni extremists, they snatched
and executed four Shias from vehicles plying on the highway. Emboldened by
the failure of the government and the tribal elders to stop their activities,
they imposed their writ on the tribesmen and traders of Darra bazaar and
villages. They also won some public support in Darra by taking on gangs of
kidnappers and drug-traffickers. It is possible the government would not have
taken any action against the Darra militants had they not snatched the army's
ammunition-laden trucks and abducted the five soldiers accompanying the
convoy of five vehicles.
tribespeople were killed and injured. Houses and other properties were
damaged and businesses were destroyed. Thousands of Darra residents were
displaced by the fighting and most had to walk to safety in dangerous
circumstances. In absence of any proper and coordinated government
arrangements for their relief, the dislocated families were on their own,
taking refuge in Kohat, Peshawar and nearby villages with relations, friends
and acquaintances.
Spinkai Raghzai, Kotkai, Inzar and Tiarza with the aims to reach Srarogha,
where the Taliban captured and destroyed a British-era fort after
overpowering its 43 defenders belonging to the Frontier Corps. Baitullah
Mehsud, the most powerful commander of Pakistani Taliban and head of the
recently-formed umbrella organisation, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, was putting
up stiff resistance against the army in the area populated by the Mehsud
tribe. He has suffered losses but is not finished yet. His fighters also
fired rockets into the Army Camp in Razmak in North Waziristan and killed
some troops.
though the effects of the building design on what is housed within are
difficult to celebrate. The museum was considered necessary because there was
resistance in the establishment of the Louvre to display non-Western art,
even though Jacques Chirac had successfully intervened on behalf of the
non-West.
Western art but one wonders if it can represent the non-Western world without
mediating and distorting it through the process of acquisition. If a person
is to accept the logic of the permanent exhibits of the museum, the
non-Western world has never experienced the noontime sun. The contrast
between the technologies of the acquirer and the acquired is another potent,
though non-verbal, statement for the visitor. Amid the cackle of
walkie-talkies of the security personnel and the vertiginous images on liquid
crystal displays and the uncountable dimmed spot lights are the Maori warrior
heads, the head gear of the Native American tribal chief, the hand-loomed
turban cloth and saris of South Asia.
various parts of India, particularly Bombay and Calcutta at the time of
partition, or even after, not enough attention has been paid to those who
went from what became Pakistan to what remained of India.
who inculcated the true sense of musical arts in his ambitious shagird. Niazi,
who retired as the Deputy Director General Radio Pakistan was a shagird of
Mian Malang Ali Khan and later of Mian Faqir Bakhsh. Madan Mohan later made
his debut as an independent composer in Shabistan, then he did Ankhein but
his resounding success came with Bhai Bhaia box-office hit released in 1956.
of composition. He also assisted Maestro Naushad Ali in the film Saathi. Born
in 1925 at Rehon, in a small town of District Jullundur, Khayyam was named
Mohammad Zahoor. His brothers were Abdus Shakoor Bedil and Mushtaq Hashmi,
both Pakistani nationals. He was crazy about becoming a star but fate had
something else in store for him; he became a music director. He used to save
money from his pocket money for seeing films, which was meager and whenever
penniless, he pressed his ear hard against the wall of the cinema house and
satisfied himself by catching whatever sound of music. His uncle rebuked him
for his craze of films, but later yielding to his endless love for the
performing arts sent his nephew to Pandit Amarnath, a noted music director of
the time.
made a music director out of him and raised him to an exalted status.
Producer D.M. Pancholi advised him to give up the idea of acting; offering
him to compose for his film Asman. The film flopped but some of its songs
became instant hit like Dil hai dewana. The release of Asman marked the birth
of a new star on the horizon of the Indian film music
individual's body stop functioning because of an accident, paralysis or some
other illness. It must be very painful for those carrying the weight of these
permanently numb parts. One is not sure how such an adverse state could be
overcome except, of course, through means that may not reduce the agony but
provide courage and capacity to cope with the situation.
physical disability in her art. The Mexican artist painted images of her body
with blood, veins, stitches and details of her operations. Since the act of
art making (unlike writing fiction and poetry) requires a continuous movement
of limbs, arms, and hands, the experience of not bing able to move them must
be terrible for an artist. Artists have been trying to overcome their
handicaps in various manners. French Impressionist painter, Renoir, in his
later life (like Zubeida Javed) was unable to use his fingers at all. Another
modern painter, Henri Matisse, in his last years was bed-ridden. But these
artists continued working; some changed their styles, others altered their
media (Matisse chose paper cut-outs to create his compositions), yet in their
works one does not find a reference to their disabilities.