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cancer MOOD
STREET Town
Talk
You
must be jockeys! cancer Emblems of hope Breast cancer survivors talk about the challenges this disease poses. Breast cancer is curable but it kills 40,000 women every year in Pakistan because women do not reach hospitals in time By Fareeha Sultan "It
was in November 2004 when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The
shock that we experienced was toned down by the reassurances of the
doctors that breast cancer has a very When
her chemotherapy was completed, every one of us felt so relieved. Her
recovery was so fast that in just a couple of months, she even started
playing badminton with us. Everything looked so normal. It
was almost a quarter to three in the afternoon when my mother's blood
pressure became undetectable, and after what seemed to be a long while,
the ECG monitor showed a straight line. This was the end of it. End of all
the pain for mum, almost the end of our lives for us. She was buried in
our native village the next day and with that started a difficult journey
without mum. Now, during daytime our home as only servants. Father heads
to his office, all of us siblings to our colleges and universities. Then
the home turns into a mere house," says Bushra Tufail, a young B.Sc
honours student and eldest of five siblings. Bushra
and her siblings are not the only ones who have lost their mother because
of breast cancer. This disease takes 40,000 lives every year in Pakistan. "The
basic reason for such a high death toll is ignorance and taboos attached
with breast cancer. Many women come to us quite late, while with early
detection the chances of survival are ninety per cent," says Dr.
Farogh Zahra, breast surgeon at Ganga Ram Hospital. Yet,
there are some who not only braved this disease but also quite willingly
share their stories in an effort to improve the lives of those living in
ignorance.
"I
have fought with breast cancer with a positive attitude. I never thought
that I will die of cancer. My only concern was my children especially when
they had lost their father long time back. This thought forced me to
follow the treatment religiously. When my six weeks of radiation treatment
ended, I was in school the next day. While going through chemotherapy I
never lied on bed. I never wore a scarf or a wig. I used to move around
with bald head because this was the way God wanted me to be." Samina
Ali, Manager Customer Services at a leading architectural firm, came back
from USA in 2005. When she first noticed a dimple in her left breast, she
thought it was a part of ageing process. Six months went by when her elder
sister on a routine check up to her gynecologist also took Samina with
her. On inspection the doctor immediately referred her for mammography and
biopsy. No fear and no apprehension could change the test results. Being a
health conscious person, it took her some time to cope with the fact.
"It is a painful process. Your body changes, there are no hair on
head, no eye brows, no eyelashes and there is swelling. People who don't
know stare at you, say hurtful things." Kauser
Sheikh, an English language teacher is another example of grace and
courage. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991. She has lived
through it quite elegantly and now wants to give her time and experience
to help other women confronting the same problems. Darakhshan
33, a house wife and mother of two daughters was diagnosed with breast
cancer when she was only 20 years old. She detected a lump in her breast
but ignored until it became too hard. After having eight cycles of
chemotherapy she underwent surgery and radiation. "It was a painful
experience. On the occasion of my brother's wedding when I saw myself in
mirror after getting ready, I was very upset .There were no eye brows, no
eyelashes, but luckily it all ended and now I am leading a happy family
life." Things
that are common among all these women is they all have full support of
their families, friends and colleagues and a common concern for not having
a support system in Pakistan. "I have been lucky enough to be
surrounded and supported by my sister, nieces Sara and Nadine, and
friends, but one needs extra help, apart from the surgeons hospitals
should hire some professional psychiatrist, because being diagnosed with a
disease like breast cancer is a great shock for a woman. Only the physical
pain remains for 2/3 years, not to speak of emotional distress. What has
happened to me, what should I do, how long I am going to live? these are
the immediate thoughts that come to mind and one must get the answers,
some encouragement, some hope," says Miss. Sheikh. Same
are the views of Samina Ali. "There is no support system in Pakistan.
You need a person who could tell what is going to be the next stage. There
are so many little things one requires information on. I still remember a
young unmarried girl who used to come from Multan and she was so poor that
she had to borrow money for every visit. I remember a woman whose breast
was literally oozing out and she kept on placing chapati and relying on
spiritual medication. Due to all the problems I faced and after seeing
such examples I feel that it is my duty to enlighten others now that I
have recovered." Shahida
feels that ideally there should be separate doctors for those who recover
because for doctors the patients suffering from the disease are more
important. That's logical but those who have recovered have justifications
of their own. The fear of recurrence of cancer never leaves the person who
had it once as if the enemy is hiding just round the corner to attack any
moment they become slack. So they want complete attention. That is why
there should be a support system for patients like an arrangement where
they can talk to each other, share their experiences, guide each other
etc. "The
aim of Pink Ribbon Campaign Pakistan (PRCP) is to fortify the struggle
against breast cancer by raising awareness. Campaign is also actively
working to set up a Survivors' net work so that they could share their
experiences. Every where we went we have always met at least one woman who
either herself is a survivor, or her mother, sister, aunt or any other
close relative died of this disease, even then very few women have the
courage to come up and speak and be an example of hope. Therefore, we term
these women very valuable and are establishing contacts with them to chalk
out the plan not only for a survivor's network, but also to increase
awareness level among Pakistani girls and women," said Omer Aftab,
National Coordinator, PRCP, while replying to the concern of these women. In a
country like ours, life of women suffering from breast cancer becomes more
miserable as it is one of those subjects which are still surrounded by
myths, pushing them to fight on several other fronts along with combating
this deadly evil. This makes it necessary to talk about it and create as
much awareness as possible. Tomorrow is international cancer day, let's
make a pledge to unchain ourselves from unnecessary stigmas and join hands
to raise maximum awareness so that homes can be saved from turning into
mere houses.
Life
slows barely to a crawl here. This place doesn't normally witness the rush
of devotees like other places of worship, mainly Muslim ones such as
mosques, darbars and mazars do. No azan or bell tolls that creates the
general ambience of other holy places. Just chanting of verses in low
voice from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib in the central chamber. To an
outsider like me, it seems just a volume of classical hymns based on
musical ragas. Yet to Sikhs all around the world, it is the one true
physical form of the 11th and final Guru and is eternal in its character.
And this is not just in any gurdwara that this particular presence of the
everlasting Holy
books and scriptures such as the Quran and Bible are no doubt treated with
respect, sworn upon, placed in a special stand (rahel) while reciting from
and placed above the head when storing it away. The Guru Granth Sahib
however, is in a completely different league when it comes to being
revered by its believers. During the day and while it is being recited, it
is to be placed on the Manji Saheb or a special throne, with a canopy
hanging over it. Furthermore, a volunteer performs Chaur Sahib Seva or
special devotional service to the Guru Granth Sahib by fanning it with an
implement made of loose strands of Yak hair. More respect is given to the
eternal Guru by covering one's head at all times whilst also being
barefoot. Reading the Granth Sahib from cover to cover takes around 48
hours of continuous reading with each granthi putting in two hours of
recitation sessions. However, the guru has to rest at night too so a
designated bedroom has been established near the recitation chamber/throne
room. This is complete with a master bed with sheets and blankets and even
an air-conditioning unit to boot! Being
at such place makes one realise that the daily bickering and rat race that
we are so obsessed with can mean so little for one who holds the entity of
Guru Granth Sahib in such high esteem. What we revere are our bungalows,
cars, social and professional connections and above all the central medium
of exchange that is money. True that these are essential items to get by
in today's modern interconnected world but they are just that --
implements with which to get by in life and not a source of awe and
inspiration. The
Sikh community attaches much importance to one apparently inanimate object
whereas the average person in general doesn't even value the living ones.
We may take a thousand baths, use oodles of cologne and perfume to
fumigate ourselves and don the latest pret but we still wouldn't be able
to rid ourselves from the filth of ill will and the stench of greed. So
it's not all about being spiritual and performing rituals (religious or
social) but rather being intrinsically bound to some core principle or
guiding value, whatever might have been borne out in the course of life's
struggles. Town Talk •
Glass Fusion Exhibition
at Croweaters Gallery till February 5. •
Exhibition of works of 23 Saarc students at Alhamra, The Mall till
February 8, from 9 to 5pm daily. •
Exhibition of Syed Mumtaz Ahmad's works at Shakir Ali Museum till February
10, organised by Pakistan National Council of the Arts. Ph: 9230213,
9230410 •
Group Exhibition of Landscape Art opening at Ejaz Art Gallery on February
6 at 5pm. The exhibition will continue till Feb 20. Artists: Abid Khan,
Amjad Naeem, A.Q. Arif, Asim Amjad, Faheem Baloch, Najmi, Zara
David and Iqbal Khokhar. •
Polo: Punjab Cup at Lahore Polo Club today at 10am. Handicap
limit: 7-12 goals. •
Polo: Aibak Cup at Lahore Polo Club from Monday Feb 4 to Sunday, Feb 10.
Handicap limit: 8 to 14 goals. •
18th Pakistan International Education Exhibition 2008 at Pearl Continental
Hotel on Tuesday, Feb 5 and Wednesday, Feb 6 will have over 125 booths of
national and international exhibitors. •
Puppet Show for Children every Sunday at Alhamra, The
Mall at 11am. Fee: Rs. 5/10. •
Puppet Shows for everyone every Sunday at Peerus Cafe at 3pm. 'Set up small libraries' Shameen Syed has contributed a lot in the field of education as a librarian for decades in United States. Currently she is working at Lahore School of Economics and helping the institute to set up and expand their library. By Zaman Khan TNS:
Please tell us about your background? Shameen
Syed: I was born in India and raised in Pakistan. I acquired a Master's
degree in political science from the Government College Lahore and got
married to Professor Anwar Syed soon after TNS:
How did you join library? SS:
After settling down and getting familiar with the new environment, culture
and people I started looking into possibilities of keeping myself
intellectually occupied. Being essentially a centre of higher education,
housing two colleges and universities, Amherst was a beautiful place to
live in, raise children, and pursue scholarship. But it did not offer many
career opportunities other than teaching. I had no interest in that. That
left librarianship which appeared to be intellectually just as fulfilling. The
university library was housed in a 26-storey building with a huge
collection of materials to support education, research and needs of
faculty and students. The senior librarians here were extremely learned
and did a splendid job of directing researchers to relevant materials.
This whole environment attracted me further to librarianship as a
profession. I got admission to the School of Library and Information
Science at the University of Rhode Island which was within commuting
distance, enabling me to be a student, wife and mother, all at the same
time. The
programme required 36 credits of course work plus a dissertation. It took
a lot of hard work and balancing of quality time between home and campus
before I received Master's degree in Library and Information Science. Soon
after that I started working as a reference and information librarian at
the university library in Amherst. I liked my interaction with the student
community, guiding and directing them in their pursuit of knowledge. I
kept this position for 25 years until we decided to move to the
Commonwealth of Virginia five years ago. Here my career took a turn from
university to public library and I must say it broadened my horizon of
American libraries and librarianship. TNS:
How do you compare Pakistani libraries with that in the USA? SS:
It would be like comparing other institutions and professions in a highly
developed society with those in a developing society. I did not have the
occasion to use any of the public libraries as a student in Lahore. The
ones I used were the Punjab University and Government College libraries
and these also sparingly. An
academic library is essential in an educational institution. The
librarians guide students and faculty in research methods and sort out
pertinent information from print and electronic media. They prepare
bibliographies and also offer courses on the use of library services and
resources. First year students are baffled by the enormity of the
collection and need guided tours. After a long struggle the academic
librarians have been able to achieve faculty status and benefits such as
sabbatical leave. They work with the faculty through committees to ensure
that the collection is not developed haphazardly. TNS:
How do you rate Pakistani libraries? SS: I
had an opportunity to visit academic libraries in Pakistan three years ago
when the US embassy asked me to lecture at some of the country's major
universities regarding the place and role of libraries in the American
society. I met librarians and learned about their systems. While generally
in fair condition, I found that the ones in private institutions were well
equipped with electronic resources, had impressive buildings and sizeable
collections. More notable among them were the Agha Khan Medical University
library and the private special libraries. The staff there were
professional, some of them with foreign MLS degrees or training. They were
knowledgeable on new trends in librarianship. Their overall condition
corresponded to the funding they received from their parent bodies. The
institutions of higher learning in Pakistan are providing students with
course related library materials. Besides the information technology has
brought previously hidden wealth of knowledge right on the desk top. It
can't replace books but it is extremely useful in its availability. I
noticed also a significant increase in the number of library schools that
were producing new graduates, many of whom found jobs in academic and
private corporation libraries, or overseas in the Middle East. The
Pakistan Library Association is an important forum for voicing the
librarians' concerns and has done much to promote library automation and
networking. The Higher Education Commission has been supporting access to
information for scholars, researchers and practitioners. TNS:
There is a general concept that a librarian is a clerk, what would you
say? SS:
It took the west more than a century to change the public image of
librarians from clerk to teacher. In Virginia I have been associated with
the Fairfax county public library system as a reference and information
librarian for about five years. The system performs an important role in
the community. It maintains a huge collection of research, information and
recreational materials. It has programmes and services for preschoolers,
students, adults, elderly and newcomers to the country. Programmes offered
include story hour for children, homework help for students, old favourite
movies for elderly, English classes for immigrants, use of several
computers with free internet service and basic computer training. There's
a constant flow of new books, and the ones that have low circulation in
the two preceding years are weeded out. These valuable services are all
free of cost. The revenue sources include a proportion of the property
taxes that the county collects -- some federal money and private
donations. Many volunteers devote their time to help out with organising
sales of recently discarded books. The book sales are an eagerly awaited
event for the community to get useful books at low cost. As an information
librarian I am out there with people who wait in line with their questions
and requests and appreciate my guidance. Needless to say I feel gratified.
TNS:
Would you like to throw light on 'Anna Libraries' in Mohallahs? SS:
Thinking of public libraries in Pakistan I am reminded of the so-called
Anna Library which was a neighbourhood (mohallah) facility that rented out
novels and story books for a small fee. It was initiated and carried on by
enterprising private individuals, usually small shopkeepers who are no
more and their activity has long since disappeared. TNS:
How things could be improved in Pakistan? SS:
Some people in Pakistan still think of the public library as a room or two
full of old, dusty books, magazines and newspapers with an attendant
sitting on a side, lost in his own novel or dozing until a visitor awakens
him. More often the visitor has come in to read the newspapers lying on a
table or otherwise spend the time of day with other retired old men. This
image needs to be changed. Existing public libraries can be improved with
proactive media and leaders for raising needed funds. Donation of money
and time can do wonders for each community by setting up small libraries.
At the grass roots level community leaders can create awareness of the
importance of this project. It takes only a few dedicated souls to make a
big difference. Setting up of libraries is also an answer to the high cost
of books where they will be borrowed by the users. One of the impediments
to the development of libraries has been that our people, for the most
part, are not given to reading. This too has to change to create a library
culture in the country. TNS:
How to promote reading habit among general public? SS:
This may require extensive research but reading aloud to children from
infancy can help them develop an enduring interest in reading books. These
children are known to be successful in school and later in the professions
they choose. In Pakistan this approach would apply to a small section of
population only because of its high rate of poverty and illiteracy. TNS:
What are you doing here in Pakistan? SS:
Currently, I am a visiting librarian at the Library and Documentation
Center of the Lahore School of Economics. The college already has four
well stocked libraries at its City and Burki campuses. Their collection
focuses on business, economics, finance, mathematics, statistics, Pakistan
economy and politics. Current and timely information is available through
print and online journals of reputation. There is an online library
catalogue to connect users to these valuable resources. The most recent
library, named Social and Basic Science Library was inaugurated on March
l, 2007. As I was visiting the Burki campus then I participated in
selecting and developing a basic collection for it in the fields of art,
religion, literature, classics (English and Urdu), biography of notable
personalities, South Asian society, politics and Indo-Pak history. This
was to give students and faculty access to interesting and relaxing
literature away from the world of business and finance. Meanwhile, I
enjoyed visiting local book stores and browsing publications of which
there appeared to be an amazing amount, especially regarding South Asian
studies. This semester I am continuing the same mission, and in addition I
am trying to set up an audiovisual collection. All of this makes my stay
at the Lahore School truly constructive and worthwhile. You must be jockeys! Here is what goes in the making of a radio jockey and why they speak the way they do By
Naila Inayat In
1950 an American writer, Fran Lebowitz once said, "Radio news is
bearable. This is due to the fact that while the news is being broadcast,
the radio jockey is not allowed to talk." This
feeling still persists in the modern age. In fact it has heightened with
this boom in our radio industry in the last few years. The radio is back
in our everyday lives. According to the list of FM radio licenses issued
by Pemra, there are 96 FM radio stations across Pakistan. In Lahore there
are However,
I feel nostalgic when it comes to radio. I remember its early days and am
not comfortable with what it has turned into. My grandmother who lost her
eye-sight in her later years, was only dependent on this box-like thing
called radio. I remember she would tune into AM for latest news bulletins,
talk shows based on social-religious themes and Oh Gosh! was she updated
or what. So many times I got scolded by her because of fiddling with the
'tuning'. 'Assalam
o Alaikum Pakistan' brought back the radio friendly days with FM 100 being
launched as the first private channel. It was refreshing to hear these new
voices, the programming content, format along with the technical
instrumentation were also in line with the set universal broadcast
standards. Later FM 101 was set up as a counter-part of FM 100, though it
had its own novel programming format which did click initially with the
listeners but later both the channels succumbed to monotony. These
days all we hear on radio is nothing but constant chaotic modulation. From
bad language to poor knowledge of music it seems everything has gone
completely haywire. Sometimes I think how the word "theek hai na or
theek hai" entered the local vernacular? As long as I remember it was
our ex-cricket skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq who used it persistently at his
famous post match conferences/interviews. But then it was taken forward by
his devotee, opening batsman Imran Nazir who in most of his interviews
would explain his point of view by saying 'Asal mein who na aap tu samajh
he gaey ho gay theek hai na, theek hai, theek hai na.'
"R
J is a job that is new and exciting if you love music being RJ is not just
another job, it is for those who are keen on understanding the subtle
nuances of the medium. Then, if you are the right one the sky is the limit
in this career. However, there is no regular fixed course one can enroll
in to get a training to be an RJ as yet," tells Sabiha, radio and
broadcasting professor. No
doubt that this job is exciting and its fun but is that all you require
for becoming an RJ, because if it's all fun and frolic then anyone can do
it. Rana
Umair, a Marketing professional and RJ of famous show Sleepless Nights on
FM 100, negates this perception while talking to TNS he tells that the
youngsters who are recruited, first pass through auditions. Once they
succeed in that they get one or two months training. Panel training is the
next step the trainee RJs get. Machine friendly training, in which they
are taught to operate the systems such as library comprising of cds,
songs, que sheets -- they operate it themselves (off air). After this an
RJ is launched on air. In the first few shows he gets an opportunity to
share the microphone with the senior RJ (not DJ). Apparently,
there is no emphasis laid on the language and all that is seen during the
audition is the accent and confidence which without any doubt is roaring
in our youngsters. Umair further reiterates that young jockeys should not
be given the 'sms' service initially because this leaves them with no
alternative service other than following the set customs which is
absolutely unfair on the part of a young jockey. Maybe
it is not only unfair with him but also with the listeners who are taking
in so much sleazy stuff which on a lighter note could be hazardous to
health in terms of noise pollution. "How
many times in a day will you hear an RJ tell you the process of sending an
sms, it is fine if he repeats the number. The audiences are not that dumb
that they don't know how to write a message." Dr
Ajaz Qureshi, famous for his Evening Drive Time Show now Power Drive on FM
100 has another standpoint. He says, "Radio is not being taken
seriously. The selection criteria for RJs is not stringent. Fresh
graduates are hired for the profession which is against economics. Then
the salaries given to these young people is a joke." "Often
the jockeys are unaware of the music content that they are playing; they
don't know the name of the movie from which the song is being played. This
is the minimal requirement of their profession. On one of the shows the RJ
played a song from movie Sawariya and kept saying "yeh gana film Om
Shanti Om say hai aur Shahrukh Khan bhudhay ho gaey hai inko yeh harkat
(referring to the famous towel sequence) suit nahi ki," says Faiza a
regular listener. Dr Ajaz sheds light on this phenomenon by saying that
one makes a broad outline for a show, there is no script as such which
then reflects lack of background knowledge. Language confusion is another thing coming out of the mechanical box. The first query is why do they speak flippantly? Are they sitting in their bedrooms or drawing rooms? So many people listen to them and all they have to say is few slangs here and there. "Language confusion is not an issue only with jockeys. In fact it is a characteristic found in our society; whatever you speak is a reflection of your society. With the vast access of internet things have become easy. When we started our careers there wasn't this massive use of internet, we used to make our own programmes, there was more authenticity, but now you have technology at your hand," says Dr Ajaz Qureshi. |
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effective treatment. Within a month
or so, my mother was operated upon. Then started the regular grinding
chemotherapy doses which went on for six months. 
Shahida
Hussain, 59, Director Performing Arts at Lahore Grammar School, was
detected with breast cancer five years back. She casually mentioned
presence of a dimple in her left breast to a friend who alerted her and
forced her to go for checkup. She got her mammogram done and ultimately
underwent surgery. Then started the real struggle. There were 6 cycles of
chemotherapy and with every therapy came the side effects, hair fall,
nausea, swelling and so on but her determination led her through all that.
guru resides. It is the most important of them all, the
Gurdwara Janam Asthan or the commemorative site of the birthplace of the
founder of Sikh religion, Guru Nanak Dev ji. So I was basically standing
at the Holy Kaaba equivalent of all Sikhs. 
that. Our stay in Pakistan was
short, for he accepted a teaching post at the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst and we moved to the United States.
seven FM stations, namely: 89.0, 91.0, 100, 101,103, 104.6, and 106.2.
Amongst the younger lot there is a common belief that if you are over 18,
with a strong command over language, pleasant voice and love music, being
a radio jockey (RJ) is a new career option open to you. 
Yes
it used to be surprising as well as humorous, but now it has become some
sort of a 'formula' (like one used in films to make them instant hit) to
make up for not being able to put forth a discussion or prolong a
conversation in case of the current breed of radio jockeys. 