urs
Counting the countless
Syed Ali Hajveri continues to rule the hearts of millions. People suggest the charity money collected from such places be spent on social welfare, creating a revolving fund: The 965th anniversary of Data Sahib continues till Monday
By Waqar Gillani
"How long have you not been to Data Darbar (Ali Hajveri's shrine) for Hazri (a visit to pay tribute and seek blessings of Allah through the saint)" is the first question of Ahmad Shah – one of my very good friends, often seeking spiritual solace whenever he feels I am upset. There are tens of thousands of such committed followers who believe in the great saint Syed Ali Hajveri known as Data (believingly a source of Allah's blessings) Ganj Bukhsh, commonly known as Data Sahib.

MOOD STREET
Ramblings of an urban working mother
By Farah Zia
I love this city. But, for most part of the day, I am on the roads of the city I love. From home to children's schools to back home to office. Afternoon; to schools again to back home to office again to home finally. A normal day's routine. No chance to express love for the city.

Town Talk
• Lahore
International Book Fair 2009 till Monday (tomorrow) at Expo Centre Fortress Stadium.

environment
Residential units
A tussle between two industrial units and an environmentally affected locality goes on unabated
By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed
Despite the repeated claims made by the authorities to discourage industrial activity in residential areas and move the more hazardous ones away from there, thousands of them are working fearlessly and causing damage to the surrounding environment. This is despite the fact that the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) launched a crackdown last year and asked around 5,000 cottage industries in the city to get registered with the government.

Following the shadow
An evening with Kamila Shamsie was insightful for students as well as readers of literature
By Sarah Sikandar
The postmodern notion that "the author is dead" seems to fade in the background when the author discusses his books with his reader. Personally, when I read a writer's interview or see someone discussing his book, it spoils the fun because my perception of the book is 'tainted.' Now I am reading 'his' book with "this is where this line came from or that character is inspired from that friend of mine." A writer's control over the book needs to end before it becomes a personal experience. Kamila Shamsie's Burnt Shadows is the case in point. She, however, says: "Once you start reading my book I am out of it. And I am okay with that."

Grave matters
Squeezing space in the existing graveyards has pushed the government to look for land on the edge of the city in Kahna and Thay Panju
By Sajid Bashir
In a city where living is becoming expensive by the day, death has become even more costly.
In a city where about 70 percent people live in rented houses, it is a compulsion to buy land for their eternal resting place. A grave costs between Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 at present which is beyond the reach of the impoverished majority.

 

urs

Counting the countless

Syed Ali Hajveri continues to rule the hearts of millions. People suggest the charity money collected from such places be spent on social welfare, creating a revolving fund: The 965th anniversary of Data Sahib continues till Monday

By Waqar Gillani

"How long have you not been to Data Darbar (Ali Hajveri's shrine) for Hazri (a visit to pay tribute and seek blessings of Allah through the saint)" is the first question of Ahmad Shah – one of my very good friends, often seeking spiritual solace whenever he feels I am upset. There are tens of thousands of such committed followers who believe in the great saint Syed Ali Hajveri known as Data (believingly a source of Allah's blessings) Ganj Bukhsh, commonly known as Data Sahib.

The three-day 965th Urs (anniversary) celebrations of Syed Ali Hajveri or Data Gunj Bukhsh – started in full bloom on last Saturday that urged TNS to pay a visit to the place. Ali Hajveri (400-465 AH) was born in Ghazni (Afghanistan). Belonging to Syed family, the descendents of Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) – his original name is Abul Hassan Ali Ibn Usman al-Jullabi al-Hajvery al-Ghaznawi. He studied Arabic, Persian, Hadith, Fiqh, Philosophy etc. At that time Ghazni was the centre of education in Central Asia, and it was the realm of the famous Afghan ruler Mahmood Ghaznavi. Then he is said to have gone to Syria to meet his spiritual teacher Abul Fazal. He also travelled to many countries and places like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Arabia, Azerbaijan etc. Abul Fazal, later, ordered him to move to Lahore and serve humanity. Ali Hajveri wrote many books, including Kashful Mahjoob, which became very popular. Some of his other books are Diwan-e-She'r; Minhajuddin; Al-Bayan Lahal- Al-Ayan; Israrul Kharq Wal-Mauniyat; Behrul Quloob; Kitab Fana Wa Baqa; Birri'ayat Be-Huqooq-Ullah; Kashful Israr; Sharah-e-Kalam.

Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti – based in India, one of the most popular saints - came to Lahore in 561 A.H (1165 AD) and stayed at the tomb of Ali Hajveri for two weeks for meditation. When he finished his work he attributed his Persian couplet to Ali Hajveri, which became a new recognition of Data Sahib. The couplet also written in front of the Darbar (shrine) entrance reads:

"Ganj Bukhsh Faiz-e-Alam; Mazhar-e-Noor-e-Khuda

Naqisan Ra Pir-e-Kamil; Kamilan Ra Rahnuma"

(Ganj Bukhsh is a grace to the world; a manifester of God's light.

A perfect spiritual teacher for the beginners; a guide for perfected)

The Punjab government authorities of Religious Affairs and Auqaf Department and custodians of the shrine make special arrangements to cater to the not-less-than million devotees visiting the shrine to pay homage to this highly celebrated Sufi saint every year.

Hundreds of thousands of devotees visit the place on daily basis but on the day of the Urs the whole area is almost packed. The city government has to change the routes of traffic and almost cordon off the area to ensure security of people who come from all over the country and across the border.

One of the biggest messages of saints and Sufis like Data Sahib is humanity, peace and harmony while practising the religion, believing it a "path of peace" (a message these days tarnished by Muslims known as extremists).

It is also generally believed in many Muslim circles that there is dire need to spread this message of peace, religious harmony and tolerance from such forums. They also feel the need to use the charity and donation money coming through these forums into social welfare projects which would cater to the basic needs of the poor, especially, proper health and education, the facilities which the society lacks extremely. Some people talking to TNS at the shrine urged the need to make a revolving fund from the amount collected as Nazrana (charity and donation), which is in millions every day, for properly monitored welfare projects for the society to speared the real meaning of the preaching of these saints.

"What is the estimated number of people this time" TNS asked the shrine administrator. It's in millions. Not less than that," Rao Fazl replied. "What is the rough quantity of the food and charity distributed during these days," TNS asked one of the persons taking care of Langar. "Uncountable frankly," Irfan replied. "What is the estimated quantity of charity food being distributed by people," TNS asked Ghulam Nabi, one of the shopkeepers running his business at shrine for more than 20 years. "Very high quantity, we cannot exactly say how much," he replied.

Ali Hajveri lived in Lahore for 21 years. But believe it or not, Data Sahib rules people's hearts. He is an undoubted public-ruler of Lahore also known as Data Di Nagri (Data's city). To count his followers, blessings, and Langar (charity food) is like counting the countless. We just need to manage it properly.

vaqargillani@gmail.com

 

MOOD STREET

Ramblings of an urban

working mother

 

By Farah Zia

I love this city. But, for most part of the day, I am on the roads of the city I love. From home to children's schools to back home to office. Afternoon; to schools again to back home to office again to home finally. A normal day's routine. No chance to express love for the city.

I try to avoid crowded places but there I am, in the midst of one, at every second traffic signal.

I want my children to engage in what they call a healthy outdoor activity. For too long did I resist this parental intervention in children's lives to make it appear regimented like a soldier's to discover that I'll have to do it. Because, apparently there's not much else for them to do except to watch tv and related activities. But taking the kids out for an activity is costly. For me spending more time on the roads is not just a side effect.

I am not too pleased that there are no free of cost activities for children. Why can't a roller-blade skating arena be made in Lawrence Gardens and Race Course (I'm sorry I can't get adjusted to the new names nor do I want to) and all other parks?

Why is a right made into a privilege when it could be enjoyed by many more children if it was treated as a right? Why am I forced to seek this right as a privilege and be guilty about it?

Every morning my house looks like a war zone. I don't know why we couldn't think of some creative solutions to make school-going a pleasant experience. Why are my children as unhappy in the morning as I was a generation ago?

As if the genuine worries weren't enough, I stay nervous about children all the time. The automobile that seems so safe in my hands appears to be a killer machine, driven by careless drivers, once my children are out on the road to cycle or play.

There have been times I could not connect to my husband's cell phone when he was supposed to bring the children back from school. He got late by ten minutes according to my calculation and I sat in the car and went looking for his car on the roads, reciting all the verses from Qur'an I knew. I do not pray except for my children.

I don't like mobile phones. If you can't connect, all sorts of harrowing thoughts come to your mind. I especially don't like parents who give phones to little kids. Why can't they do with a little bit of uncertainty? But tomorrow my son who is in grade 6 has to go to Changa Manga on a day-long field trip and I seriously want to hand one over to him. It seems like the ultimate saviour. I'll restrain myself and perhaps make do with getting the accompanying teacher's number.

I don't like mobile phones but I do get a lot of things done by the sheer numerics of text messaging. Time management, problem solving, at times I get sick and tired of acting the multi-tasking super mom. What happened to things I wanted to do in the space of a day? Where do I figure as an individual? Would I change this role of a facilitator with that of an individual? Of course, not.

Then there are other worries. Journalists, colleagues, dying in their early 40s make me nervous. I worry about their children. I fret about this being a stressful profession and it only adds to the stress. I can't switch off to what's happening around. No journalist can.

Sometimes I want to leave this journalistic humbug and go back to the fantastic world of fiction and poetry. I guess I've been fed too heavy a dose of our news channels. I've decided to ignore them for a while and switch over to movie channels instead.

I care less about load shedding and more about this constant hum or thud of generators all around. I long for some quiet but can't stand the quiet for too long and want to be back in the din and the noise. I live in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. A very creative state to be in, I'm told, only the creative part is missing in my case.

I don' meet friends. I can' meet friends. Whenever I do, it's like fulfilling another task in the day. It's totally pointless.

And then there are friends who are abroad and I want to call up their parents to check on them. But I can't. There are relatives ( yes, you read correctly, relatives) I would like to spend some time with. Ironically, the only time I now get to see them together is at funerals. I'm not surprised when I see the occasion turning into a family get-together.

I know the time is not too far when my children will not need me by their side and become more independent. I hope that I'll be comfortable with the idea and go out and shout "Freedom" and do all the things that I'd longed to do. But some older people around tell me that it is not as easy for mothers to come out of this bond as it is for children. God help me!

 

 

Town Talk

• Lahore

International Book Fair 2009 till Monday (tomorrow) at Expo Centre Fortress Stadium.

• Tech Duo at National University NUCES, FAST on Wed, Feb 18, 2009.

• Exhibition of Raja Changez Sultan's works at Native Art Gallery opening on Friday, Feb 20.

• Photo exhibition by Yasir Nisar at Lahore Chitrkar till next Sunday.

• Exhibition of Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi's works till March 3 at

Ejaz Art Gallery.

• Exhibition by Huma Mulji and David Alesworth's sculpture and photography from Mon, Feb 16 to Wed, March 4

at National College of Arts.

• Seminar on 'Brand Power' being organized by LCCI for Young Entrepreneurs at Amin Hall, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry at 11am.

• Exhibition of Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi's works at Ejaz Art Gallery till March 3.

• Music Video Competition on February 18 at LUMS. The theme for the Music Video Competition this year is "Life and its Shades".

 

environment

Residential units

A tussle between two industrial units and an environmentally affected locality goes on unabated

By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed

Despite the repeated claims made by the authorities to discourage industrial activity in residential areas and move the more hazardous ones away from there, thousands of them are working fearlessly and causing damage to the surrounding environment. This is despite the fact that the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) launched a crackdown last year and asked around 5,000 cottage industries in the city to get registered with the government.

These factories were also bound to comply with the government regulations and minimise the environmental hazards caused by them. At that time it appeared that the ordeal of the citizens would soon be over but the hype created by the said CDGL decision fizzled out within no time.

One example of such industrial activity going on unabated in residential areas is the running of a fiber optics unit and a foundry/furnace in Harbanspura,-a densely populated area in the city. The issue was taken up by a group of residents of Hanif Park, Harbanspura who approached the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and apprised the authority of the hazards caused by these two units. The residents alleged that a fire accident had occurred there and smoke, pungent smell and gases were regularly emitting from the melting furnace. Besides, the noise in the area was unbearable and the vibrations caused by the industrial activity had caused cracks in buildings and houses.

On the other hand the owners of the industrial units claim that they had set up these units when there was not even a single house built in the area. The whole locality developed due to them as it was because of their efforts that the area got electricity, gas, road and other facilities. If our government discourages setting up of industry in residential areas it must also designate industrial areas and stop building private houses there.

A visit to the site reveals that the locals have several complaints against the units and are waiting for the long official procedures to end. They say they had raised the issue for the first time in 2006. Not much has been done by the authorities concerned. Their point is that the environmental authorities do take notice sometimes but lack powers to enforce their decisions.

Rehan Majeed, a local, tells TNS that hundreds of the residents of the area are living with smoke and have to bear high noises all through the day and night. Besides, he says long vehicles coming to these units are parked on the roadsides which block ways of the residents. Rehan goes on to say that swift action needs to be taken against these units immediately as it is feared that the cracks caused by vibrations may lead to collapse of many buildings in the area.

Documents available with TNS show that a notice no 3274-DD (R&T) EPA was issued on September 5, 2008 by the EPA to the owners of the two units. The notice asks the respondents to appear for a personal hearing and mentions findings of an inspection of the site carried out through district officer (environment), Lahore. Some violations observed during the inspection are that offensive odour and pungent fumes are generated from polyester resin/expiry epoxy during dyeing and heating flux to melt aluminium scrap, high levels of noise/vibration and tremor are generated during operation of aluminium extruder, blower of gas fired kiln, grinders/cutters and standby power generator, noise is particularly very irritating at night, there is potential risk of fire hazard from storage/use of flammable chemicals and the parking and plying of long vehicles in the street causes public nuisance.

Shahid Hassan, Director EPA (North) tells TNS that the agency had issued notice to these units in Harbanspura and asked the management to comply with certain directives back in September 2008. Explaining his position, he says EPA can only suggest actions but the execution has to be done by the local government. The latter, he says, can even move an industrial unit from its existing premises in case the damage done to the surrounding environment is disastrous. He says in case of the said units the management was asked to take certain measures to make their operations environment-friendly.

Shahid says the latest is that the matter is with Environment Protection Tribunal (EPT) which has got the inspection of the site and certain laboratory tests done once again. Till the time the tribunal gives its decision we cannot take any action against these industrial units in Harbanspura, he adds.

Muhammad Iqbal Tahir, Chief Executive, M/s Fiber Craft Industry tells TNS that the allegations made by some vested interests are false. He says the crux of the matter is that some people are jealous of their achievements and that's why they want to malign them.

Tahir says when they set up these units the whole area was uninhabited and only after their arrival the area got gas, electricity, roads etc etc. "It was not we who encroached upon a residential area but the people who came here to get jobs at units, he adds.

He says they are industry leaders in their field and the highest tax payers out of all those involved in production of fiber optic. Tahir is hopeful that their stance will be vindicated soon as they will be able to defend themselves successfully in the tribunal.

He challenges most of the allegations and says that a laboratory based in Islamabad has inspected the site and declared the level of environmental compliance high. Besides, he says they have constructed their walls high and kept the best available fire-fighting equipment and safety equipment at their facilities.

 

Following the shadow

An evening with Kamila Shamsie was insightful for students as well as readers of literature

By Sarah Sikandar

The postmodern notion that "the author is dead" seems to fade in the background when the author discusses his books with his reader. Personally, when I read a writer's interview or see someone discussing his book, it spoils the fun because my perception of the book is 'tainted.' Now I am reading 'his' book with "this is where this line came from or that character is inspired from that friend of mine." A writer's control over the book needs to end before it becomes a personal experience. Kamila Shamsie's Burnt Shadows is the case in point. She, however, says: "Once you start reading my book I am out of it. And I am okay with that."

Shamsie's reading of her latest book Burnt Shadows – organised by Lahore Film and Literary Club – brought similar questions under discussion. Kamila spoke at large about her new book. The twenty minute reading from Burnt Shadows was followed by a question and answer session. Most of the questions were based on her previous works. Talking about the book set in the post 9/11 War on Terror context, she said she wanted to expose the individual experience. About authenticating the difference between fact and fiction, Kamila said that certain human experiences know no cultural boundaries or differences. "I look at Adil (her character) not as a Pashtun but as a character I created. It is possible to enter lives not your own. Otherwise, there is no possibility of connection."

The two main characters of Kamila's latest offering are male. The extract she read out from the book discovered the experience of the two boys. For her, she said, the "hop across gender is less difficult than the hop across generation." We have seen very few young writers writing about older characters while the trend is more frequent the other way round. But, eventually, it is the writer's discretion. In the same way, some of the most well-developed female characters come not from female but male writers.

Modern literature, it is said, can never get rid of Auschwitz. Likewise, post 9/11 literature seems to find it hard to talk about the world sans terrorism. On exploring domestic issues and problems Kamila said that she can name a dozen writers who look at things from the microcosm of Pakistani society. "I don't have a political agenda but a profound interest in politics," hence the political material in her books. Kamila believes there is nothing wrong with being political or seeing things in a larger perspective because there are many who are focusing on the socio-cultural aspects of this society. As for her writing in the context of War on Terror she said "because that's the context we have been living with for the past eight years, I'm trying to look at it from a different perspective. But then every writer likes to think he is doing something different."

"I don't want to send a message to the world. I write to understand myself. I write about things that trouble me." The young writer feels she "follows lives in microscopic things, on how history affects our relationship with each other. How do, for instance, Pakistanis meet Indians etc." She said she likes to reject the romantic notion that there are more similarities between us than differences "because the fact is these similarities are hampered by differences."

The evening was an opportunity for the students of literature and readers of literature who had either read the book or wanted to read it. Take it from Amina, an MA English Literature student at Kinnaird. "I want to write my next paper about Kamila. I think, for a change, she has come out of the elite of Karachi to discuss larger issues." Amina suggests that Kamila should be introduced at college level. Her suggestion is interesting keeping in view the body of Kamila's work as well as the "new" literature emerging from our part of the world. Saira teaches literature to A levels students. She thinks it's time writers like Nadeem Aslam, Kamila Shamsie Mohsin Hamid, Moni Mohsin and Hanif Kureishi were introduced at college and school level.

The recent success of Pakistani literature in English is encouraging for aspiring writers as well. One hopes that future sees substantial literature produced from our country in order to take it to another level. Kamila's tip for future writers: "Read as much as you can. If you don't want to read, you don't want to write."

 

Grave matters

Squeezing space in the existing graveyards has pushed the government to look for land on the edge of the city in Kahna and Thay Panju

 

By Sajid Bashir

In a city where living is becoming expensive by the day, death has become even more costly.

In a city where about 70 percent people live in rented houses, it is a compulsion to buy land for their eternal resting place. A grave costs between Rs10,000 and Rs15,000 at present which is beyond the reach of the impoverished majority.

With the city graveyards cramped with no further space, it becomes difficult to arrange for a grave once someone dies.

There are over 350 big and small graveyards in the provincial metropolis out of which Miani Sahib is the biggest as well as the oldest. Most of the existing graveyards are suffering from disrepair and are in a state of dilapidation.

The biggest graveyard of the city Miani Sahab, located on Bahawalpur Road, ran out of space sometime back leaving the citizens puzzled over the funeral arrangements of their loved ones.

Miani Sahib has been divided into seven blocks. Each block is named after some famous writer, scholar or sufi. The graveyard stretched over 175 acres in the last century but now only a 100 acre is left. The rest is consumed by different communities and Qabza groups.

The graveyard mafia has encroached upon a large portion of land in the graveyards and has constructed boundary walls around them, covering large portions of the cemeteries.

The land grabbers have also made shops, houses and other edifices on caved-in graves, outside the boundary walls and even inside. Even drug addicts have been found stealing the shrouds and sheet of cloth to make money in the dark. And the local authorities responsible for the maintenance of graveyards have miserably failed to maintain their sanctity.

A case regarding encroachments in the premises of Miani Sahab graveyard is also pending before the Lahore High Court for the last two years.

The issue of shortage of land cropped up some four years back, since then the City District Government is 'searching' for a suitable replacement of Miani Sahib graveyard. The new project was named as Miani II.

The authorities have only made acquisition of land for graveyard an issue of Progress Review Meeting for the past many months.

Grave diggers are also taking full advantage of the situation and extract handsome amount from the relatives of the dead for providing a piece of land. The grave diggers, who virtually rule the graveyards, reportedly go to the extent of making fake graves.

Besides, as per the rules of the CDGL, all the housing societies being constructed in private and public sector are bound to reserve two per cent of the total land for graveyards but this rule has not been followed by most of them.

The City District Government Lahore is going to start a new project of second phase of Miani Sahab graveyard to overcome the problem of space.

The CDGL is working on this project for the last two years but could not find a specific big place for new graveyard. Now two pieces of land have been proposed for Miani Sahab graveyard phase II which is about 1800 kanals, The News on Sunday learnt from DDO Cantt (Revenue) Syeda Kalsoom who said the land would be purchased soon. She said the said lands, situated in two adjacent villages namely Kahna and Thay Panju have been finalised and the department is waiting for release of funds. DDO Cantt said that all the documentation has almost been completed and the construction of new graveyard phase II would start just after the department gets payment of Rs. 250 million from the CDGL.

sajidthenews@gmail.com

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