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negligence MOOD
STREET Town
Talk
Behind the
change RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK's
Godown the drain A goods store managed by Pakistan Railways is the worst neighbourhood one can imagine
By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed Right in the heart of the city, in the vicinity of Lahore
Railway Station, thousands of people are living a life that any human being
would detest. The statement may seem a bit exaggerated at first but a single
visit to the localities adjoining Railways Godown used to store goods
imported from India would be enough to prove the claim. The biggest issue for these residents is that they have to live with the unbearable stink arising from the sheds housing huge stocks of soybean husk. This situation arises mainly in the rainy season. What happens is that rainwater enters these broken sheds from the top or side openings and seeps into the bags of soybean husk lying beneath. The sliding doors that are supposed to be shut during rain are jammed and cannot even move an inch. Within hours of being soaked in rainwater, the husk gets infected with pest and emits a pungent smell that engulfs the whole area in no time. The godown situated on G.T. Road and opposite the Hide Market is spread over a huge area spanning acres. It houses 15 platforms where goods coming from India are offloaded from cargo trains or those being exported from Pakistan are uploaded. Pakistan Railways earns huge revenues from Pak-India trade under the heads of freight and demurrage but it's a pity that it does not even spend a fraction of this amount to provide facilities to businessmen and other people whose livelihood is linked to this place. Muhammad Ramzan, a Lahore-based goods transporter, tells
TNS that every year huge quantities of soybean husk stocks are destroyed due
to this negligence on part of Pakistan Railways. Though most of the times
these stocks are lying inside the sheds, on many occasions the bags are
dumped in the open along the track. Besides, he says, the condition of roads
inside the godown is so pitiable that it's impossible to ply loader vehicles
on them. He says the transporters and traders have repeatedly complained about this issue to the Railways highups but they have always complained about shortage of funds needed to do repair work. "I can't figure out why they need funds. They are themselves minting millions from the activity going on here round the clock." Some days back tyres of a trolley carrying 1600 cement bags sank into the muddy ground at a place right next to the entrance gate, he adds. Despite the losses soybean husk importers face they have no other option but to continue using this facility. "Filing for a claim for compensation is not at all easy and requires lot of time and patience," says Mushtaq Ahmed who represents a poultry feed manufacturing unit in Sheikhupura. He tells TNS that the poultry feed industry is the largest consumer of soybean husk in the country as it is a major vegetable protein source. Representing the industry, Mushtaq says their point is that Pakistan Railways must construct waterproof sheds to store perishable products just like what has been done at the Lahore Dry Port in Mughalpura. Costly and fragile products like computers coming from India are offloaded at the Lahore Dry Port whereas the commodities coming in bulk reach the Railways godown in question. "Some of the products coming in bulk," he says, "are dried red chillies, dried coriander, katha, chemicals like ferromanganese and raw cotton." Goga is a labourer who works in the godown and lives in a slum closeby. He tells TNS that the stench is just one of the many issues confronting the people on both sides of the boundary wall of the godown. There are no water connections inside the godown and no public toilets for the labourers whose number rises to even 400 at one time, he says. He says private transporters pooled money and installed a water pump here on their own but soon it was stolen. Similarly, the mosque inside the godown has three toilets but they stay locked all along the day except at the time of prayers. "For this reason labourers have no option but to relieve themselves along the railway tracks or even inside the sheds housing stocks of edibles," he says, adding: "This also results in filling of air with pungent smell that stays throughout the year." Goga says he is sure that people will stop eating edibles imported from India once they come to know about the filthy place where they are stored. He says he has even seen dogs and cats resting on top of bags filled with maize and sugar. Haroon Dar, Goods Superintendent, Pakistan Railways, tells TNS that he is aware of the situation and has brought it to the notice of the highups. He says so far repair work has been completed at two platforms and more funds are eagerly awaited to repair other sheds. Haroon says he has heard his seniors talk about approval of funds to provide basic amenities to the people here but so far received no official communication. Similar is his response when asked about the timeframe they have in mind to achieve these goals. He also agrees to the fact the roads inside the godown are in no way fit to accommodate movement of loaded containers and trolleys. "The improvement of roads infrastructure is also on top of our agenda. But to serve it we again need funds," he concludes.
MOOD STREET This Monday morning stuff
By Saeed Ur Rehman Monday morning. June 23. 5:10 in the morning. I realize
there is no milk in the house to make the morning cup of tea. I think of
walking out. Then on a whim, I take the car out. On the way, I see the
neighbourhood watchman going back to wherever he goes after his final
round. I offer him a lift and he hops in. "Khan Sahib, let us go for
a cup of chai." I change my plan from milk to a cup of chai with him.
He accepts the invitation. On the way, he shows me the spot where he sits when he is not doing his rounds. It is a chair outside Sanam Arcade, near the Mozang bus stop, on Ferozpur Road. As he is taking me through his nightly routine, there is a knock on my window and then a hand yanks open the door. The next instance, one boy is pointing a pistol at us and the other demanding my mobile phone. Suddenly, my hands go up in the air, just as in the B-grade movies. Damn. I hope I get out of this one alive. My next worry is that I have recently acquired the habits encouraged by another medium: the newspapers. After reading countless stories of robberies in the back pages of national dailies, I have stopped carrying my mobile phone at night. Now I am worried that the absent phone may irritate them into shooting me smack in the middle of my forehead. Scary thought. The fact that I am being robbed in the presence of the night watchman is every scarier. Suddenly, Khan Sahib thinks of something to say when they point the pistol at him. "Oh I am just a poor watchman. Don't worry about me." They leave him alone. He steps out of the car and decides to watch from a metre's distance what they do to me. One guy searches my car for the mobile phone while the other stands pointing his gun at me. The steel barrel of the pistol glints in the beams of trucks coming from Kasur and beyond. Giving up his search for the phone, the retriever turns to me. His trained hands wander in and out of all the pockets of my chinos and bring out all the cash, coins, and used tissue papers I am carrying. He does not bother with counting or separating and thrusts everything down his shirt pockets. A van honks its horn somewhere and, for the first time, I see fear in the expression of the pistol-toting man. "Hurry up," he growls to the retriever, who is busy doing a final check of the glove box. "Ok. That's all I can find," announces the explorer of my car and pockets. With that, they are on their bike, pulling away already. The first wave of relief is short-lived. After realizing I have been left alive and still with my car, I suddenly have a wish to rev a deadly torque and do a hit-and-run on them. But I am afraid they may hear the groan of the engine coming for them and start shooting at me. But these are afterthoughts, the video-game revenge of the brain trying to normalise its hold on reality. Suddenly I remember Khan Sahib, who is already opening the door and settling back in the car. His face is gleaming. I ask him why he is so happy. He pats the pocket of his shalwar near his crotch: "They did not search me. My mobile is still with me." "Where is your gun?" and "How come I got robbed in the presence of a watchman?" I am trying to hold back my anger. "A gun is only useful if you are the first one pointing at someone's forehead. After that, every other person's gun is useless." I get my share of hold-up wisdom. Many hours later, searching the internet, I come across something that may be handy after the hold-up: a stun gun that looks exactly like a mobile phone. With two small batteries, this device can generate a non-lethal shock of 800000 volts to stun the person. I sit staring at the computer screen in a post-traumatic haze. Is this another fantasy or the beginning of practical brutalisation of my psyche?
(The author can be reached at urrehman@gmail.com)
Town Talk • Exhibition: 'Eye to Eye' at Nairang Gallery. The Group Exhibition includes works of masters like Iqbal Geoffrey, Ahmed Khan, Nayyar Ali Dada, Salima Hashmi, Jamal Shah, Afshar Malik, Asad Faruki, Rahat Navid, Ijaz-ul-Hassan. Today is the last day of exhibition.
• Paintings of Samina Zaheer on display at Punjab University Research Art Forum's Gallery of University College of Art and Design. The exhibition is open till Tuesday, July 8.
• Photography Exhibition titled 'Showcases of China' at Alhamra Arts Council, The Mall. Today is the last day.
• Talent Hunt Show (singing) at Alhamra Arts Council, The Mall every Saturday at 7pm.
• Malhaar Ki Mehfil organised by All Pakistan Music Conference on Tuesday 1st July at 6pm at Alhamra Hall III, The Mall. Clarinet: Jaffar Hussain, Sitar: Bina Manzar Local scene, globally seen An upcoming satellite channel aims to focus on only one city -- Lahore -- to begin with
By Ali Faraz Ali Although regional language channels have given a new
dimension to our television screens, their focus is still too broad.
Following the trend in the United States and India, the satellite channels
of Pakistan in the near future will cover happenings in a city in contrast
to national and international events. In India a single local language,
Telugu, has twelve satellite channels roaming around the sky catering to
different tastes. They focus on an entire spectrum of genres with specific
programmes on lifestyle, fashion, food, shopping, health and fitness,
sports, education, career and city issues An upcoming local channel aims to focus on only one city -- Lahore. As soon as the experiment of local transmission succeeds in Lahore, there will be an expected boom in local channels adding life and colour to the existing satellite scene. A community channel is already functioning for the residents of Defence. It claims to be the first one of its kind in Pakistan and can be seen on a private cable network across Lahore. After remaining in the phase of test transmission for about five months, it has acquired the satellite license as well. The main target is the audience living in Defence and those who plan to purchase property here. It offers some information as well as entertainment to local residents but leaves much to be desired. To be popular the community channel should have a healthy mix of news, information and entertainment. The upcoming local channel will have about twenty reporters accompanied by their camera crew going throughout the city with a fine comb looking for anything that is new and interesting. It is said that every Pakistani living abroad has one or more relatives or friends residing in Lahore. This is besides the large number of Lahorites living overseas themselves. This channel will provide them with ample nostalgic diet together with updates about the city, thus reducing their home sickness to some extent. The new satellite channel aims to capture the air and aroma, milieu and feel that is essentially Lahore. It plans to capture the essence of Lahore without ignoring national and international scene. Like every new experiment, this too involves an element of risk and challenge. The usual hype has already been created and the local residents have many expectations. It will be a twenty-four hour transmission giving vibrant commentary on style, fashion, civic problems, city government, weather, rain, temperature, etc. Where the national channels give general temperature of Lahore, this channel will tell the different readings at airport, Jail Road, New Campus and the like. The national channels when covering the important news, at times, leave the local spectators blank and bored. For example, if there is a sit-in at Islamabad and the channels give the commentary for six to eight hours, the people of other cities may feel frustrated by this monotony. They would be more interested to know if there is a traffic jam at Mall Road or Garden Town. An experiment of community channel was carried out by cable operators in Karachi but was unfortunately not successful. Lahore has been selected as the first town because of its rich culture and heritage. Talking to various viewers, it was clear that these channels will have to remain on their toes to survive. The public expectations are high and with numerous national channels in the race; putting up a feeble face is bound to fail. The viewers who were interviewed want interesting programmes with little possible interruptions [read commercials] in between. A media critic, Tanveer Shahzad, commenting on the possibilities and risks said, "With the sudden flourishing of electronic media, the standards of presentation have vanished in thin air. Raw hands have taken over the work of seasoned and sophisticated specialists. The viewers are yearning for quality, state-of-the-art programmes. This carries a great opportunity but without providing quality there will be an inborn check in the present growth of satellite channels." The city of Lahore is not only a lucrative media market, it also performs the ultimate litmus test for any new project.
Behind the change Ten years that transformed the society...
By Asad Rana I left Pakistan early in 1995 to get education from Cyprus. I moved to Australia, then to America and finally settled in Canada before moving back to Pakistan in 2004. When I left Pakistan my parents were pretty strict about what we saw on television and they did not allow me to buy a VCR or get a dish antenna. When I returned home I was shocked to see that my home TV was connected to a multi-channel cable with almost 80 channels showing English, Urdu, Punjabi, Indian and foreign movies, TV shows, dramas, music and fashion. It was a big change for me as I was unable to understand how in just 10 years time we changed so much. From an average middle class family with strong moral, ethical and religious values which was part of my training when I was growing up, we have switched to an average middle class family which doesn't mind watching Indian movies any more. Dr Mohammad Hafeez, director and head of the Sociology Department University of the Punjab, believes in order to understand these changes we need to look at the bigger picture. "India went through this process of change faster than Pakistan and they have already adopted and accepted the change. Pakistan may take a bit longer to change but we eventually will. Modern life is such that most of us are working like robots and the process of self-exploration is diminishing." In the present day life one needs to have good management skills and better understanding of the world evolution process so that he/she does not become victim of self blame and system failure." Dr Riffat Munawar, another sociologist at the Punjab University, believes negative youth behavior is due to lack of early life training. She said we need to introduce social training in our schools and run programmes of community bonding and community watch. More trust should be laid on the society and neighbours. Schools are not playing any role in the moral build up of children. The time children spend at home, school and the society is creating confusion in their minds. Professor Azher Khan of History Department says there is no extra frustration in our youth. "It used to be the same since the beginning of Pakistan. We are evaluating youth commercially, not morally and youth is acting likewise."
RESPONSES TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTION TOP 10 Ways to beat loadshedding 1. Buy a rechargeable fan 2. Play ludo/monopoly/chess 3. Sleep outside/roof-tops 4. Tell scary stories 5. Curse the system 6. Have a candle-lit dinner 7. Dive in a nearest balti/canal/pool 8. Dream on about a UPS 9. Look for handfan 10. Think about the coolest place you have been to. To enlist by popular vote for next week, send in your emails on top ten 'top ten films this summer'
Please email at shehrtns@gmail.com
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besides giving user-friendly information on traffic updates, city events,
train and air timings, etc. The national channels cannot ignore the
regional news because of this competition by the local channels.