history
Common tradition
The way Eid Milad un Nabi is celebrated is very South Asian in origin and character
By Haroon Khalid
The entire Mohalla has been lit defying the darkness of the night. Children, teenagers and young adults have worked day and night to decorate their Pahari, which is much more than the name suggests. Those with minimal resources are only able to pull together a small lump decorated with all sorts of toys, including cars, stereos, and numerous other commodities. However with the bigger boys, there is a larger stake involved. Communities work for months, getting the donations, lighting, speakers, and symbols ready for this special day. Within Mohallas, there are numerous stalls showing off their talents and hard work.

MOOD STREET
Naming names
By Salman Rashid  
Several years ago, I met an Indian Sikh couple travelling from Islamabad to Lahore and we got talking. With reference to the street and especially chowk names, I told them anyone could name these after themselves. They thought I was joking.

Town Talk
*Works by Anila Agha Qayyum on display at Rohtas gallery opening on March 5. The exhibition will continue till March 13.
*Exhibition of Works by Anila Agha Qayyum at Rohtas Gallery till March 13.

 

Lessons from a bicycle ride
Cycling on main road means juggling with unruly traffic. The roads have to be made safe for all but it cannot be said how long will it take
By Daniyal Khan
A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to buy a bicycle, and not just to go to the neighbourhood market, but with the intent to use it as a routine means of transport if my willpower allowed it. So when the day came to buy the cycle I thought I'll ride the cycle from Neela Gumbad to my university for starters. When I expressed my intent to my parents, their response was hardly surprising. My mother, though worried, did not say much after one or two failed attempts to talk me out of it. My father, on the other hand, was very worried and tried to talk me out of it a number of times, his main argument being the state of traffic on the roads and the danger it poses to a cyclist. But in my mind the decision had been made and no one could convince me otherwise.

The authentic taste of Italy
'Pasta & Pizza', another pizza restaurant chain arrives in the city
By Tammie Mahmud
As I approached the entrance of Pasta & Pizza, the door attendant sensing my discomfort with the weight of my laptop carrier offered to carry the case for me. This kind of hospitality is rare especially with a smile. This told me what lay ahead. My guess was correct ? the staff was impeccably welcoming, warm and with a smile.

Heartless towards heart
The city's rural school population has the highest rate of rheumatic heart disease in the world. It can be prevented and is not a disease without a cure but we need the will
By Zara Sikandar
One of the leading causes of premature death and disability in Pakistan is Rheumatic heart disease which annually affects 15 million children worldwide; half a million of them die as a consequence. Rheumatic heart disease involves damage to the entire heart and its membranes which is caused by an untreated 'strep throat' (caused by bacteria) among children of ages ranging between 5 to 15 years of age. Some of the most common symptoms of rheumatic heart disease are breathlessness, fatigue, palpitations, chest pain and fainting attacks.

 

 

history

Common tradition

The way Eid Milad un Nabi is celebrated is very South Asian in origin and character

By Haroon Khalid

The entire Mohalla has been lit defying the darkness of the night. Children, teenagers and young adults have worked day and night to decorate their Pahari, which is much more than the name suggests. Those with minimal resources are only able to pull together a small lump decorated with all sorts of toys, including cars, stereos, and numerous other commodities. However with the bigger boys, there is a larger stake involved. Communities work for months, getting the donations, lighting, speakers, and symbols ready for this special day. Within Mohallas, there are numerous stalls showing off their talents and hard work.

What were only supposed to be symbols, emblemising life of the Prophet, has turned into a fierce battle of who spends more money, whose decoration is more grandiose, and who has a greater turnout. This scenario when described to a Muslim from Lahore would instantaneously conjure images of celebration of Eid Milad ul Nabi.

If such a scene is described to a Hindu, he/she would also be able to relate the images to a festival that they call Ram Navami. This is the celebration of the birthday of the Hindu deity Ram. The Hindus have been celebrating this festival for centuries. Every year, on this auspicious day, they would take out processions, and entertain large crowds. Children and young adults would make a small Pahari outside their house from the money that they collect from the people where they would place idols and other symbols which would relate to incidents from their deity Sri Ram Jee.

This sort of a celebration is very South Asian in origin and character and one would find no such tradition in the "Islamic History".

Eid Milad un Nabi is the day of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and it is also supposed to be the day when he died. Earlier, people used to give khatams from their homes and celebrate the day quietly. In fact 75 years ago this day wasn't celebrated at all in the manner it is celebrated today. Maulana Syed Dedar Ali Shah led the first procession on this day. This was in 1935 and the procession started from Delhi Gate Lahore.

Maulana Syed Dedar Ali Shah was the Imaam of Masjid Wazir Khan. He actually belonged to a place called Alwar in the Indian province of UP, but at that time was posted in Lahore, which is where he chose to stay for the rest of his life. Maulana was of the opinion that Muslims should commemorate the birthday of their 'true' prophet with zest. It is with this thought that he approached various people of his community trying to convince them to join his procession on this day. In the first procession of Milad un Nabi ever there were less than 100 people, the procession began from Masjid Wazir Khan and ended there. For many years Masjid Wazir Khan remained the focal point of the procession, nonetheless the percentage of people attending increased every year.

Inside Lohari Gate, there is a mohallah by the name of Kharak Singh. A man named Karam Elahi from there was greatly motivated by the cause of the Maulana, so soon he commenced his own smaller procession, which used to join the main one. Similarly, in the Kashmiri Sadhuan Mohalla inside the Kashmiri Gate, Inayatullah Qadri started organising Mehfil-e-Milad on this day, in the local mosque. This Mehfil used to begin at 10 in the morning and continue till Zuhr prayers. After the Namaz they would walk towards the chowk outside Delhi Gate, holding each other's hand, where they would join the bigger procession.

Over time the popularity of the event increased manifold and people from the neighbouring region started travelling towards the city to participate in it. They used to commute in highly decorated bull, camel or horse carts. Later, as motors and trolleys became more widespread they also became part of the procession.

After the death of Maulana his son Maulana Abu Al-Hasnat Syed Ahmad Qadri became his successors. Eventually the strength of the procession reached such a level that a permanent stage had to be built outside Delhi Gate where the procession would gather and the speaker would address the people. This platform became the famous Milad Chowk outside Delhi Darwaza.

A major boost was given to the event when on April 16, 1973, the Governor of Punjab, Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar addressed the crowd. This was the first time that any government representative had recognised the day. During the Islamisation policy of Zia this day was made a National Day and was celebrated at the government level. This way its popularity spread all over the country. Maulana Inayatullah Qadri was the third leader of this event. He died in 2002 at the age of 80.

Among the many famous families of Lahore that are devoted to his personality is also the Sharif family, which is also the reason why he and this event received immense government patronage during the era of Zia, when Nawaz Sharif was the Chief Minister of Punjab.

Regarding the celebration of the event the way that it is held every year, there are two schools of thought. One that belongs to the Ahl-e-Hadith and Deobandi inspiration believes that this is outlandish and doesn't conform to the spirit of Islam. They term dancing and singing on this event as vulgar activities. The other school of thought includes the rest of the groups who are happy with the way things are. It is this antagonism that was witnessed on Eid Milad un Nabi this year in Faisalabad and Dera Ghazi Khan, where there is a stronghold of the former school of thought.

The truth is that the day brings people together so there should be more celebrations like this for the society to grow healthy. Secondly, this event could also become part of the common tradition that joins the people of India and Pakistan and therefore can act as a bridging force in bringing peace to South Asia. The people working for this very cause should draw inspiration from commonalities like these to bring the people together.

Harunkhalid@hotmail.com

 

MOOD STREET

Naming names

By Salman Rashid  

Several years ago, I met an Indian Sikh couple travelling from Islamabad to Lahore and we got talking. With reference to the street and especially chowk names, I told them anyone could name these after themselves. They thought I was joking.

Poor folks, they should live in Lahore and see how street names happen here. Take the example of Shouq Chowk on Peco Road between Faisal and Johar towns. It is named after a caterer who runs his business right next to it. Several years ago, the man put up a huge blue sign to announce it as such. Of course if Akbar the petty property dealer can have a chowk named after him why not Shouq?

The last DG Parks and Horticulture Authority Dr Raheal Siddiqui ordered the Shouq board removed. Shouq rebounded by inscribing his name along a newly painted strip along the pavement. This repainting having been done by TEPA, one can imagine a little bit of money must have greased the painter's hand – and perhaps that of some other TEPA minion as well. We are the Land of the Pure, aren't we? So as you read these lines, the tussle continues between PHA and a nobody.

Now, nations name roads, crossings, buildings after their heroes. There is a procedure whereby town councils do a proper exercise to assign the name. We had such a procedure too, but it fell by the wayside in our headlong rush to failure. Here if I were to up and name a chowk after myself – which I think is an act of vandalism, TEPA and LDA will shortly afterwards come along and install a sign ratifying my illegal act. As for the town council, forget it. The clueless Nazim of Lahore and his town Nazims do not even know this happens.

If you think I am exaggerating, drive down College Road that begins at Akbar (Property Agent) Chowk and check out the blue signs put up by LDA. They announce chowks like Khokhar, Butt, Gondal, Ghazi, and Amir, to name a few. Except for Ghazi that I don't know, the rest are all persons who either live nearby or have their businesses there. As for Amir, he is a local hoodlum from the nearby village of Sattu Katla. This is just one part of the city that I know of.

We should be ashamed of ourselves for leaving these names for future generations to remember. But then, I suppose, this is what Pakistan is all about. Why, with the booming kleptocracy the country has become over the years (don't forget the NRO roster), one can only expect such low business from sneaky property dealers and two-bit hoodlums with police cases to make their place in the sun.

Some years ago when Arif Khan was DG LDA I took a petition to him about this ratty business of naming. You should have seen his posturing. "What? How can this be?" he said. He rang the bell and asked for someone to be sent in. Fat-belly who came in was somewhat less full of bluster. But he was plenty eager to please his master. This is completely out of order, he said with mock indignation. And it must be brought to an end forthwith.

I sat there wondering which planet these jerks came from. Anyone who lives in Lahore and cares for this blighted city should know what is going on. But then, as government officers (not public servants), they are only paid to attend office, not to care for the city. They are very likely also paid to keep their eyes wide shut as they are driven to work and back. Needless to say that nothing happened. Frankly, given the clownish posturing of the nitwits, I had not expected it to. Amir (Hoodlum) Chowk is still that, so is Akbar, Aslam, or Butt.

Subsequent to my visit to LDA I had gone to another department that I had been told also had something to do with the naming business. Here another bureaucrat kept office. He was rather well dressed but accomplished in the art of dissembling and passing the buck. So far as this man was concerned, everything was someone else's business.

In our unholy patriotic fervour we hurried to change the names of the roads named by the Raj. And then we promptly fell into a Rip Van Winkle-like stupor. The roads in the post-partition expansion of Lahore remain unnamed. No surprise then that nobodies fill the vacuum. Will it be too much to ask the Commissioner of Lahore to step in and rectify the ugliness that has taken over Lahore? Can we please have a Cecil Chaudhri Road, or Abdus Salam Chowk? Why can't we commemorate our Sirajuddin, Faiz, Cornelius, M. R. Kayani, people who brought light to thousands of Pakistanis?

 

Town Talk

*Works by Anila Agha Qayyum on display at Rohtas gallery opening on March 5. The exhibition will continue till March 13.

 

*Exhibition of Works by Anila Agha Qayyum at Rohtas Gallery till March 13.

 

*Song of the Sirens at Grey Noise till March 15.

Timings: 7-10pm

 

*Exhibition of recent works, drawings & paintings by Shahid Mirza at National College of Arts till March 16. Timings: 9-6pm.

 

*2nd National Cancer Surgery Conference from Thu, Mar 11-13 at Pearl Continental Hotel.

 

*Faiz: Understanding Poetry, every Wednesday from 5-6pm.

*Classical Dance Kathak today at Ali Auditorium, Ferozepur Road at 6pm.

 

*Child Art Competition titled Welcome Spring 2010 at Permanent Art Gallery, Cultural Complex, Qaddaffi Stadium on Sun, March 14 from 9am-1pm. Four to 12 year olds can participate.

Cycling on main road means juggling with unruly traffic. The roads have to be made safe for all but it cannot be said how long will it take

 

By Daniyal Khan

A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to buy a bicycle, and not just to go to the neighbourhood market, but with the intent to use it as a routine means of transport if my willpower allowed it. So when the day came to buy the cycle I thought I'll ride the cycle from Neela Gumbad to my university for starters. When I expressed my intent to my parents, their response was hardly surprising. My mother, though worried, did not say much after one or two failed attempts to talk me out of it. My father, on the other hand, was very worried and tried to talk me out of it a number of times, his main argument being the state of traffic on the roads and the danger it poses to a cyclist. But in my mind the decision had been made and no one could convince me otherwise.

Having taken a rickshaw to the Neela Gumbad cycle market, I left the market at around noon. I rode onto Mall Road having never been on a cycle on a main road before in heavy traffic. At first, I was just trying not to get hit by someone and to just keep on moving. Soon I lost my way due to my poor sense of direction but once I was on my way towards Fortress Stadium, I got used to the traffic and was able to think about things other than just riding the cycle safely in the right direction.

What were the things I had yet noticed most during the bicycle ride? First, air pollution caused by motor vehicles is there on the roads of Lahore to be experienced by anyone who dares to do so. What is smelt and inhaled can be best described in Boromir's words from the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: "The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume". Second, all of the traffic – including bicycles, though not always – is characterized by an unexplainable agitation. No, it is not just the speed of the vehicles but a troubling sense of haste, of which the clearest manifestations are the often dangerous and unexpected manoeuvres of vehicles, and a disdain for traffic rules and regulation. Both of these things pose a significant risk to the physical and psychological well being of a cyclist.

Once in Defence, I was completely comfortable being on a main road, the better traffic in the area being one of the reasons. As I left the H-Block market behind me, something happened whose possibility I had not thought of at all: the rear tyre of the cycle was punctured. At that moment I could do nothing but laugh and decided to walk my way to the university.

When close friends and family came to know of my cycle ride, I was cheered by some and called crazy by all. It was worth it for the following reasons.

What did I learn from the bicycle ride? Some of the obvious lessons were that some things are 'easier said that done' and that one should 'expect the unexpected'. More importantly, I learnt first hand what every cyclist (those dreaded cyclewalas who keep on getting in us car drivers' way!) has to go through on a daily basis. Second, the ride presented itself as an experiential, flawless and convincing-beyond-doubt argument in favour of better urban planning, the construction of cycling paths and greater economic regulation to decrease the number of motor vehicles on the road. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs to go on a similar ride. Third, I learnt that it is no longer possible for me as a motor-vehicle driver to remain indifferent to (at least in my thoughts, if not in my actions) and ignorant of the fact that each of us is responsible for what the roads of our city have become, for each car and motorcycle, each van and bus contributes to the polluted and frustrating environment we have come to detest. Guilt was not absent from the mixed feelings which I felt as a result of the ride.

My fourth lesson was much more subtle and in a different vein. I realized that while my parents' concerns about my safety while on the road were justified, it was a shame that I had never ridden a cycle on the main roads of Lahore, something that left me oblivious of a pressing problem. Why? It was because I have been overprotected. On the other hand I saw people who must go through the same experience daily, but I doubt if any of them was thinking if something could be done to make a cyclist's life easier. Why? It is because they have been overexposed to such a degree that they now take their problems in their stride, hope of a better environment for cycling being completely absent. For this problem to be addressed, people's exposure to it must be balanced for them to be pushed enough to try to put an end to it.

The roads of Lahore have an environment hostile to cyclists. Yet, for someone who has never before roamed in the city on a cycle, the hostility was worth experiencing as a sad but much needed reality check. I'll surely and gladly do it again.

The writer is a LUMS student.

 

The authentic taste of Italy

'Pasta & Pizza', another pizza restaurant chain arrives in the city

By Tammie Mahmud

As I approached the entrance of Pasta & Pizza, the door attendant sensing my discomfort with the weight of my laptop carrier offered to carry the case for me. This kind of hospitality is rare especially with a smile. This told me what lay ahead. My guess was correct ? the staff was impeccably welcoming, warm and with a smile.

Pasta & Pizza I realised, as I sat down and traversed the décor, indeed is the world's first pizza chain straight from the heart of Italy. It began in a little town in the South of Italy, Naples by a man called Bianccuchi Antonio. Later, he opened the first store of the Pasta & Pizza chain, in Rome.

The person to bring the Pasta & Pizza chain store to Pakistan worked and owned a store of this chain in Bologna, Italy before introducing it here in Lahore. I noticed all the equipment imported from Italy is authentic, bringing us the taste of this truly Italian cuisine.

The key to cooking an authentic pizza has as much to do with the material used to make the oven, as it is to do with the ingredients. Many of the ingredients grown in-house by Pizza & Pasta include capsicum, authentic cheery tomatoes, basil, oregano and rosemary.

I ordered the 'Nostro Speciale' from the menu that includes the 'Margherita', simply with tomato, cheese and oregano. While, 'Nostro Speciale' that I ate is fit for a queen's banquet, is succulent with many meats, cheese and a crust that remained crisp despite all the juicy delights adorning it. That is the definitive authentic pizza taste when the crust remains crispy. It is even more impressive to learn no yeast, egg or milk products are added to the crust making; it is cooked in pure virgin olive oil with rather pure ingredients authentic in taste to Italy. I have eaten many pizzas and must report it is by far the tastiest authentic Italian pizza anywhere in the world.

After the sumptuous meal, I ate their house specialty 'Chocolate Panna Cotta', which again is an original Italian dessert. This dessert with a base of cream and gelatin and topped with hot chocolate sauce is light as it melts in one's mouth. Truly divine and to the surprise of my satisfied taste buds, they had truly topped themselves. If I had not stuffed myself with the delicious pizza, I could easily have eaten at least a couple of this delectable dessert.

With an authentic Italian ambience right down to the red & white checkered tablecloths, the wooden ceiling with hanging plants, the photographs of this great Italian classic chain to the taste of the authentic Italian Pizza. I would recommend Pizza & Pasta, to anyone who wants to experience the original taste of a true Italian classic without traveling to Naples, Italy. It is located in the center of the DHA, 69-Z, in Lahore, a quintessential Italian experience.

 

Heartless towards heart

The city's rural school population has the highest rate of rheumatic heart disease in the world. It can be prevented and is not a disease without a cure but we need the will

By Zara Sikandar

One of the leading causes of premature death and disability in Pakistan is Rheumatic heart disease which annually affects 15 million children worldwide; half a million of them die as a consequence. Rheumatic heart disease involves damage to the entire heart and its membranes which is caused by an untreated 'strep throat' (caused by bacteria) among children of ages ranging between 5 to 15 years of age. Some of the most common symptoms of rheumatic heart disease are breathlessness, fatigue, palpitations, chest pain and fainting attacks.

The alarming fact is that the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in the rural school population of Lahore is among the highest in the world. According to a research conducted by Professor Dr. Masood Sadiq of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, "in rural areas of Lahore out of 24,980 children screened, 546 had rheumatic heart disease. Rheumatic heart disease is common among the school going children of low socio economic strata who are unaware of the disease." The research further concluded that almost 92.5% among the diseased are unaware of the diagnosis.

Dr. Masood Sadiq, Professor of Pediatric Cardiology at Children Hospital and Punjab Institute of Cardiology says, "Rheumatic heart disease increases with the increase in poverty in Pakistan. The disease has not decreased in the past three decades and by looking at the current situation of the country where most of the people are deprived of the basic necessities of life it is hard to be optimistic about its cure. Many developed countries like America curbed this disease by improving their living standards. If we do the same only then will we be able to stop this disease to prevail."

Unfortunately, because of a lack of vision, resources, and coordination, no system exists in Pakistan, where rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease remain major unresolved health problems. The treatment of RHD (rheumatic heart disease) includes medication and surgery through which the damaged heart valves can be treated. The majority of the population of Pakistan (67.5%) lives in rural areas and may bear the greatest burden of RHD mortality and disability. However, there are no community based data regarding the prevalence and distribution of echocardiography proven RHD in this population.

According to research conducted by S F Rizvi, M.A Khan (Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yaar Khan), A.Kundi (Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yaar Khan), D.R Marsh and A.Samad (National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi), and O Pasha (Save the Children Federation, USA), the prevalence of RHD in Rahim Yaar Khan subdistrict is 5.7 in 1000. Assuming that this is the rate of RHD throughout the rural population of Pakistan (88 million), there are more than 500,000 patients with RHD in rural Pakistan which is an alarming situation.

Dr. Qazi Abdul Saboor, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Sheikh Zayed Hospital (Lahore) gives reasons for prevalence of RHD, "It is a slow process which takes 5 to 10 years in its development and people do not actually realize that they are suffering from this disease, the reasons may be lack of awareness which repel the people of low socio economic strata to undergo complete treatment. Because of poor living environment and lack of balanced diet this disease is increasing at a rapid pace". If people undergo proper treatment and become health conscious then this disease can be cured as it is not inherited, the doctor says at the same time.

There is a high prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in the rural population of Pakistan. The prevalence has not declined over the past three decades. Nearly all people with rheumatic heart disease, including most of those who know what it is, do not receive life saving secondary prevention measures. Whereas so much attention is given to other diseases like tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria and hypertension it is important not to overlook cost effective and inexpensive control of an essentially preventable cardiovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, whose effort and cost is minimal when compared to other heart diseases.

In order to get rid of such a disease it is important to focus on education of doctors, awareness of families, compliance with secondary prophylaxis, maternal and child health services, primary care facilities and school health centres.

It is not a disease without a cure, with proper attention this disease can be prevented. It is a disease which is very much there but has been almost forgotten.

 

|Home|Daily Jang|The News|Sales & Advt|Contact Us|

BACK ISSUES