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talent Breaking
stereotypes event
talent Creativity with purpose By Jalees Hazir I'd heard good
things about the UET Dramatics Society and was impressed by their play
Suraj ki The curtain opened on one thought-provoking and absorbing skit after another. The scripts were all original and demonstrated not only compassion for the dispossessed but also an awareness of political and social issues. Even the couple of comic presentations were underpinned by very positive humane values. Then of course there was the audience's favourite, Pakistan Zindabad that combined insightful political commentary with satire. The handful of young men and women who run the society and organise this annual event regularly, were inspiring to say the least. They were on the stage performing one moment, in the hall managing the flood of students the other. The same people were backstage, changing sets and pulling the curtain. After the performances, the same set picked up the brushes and brooms to clean up the hall. It is this spirit that sets them apart from any other amateur theatre group in the city. This spirit, and of course their motto that defines all their endeavors: Creativity with Purpose. The foundation of the
UET Dramatics Society was laid in early 1980s. At that time, the pioneers The society has performed more than 30 original plays and received awards in every theatre festival for amateurs; the GIKI Drama Festival, Kinnaird Drama Festival, LUMS Skits Competition, Inter University Theatre Festival, GCU All Pakistan Drama Festival, Punj Pani Drama Festival and the list goes on. At the annual Rafi Peer All Pakistan Theatre Festival, which now has international participation of amateur theatre groups, the UET Dramatics Society has broken all records of winning the highest number of nominations and awards every year. It has the largest number of awards for the Best Play under its belt and was the only group from Pakistan to be represented in the Inter-Collegiate Drama Festival at Bangalore, India in November 2007. There were 20 teams from all over India and Sri Lanka in the competition, and our UET team grabbed the best script and best production awards. The society has also organised All Pakistan festivals showcasing amateur drama and films. And this was the 15th Annual Drama & Skits festival organised by the society that was attended by more than 4000 students. These achievements are monumental considering they have received hardly any support from their university. So what is it that makes the UET Dramatics Society tick better than the pampered dramatics societies in other educational institutions like the Government College and Kinnaird? What is it that makes the society special? It's a tradition that was started by the pioneers, and all successive academic sessions have faithfully carried the torch, taking it from strength to strength against all odds. The society is like one big tribe which is not defined by any class, caste, color or creed. The defining feature of the members of this tribe is a passion for purposeful theatre, and this heritage is passed on from session to session; the seniors tutoring the juniors, and even the alumni coming in to guide, supervise and help them out. Some would argue that the lack of support keeps the spirit alive and if the society started receiving support for its activities, it would lose the original spirit. But this is a cynical view of things. Granted that the real strength of the society lies in the commitment of its members, the golden tradition of the alumni-senior-junior connection and its orientation towards purposeful theatre, the society could perform even better under more favourable circumstances. In fact, if facilitated and encouraged, these hard-working and socially aware students could bring the gift of their talent to larger audiences. It is criminal that cultural institutions like Alhamra that were created precisely for promoting such original, indigenous and purposeful creative activities have not noticed this dramatics society, which according to theatre critic Sarwat Ali, "consistently produces the best plays at the amateur level". Instead, what we see are plagiarised, fun-and-dance productions with rude jokes that are put up to make tonnes of money being sponsored with the taxpayers money. Why can't Alhamra sponsor something more substantial and artistic like the UET Dramatics Society's annual Skits & Drama Festival, so that the brilliance of these sons and daughters of the soil can shine on not only the students of UET but also the general public? CAPTION Members of the dramatic club.
By
Bushra Sultana "It is as if you stopped being an individual and started being an entire religion." The words struck out from the page as I shuffled through the pages of Kamila Shamsie's 'Broken Verses'. The line spoken by the protagonist Aasmani Inqilab was directed at Ed, her colleague who had recently returned after living in New York for ten years. The context of the line was the fall of the twin towers after which many Americans of the sub-continent descent felt their identities questioned and their loyalties challenged. So then for someone like me, who has never lived outside Pakistan for more than a few months, who has never known any other identity other than being a Pakistani, why did this line carry such weight? The reason is that I work for the NGO sector and I wear a burqa. To be more specific, I don't cover my face but do veil my head with a scarf and my clothes with a gown. Working in an environment where individual identity is given such importance, it is ironic that, occasionally, I become the common stereotype. It is hard being a professional person with the mark of my religious identity being on such obvious display. It is equally hard, if not more, to carve a space for myself based on who I am rather than what I represent. It seems in Pakistan, everyone has a very definite set of expectations from me. The conservative right expects me to behave in the perfect model of domesticated Muslim woman by not making eye contact or small talk. The conversations with them are non-existent and any form of social relationship out of question. The centrist pictures me as a model of modern Islamic woman, one who is not afraid to tread the career path as she keeps her religious identity intact. The liberal left is the hardest one to deal with. Socially, they are the hardest to connect to because either they see me as the representation of hardline, tabligh expounding religious scholar out to tell everyone who doesn't conform to their social norm are doomed to hell; or as a repressed entity waiting to be liberated from the shackles of familial patriarchy. Either way, the lack of eye contact with this certain type is entirely different than with the rightist. With such different vibes with different people, it is hard to stick to one's own identity of self. The mould that everyone, from whichever affiliation they belong, is so set to that one feels continually watched and judged. Well-meaning, but misguided, seniors have tried to make me understand that in the urban setting I am safe and should not feel the need to veil myself. On the other hand I've found newspapers folded to the story of how a European woman found peace through Islam left on my desk on Valentine's Day as my colleague found a flower on hers. I joke around that Jamia Hafsa women have ruined it for all burqa-clad girls like me. People just don't see me as an individual anymore but as a representative of the black ninjas' sisterhood. I've been asked meanings of Arabic (not necessarily Quranic) verses with the presumption that I would know Quran so well to understand modern day Arabic. I'm continually referred to as the source of knowledge on any random Islamic history fact or Islamic fiqah. It takes a long while for people to understand that I'm just another girl who might not necessarily be to go-to person for all things religion. And God forbid if anyone witnesses you doing something that a 'proper' hijab-clad girl is not supposed to be caught doing. The concept of 'propriety' is so set in people's minds that anything alien to that rigid frame of behaviour seems so scandalous that even the most liberal freeze for a few seconds before nonchalantly -- and very civilly -- ignoring it as an every-day event. I sometimes verbalise my random desire to move to Iran. At least there I won't be the odd girl out. At other times, however, I get upset by the defensive state of mind in which I continually find myself. In the West, Muslims are continually stereotyped by those who have little or no knowledge of the reality of Muslim world. In Pakistan, I am continually stereotyped as an asexual, Muslim nun who 'should' operate within a very rigid framework of accepted behaviour. The only thing that leaves some shards of sanity intact, is my work environment. As years pass, colleagues' slowly but steadily, have started to look at me as an individual in my own right. They have gradually passed the covered exterior and have accepted me for who I am. However, with so many people to interact, it is a nightmare to introduce myself to someone new. With every new person I meet, I go through the whole religious-representation process. I understand people like myself, who wear such an obvious religious symbol but have a liberal leaning, are in a minority and the society's attitude towards me is based on the reaction to their experiences with the conservative majority. However, with so many women entering the work-space, it is about time we start to influence people's mindset to accept the individuality of a person. A book should not be judged by its cover, so says the clich'e. It is about time we start influencing people's opinion to accept the individuality of a person. I'm sure many with a leftist stance would be able to relate to this argument although for different reasons. For the female gender, tattoos are not synonymous with wildness, jeans are not synonymous with modernity, alcohol is not synonymous with promiscuity. Likewise, English might reflect literacy but does not represent education. In a world increasingly full of people trying to break such stereotypes, I'd like to slide in a stereotype that I want seen smashed. A hijab-clad female does not represent, nor is responsible, for an entire religion. event Young leaders By Saadia Salahuddin A group of students from Punjab University were declared the best delegation at UN Model conferences held in two different countries of Europe recently, bagging ten awards individually in the two conferences that they attended, three in the first and seven in the second. The project was sponsored jointly by the Heinrich Boll Foundation and the Punjab University but the initiative was the students'. Students from 40 countries participated in the first conference while there were 78 countries in the second one. This tour was from 1st to 25th March. UN Model Conference is
an education programme in which students enact the roles they are given. The Punjab University students who were 12 in number, were highly appreciated both in Maastricht, the Netherlands and Muenster, Germany. In Netherlands the whole delegation was assigned one country -- China. They wrote the real foreign policy of that country. The German media both television and newspapers were all praise for the delegates from Pakistan. A German channel gave a 3-minute clip on them as enlightened people, whom the west sees as terrorists and fundamentalists. These students changed people's views about Pakistan. Mian Naquib Hamid who is doing masters in Sociology from the Punjab University, was the first South Asian to head one of the committees of the UN General Assembly -- 'Specpol' (special political and decolonisation committee). This committee came up with a very comprehensive resolution and Naquib was applauded by the organisers of the conference. He won a special award for diplomacy in the first conference. He says, "One of my
objectives was to imbibe respect for other nations, their cultures and
their Syed Nishat Kazmi of Punjab University was given the role of the ambassador of China and addressed the general assembly in that capacity. He is also the person to take the initiative that led to the participation in UN model conferences. While the delegates enacted different roles in the model UN general assemblies, they were Pakistanis on social events. They made a very good impression of Pakistan on foreigners apart from individually gaining a lot from such an experience. The stall they had put up in the evening fair was particularly noticed. They involved foreigners in Bhangra. "Actually people were surprised because we portrayed a very positive image of our country. The image of Pakistani women also changed. People want to visit Pakistan after meeting us. They viewed Pakistanis as very hard working people and well prepared," say Tasneem Sarwar and Maria, delegates from PUCIT department. There were journalists allocated to each and every committee. From Pakistan Aziz Noman was given the role of a journalist and in another conference, of French Ambassador in WTO. He shares his observations with The News on Sunday. "Europeans are all against US policies -- as soon as you come out of the business aspect they are poles apart. China is against NGOs in WTO, so are people other than the USA. All countries from around the world oppose US policies, even developed countries. French and Germans are against US policies anyway." The delegates had
inter-faith dialogue and say they believe the road to peace is through
mutual The delegates also went to the European Union's Brussels, Paris, Weisbaden, Rodermark, International Court of Justice in Hague and Allama Iqbal's memorium in Hydelberg University. Sajjad Hussain Naqvi, a businessman, facilitated the delegates' stay in Germany. Such an initiative on the part of the students, is praiseworthy in the first place and that they won laurels not only for themselves and their institutions but built a beautiful, positive image of their country abroad, makes them heroes. Model conferences are an exercise in leadership and these young men and women from Pakistan are certainly promising. We wish them well. CAPTION The delegation at Pakistan Embassy in Paris. CAPTION2 At International Court of Justice in Hague. CAPTION3 At the EU Parliament. Life at riskBrick
kiln workers are living below poverty line so they have little choice but
their lot can improve with loan which can get them machines to ease their
load By
Shehryar Warraich Physical work has
always been a very tough way to earn livelihood in hot weather of Pakistan
and There are four types of kiln workers. First is the brick maker (those who mould bricks from wet clay), second are potters (those who carry sun ride bricks from the fields to the kilns), third come loaders or unloaders (these are people who arrange bricks and stack them in the kilns for baking and remove them after they are baked and cooled). The staff that does the part of work decide coal quantity and all the baking details to get maximum yield from the roasting process. Those who do one of the toughest jobs are shrouded in a host of problems. They are the worst example of bonded labour and live without even basic necessities of life because their income is negligible -- one reason why brick makers are famous for selling their kidneys. Seventy kilns are working around Lahore where almost two thousand families are working. Here is what compels them to sell kidneys and put their lives at stake. Forty five years old
Akram Araeen, works at a kiln in Dayal village. He says, "We are
eleven family members including seven children and wife. My old and sick
parents also live with me. Like other Abdul Ghafoor, living at Jallo Mor brick kiln says, "We have very low income. The condition of my home is very bad. Not a single child goes to school. We work like animals but even then we face shortage of food round the year and suffer from different diseases due to our work and lots of debts, so in this scenario we have very few options to improve our life. Do we have any right to live a good life? We do not demand lots of thing but some basic necessities. Because of these reasons both me and my wife sold our kidneys for Rs. 300,000. I can't see my children looking towards other people with despair and self pity. I paid my debt and bought some household items including TV and refrigerator. Though I am now in deep trouble because I have hepatitis C and my wife has become a heart patient, we are not disappointed because our two sons are working at kiln and earning some money." Allah Ditta is working these days at brick kiln No. 5. He came here three years ago from Dipalpur, Okara. "In Dipalpur I had Rs. 50,000 debt to pay. I worked there for ten years and tried hard to pay the debt but I never succeeded. At last I decided to run away with my family because I had signed bond with the owner. After one year my ex-owner came here and demanded his money back which I could not. He was apparently kind to me and offered me to go to his house. He also promised that he will let me go but I never thought of the betrayal. He took me to hospital in Rawalpindi, I lost one kidney that day because my owner sold my kidney to the hospital and I was given only five hundred rupees for fair." Hameed Sheikh, owner of a kiln at Jallo Mor says, "This is not true that kiln owners do not pay attention to their workers. We try to facilitate them as much as we can but they always demand more. They sell their kidneys not to pay debts but to buy different thing like DVDs, motor cycle, TV and expensive mobiles etc. They don't want to educate their children. Their charges against the owners are fake. So far as bond is concerned, we get that to get assurance because we don't trust them. They often run away and create problems for us. Therefore it is very unfair on their part." Dr. Shamshad Khan, coordinator Pakistan Human Liberation Commission, has a different point of view. "We are protesting against this inhuman act of bonded labour. To get compulsory work anywhere in the world is considered against humanity. I think there are two reasons behind selling kidneys. One is low income and the other is the concept of bond signing. Two brick makers are given three hundred rupees for making one thousand bricks. How can a seven or eight member family survive in this cruel price-hike? Its our demand that the system of bonded labour be abandoned so that these poor brick makers can live like humans." Prof. Mobarak Haider, In charge Peoples Party Labour Wing in Z.A Bhutto's era, gives some suggestions to facilitate the brick labour. He says, "These labourers should be given loans from banks to buy machines and law should be made that these labourers will be the owners of these machines, not the kiln owners. Instead of asking for increase in salary which will result in the increase of prices, a better alternative is to mechanise their work, thus increasing their production, lowering the prices of bricks, hence boosting their income. "I myself have introduced this technique in Pakistan to make bricks through machines which is simple and cheap. In advanced countries the same machines are worth billions of dollars. Moreover, they are automatic with very small labour input, very expensive, give huge production without many men working on them. They are a future possibility but does not suit us immediately. Instead, we can have smaller units in different types. These machines can replace much of physical labour and increase green brick production manifold." "It is so much argued that bank loans sink because of default in payments but this argument looks funny when we look at the massive several billion losses in banks every year because of giving loans to dishonest people. These loans have remained a nation scandal for the last half century and have brought hardly any fruit to the nation. Even if I agree that a part of these loans for the workers will go in default, the total loss will not be any more than a few crores while the larger part of it will not only be recovered with interest but contribute hugely to the economy and human well being," he concludes.
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Talaash at
the GCU Pak-India Drama Festival held earlier this year, but the true
worth of this group of talented and dedicated students came across at last
week's Skits & Drama Festival that they had organised at their
University auditorium. The 15 skits and two plays presented in the
festival held the attention of the responsive audience. The big hall was
bursting at the seams with girls and boys who are otherwise too engrossed
in their tough voluminous course books to think about anything else.
started performing socially-aware plays in the tradition of street-theatre
on the campus. Their brilliance was soon noticed and they made their mark
on the city's amateur theatre scene. Instead of being nurtured, this
praiseworthy initiative was snuffed out by a hostile environment and a
shortsighted university administration. But the seeds had already been
sown and after a few years of inactivity, the society was revived again.
Since then, it has won many laurels and is today recognised as the best
amateur theatre group around. It is the most consistent as well.
They are assigned a country. Those who are closest to the stance of that
country on different policies, are awarded the title of the best
delegates.
religions." He represented Germany in Germany. "This was the UN
peace building commission. I was trying to give solutions sustainable in
nature and my role was highly appreciated."
understanding
of each other's cultures. Apart from Nishat Kazmi, Naquib, Aziz, Tasneem
and Maria the delegation comprised of Hasan Sajjad Naqvi, Amna Khan,
Tayyaba Suhail, Usman Ali Virk, Aamir Ijaz and Syed Ijaz Ahmad.
who knows it
better than a labourer. Unfortunately, people do not have many work
opportunities because lack of education. Just imagine, how a brick maker
works at a kiln in this very hot climate.
parents, I also had a dream that my children should have education but
unfortunately not a single child could go to school. Moreover, my debt has
increased over hundred thousand rupees. I also wanted to collect some
money for the dowry of my three daughters. Under these circumstances it
was becoming very difficult to meet the daily expenses. At last I decided
to sell my kidney and one of my colleagues guided me to the agent. I gave
my kidney after having a deal of two hundred thousand rupees but the agent
gave me only eighty thousand. So there was no option except for taking
that money. I came back home after losing not only my kidney but those
dreams which compelled me to do so. Now it has become more difficult to
earn even a small amount as before because one kidney doesn't allow me to
work hard."