My Pakistan Diary: Roots! A Spiritual Journey

FarooqA#11, tahmed32#14:

This is really a story of people from both sides of the divide, who were hapless victims of the bloody games played by men whom we considered gods but whose feet were very much made of clay.

Dear Farzana#13

Thanks. I am just trying to be Eklavya :)
As for the picture, I was sent a copy of the ``official photograph`` and I can send the same to you. My own pictures still have to be uploaded (it`s my wife`s deptt!). How was your vacation?

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Nazar Sahib#10, 13:

Thanks for correcting about your ancestral village. Yes, it is rare these days for even two generations to live in the same house, unlike the old times when a family probably remained in the same house for several generations. My own children stayed with us only as long as they were in high school, after which they went to the cities where their colleges were, never to written on a permanent basis. This is why our (north american) youth are so alienated and have a lot of knowledge but little understanding - they do not have the wisdom that comes from interacting with grandparents, uncles and aunts.

On duppattas, the hindu and sikh women actually were more particular about covering their heads than muslims, where the veil was restricted to the upper class. Our women covered their face, called jhund/ghund (or ghoonghat in hindi) even in the presence of the elder males of the family, like father-in-law or the older brother-in-law.

But Mishra is right. It is perhaps an influence of muslims, since it is not common in the regions relatively unaffected by islam in India. And the practice of jhund/ghund has almost disappeared among Indian Panjabis, with duppatta becoming merely a fashion accessory.

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Dear DM,

You are right about the sohni dharti song... Sohni Dharti Allah rakhay Qadam Qadam Abaad tujhe... Qadam Qadam Abaad tujhe... it is perhaps the song that could tear me up even by thinking of it when I was in the US... lucky are those who can love the land of their birth... to stay and prosper there.

-YLH

Nazar,

I`m not convinced about your allusion to Persians as invaders. Only twice Persians came to India

1) Cyrus the Great incorporated parts of North-West in his empire (6th century B.C.). Some of these regions broke free of the Persian control in later years, but the stranglehold was stronger in other parts.

2) Nadir Shah attacked and ravaged Delhi in 1737 (hope the year is right). This was a hit-and-run operation where the invaders took back Kohinoor and the peacock throne.

As for the influence, Persians were considered a paragon of culture and civilzation in those times. So, Arabs imitated their monarchy and Turks their culture and language. Farsi was introduced in India by Turks (Aibek and later kings) and not Persians. Turks loved Farsi so much that they preferred it over their mother tongue Turki. It remained the court language throughout the Muslim period (or Turkish period). The same goes for the cuisines and music. Please note that this is true for all the areas that were under the sphere of Persian culture like Tajikistan, Afghanistan.

i come from a place called malikwal. i am sure dost mittar`s father must have passed through the railway junction. sodhi is not far away from my hometown.

i am sorry for your father was threatened to convert to islam. it`s silly!

Nazar,

``The Turks brought Turkish & probably some form of dancing.
The Central Asians brought architecture, kabab, pulao etc. ``

I could not understand why you want to treat Turks and Central Asians as two distinct groups in the Indian context. A cursory glance at post-Ghori pre-British Indian dynasties

1) Slave dynasty (Turks)
2) Tughlaqs (Turks)
3) Lodhis (Afghan)
4) Mughals (Turkicized Mongols)

So, all central Asian peoples who ruled India were Turks or Turkicized tribes like Mughals (who considerd themselves as Turks). Let`s not forget, Babur and other Mughals considered themselves descendants of Genghis Khans and Babarnama is in Turki.

{look out for the subtle ones!}

LOL!

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Excellent write up!

A small observation: {Finding my village was somewhat more difficult as no one had heard of Kussak.}

The above may be true for some people but there a lot of people who are interested in `our` heritage that know of Kussak. As a matter of fact, I visited Kussak four years ago ( I am surprised to read about the road leading to the village) and went up the hill to see the citadel. I was to write a travelogue about the place, but unfortunately, the film went bust on me when I reached Lahore.

Just for your information, there is a brief description of the village and citadel in History of Punjab writted by Syed Latif (?) that is how I first came to know about the place. The citadel is presently `owned` by an influential local landlord who was a member of Punjab parliment few years back. He had the place cordoned off by putting a barbed wire around, I wonder if it is still there?

You are absolutely right about the water from the well. It was refreshing and energizing.

I wonder if someone told you about a place called Malot, which is about 12 kilometers from the Kalar Kahar exit. There are still remains of a citadel and a temple there as well. It is believed that the place derieves its name from a Rajput Raja by the name of Raja Mal and subsequently it was where Rajputs embraced Islam, Janjuas as they are known.

na.

Did I just hear Nazar give Mishra2 (as if the first wasn`t bad enough) a slap on his face? May I extend Nazar`s list to say that overall the Muslim invaders also civilised the savage masses of the hind. Let us also not forget that the Persians brought the concept of sewing also. Ever wondered why the sari is a glorified samosa role with a piece of cloth wrapped around a body? This is not to say that the Mughals weren a bunch of losers. But the Muslims have also been enriched by the natives. For example:

1) Karo Kari
2) Chaar Divaari
3) Turning women into second class citizens
4) The concepts of piri and praying at their graves (as if they were God`s middlemen)
5) Castes
6) Dahi Balle
7) Stomach bugs

Yes, (with an exception to the Buddhists) thank God the South Asians had let the outsiders civlize them.

nk #26

Agreed, you have given the correct perspective on cultural change. My concern was to make it clear that having women cover their heads in public is NOT a neutral issue and has very much to do with limiting their rights to appear as they choose in public. I do view this as a borrowing from islamic culture with negative impact. At the same time I happy to give credit for kebabs, ghazal and Taj Mahal to indian islamic culture as well.

ha ha ha .... Now Farzana Versey is back talking about bigotry - after making sure
all her old articles have been purged : )

The same Versey who supports the JKLF but lives off the freedom of India

what a farcey .

Dost-mitter,

janani janmabhoomischa swargaad-api gariiyasi is the line you are looking for.
mother and land-of-birth are better than swarga.

The full shloka from the Ramayana is :
api svarNamayI laNkA na me lakshmaNa rochate |
jananI janmabhUmishcha svargAdapi garIyasI ||

This is what Rama tells Lakshmana while discussing Lanka - which is very
beautiful (swarNamayI ) , but Rama prefers to head back.

Dost-mittar

I am sure this is a very good write-up. But with no positive emotional connection with Pakistan, I am unable to appreciate it. So kindly excuse me as I use your board to do my following good deed of the day.


Ahmadzai

On the contrary, you should actively seek the advice of people who show rank bigotry against Pakistan and Pakistanis. In every manner Pakistan has been a disaster. It can be fixed only listening to its harsh critics, not by catering to those who share the bigotries of Pakistanis.

So listen to me. Learn to see reality for what it is. Sixty years of failed attempts at castle-building should tell you that you can`t forever live in a make-believe world. Today you are not the only one with the power of the blood-stained sword. You can`t restrict the books people read. You cannot kill all who blaspheme. You are not in Kansas of Saudi Arabia anymore.

Why am I, an enemy, with no regard for you, giving you good advice? Because I know you won`t listen to it. Innovation and novelty, I gather, have been forbidden.