Napier’s Bride

Bilal, The timing was perfect, i was curious to know about Napier, hoping it to be mathematician.

Dear Chowkwallas:

Sir Charles Napier was appointed the Governor of Sindh in 1840`s after the last British victory in 1843 at Miani. Napier Road (Near Juna Market and Jodia Bazar) and Napier Barracks were named after him. I think, Karachi first acquired its urban character during his administration.

By the way, the population of Karachi at the turn of this century was hardly 100,000. In 1947, even just after the influx of immigrants from India, Karachi was an extremely clean small town. One of the first books on the history of Karachi was written by Professor Maneck B. Pithawala of Karachi University. Pithawala has written several additional books on Sindh, Pakistan, and Kashmir. As a former Karachiite and Pakistani, I applaud Professor Pithawala and the rest of the Parsi community for their untiring contribution in the making of Karachi and Pakistan.

Regards, Bilal Ahmad

This poem has nothing to do with Karachi, or it`s present conditions. It`s message is as universal and time-pervasive as the oldest profession in the world.

You could pin it to the `Muhallas` in Lahore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Amsterdam, LA, whereever humanity is degraded.

By the way, why does everyone talk so much about the `sellers`, and not the `buyers`.

Supply is directly proportional to demand.

Mr. or MS Zadig:

Some comments in a hurry. Haven`t seen you here before. Welcome to the crazy world of Chowk.

Napier`s bride? City of lights? yes?

This bride, KHI is interminably tied down to the country. One can`t get well w/o the other. More later,

regards

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i dont know if this poem is about karachi in general or the ``infamous`` napier road. Either way i dont think too much of it if its about karachi. i am sick of people complaining about how f-cked karach is when most of them live abroad.

As far as napier road is concerned. These women earn money. Give them jobs ?. They probably wouldnt work 9 to 5. Some like sex, some dont. Those that dont and are forced into it, including child prostitutes and kidnappend women, that i find very sick and disgusting. But then there are traditional families who consider it their culture, and cant think or want to do anthing else.

The rape and molesting of Karachi well put in verse. But this seemed a bit incomplete. It time and again repeats the cruelty being done to the city, but doesnt move over to the cause or the doer or even how it can be corrected. Should have a continuation to it.

Raheel Khan