The Express Tribune Magazine - May 6

MAY 6-12 2012

MAY 6-12 2012

Cover Story 18 More Than Meets The Eye When it comes to cricket, it seems our blind sportsmen do better than our national team

Feature 28 Especially Special Disabalities can’t stop the students at Ida Rieu from realising their maximum potential 32 Where There is a Will Iftikhar Firdous goes in search of a computer institute run by blind students

Profile

18

38 The Wizard Called Tasadaq Sohail Mermaids, centaurs and the devil himself are all part of Tasadaq’s surreal narratives

28

Regulars 6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 41 Review: Shattered dreams 42 End Of The Line: Drone tales

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Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Batool Zehra, Sub-Editors: Ameer Hamza and Dilaira Mondegarian.

Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Maha Haider, Faizan Dawood, Sanober Ahmed and S Asif Ali. Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi.

For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Red Bull X-fighters Jam host a reception in Karachi

Deepak Perwani and Fifi Haroon

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR

Saima and Sanam Agha

Leshal and Sana

Koni

Rana Khan

Saba Ansari

Athar Hafeez, Frieha Altaf and Maheen Khan

6 MAY 6-12 2012

Sabina Pasha, Neha and Mehreen Raheel

MAY 6-12 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Deepak Perwani and Orient launch their 2012 lawn collection in Karachi

Deepak Perwani and Safinaz

Nadia Hussain Anisa Rasheed

Nomi Ansari

Shamaeel

8 MAY 6-12 2012

Wardha Saleem

Ayesha Haq and Naeem Haq

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR AND MARKETING

Sanam Chaudhry

17 MAY 6-12 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

s his re e h c n d lau s in Laho e e y a S int Umar r lawn pr e summ

PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR AND MARKETING

Faraz Manan and Sundas Manan

Nasreen and Naya

Cybil, Neha and Nooray

Nadia and Umar Sayeed

Shahzad

Juggun Kazim

10 MAY 6-12 2012

Mehreen Syed

Sabina Pasha

Kamiar Rokni

17 MAY 6-12 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Zahra

Ayaan

PHOTOS COURTESY VOILA PR

Roohi Sayeed

Beenish

Crabtree and Evelyn, UK beauty care retailer, launches in Karachi

Ayesha Omer

Nida Yasir

12 MAY 6-12 2012

Elena

Mr and Mrs Thomson

MAY 6-12 2012

PEOPLE & PARTIES

Jania and Nahzat

Zara Shahjahan launches her flagship outlet in Lahore

Saba Waseem

Umair and Fatima

14 MAY 6-12 2012

Fizza, Zeynab and Zehra

Sabina Pasha and Aamir Mazhar

PHOTOS COURTESY SAVVY PR AND EVENTS

Saira

Arjumand Amin

Zainab and Mariam

Salma and Hamza

MAY 6-12 2012

MAY 6-12 2012

MAY 6-12 2012

COVER STORY

more than meets the eye Pakistan’s blind cricket team deserves praise for being world champions. Instead, what they get is pity

BY TAHA SIDDIQUI

18 MAY 6-12 2012

“I used to listen to cricket matches on the radio as a child, and always dreamt of playing the sport though I knew it was not possible,” says cricketer Abdul Razzaq.

No, this is not the Abdul Razzaq, that most fans of Pakistani cricket are familiar with, the all- rounder who is famous for his ability to score quick runs.

This Abdul Razzaq is the captain of the Pakistani blind cricket team, and his achievements are, in some ways, even more impressive than his famous namesake. In captaincy since 2002, he has won two world cups for Pakistan, and the team has been undefeated on international platforms since 2006.

When I first meet him, in the Government Institute for the Blind that also serves as his home, Razzak is clearly in a tizzy.

He quickly climbs down the stairs from his residence, briskly walks over to the admin offices and then down to the parking lot and back up again. He moves faster than I would expect a visually challenged person to, though he does take each step carefully and at times has to be led by someone else.

The captain is caught up in the flurry of trying to organise his team for a national tournament. His task is far from easy, and it is not helped by the fact that these players are not being flown around like their counterparts in the Pakistani national cricket team which is still basking in its victory at the Asia Cup. While the national team hits headlines every so often — whether it is for match fixing or winning tournaments — and is a regular fixture on the sports pages, spectators, advertisers and sponsors often forget that the blind cricket team even exists.

The difference between the two teams in terms of resources and official and corporate interest, is quite marked.

For forty-year-old Razzaq, every national series means he has to call for a bus by himself, get all the players together and make sure thay all leave on time. And this is exactly what he is doing today. If his struggles were limited to arranging logistics, he says he would not complain, but he has bigger problems than just trying to get the bus driver to show up on time.

19 MAY 6-12 2012

COVER STORY “The last world cup that was supposed to happen in 2010 was cancelled because of lack of funds and visa issues,” he says.

It is one thing to have a tiny fan base and minimal sponsorship, but when tournaments are cancelled, these blind players are deprived of their raison d’être. Still, Abdul Razzaq has not lost heart. “A T-20 world cup for the blind is coming up in December this year. After playing in that, I plan to retire and open a blind cricket academy.” The captain says that there are no dedicated blind cricket academies in the country and he hopes the institution he plans to open can find new talent and promote the blind version of the game.

Perhaps the worst aspect of being a blind cricketer is that, far from being celebrated as a sportsman, the players are looked at with the same pity reserved for those suffering from grave misfortunes. “The public seems to feel only pity for us,” says Razzak. “We don’t want that.”

Very few people come to see them play and even those who do use words like ‘becharey’ which is demoralising to say the least. “We are sportsmen, and we should be treated as such.

This is like any other sport and people should understand that.”

World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC). Established in 1996, the

Standard cricket vs blind cricket

WBCC’s other members include Australia, New Zealand, Eng-

The main difference between standard cricket and blind

land, South Africa, West Indies, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

cricket is the ball. The Marylebone Cricket Club Laws of

and Nepal. Before any changes are introduced in the format,

Cricket have also been adapted in other ways in an at-

all of these countries agree to the modification in the game

tempt to allow blind and partially sighted people to com-

and play accordingly at both the local and international level.

pete on equal terms.

Though markedly different from conventional cricket, the game has internationally governed laws approved by the

In every match, players are divided into three categories based on the severity of their blindness. A team of 11 has four

The major variations are as follows: •

bowler to touch for the purpose of orientation.

ers (category B2), and four players with partial vision (category B3). The formats currently in play are one-day matches with

• • • •

leases the ball.

since there are durational limits on the match. Another modi“play”, as he releases the ball. After every twenty overs, com-

20 MAY 6-12 2012

The bowler must ask the batsman if he is ready before beginning his run up and shout “play” as he re-

line before it reaches the batting crease. This is a difficult task fication is that the bowler has to give a verbal signal, shouting

A totally blind batsman is given one chance before being given out LBW and cannot be stumped.

ular cricket. For one thing, the bowling has to be under arm and the ball has to bounce once on either side of the mid pitch

The ball must pitch at least once before the crease of a partially sighted batsman.

one may well ask how the game is played at all? It is interesting to see how different the bowling and batting are from reg-

The ball must pitch at least twice before the crease of a totally blind batsman but must not be rolling.

40 overs and T20s.

But with more than half the team unable to see the ball,

The wicket is larger, making it easier for the partially sighted players to see and easier for a batsman or

totally blind players (category B1), three partially blind play-

•

A totally blind fielder can make a catch after the ball has bounced once.

pletely blind cricketers are required to bowl five overs which makes the game even tougher.

The batting comes with its own set of challenges. In the batting order, three consecutive players from each category have to play, making the game trickier when B1 category players bat. On the plus side, runs by totally blind players count for twice as much as those made by their partially blind teammates. The ball used in these matches is made of plastic and filled with metal ball bearings so that batsmen can locate it by listening for the rattling sound.

Abdul Razzaq has a number of feathers in his cap: not only is he the captain of the Pakistan team, he is also the record holder for the fastest half century, scoring 50 runs in just nineteen balls. He also took five wickets while giving only thirteen runs against New Zealand. His personal best was when he scored 87 runs against Australia. Under his guidance, the team won a series against India just last year.

But the star player complains of poor coverage. “They did not even show our matches live. Not even on PTV, which is state-owned,” he says bitterly. “Even finding sponsors for the game has been an uphill task.”

(Continued on page 26)

Evolution of the blind cricket ball

The cane blind cricket balls were the first to be used in Australia from the mid 1920s until 1972.

It was used in the first interstate blind cricket match in 1928. Made of cane wicker it had metal pieces inside that made a noise when thrown.

Then the red nylon blind cricket ball was used from 1972 to 1974 only.

The black nylon blind cricket ball has been in use since 1974 until the end of the 20022003 season.

The white nylon blind cricket ball was made especially for New Zealand in the early 1990’s.

A hard white plastic ball is currently used in Australia and it is slightly larger and has holes in it so sound can be easily released.

This ball has been in use since the beginning of the 2003-2004 season.

21 MAY 6-12 2012

COVER STORY “It’s not considered sports but charity,” adds coach Nafees Ahmed.

Ahmed has been the coach of the Pakistani cricket team since 1998 and has come to see off Abdul Razzaq, helping him arrange for the bus and ensuring that the team leaves on time.

Nafees is also a teacher at this institute and has been very active in promoting this game. He has played a pivotal role in the formation of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council, under which all the national team members and other officials are registered.

One of his main concerns has been the players’ low salaries and he has lobbied for an increase in their allowances for over a decade now. In the last three years or so, he says, things have improved somewhat. “Each player now gets a monthly stipend of Rs8,000 to Rs12,000 depending on his category,” says Ahmed.

But Abdul Razzaq still considers this too little.

“Even the women national team players get more than that,” the captain complains.

Razzaq also teaches at another blind academy a few kilometres away from his home but despite having two jobs, his living conditions are modest at best and the two-room house in which he lives with his wife and three children is a testament to that.

By now, all the cricketers have gathered and Abdul Razzaq introduces them to me. One of them is Noor Wali, a young man from the tribal areas who is currently studying political science at Government College, Lahore. There are players from all corners of the country, from South Waziristan Wazirista to Karachi, all united by their love for cricket and their com common handicap. Huddled on a bench, they are listening listenin intently to a cricket match on the radio.

As the players troop inside the bus that will take them to Peshawar, Razzaq turns around to say one last thing. He does d not want people to come and see them play because they pity them th — he has a different reason for wanting people to come to th their matches.

“Pakistan is the Blind Cricket world champion. I wish people would realise this, come see our matches and promot promote us.”

In short, he wants Pakistanis to take pride in their ch champions. a

26 MAY 6-12 2012

“Even the women national team players get more than that,” complains the captain of the blind cricket team

FEATURE

especially

special A visit to Ida Rieu, a school for special children, reveals a world of everyday miracles

While most children play pittu and chupan chupai during school recess, these children prefer to sit on the lawn with their close friends and munch on their lunch. While most children stand outside the canteen in a queue, yelling and vociferously demanding the person in front of them to “hurry up”, these children wait patiently. Some use sign language to communicate with the person on the other side of the counter or attempt to express themselves with their limited speaking skills to purchase a meal of either samosas or crispy, deep-fried rolls for their half an hour break. While most children are special mainly in the eyes of their loved ones, these children are termed ‘special’ the world over.

Ida Rieu in Karachi has been catering to the special education

TEXT BY DILAIRA MONDEGARIAN

needs for these children since 1922 and reveal the story behind

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARIF SOOMRO

their success in this field along with the difficulties they face.T

Starting from the basics A student of KG 1, Madiha, who suffers from impaired hearing, closely follows her teacher’s instructions and enthusiastically makes the appropriate symbols for ‘a’, ‘b’ and ‘c’. During a lesson in colours which follows suit she replies to her teacher’s question with regards to the colour of her bag. “Red,” she says loudly, stammering on the ‘e’ but showing progress made during her speech therapy classes. The interactive session continues with the girls surprisingly louder than the boys and ends on a highly positive note with appreciation voiced by the little girl.

“I li-ike my te-e-ccher”, she utters in slow progression with her lips curving to form a smile as she glances at her teacher.

Music for the soul

28

Every Wednesday and Thursday, students enjoy a lesson in music under the sun. The music instructor at Ida Rieu explains how he teaches music to a group of students, half of whom cannot see him or the instruments before them and half of whom cannot hear his voice: “We follow a set format here. The children follow my instructions as I do counting on my fingers, each number representing a rhythm. We mastered the tune of the national anthem that way. The visually impaired children face greater difficulties as they cannot see my numeric instructions — however, they are gifted with strong listening skills. You give them a clear set of instructions once and they remember them.”

MAY 6-12 2012

Touched by colour Blending colours on a canvas during art class are students of grade nine and ten and displayed in the background are the creations of previous students. Ranging from glass paintings to oil paintings, the students bring forth their creative side when left alone with a paintbrush in hand. Also displayed in the art room are pictures of famous artists who have visited the school, gifted art supplies to students and appreciated their work.

"If the right teaching methods are implemented, they can compete with ‘normal’ children in all fields, be it sports, academics, arts or even singing”, says Ms Qudsia Khan

Hall of fame Pinned up on the soft boards in the hallway of the school are the pictures of ex-students who have earned the title of ‘stars’. These special achievers have excelled in the field of education by holding top ranking positions in their secondary school and college exams and then going on to either teach at school or realising their potential in other fields. They are the pride of the school and inspire other students to follow in their footsteps.

Getting knot-ty Children gather around their teacher who is giving them a lesson in block printing. Home economics is another subject which is being taught at the school. Children often bring their own suits and paint them with bright colours, ready to be worn at some festive occasion.

Toddling around Visually impaired children recite nursery rhymes and the room echoes with the sounds of laughter and clapping. The children, anxious to leave the room at the sound of the bell, which will announce the end of another productive school day, are obeying the teacher’s last instruction. Some children make their way to the toys and learning tools lined up on the shelves along the wall, bumping into tables and chairs as they feel their way towards the shelves.

“Some of these students have partial vision due to damaged eye nerves and wear glasses but their vision is still not very strong. You need to call out their name several times for them to follow the sounds and make their way up to you,” says their facilitator.

29 MAY 6-12 2012

FEATURE .

Simple yet effective teaching techniques This Braille slate is used during math class for calculations. Tiny magnets are placed in the indented Braille cells to represent numbers.

For children who are visually challenged, Braille, the standard form of reading and writing by means of raised dots on paper, is used. It generally consists of cells of six raised dots conventionally numbered and the presence or absence of dots gives the coding for the symbol.

The Braille typewriter, typically consisting of six keys, enables children to write and teachers to teach with greater ease and speed.

Since all students cannot be provided with their own Braille typewriters, which are fairly expensive, they are given a Braille slate. This is a twopart hinged device between which a sheet of Braille paper is placed and children use a stylus, consisting of a small handle made of plastic with a sharp metal point, to make tiny dots on the sheet of paper.

Another simple technique employed at the school involves printing larger versions of textbooks to aid reading.

Children in the nursery section, who suffer from partial visual impairment, are catered to by playing videos and enlarging the images on the screen so as to allow children to recognise the objects displayed before them. To further assist them in learning, bold letters are written on a white sheet of paper with a thick black marker and placed under a bright light so as to enable them to read.

As the children advance to higher grades, their reading packages begin to include long passages.

To facilitate their reading needs, a cctv camera, attached to a screen, is placed over the textbook to capture clippings of the text which appear on the screen and are then enlarged. This makes reading a relatively painless experience for children with partial visual impairment.

Bring on the braille The new modern and well equipped complex of Ida Rieu which facilitates the visually challenged children is complete with a state of the art Braille printing machine which converts normal textbooks into Braille books.

An ex-student and an expert at playing the tabla recites a verse from the Quran and its translation from one of the Braille books printed at the school.

30 MAY 6-12 2012

Fruity fun A valuable lesson on fruits is being conducted by Ms Shakila Fatima who has been teaching at the school for the last 8 years. She slides her hand across her face which indicates, “Where are your copies?” When the children do not respond, it doesn’t take long for her to solve the mystery: most children did not have their hearing aids on after returning from recess. Having solved that problem, she proceeds with her lesson, making sure to repeat each word several times so as to allow the children to keep up with her pace. “By attending numerous training sessions I have been able to better communicate with my students ... I understand their needs better now,” she states as she turns towards the white board to draw an apple.

Spirit of dedication Ms Shakila Sadiq has been teaching the students of grade two at the school for the past 25 years and speaks about her fruitful experience: “I joined the school after completing my Matric and i’ve been here since. I never felt the need to leave this place and work someplace else...I completed my BA from here and attended various training sessions. It’s the kids themselves who teach us more than anyone else ... I learnt by reading their facial expressions which speak a million words. It’s been great teaching these children.”

The last word “These children are just like all other children...they are not mentally retarded... that is a general misconception which needs to be corrected. If the right teaching methods are implemented they can compete with ‘normal’ children in all fields, be it sports, academics, arts or even singing,” says Ms Qudsia Khan, the principal of Ida Rieu. “This long journey has been highlighted by many successes and the setbacks that come”, she expresses as she points towards the three rows of trophies lined in the showcase adjacent to her desk.

As a woman who made it her mission in life to learn about the challenges faced by these children, she had a lot to contribute on the subject by way of her experience and her struggle to improve the teaching methods and techniques for these children. “Paucity of funds is the biggest hurdle we face ... the government is not fulfilling its responsibility so NGOs step in to fill in the gap and other individuals who make generous donations from time to time,” she says. “We lack the modern techniques and technology needed to teach these children, along with properly trained staff. Although we are making the effort, we need a proper system in place to improve the quality of education and reach out to more and more special children.”

“People over here lack awareness with regards to special education”, she admits sadly. “Parents usually don’t accept their special children; they think they cannot study like other kids so they start neglecting them. I personally think only 5% of parents give their children the kind of attention they need," she concludes.

31 MAY 6-12 2012

FEATURE

where there’s a will Inspired by a TV report, Iftikhar Firdous goes in search of a computer institute run by blind students

BY IFTIKHAR FIRDOUS

It’s quite strange to be sitting in the basement of Peshawar University, surrounded by six blind men. “Do you know why we are called special?” asks Iqbal Adrali. “It’s a euphemism for disabled.

If someone’s wounded, nobody refers to them as disabled, but instead the wound is treated consistently till it’s better.” Clearly these men are not looking for handouts or pity, but are instead determined to triumph despite their disadvantages.

They have gathered in this basement, which doubles as a

makeshift computer institute, in order to teach each other how

to use computers, but when I look around there isn’t a single computer in sight. That’s strange, considering that the TV report that led me to their doorstep featured several computers

on which they were diligently working. “Where are the comput-

ers that I saw in that TV report?” I ask Yasir, the person around whom the whole project revolves.

“We borrowed them that day for the report,” he replies. I sup-

pose that must have made for better footage than bare desks and walls.

“The vice chancellor of the university has prom-

ised to give us some computers soon — let’s hope he does,” he says as if anticipating my next question.

His lips curl in a cyni-

cal smile as he speaks,

clearly showing that such

32 MAY 6-12 2012

promises have been made in the past.

twenty or so members, only a few can actually make it to the

recently, like Amir Khan, who has come over to see if the group

the lack of transport is a serious problem. However Yasir, who

Not all of them were born blind; some lost their eyesight

can help him get some software for his phone. “It’s called Talks & Zooms,” says Yasir. “Anything that appears on the screen is read out aloud.”

However, the software cannot run on just any phone and re-

meetings. Most of them find it hard to travel on their own, and

live in Charsadda (40 km from Peshawar) rubbishes such concerns as he picks up his white cane saying: “When you have this and enough willpower, you don’t need to worry.”

The group decide to take Amir to a computer store to get the

quires a comparatively expensive one. That’s something out of

software installed on his mobile phone but as the sun sets, they

his previous job as a reporter in a local newspaper. He is still

strike and public transport is not available so they decide to pool

Amir’s reach for now as his blindness has also deprived him of

coming to terms with the loss of both his vision and his liveli-

hood, but while he cannot restore his sight, he has invested

are faced with another problem. The CNG stations have called a in their money and hire a cab.

As they are about to leave, Kamal, the eldest among the men,

in a small business and hopes that he may soon have at least

says something that makes them all laugh. When I ask what

will make his life so much easier.

er’s first reaction is to say: ‘Maaf ka rora, nan khairat nashta’

a regular income. Then he can think of buying the phone that In the meantime the only computer they have is the lap-

top that Nadir has brought from his home. “We use a screen reading software called Jaws that costs somewhere between

the joke is he says, “Whenever we go into a shop, the shopkeep(forgive us brother, we don’t have anything to give in charity today).” T

$800-1000 while Talks & Zooms costs about $300,” says another Amir, who works as a telephone operator at the local phone exchange.

“Luckily, we live in Pakistan and the pirated version is avail-

able for free here!” he says as the group bursts into laughter.

Nadir has brought the laptop to teach the others how to use the internet, and while the Facebook page loads, various emails are

exchanged. Since there’s only one laptop, not all of them can access the internet but they learn by listening to Jaws read out the screen. The group then starts discussing videos that they

can share on Facebook. “What if I can’t find you on Facebook?” asks one of them. “My ID has a display picture,” Yasir replies.

“Just ask someone from your family to sit with you and they’ll help you identify me.”

Along with computers, there’s something else that’s missing here. “Are there are no women or girls in this group?” I ask. “Taboos”, they reply in unison. “They are blind, they

are

women

and

they are living in

a conservative Pashtun society. That’s

enough.” members

The

say

group they

are trying to spread awareness

about their programs, but haven’t had

much luck. Security is a major concern and, of the

33 MAY 6-12 2012

PROFILE

the wizard called

tasadaq sohail

BY MUNA SIDDIQUI

As the metal grill door in the dark landing of Tasadaq Sohail’s humble Karachi flat clanged open, I waited patiently to be let in. I wondered if anything had changed in the years since I had last met him. By my calculations he was almost eighty-three years old now — typically, you expect religious fervor to have kicked in and as I stood there I let my imagination run wild. I was already picturing a wise sage, a Gandalf-like persona from Lord of the Rings or some variation of Dumbledore from the Harry Potter movies. Not so.

He peered from behind the door to make sure it was me, and there he was, exactly as I remembered him,

unchanged despite a decade’s passing. There he stood, more the mischievous Gollum than the sage Gandalf, as chirpy and roguish as ever.

38

For those who need an introduction, Sohail is one of the most celebrated artists of his time. His list of one-man

MAY 6-12 2012

shows is endless and impressive, and lately the market for his work has soared greatly

with collectors snapping up his paintings even before the paint dries. The V&A Museum

and the Art council of Great Britain have included his work in their collection. And he still paints on, as prolific as ever.

His paintings are surreal narratives that dip and dive into the realms of fantasy and

fiction. The Devil himself, mermen and mermaids alike, minions and centaurs are all swimming in a sea of wild bewilderment and anguished existence.

Why try to find an anchor for these devilish creations? No heaven could be as naughty

and no Hell could be as playful. His paintbrush just cooks up these impish characters that spontaneously tiptoe across his paintings and when you are not looking, snicker and continue cantering on in their demonic way. Quite unreal and quite mischie-

His paintings are surreal narratives that dip and dive into the realms of fantasy and fiction. The Devil himself, mermen and mermaids alike, minions and centaurs are all swimming in a sea of wild bewilderment and anguished existence

vous is the world of Sohail as it revolves

in a giant bowl of what could only be discontentment.

Animated as ever, being eighty-

three has not dimmed Tasadaq Sohail’s discontent. He is fierce, feisty

and furious all at the same time.

One can imagine him burning the

midnight oil in his studio lit by gigantic square ceiling lights cooking

up revenge on canvas as he viciously

squeezes the tubes of paints in a frenzy of creativity.

Angry parrots squawk away and

mullah-like figures argue back while grinning politicians watch over you from their canvas prisons. You think all the years of reflection that Tasadaq

Sohail has had would have softened his stance but I couldn’t help smiling

as he rattled on, plotting his ultimate revenge in life, his autobiography

which he has bequeathed to be printed

only after his passing. Not before, he grins devilishly, because heads will roll and secrets will be revealed that will be the undoing of many!

But what does a successful artist like Tasadaq have to be angry about? Apparently, a

great deal. Religion, Politics, establishment, family and friends that were, are all part of the plot.

He was born in Jalandhar, now a part of India, in October 1930 and his family was re-

luctantly forced to leave India at partition to come to Lahore. He remembers attending the pre-partition rallies and in true Tasadaq fashion opposes the partition that forced him to

uproot himself. A fiercely independent young man, he did not allow his family to force him into marriage and instead escaped to London when he was 25 years old.

In London began Tasadaq’s journey to become the artist he is today. His motivation, as

he puts it, was purely lust. He joined an evening art class at St Martin’s college in London

on the tip off that the gender ratio was in favour of women and he would, to be plain, get lucky with women.

Tasadaq was lucky in more ways than one. He fulfilled his goal of meeting women but MAY 6-12 2012

39

PROFILE also unlocked his hidden talent in the process. He continued these evening classes for almost 30 years,

availing the use of a live model for his paintings. In all these years in the UK he was never really recognised as an artist and held several odd jobs including as a breakfast chef at the Cumberland Hotel and a used

clothes salesman at Moss Brothers. I was curious to know if he ever found love and wished to settle down and of course I was brutally struck down for asking so naïve a question. Tasadaq is an eternal romantic

capable of being in love with several women at once. He roguishly talks about his first trip to Hira Mandi, the topic of one of his short stories, and loves talking about his current liaisons which are, to put it plainly, many.

In London began Tasadaq’s journey to become the artist he is known as today. His motivation, as he puts it, was purely lust. He joined an evening art class at St Martin’s college in London on the tip off that the gender ratio was in favour of women and he would, to be plain, get lucky with women

40 MAY 6-12 2012

Those who know him as a painter would be surprised to know that he is an equally avid writer. His Urdu

stories have been in print many times for many years and he loves the written narrative as much as the visual.

The list of Tasadaq Sohail’s achievements goes on but does not seem to have rubbed off on Tasadaq So-

hail himself. He does not seem to be too affected by all the publicity he gets. Despite all his success, he

claims he has never tried to sell his work at an inflated price, which is very true. He seems confused about the market for art and suspicious of dealers and the ever-present counterfeiters.

But most of all, he is a delightful artist to meet. He has the enthusiasm and the excitement of an artist

at his first show. He wants to explain the madness he creates, and almost at times seems to need to de-

fend it. Once you have understood his unconventional play with brilliant color and get past the carelessly drawn lines to see the deliberation of this apparent spontaneity, you will learn to see a different dimension of his work. You will see an artist who has nothing to prove and a boundless talent to display.

Tasadaq Sohail wants to make the most of every second he has. As I leave, he turns and returns to his

easel, already lost in the unfinished story unfolding on his canvas.

Ernest Hemingway once talked about the wisdom of old men. He said, “They do not grow wise. They

grow careful.” I think Tasadaq Sohail is who he is because he does not care to be careful and is wise enough to have figured that out a long time ago. His paintings are as daring and challenging as his personality and they will live on, ageless and enduring, unfolding their narrative for generations to come.

REVIEW

the other 1971

BY JAVED JABBAR

Of Martyrs and Marigolds by Aquila Ismail is a poignant and evocative portrayal of the so-far largely untold aspects of a sad saga. Through in a novelised form, the book depicts the shattered dreams and dilemmas of the Urdu-speaking Bihari-origin residents of East Pakistan, particularly in the years 1971 and 1972.

There has been patchy coverage of the roughly 200,000 Biharis living in refugee camps post-1971, who want to move to a Pakistan which is no longer willing to accept them. But news media in general and non-news media in particular have devoted little attention to the paradoxical plight of those Bihari East Pakistanis who genuinely loved the land and the people they had adopted. Many of them condemned the postponement of the National Assembly session by General Yahya Khan on March 1, 1971. They were grieved by the use of excessive military force against the Awami League onwards of March 25, 1971. And they did not support the pro-Pakistan militias that were pitched against the Bengali militias.

When these innocent, non-combatant Biharis and other Urduspeaking residents of East Pakistan began to be indiscriminately targeted by Bengali Awami League extremists to settle scores against General Yahya Khan’s policies and the actions initiated by General Tikka Khan, tens of thousands of these persons became victims overnight at the hands of fellow countrymen. Suddenly, there was no room for them in the place where they had fondly made their home.

This novel of unadorned sincerity is a significant contribution towards redressing the paucity of literature on these facets of history.

Despite its fictional format, the pivotal points of the story are thoroughly factual. Though the principal characters of the young woman Suri, her parents, siblings and the young Bengali man who loves her are imaginary, their identities are clearly rooted in reality. So are the specific episodes of cruelty and callousness suffered by them and others at the hands of extremist Bengalis retaliating for the atrocities — both actual and construed — committed by officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army.

Writing with an intimate familiarity that is obviously shaped by an autobiographical perspective, Ismail observes the beauty, colours and fragrances of Bangladesh with deep sensitivity. The first paragraph of the book delightfully captures virtually all the senses: from the white shades of shefali flowers to the scent of raat-ki-raani, from monsoon rains to the flutter of butterflies. She sustains her special eye for detail throughout: from glowing fire-flies by the Padma river at dusk to the world’s longest unbroken beach at Cox’s Bazaar, from orangeyellow marigolds to the sacred red of martyrs’ blood.

As the narrative and the pace build up to the tension, tears and trauma of the final pages, characters become vividly real — endearing, or, as the case may be, menacing and repellent in their actions.

The intra-family relationships, quirks and twists and all, are welldrawn. The novel powerfully conveys the agony of a peaceful family that genuinely cherishes ‘sonar Bangla’ sliding into the horror of becoming refugees and prisoners.

What weakens the novel is the depiction of the relationship between Suri and Rumi. While it is symbolic and moving, it is not amplified to its potential depth. In contrast to the engaging passages that set the scenes so well, the dialogue tends to be simplistic and literal.

Though instances of brutalities committed during the Army action in 1971 are part of the record, the claim of an order being given by the generals “to kill three million Bengalis” and the sweeping charges of a full-scale genocide are a gross exaggeration. The meticulously researched book Dead Reckoning by Sarmila Bose conclusively established how an entirely false charge has become part of a global narrative that unjustly maligns the name of Pakistan and its Army.

Of Martyrs and Marigolds is a novel and not factual history. But, because its story is so inextricably a part of actual events, there are some sections of the novel where this reviewer is of the opinion that the author should not have reproduced without question the fabricated accusations of wholesale, indiscriminate massacres. Every human life is sacrosanct and there can be no justification for the killing of innocent people. But is not the whole truth also sacred?

41 MAY 6-12 2012

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END OF THE LINE

Are you capable of drawing a straight line? Do you have a comic or doodle that you think will have us rolling on the floor

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with laughter? If you’ve answered yes to all those questions then send in your creations to magazine@tribune.com.pk MAY 6-12 2012