OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
The travails of Pakistan’s gay community
OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
Cover Story 20 Let’s get one thing straight ... I’m not Gays in a largely homophobic society wage a silent struggle for acceptance
Context 30 Pots of Gold and Sacks of Coal A snapshot of the global gay community
Comment 36 Turtles in Trouble Turtles have a hard time finding a nesting place on Karachi’s polluted beaches
Positive Pakistani 38 A Rupee for a Life Parveen Rao is a woman who knows the worth of a single rupee
36
Regulars
38
6 People & Parties: Out and about with Pakistan’s beautiful people 40 Reviews: What’s new in movies
30
Magazine Editor: Zarrar Khuhro, Senior Sub-Editor: Batool Zehra, Sub-Editors: Ameer Hamza and Dilaira Mondegarian. Creative Team: Amna Iqbal, Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Anam Haleem, Tariq W Alvi, S Asif Ali, Samad Siddiqui, Mohsin Alam, Sukayna Sadik. Publisher: Bilal A Lakhani. Executive Editor: Muhammad Ziauddin. Editor: Kamal Siddiqi. For feedback and submissions: magazine@tribune.com.pk 4
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Ayesha Khurram launches her national tour from Ellemint Pret in Karachi
Maryam Shams
Mathira Bina Suleman
Hassan Ellahi
6 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
Afreena and Shiraz
Hira Tareen
PHOTOS COURTESY VOILA PR
Ayesha Nasir
and Aamer Bajwa m Ayesha Khurra
OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Ensemble hosted their first version of Fashion’s Night Out, a charity event, in Karachi
Amean and Saima Mohsin
PHOTOS COURTESY LOTUS
Shezray, Zeba Husain and Shehrnaz Husain
leeb Rana
erre and And
Sadaf Malat
Nida Azwer
8 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
Guest
Umair Tabani and Sikander
OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Mr and Mrs Munaaf
Ayesha Toor
The Karachi Fashion Week showcases collection from various designers during a course of four days
Rabia Butt
Aliya Tipu
Fayezah Ansari
10 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
in
Nadia Hussa
Tariq Amin
Nazia Malik
Konain
OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Nadia Hussain
iddiqi
Sultana S
Aeisha Varsey
Faryal and Nadira
Neshmia
Angie
12 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
Saima Azhar
Sadia with her brother
PHOTOS COURTESY CATALYST PR AND MARKETING
Luminesce, a stem cell serum, launches in Karachi
OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
PEOPLE & PARTIES
r
Zeba Bakhtia
Frieha Altaf and Farah Khan
neesa Rashid
Fauzia and A hatti and
or B Dr. Mabro
Luci West
Mr and Mrs Salman Alvi Arieba
14 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
Maheen Khan
OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
PEOPLE & PARTIES
Nickie Nina continue their national tour at their flagship outlet in Zamzama, Karachi
Mona
Kiran Mian
PHOTOS COURTESY VOILA PR
Saba and Asad
Mishi Khan Mathira
Sobia
16 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
Aiesha Varsey
Rizwan Beyg
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COVER STORY
20 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
At first glance, the PQM’s flag looks like that of any political party. It proudly displays the star and crescent against a rainbow-hued spectrum of reds, purples and blues, depicting a Pakistan that is not simply green and white, but capable of embracing all shades of being and behaviour. But this isn’t the flag of a political party and the acronym PQM stands for the Pakistan Queer Movement, not — as some may imagine — the Pakistan Qaumi Mahaz. The brainchild of 18-year-
“respect,
old Nuwas Manto, the PQM, in its own words, seeks
equality and freedoms for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender (LGBT) community in Pakistan.”
“It depends on what you think a movement is,” says Man-
to, when asked to explain what the PQM aspires to achieve.
“You won’t see us marching in pink underwear, for instance.
What we are working towards is something like the Progres-
sive Writers’ Movement who aspire to bring about a mental state of
change through writing.”
Writing is something Nuwas Manto does a lot of, whether in publica-
tions like the Pink Pages or through Facebook on the PQM official page where
free-spirited individuals, ‘queer’ or not, discuss the nuances of sexuality openly. Extremely well-read for his 18 years, he is fond of citing the poetry of Abu Nuwas, from whom the first part of his alias is derived. A
controversial Arab poet, Abu Nuwas (750-810 AD) lived during the reign
of Caliph Haroon al Rashid and caused no end of scandal due to his poems celebrating homosexuality. As a nod to his literary tastes, the second part of his alias is a tribute to Saadat Hassan Manto.
that they may
his sexuality. “I always
from their family and friends,
Unlike many who struggle when confronted with the possibility
be gay, Manto says he never had any doubts or illusions about
knew it,” he says. Also, unlike many who hide their tendencies
Manto wasn’t content to live his life in the proverbial closet,
and came out to his family about his sexual preferences. While he was lucky enough not to be cast out of the family, the reaction was mixed. “My mother refused to believe me, even though I think she always suspected it. To this day she keeps trying to fix me up with girls in order to ‘cure’ me.”
His brother’s reaction was somewhat different, though he stopped short of actually beating him up.
“All my brother said was that homosexuals are paedophiles and that he will never let his kids near me,” reveals Manto, saying that just because he’s gay doesn’t mean he is promiscuous…or a pervert.
These aren’t the only stereotypes that are perpetuated about the gay community, of course. The
very word ‘gay’ is used as a derogatory term, liberally used to label men who display what is consid-
ered ‘effeminate’ behaviour. Whether or not these men are actually homosexual is irrelevant and, in some circles, displaying emotion or sensitivity is enough to be labelled ‘gay’ or a ‘fag’. And for
those who are in fact homosexual, there can be more unpleasant consequences. Xien*, a young gay man who works in the fashion industry, says the least he has to face on a daily basis is “staring, jeering and even unwanted advances. While traveling in public places if people somehow suspect that you’re gay, they choose to make a public display of their disdain. If, god forbid, it’s a bunch of
guys, it becomes a competition to prove how masculine they are by putting you down, and even at-
21 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
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OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
COVER STORY tacking you physically.” He makes an interesting observation, though: “One would find more men involved in such loony acts whereas the female population may not react if the situation involved them instead. I guess it’s something to do with the male ego, along with a lack of awareness.”
It’s these attitudes that cause people like Xien and Manto to hide their sexuality. With homo-
sexuals and homosexuality very much a taboo topic, even people like Manto, who are at ease with who they are, have to hide their identity behind an alias.
So it’s no wonder that the LGBT community makes great use of a medium where aliases and ava-
tars are the norm: the internet. Back in 2007, a Canadian report on the situation of homosexuals in Pakistan claimed:
“The Internet is reportedly contributing to a sense of growing “solidarity” amongst homosexuals
in Pakistan. Online chat rooms are said to provide a “safe and anonymous forum for middle- and upper-class gay men.”
Certainly, the anonymity of the internet has allowed many members of the gay community to
interact without fear of censure and persecution, and has allowed for the presentation of alter-
nate viewpoints and narratives. From the long-standing Chay magazine, to Mantos’s blog, the Pink
Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860) 377. Unnatural offences: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than two years nor more than ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Pages, and the PQM’s Facebook site, avenues for the exploration of alternate sexuality have opened
up rapidly. While some sites are lurid forums for organising same-sex liaisons, most are personal blogs and discussion forums. Up until 2009, Jalaludin*, who describes himself as a homosexual
banker from Karachi, maintained a blog that was cited in the Times of India and several international
publications. In one of his last posts, he writes of how the scrutiny is scaring him off: “The closet door is being banged at very hard. For all the actions where I have come out of the closet to my family and friends does not mean that I am ready to do it officially. Not in Pakistan. I can not. Sorry. So,
since this blog has started coming into international media showcasing Pakistani homosexuals, I would have to request you people to at least not try to knock on the closet door.”
Others, like blogger and activist Hadi Husain manage to withstand the online scrutiny and keep
the torch burning on their websites and blogs. None of them, however, ever cross the line into ‘real-life’ activism.
24 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
But it seems that homosexuality is acceptable so long as it remains on the margins, and firmly
within the realm of entertainment. “Bol is a great example of how homosexuality figures in Paki-
stan,” says society doyen Yousuf Salahuddin. “If you’re rich, you get away with it, but if you’re poor you’re trampled.” Not that the depiction of homosexuals on our screens is a recent phenomenon. Take the classic TV show “Aangan Tehra”, which featured the late Salim Zia brilliantly playing the flamboyantly gay, and devastatingly witty, character of Akbar. Not only was he a huge hit (despite
his implied sexual preferences), he became a template for hosts of other similar characters in TV, film and stage shows. Cue to the 2000s and we have Ali Saleem’s cross-dressing begum Nawazish,
who would interview politicians, celebs and religious leaders alike with his/her innuendo-laden
banter. The show was a runway success and, to the best of my knowledge, no one ever burned an ef-
figy of Ali Saleem or issued a fatwa against him. Ironically, even though Salahuddin calls the show
“the breakout point for homosexuality in Pakistan,” the fact remains that criticism of Ali Saleem
comes not so much from the right, but from some LGBT activists who expected him to speak out forcefully for gay rights.
So long as it’s entertaining, being gay is apparently all right. For the LGBT community itself,
keeping the debate online and off-air allows greater control and manages their exposure to a society
that is, by and large, intolerant of them. When the debate does hit the mainstream however, the results can be explosive.
Case in point: when the US embassy famously held a function in Islamabad to celebrate Gay Pride
on June 26, 2011, many right-wing organisations staged protests. The Jamaat-i-Islami labeled it
an act of “social and cultural terrorism against Pakistan,” saying that homosexuals were “neither Muslim, nor Pakistani.” TV talk shows soon followed this hot story, with pundits weighing in on
what a terrible crime being gay was. Pakistan’s gay activists responded, but from behind the sheltering anonymity of their avatars. Which gay person in their right mind would out themselves on a nationally broadcast talk show after all?
The blogosphere of course, was buzzing. Manto countered the JI’s statement by saying “Homo-
sexuality was, is and will be an aspect of Pakistani society, just as it has been present in all times
25 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
COVER STORY and places,” and accused mullahs of practicing “same-sex pedophilia.”
Of course, while it was predictable that the gay community would condemn the religious right
for their intolerance, the US embassy also came under fire for ‘outing’ a debate that the community
wanted to be able to keep under wraps and under control. Hadi Husain called it “a disaster for the budding underground Pakistani LGBT movement.” Nuwas Manto pointed to the hypocrisy of orga-
nising a function in ‘support’ of the LGBT community which left them in the line of fire, and then stopping short of actually offering asylum or any kind of material support apart from “kind words of encouragement.”
Another gay blogger, going by the alias of ‘Tamashbeen’ actually took the outrage as a call to
arms. Incensed at a statement made by Mufti Abdul Qawi in which he called homosexuals “worse than animals”, he wrote a blog titled: “Thank you Mufti Sahab, for helping me out of the closet.”
Tamashbeen actually came out of the closet to his friends and family — and was surprised at how accepting they were.
The general public, though, views homosexuality as a sin and an aberration. And the religious right,
especially after the US embassy fiasco, links homosexuality to nefarious ‘foreign agendas’. For those who feel and advocate that homosexuality is an acquired tendency and a western ill that our society has
possibly taken on from exposure to international media and its perversions, Zehra* presents a strong rebuttal. A physicist by education, she grew up in the Gulf in a house full of books and literary magazines, and never had any exposure to either a homosexual friend or gay literature. A tomboy from the
>>UN Resolution On June 17, 2011, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution supporting equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation. Backers included the US, the European Union, Brazil and other Latin American countries, while those opposing included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Pakistan. In 2003, a proposed UN measure advocating global gay rights was vetoed by a coalition of five Islamic nations including Pakistan. Pakistan, in fact, distributed a memo on behalf of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference which stated that the “resolution directly contradicts the tenets of Islam and other religions,” and its approval would be “a direct insult to the 1.2 billion Muslims around the world.”<<
start, she realised she was different when her sisters would fawn over boys and she couldn’t see what
all the fuss was about. “The first time I heard the term gay was in 1997 when George Michael was found having intercourse in a public toilet and it became a media scandal,” says Zehra.
Unlike Manto who is agnostic, and Xien, who is Christian, Zehra carries a pocket size Quran with
her at all times. “I am a very spiritual person interested in all world religions.”
How does one reconcile one’s faith, which seems to have very strict guidelines on sexual rela-
tions, with being a homosexual? Ask any average person and he will vehemently start quoting the
story of Lot as prime example of how abhorred homosexuality is within Islam and the Abraha-
manic religions. “We definitely need an alternate interpretation of the story of Lot,” says Manto. Warming to his topic he continues, “a God who can forgive a murderer or a rapist can most certainly forgive a person for loving someone.”
“The biggest problem right now is internalised homophobia,” says Zehra. “We have all been
brought up to believe that this is wrong and un-natural,” adding that she believes that the story
of Lot speaks of a morally corrupt society and of rape and sodomy, not homosexuality. “Sodomy is forced sex, whether it’s with a man or a woman. The Quran, in fact, doesn’t even mention the
word ‘homosexual’. It refers to ‘mukhanas’, which is the Arabic word for transsexual,” says Zehra
contending that what has given homosexuality a bad image is its association with male gay culture
and by extension to partying, sex, drugs and alcohol. “The fundamental difference between gays and lesbians is that we are not loud about it. Our main concern is who we have feelings for. So it’s not about who you are having sex with,” offers Zehra.
For lesbians like Zehra, being gay is a double-whammy, combining the ‘natural disadvantage’ of
being a woman in a patriarchal society with the anxiety caused by one’s sexual orientation. Irrespective of social class, education and background, a woman is expected to behave in ways that are
dictated, approved and mandated by the male members of the family. These inherent pressures of ‘womanhood’, led to 30-year-old Zehra’s intensely anxious state of being. “This constant pressure to conform, to marry, to become like any other woman and not knowing what is going on inside me, made me perennially depressed and suicidal.”
Of course, whether you’re gay or straight, some unpleasant facts of life remain constant…like dis-
crimination and sexual harassment, for example. “It’s very difficult, in fact near impossible, to be a
26 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
straight man and be a model,” says Saif*. Despite being the son of a
notable media personality, Saif has been refused work because he has not responded to the sexual advances made by gay modelling agents/ photographers/choreographers. “Every designer will ask you before he gives you any work whether or not you are gay. So the casting couch
definitely exists. I’ve experienced it for two years and so I have given
up on modelling,” claims Saif who says he was even advised by a top agency boss to “just do it — you will become a top model.”
Such stories never really make it to the mainstream, except for
example in the case of the 2008 murder of Shaikh Amir Hasan in Karachi, where the accused claimed to have been sexually assaulted by the designer. Again, in 2009 a story alleging same-sex sexual
harassment in the Pakistan women’s cricket team briefly made the
rounds. Pakistani media did obliquely report on the allegations, but it was ESPN Star that carried the full story. Of course, just as all het-
erosexual males cannot be held accountable for the fact that rape takes place, it isn’t fair or justifiable to blame all homosexuals or homosexuality itself for the existence of a few bad eggs.
Ultimately though, the quest and challenge lying at the heart of the Pakistan Queer Movement
and its members is a desire for acceptability. “Trying to fit a size six shoe on a size four foot will
always look awkward, shoddy and inappropriate no matter how much you try to frame a person or group of people into a slot that doesn’t involve them the least,” says Xien. A sentiment that even
Zehra echoes when she says longingly, “I don’t want to live a life that compromises my identity.” a
27 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
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CONTEXT Afghanistan Afghanistan did away with the death penalty after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 but homosexual acts still remain punishable with fines and a prison sentence. India In June of 2009, the Delhi High Court declared section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised homosexuality, invalid. The ruling was made in the landmark case of Naz Foundation v. Govt. of NCT, where the court held that the criminalisation of consensual homosexual sex between adults was a violation of fundamental rights protected by the country’s constitution. Indian Soap-Opera A popular Indian soap, “Maryada: Lekin Kab Tak?” (Honour: But at What Cost?), was one of the first television shows in the country to feature a homosexual character. The show is focused on a conservative family in a small town in India, the Jhaakar clan, whose eldest son Gaurav is gay.
Criminalisation
Consensual sexual acts between adults of the same sex are punishable by death in seven countries: Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, parts of Nigeria, Gambia and Somalia http://www.sodomylaws.org/
30 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
Bollywood Gay Movie Dunno Y...Na Jaane Kyon, directed by Sanjay Sharma, premiered in April 2010 at India’s first mainstream gay film festival, the Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Featuring the first gay kiss in Indian cinema, the film met a barrage of protests and controversy, with some multiplexes even refusing to screen the film, claiming the openly homosexual content would be inappropriate to screen in their family-friendly theatres. The real life parents of Yuvraaj Parashar, one of two lead characters, also initiated legal action to disown him because of the shame arising from the film, claiming to “not want to see his face even in death.”
Jamaica Jamaica has one of the most stringent sodomy laws in the world, with homosexual activity carrying a 10 year jail sentence. Many attribute Jamaica’s intense homophobia to the anti-gay music scene which promotes gay-bashing. Banton, one of the nation’s most popular dancehall singers, boasted of shooting gays with Uzis and burning their skin with acid in his 1992 song, Boom Bye-Bye. Uganda A bill that imposed the death penalty for some homosexual acts and life in prison for others was shelved after an international uproar. The legislation was submitted after a visit by leaders of conservative Christian ministries from the United States who offered therapy, claiming that they could convert gays to heterosexuals. ‘Outed’ and hunted down In October 2010, Ugandan paper Rolling Stone published photos, names and addresses of Uganda’s 100 “top” homosexuals, inciting their readers to hang them. Many Ugandans were attacked after the publication as a result of their real or perceived sexual orientation. Sexual Minorities Uganda leader David Kato, one of the activists outed in the article, was murdered in his home by an assailant who struck him twice in the head with a hammer. South Africa Although South Africa is the only African nation which recognises gay marriage, it is home to intense homophobia. Roving gangs carry out so-called “corrective” rapes on lesbians, claiming to “cure” them of their sexual orientation by sexually assaulting them.
United States of America “Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) was the official policy of the United States on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy allowed closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants but barred openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. In July of 2011, a federal appeals court barred the further enforcement of the DADT. Congress then declared that the DADT policy would end by September 20, 2011. Archie Comics Kevin Keller became the first openly gay character in Archie Comics history in Veronica #202, published on September 2010. The move was made to keep the world of Archie comics inclusive and updated. Keller will star in his own solo title which will debut in February 2012. Gay Panic Defence The gay panic defence is a legal defence against charges of assault or murder. A defendant can use the gay panic defence by claiming that he or she acted in a state of violent temporary insanity because of a little-known psychiatric condition called homosexual panic. Similarly, Trans panic is used in cases where the victim is a transgender or intersex person. Ex-Gay Movement The movement, started in the early 1970s, initially sought to help people who struggled with unwanted same-sex attractions, but through the years became more politicised and involved in speaking out against the civil rights of LGBT people. The majority of participants and leaders are white Evangelical Christian males. Ex-gay organisations use a variety of methods to eliminate same-sex sexual orientation, from minor techniques like psychoanalysis, group therapy to horrific ones involving electric shock or nausea-inducing drugs.
31 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
CONTEXT Gay Marriage Since 2001, ten countries have begun allowing same-sex couples to marry nationwide: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and Sweden. Same-sex marriages are also performed and recognised in Mexico City and parts of the United States. Some jurisdictions that do not perform same-sex marriages recognise same-sex marriages performed elsewhere: Israel, the Caribbean countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, parts of the United States, and all states of Mexico. Mental Disorder
Homosexuality was once thought to be a mental disorder by the American Psychological Association (APA). Further research led to its removal by the APA from its list of diagnoses and disorders.
Greece Greece has the most discriminatory laws pertaining to homosexuality in Europe. Discrimination through sexual orientation is allowed and homosexuality is banned in the army. Male prostitution is illegal while no such ban exists for female prostitution and the police are authorised to forcibly require gay men to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
32 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
https://loopylettuce.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/cannabis-laws-vs-homosexuality-laws/
Malaysia Malaysia still maintains a law against sodomy, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, though prosecutions are rare. Malaysian Gay Film The non-explicit version of Dalam Botol (In a Bottle), a film about a Muslim man who undergoes a sex-change operation to please his boyfriend but realises later that he may have been better off being a man, was a major success in Malaysia despite a ban on films that show support for gay lifestyles.
China China, home to an estimated 30 million homosexuals, severely persecuted homosexuals during the Cultural Revolution. Sodomy was finally decriminalised in 1997, while the Chinese Psychiatric Association stopped listing homosexuality as a mental illness in 2001. a
Iran In 2007, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking to Columbia University, said “We don’t have homosexuals, like in your country. I don’t know who told you that.” An aide later said that he was misquoted and was actually saying that “compared to American society, we don’t have many homosexuals”. The aide further clarified that “because of historical, religious and cultural differences homosexuality is less common in Iran and the Islamic world than in the West”.
33 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
COMMENT
The shores of Karachi no longer welcome marine turtles; instead they are greeted by garbage and predators
turtles BY MUHAMMAD ADIL MULKI
Imagine the plight of a mother about to give birth but unable to find a peaceful maternity ward — who is instead held up by hordes of intruders, many hostile and almost , all ignorant. This is the situation confronting thousands of marine turtles who swim hundreds of miles through the ocean to lay their eggs on Karachi’s beaches.
just be a drop in the ocean, but it is the only organisation which
Green Sea Turtles and the Olive Ridley Turtles show up on the
tific data. Later, hatchlings are released into the sea. Often school-
shores of Pakistan to lay their eggs sporadically throughout the
year, but the migration really peaks during the months of October
and November, when turtles swim out of the sea and dig holes in
directly assists in nesting and hatching. When launched in 1979,
the comprehensive program was at par with international efforts
encompassing harvesting, incubation and hatching of eggs and the release of hatchlings. Traditionally, the SWD tags the turtles
to monitor their movement in international waters, collects eggs
and keeps them at the hatcheries for incubation, and logs scienchildren participate in these activities, witnessing the tiny turtles crawling towards the sea, taking their first steps towards a new life.
Private sector organisations sometimes abet the SWD’s efforts
the sand with their flippers to lay their eggs.
by initiating awareness campaigns and arranging turtle-watching
deafening noise, disturbing lights and pollution. All this makes it
better chance amidst seemingly impossible odds: pollution, preda-
But the increasing human presence on beaches has resulted in
difficult for these timid turtles — who usually flee at the sign of hu-
man presence — to find a suitable nesting place. More and more
trips for the public. This intervention provides the marine turtles a tors and deaths by interaction with picnickers.
Having observed nesting during the peak activity season for a
huts and buildings are built along the shore every year. The garbage
number of years, I decided to take my family along with me this
predators. Dogs, cats and rats patrol the shore and crows and eagles
and-a-half-year-old, and to let him release a few hatchlings into the
heaps keep getting bigger and bigger, attracting more and more hover threateningly above. Many of these uninvited guests do not
hesitate to dig up nests and eat the freshly laid eggs even as the fe-
year. I wanted to inculcate a fondness for these animals in my twosea.
But when I saw that no egg-collection activity was taking place at
male turtle heads slowly back to the water.
the beach, I was dismayed. When I asked the SWD folk, they told
Department (SWD) has been running a programme of conservation
no eggs could be buried till the contractors re-erected them. At the
To give these turtles better odds of survival, the Sindh Wildlife
36
in
and awareness. Its three hatcheries and limited manpower may OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
me that the fences of the hatcheries had broken down last year so
same time, the tagging of turtles, which does not require any enclo-
sure, was also not taking place. The problem appeared to be not just
would not be updated.
of credibility that plagues Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public. After all, conservation
these turtles and increasing awareness. A volunteer force, super-
a lack of funds, but apathy on the part of the employees and the lack
A number of measures can be undertaken towards safeguarding
requires people who are willing to work at odd hours motivated, not
vised by the admittedly limited SWD personnel, can form an ideal
Unfortunately, on the shores of Karachi, the peak nesting season
Karachi Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centre for Excellence in Marine Biology or the
by monetary gains, but by the inner joy and satisfaction it brings.
for 2011 will soon be over without a single hatchling released into the waters by schoolchildren, who are just starting to develop a love for animals. This experience is essential to allow children to learn
of the struggles which lie ahead of hatchlings. No books, documentaries or speeches can recreate this bond or make up for the wealth of knowledge that is attained firsthand.
Another dismal revelation was that, for the first time in three
decades, data on the nesting activity for Pakistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marine turtles
team for this task. Partnership programmes that draw interns from
National Institute of Oceanography can help save the turtles and provide firsthand experience to students. An unconventional solution coupled with sincere efforts is all that is required to reverse the
pitiful plight of these marine turtles. The short term goal, however, remains the construction of the fence around the hatcheries before the end of the peak nesting season.
As for my two-and-a-half-year-old, the wait to witness the re-
lease of hatchlings on Karachi shores continues. a
trouble
I wanted to inculcate a fondness for turtles in my two-and-a-half-year-old, and let him release a few hatchlings into the sea. OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
31 37
POSITIVE PAKISTANI PEOPLE
a rupee for a life
Parveen Rao was discouraged from going to university — not only did she educate herself, she now makes sure that even the least privileged get a shot at an education BY SAAD ZUBERI
The 45-minute drive from Parveen’s home next to the Expo Center to Khuda Ki Basti in Surjani Town is anything but pleasant, thanks to the traffic and bumpy, unpaved roads along the way. But that hasn’t stopped her from making the journey to Amal-e-Danish, better known as the One Rupee School every morning for the last 16 years.
stood my limitations and knew I had to start on a small scale and
Parveen Afshan Rao is perhaps one of the most charming and
posal, more than 20 families offered their homes to get things
the results of her endeavours inside the four walls of her small
send their children to school that they were willing to offer their
driven women I’ve met in my life. And today I was witnessing school-building in one of the most neglected neighbourhoods of Karachi.
“It’s a long drive, but I chose the area because it was compar-
38
atively peaceful back then,” she explains as we make ourselves
comfortable in her modest yet well-equipped office. “I underOCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
Assothis was the perfect place. When I asked the Katchi Abadi Asso ciation for a plot to open the school, they said that they would
only consider my application once I had actually opened a school. They needed to make sure I wasn’t a con-woman trying to eat up their land!”
But when the people of Surjani Town heard about her pro-
started. “It was very moving… the families were so desperate to two-room homes for the purpose. That was when I knew I had come to the right place.”
Fortunately, the Katchi Abadi Association agreed to allot her a
plot. She then brought the adjoining plot as well, adding more land later. “We started with just four rooms and now we’ve built
on personal money because I’ve always believed that once you take up a responsibility, you have to see it through. I knew that if things were ever to get seriously bad, I would probably cut down
on my home supplies rather than delaying my teachers’ salaries.” Things started to look up again when people who had heard
about this initiative came forward to help out Parveen. An Indian
gentleman who was quite impressed with the concept of the One Rupee School emailed Parveen and is now a regular donor.
And now that things have settled down, Parveen has finally
found the time needed to expand her school. The first step was
the One Rupee School for underprivileged students, the second dimension is Tez Raft, which provides accelerated tuition for
children who were not able to go to school at the right time and are thus lagging behind. The third step is providing education
for boys and girls who have reached the matriculation or inter-
mediate level, but whose families want them to start earning a living. Parveen gives these children teaching jobs in the school
more than 20!” Parveen beams.
But what’s the story behind the implausible one rupee fees?
Surely the paltry sum cannot be enough to run the whole school,
which even has a small computer lab with three or four running computers. “During the first few months, I had rounded up
about a hundred children whose parents couldn’t afford to send
them to school. I set the fee at Rs30 per month but when the parents started to pull their children out of school, I realised that
while tutoring them in her free time and bearing the cost of any
further study they want to undertake. “Whether they want to do matriculation or intermediate, bachelors or masters, I pay for
their education if they agree to teach younger kids at the school, so that the tradition continues,” she explains.
But what Parveen is most excited about is the fourth step,
“Taleem-e-Baalghan is all about educating the mothers of our students.”
Initially, the textbook for these women had been very similar
those people couldn’t pay even that,” says Parveen. “I refused to
to a ‘Qaida’ but some of the women actually stopped coming to
finally decided to slash the fees by Rs29 and turn it into the One
book they had studied years ago! Parveen then wrote ‘Meri Kita-
turn it into a free school like the parents were urging me, so I Rupee School.”
Parveen explained that the objective of the one rupee fee is to
assure the students and their parents that they’re not getting
school because their children were mocking them for studying a ab’ in a new, personalised format, which made it markedly different from the children’s ‘Qaida’.
“My own family had always been against me studying,” she re-
an education for free. But since the fee was merely nominal,
calls with a sniffle as she gives me a quick tour of the classrooms
strange, but I couldn’t possibly have gone around asking people
was a free maid for them. They used to say that I could start next
Parveen’s next objective was to raise finances. “This might sound
to donate money so I could fulfil my dream!” She laughs matterof-factly. “By the time I opened the school, I was a married woman. I was too proud to ask others for help!”
Eliminating the customary route of hunting for donations,
Parveen and her husband started a small printing business, the
profits from which they used to run the school. The printing busi-
ness flourished and Parveen didn’t feel the need to look to anyone for help. . . until 2005, when things took a turn for the worse.
before I leave. “They didn’t want me to go to university because I year. Next year, they’d say I should start next year… this went
on for so long that suddenly I realised that everyone—including
my siblings — had all done something or the other with their lives and I was still right there…without an education, doing housework!” And that’s exactly what has propelled this incred-
ible woman to take on the challenge of bringing about a small change in whatever capacity she possesses.
Parveen is kind enough to see me off to the school’s gate. I’m
“For almost five years, the money I was making off my print-
so glad she does, because otherwise I would never have known
students started increasing, the money started to fall dramati-
tightly clenched in her hands is in fact the school’s eldest stu-
ing business was more than enough. Suddenly, as the number of cally short.”
By then, the school’s monthly expenses were easily crossing
the hundred thousand mark and Parveen recalls herself slowly
breaking down because of all the stress. “I was constantly short
that the 80-year-old woman entering the building with a book dent! Watching the woman rush to her class, I am overwhelmed
with emotion. Parveen, however, is beaming ear to ear, “If crazy
people like me continue to work for these people, I’m sure one day things will start to look up!” a
OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
39
REVIEW
Out of body experience BY HAMNA ZUBAIR
Although Ryan Reynolds has been around for a while, he only truly demonstrated he had superstar potential in 2009’s hit comedy The Proposal. After that, all eyes were on the man who also happened to have bagged Scarlet Johansson — no mean feat for even the biggest Hollywood headliners. Reynolds seems to have it all: the looks of a leading man and the hot bod that most twenty-something dudes crave, but he hasn’t had a big box office hit since his turn with Sandra Bullock. So what happened? Movies like The Change Up are what happened. Funny as he is, Reynolds isn’t helping his cause by choosing to star in ho-hum comedies like this one. If you’re ever seen films like Freaky Friday where bizarre body-switching scenarios are the main plot movers, you’ll know what you’re in for with The Change Up: two best friends, Mitch (played by Reynolds) and Dave (Jason Bateman of “Nip/Tuck” fame), have to deal with each other’s extremely different lives for a few days when a charm worked by a magic fountain switches their bodies around. Dave is a devoted dad of three who also has a high-powered job at a top law firm. Mitch is a slacker, a total bum who eschews responsibility in favour of random hook-ups with women and an extremely dubious acting career. Now when roles are reversed, Mitch-as-Dave has to figure out how to parent a toddler and twins while he juggles a rocky relationship with his ‘new wife’ and navigates the intricacies of a large legal deal. Dave-as-Mitch gets the long end of the stick: he gets to take a break from his daddying days and generally loafs off. Inevitably, of course, both parties realise that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. But will they manage to get back to their real lives before Mitch-as-Dave ruins the real Dave’s career and marriage forever? Will Dave-as-Mitch start enjoying his carefree existence so much that he won’t want to give it up? While the film does have its moments, it is entirely too predictable to become one of those classic comedies you keep on the shelf for low moments. It is good, though, to see Jason Bateman act as something other than a tortured surgeon on the brink of a nervous breakdown — that is, his “Nip/Tuck” alter ego Dr McNamara. Surprisingly, Bateman can do comedy rather well and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him in roles just like this. Though this should be Reynold’s film, he fails to shine as brightly as he did in The Propsoal. Who knows, maybe he just needs a really charismatic leading lady to set him off. But I fear that if he doesn’t start choosing his films better, we may never find out.
40 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5 2011
A bro-mance gone wrong could wreak havoc on the lives of these best friends