Pran Nath Neville

Sitting across Pran Nath Neville, in my parent’s drawing room, made me realize that he seemed so much at home; considering that our two countries are daggers drawn at the political front. But his seeming at home can also stem from the fact that he was and is a blue blooded Lahori to the core: Lahore being his birthplace and where he studied during his formative years. His ease of manner soon had us all engaged and we had a lively evening together: he reminiscing about his childhood memories and we asking questions about whatever came into our heads at that time.

Now I know you all must be wondering what Pran sahib was doing in our house? It so happens that he was my maternal grandfather's (Saeed Ahmad Khan) best friend in college (Government College, Lahore) and their friendship transcended the boundaries erected by partition. Pran Sahib, told us that he had always wanted to write a book about his memories of Lahore and whenever he visited Pakistan, he always bypassed Lahore and instead went to Karachi so that his memories of the city he remembered remained untainted for the time he could write a book on it. In the late 1980s he heard from somewhere that his friend my grandfather had died so this spurred him to write Lahore, A Sentimental Journey, which he dedicated to his late friend (nana). But as luck would have it was not my grandfather who had died but his younger brother. After the book got published Pran Sahab visited Lahore and asked an old friend that he wanted to meet Saeeds family; still thinking that his friend was no more. The mutual friend located nana and informed him that his old friend was coming to meet him in a few minutes. Pran Sahab couldn't contain his excitement and the friendship eventually culminated in an epic reunion. He presented nana with a copy of his book but not before tearing the dedication page. This episode has been immortalized in the recent edition of this book, published by Oxford University Press.

Pran Neville was born in Lahore and took his post graduate degree from Government College. He had a distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service and the United Nations. During his tenure he was posted in Japan, Poland and Yugoslavia, former USSR and USA. He was also Director of the State Trading Corporation; and in-charge of 7 countries in East Europe. His last posting was Consul General of India in Chicago. He also did a six year tenure as Program Coordinator with UNCTAD in Geneva looking after East Europe. His Specialization has been in trade with Commonwealth Countries that include East Europe and former USSR. After retirement, he turned a freelance writer and specializes in the study of Indian art and culture.

His particular fascination with the performing arts inspired him to spend nearly seven years researching in the libraries and museums of England and the U.S.A. to enable him produce the sumptuously illustrated 'Nautch Girls of India' in 1996. Highly acclaimed by the media it was considered to be a pioneering work on the subject of dance and music as well as their practitioners through the centuries. Neville has written extensively for Indian newspapers and journals. He is the author of other well known books such as 'Lahore - A Sentimental Journey', 'Love Stories from the Raj', 'Rare Glimpses of the Raj', 'Beyond the Veil - Indian Women in the Raj', 'Stories from the Raj - Sahibs, Memsahibs and others', K.L. Saigal - Immortal singer and superstar and lastly 'Marvels of Indian Painting - Rise and Demise of Company School'.

He has been invited by several institutions in India and also universities in England and U.S.A. to speak on themes related to Indian art and culture. He has also acted as a consultant for two BBC documentaries on the Raj viz. 'Ruling Passions' and 'The Land of Kama sutra'. Pran Nevile is the

founder and convener of the 'KL Saigal Memorial Circle, which is dedicated to remembering Singers of yesteryears.

We had heard a lot about him from our grandfather and were in awe of his personality always secretly cherishing a desire to meet him one day. I remember our Lahori cousins bragging that they had met him in person before us. So it was a dream come true when suddenly out of the blue my younger sister got an email from his great-granddaughter-in-law that he was in Pakistan and he wanted to meet us. He had been invited by the Pakistan Academy of letters, to read a few papers in the Sufi conference held in Islamabad a few weeks ago. We were so excited and started preparing a feast for him: haleem, egg sandwiches, chicken bread forgetting his religious belief but thank god the dahi baras and samosas saved the day. But being the perfect gentleman he did not offend our sensibilities even once.

Being a learned person that he is it was so easy talking to him because he has that natural flair to put the other person at ease with his charm and affability. He talked about his childhood, his friendship with nana and how he missed his birthplace with so much feeling that it was hard to imagine that he was a visitor from across the border. It was a pleasure talking to him and it felt as if time had grown wings that day. He had missed his luncheon appointment to meet up with us but he could not miss his dinner engagement because it was with an old friend.

His personality exuded so much warmth and he was so happy to meet all of us because we were the offspring of his late friend that we felt overwhelmed by this once in a lifetime encounter. Promising to keep in touch by writing letters (because he likes the idea of snail mail rather than email) he left us with memories of a memorable evening spent together.

(Publication Date: September 2010

Publication Name: Life with World Call)

Saeed and Pran

A friend ship that was forged on the first day of college and lasted a lifetime, braving the trials and tribulations thrown its way by partition but stood the test of time are only words that describe the bond between Pran Nevile and Saeed Ahmed Khan. Pran Nevile the great Indian writer and S.A. Khan my late maternal grandfather met and became friends in Government College Lahore in 1937 and remained so until my nana died in Nov 2000. When they met in 1997 nearly fifty years after their last meeting it felt as if they had never been apart. Pran uncle mentions the details of his meeting in the revised edition of his book Lahore, A Sentimental Journey, published by Oxford Books accompanied by photos of his reunion. For those who will not be able to read the book here goes: Pran uncle had always wanted to write a book about his memories of Lahore and whenever he visited Pakistan, he always bypassed Lahore, instead went to Karachi so that his memories of the city he remembered remained untainted for the time he could write a book on it. In the late 1980s he heard from somewhere that his friend, my grandfather had died so this spurred him to write Lahore, A Sentimental Journey, which he dedicated to his late friend (nana). But as luck would have it was not my grandfather who had died but his younger brother. After the book got published Pran uncle visited Lahore and asked an old friend that he wanted to meet Saeeds family; still thinking that his friend was no more. The mutual friend located nana and informed him that his old friend was coming to meet him in a few minutes. Pran uncle couldn’t contain his excitement; the friendship eventually culminating in an epic reunion. He presented nana with a copy of his book but not before tearing the dedication page. This episode has been immortalized in the recent edition of this book, published by Oxford University Press.We had heard a lot about Pran uncle from nana when he used to come and stay with us in

Rawalpindi but never had the honor of meeting him. He was a respected writer and we just derived pleasure from the fact that he was nanas best friend.

On Saturday 14th of March my younger sister suddenly announced that Pran uncle is in Islamabad for the Sufi Conference arranged by Pakistan Academy of Letters and we are going to meet him at his hotel. Unfortunately I had university so I asked my sisters to invite him for dinner at our place. They met and invited him and he very kindly agreed to come over the next day by missing the afternoon session of the conference. It was a very happy evening that we enjoyed in his company because of his affable and charming personality. He exuded such warmth and love feeling overjoyed to be in the company of his late friends offspring talking of his past with fervor. Hearing him air his views on just about every topic under the sun made the evening a very entertaining one and how time flew.

Overjoyed that we were at his coming over we made a foolish faux pax that day: forgetting his religious belief we made haleem, egg sandwiches, chicken bread but thank god the dahi baras and samosas saved the day. But he being the perfect gentleman did not make this mistake obvious. The evening ended on a high note and we promised to keep in touch by the age old method of letters because he does not like the idea of email. He told us how he and nana exchanged letters until his death; letters he has saved till today. Remembering his friend he recalled how nana had planned a trip to Delhi with another friend but sadly death did not give him a chance.

One remark he made about Pakistani women being more liberated than their Indian counterparts quoting Asma Jahangir and Madeeha Gauhar (whom he holds in high regard) was very encouraging. Sitting across him I kept thinking that if the common people of these two countries can sit and converse with each other without drawing swords how come issues at the government level remain unresolved. The great divide created a wide chasm between families, friends and relatives which people try to cross whenever the borders and communication lines are opened. I have met many people in Pakistan who yearn to see the land of their birth which they had to leave because of partition and it is now part of India; just like Pran Neville who yearned for Lahore.

Reaching an agreement acceptable to both sides can take decades but at least the people on both sides of the LOC make efforts to keep the lines of communication open. Even after the death of his friend Pran uncle has tried to keep in touch with us and his birthplace; not categorizing us as Pakistanis (fingers crossed the enemies) but part of Saeed, his friend.

The question that arises now in spite of cross-border relationships between friends and families, is it a bridgeable divide--- when we are locked in battle on so many fronts?

(Publication Date: 16TH June 2010

Publication Name: The News)

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=245237&Cat=14&dt=6/16/2010

Book Review "All The President's Men"

All the Presidents Men, set against the backdrop of the Watergate scandal, is a political cum investigative expose. Relentlessly pursued by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Watergate scandal resulted in the resignation of a sitting American president Richard Milhous Nixon and amendments in the Freedom of Information Act. It brought the corrupt practices adopted by the Nixon administration for reelection into the public eye and set a precedent of true journalist ethics for years to come. The book is a must read for working and aspiring journalists alike because it teaches the foundations of the journalism profession in face of the good, the bad and the ugly.

At 2:30a.m on 17th June, 1972 five burglars are arrested inside the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee inside the Watergate Complex. The five men are Frank Sturgis, Virgilio Gonzalez, Bernard Barker, James W. McCord, Jr and Eugenio Martinez. At their preliminary hearing Bob overhears one of the defendants state his profession as CIA operative; already perplexed by the fact that the defendants have retained their own counsel, he embarks on an investigation with the help of Carl Bernstein to uncover the clandestine activities of CRP (Committee to Reelect the President) involving top White House aides H.R.Haldeman, John D. Erhlichman, the ex Attorney General John Mitchell, top CRP officials Maurice Stans, Jeb Magruder, Herbert Kalmbach, former FBI agent E. Howard Hunt and former CIA operative G.Gordon Liddy. These officials are the ones who controlled the secret hush fund to sabotage the Democratic campaign.

Uncovering these activities in the national press brings the whole saga to the attention of the senate and two official investigations are initiated. Alexander Butterfield brings to the notice of the senate investigation the presence of a secret White House taping system which is subpoenaed by Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, which is refused by Nixon citing presidential privilege. In retaliation Nixon orders AG Elliot Richardson to fire Cox; he refuses and resigns. The responsibility now falls on Deputy AG William Ruckelshaus; who refuses and is fired, next in line Solicitor General Robert Bork wants to resign but is persuaded by Richardson and Ruckelshaus to stay and he fires Cox. This chain of events is known as the Saturday Night Massacre.

Despite all the efforts of the Nixon administration to mislead the public and official investigations, Bob and Carl’s efforts to uncover even the tiniest bit of information keeps the whole investigation on the right path. They are helped along by sources, the most famous being Deep Throat. Before publishing any story or lead they confirm it from 3-4 sources and also from the person about whom the story is. They were blessed to have understanding editors and publisher behind their backs who supported them throughout their investigation.

All along the arduous two year journey they faced a lot of criticism but believed that there is more to the whole scheme of things not what the White House initially dubbed as “a third rate burglary”.

(Publication date: August 2010

Publication Name: Life with World Call)

Every Woman Counts

A Tribute to Women on International Women's Day

Napoleon Bonaparte, once said “You give me good mothers, I will give you a good nation”. Mothers the important part of a society ……the nurturers and the caregivers. But is it so in our country?...rather the truth of the matter is that this species can now be classified as endangered; facing risk of extinction, at the hands of the medical practitioners, their families and all those who somehow play a role in the nine month period of their lives or on actual D-Day itself.

Pakistan, a third world developing mostly illiterate country, faces a tough situation in the medical sector where the rural and urban population is affected more or less in the same way. It does not matter if one can afford medical care or not, women are not properly taken care of before or after giving birth. Carrying a life-form for nine months, wreaks havoc on a woman’s physical, mental and emotional state, but the dearth of information available for the relatives and caretaker, likens a woman to an animal, that can be impregnated repeatedly without concern for her stability or safety. Repeated pregnancies, after-birth bleeding, and infections after C-sections are some of the common dangers a woman faces nowadays. Hospitals not properly equipped, doctors overburdened, nurses harassed, families ill-informed and women themselves too weak to have any say; results in a catastrophic situation where a woman has to bear the brunt of everybody else’s shortcomings.

The situation now calls for extreme action where the government alone cannot do anything. The public and private sector have to work hand in hand to take serious measures to protect women. The government can establish separate Natal Care Clinics countrywide, where women should be taken care of before, during and after pregnancy. Proper record maintenance, record shifting from city to city, proper tests, organization of classes to familiarize the woman and her family members of her delicate situation: are some of the basic functions these clinics can perform. Another step is proper legislation, to keep all medical practitioners under check e.g. when gynecologists’ opt for C-section, just to earn an extra buck. The general public can help the government initiative by being a bit more receptive to new information and developing a caring attitude towards women. The private sector i.e. the NGOs can help the government in this regard by applying their world class expertise, in establishment of these clinics as they are better equipped to handle this situation because they have a proper system of checks and balances which 98% of the time guarantees success, plus they are more aware of the ground realities because of the way they carry out detailed situation analysis in the rural areas. They can succeed where the government has failed because they more or less get the job done.

As Rudyard Kipling aptly defines a woman’s worth “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” We as Muslims are duty-bound to respect women and their needs regardless of caste creed or financial stability.

On the Go 2

A train crosses a busy intersection. Hats off to all the Pakistani's waiting patiently in the heat without honking their horns.
Took this photograph after 14th August, our independence day. The sight of the Flag flying at full mast on top of a crane filled me up with pride and joy.
The politicians in our country like to rub their position in the faces of the common man whenever they get the chance. MNA (Member National Assembly)
The print media has started to make bold statements through the use of transit media (billboards) because of the fact the big is more.
Another fine example of the print media using the transit media (billboards) as mouthpiece.
Quite a bold statement by a leading newspaper mogul in Pakistan using the power of the transit media (billboards).

On The Go

A cobbler sets up shop at a busy roadside, sure to get a lot of customers.
Wasps have made a street light their home in the middle of a busy intersection. I used to see this wasp nest while going to uni on my bus. I finally managed to capture this on camera on day.
I was feeling a bit blue that day. Sitting in a car in the parking lot of a busy market in Saddar, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Suddenly I looked up and saw this minaret through the bare branches of a tree. it looked so serene and peaceful amid the humdrum of the bazaar (considering the fact that this mosque is opposite a wagon stand). Lifted my spirits.
Saw this dejected man sitting outside a filling station shop next to a busy road. His whole posture tells a story.
This happened at the peak of the rush hour in Saddar, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Just had to capture it.
A car cum bicycle wash in the middle of a busy road. A broken pipeline has become a defacto wash for the road runners.

Glories of Days Gone By

Once upon a time there lived a general in the land of pure. The leaders of the neighboring lands used to hold him in high regard. He assumed power in a controversial manner but his people prospered under his rule. Even the super-powers namely USA and UK gave him respect on a one-to-one basis (as can be seen from the news report above and the photograph below.)

Friends not Masters

(President Ayub Khan patting Lyndon B. Johnson in pure pathan style.)

Your Obedient Servant

(Our honorable president Mr. Asif Ali Zardari listens while President Obama lays down the law)