THE ENIGMA OF MODERN ART IN PAKISTAN IN DERAILING CONCEPTIONS

PAKISTANIS SMITTEN WITH WESTERN OBSESSION OF ONE NIGHT STANDS

Empty heads, empty hands, without creativity or talent of any kind

The primitive man living in caves drew their heart out on the walls on the sanctuaries of cave dwellings. We find that today ever meaningful in their quest of fulfillment. They had more vision with rudimentary crayons of singular colours than many of today with fancy materials and equipment.  As civilization progressed, different levels of creativity haunted man. But from day one to the medieval ages, it was always the appeasement of gods and the submission of religious thoughts to the creative impulse. Islam was the first way of life which freed Art from religion and for the first time we had the concept of ART FOR ART SAKE.  Everything under the Sun became the symbolism of this Art movement which spread itself and innovated with their own passions. But each was a chain link, a step of evolutionary trait of particular kind. There was no subject that that Islamic artist did not tackle, contrary to the conservative wave of today’s worlds.

Great Art is only of one kind. It is Art which outlives its time.  Western aesthetics discarded all that went before and joined the tirade of Modernism in Art. The best comparison that can be made is that they no longer believed in the institution of marriage and delved in one night stands. This art reflected that tendency as with each hour and each day, they modified themselves in the ART OF ANARCHY. This Art had nothing behind it, nothing in front of it. It was Art with a singular purpose to SHOCK and it shocked the sensibilities  of people.  Artists search for the ideal landscapes in the waste paper basket and a great Master like Sadequain could say on television that his Art was not of glitter but of the Gutter. Yes that is on record as well as the statement that Quranic calligraphy was not possible for him without indulging in some alcoholic content in his body. Yes it was said on TV and I heard and saw it myself.

Islam called for ijthehad in all things. You could have the same in Art as well. You could go anywhere you liked but you had to be part of a chain towards an evolutionary progression. Pakistan’s obsession with MODERNISM was a borrowed theme here. It had no national capacity. A hippie crowd with french beards and puffing pipes and torn jeans, salvaged Picasso without the talents of Picasso itself.  Most of these artists were not from the area of Pakistan. They migrated from India and interestingly they did not migrate in 1947. Even as late as 1960s the migration was on. What prompted them to migrate? Good financial conditions in Pakistan or good financial backing from lobbies meant to derail Pakistan from the annals of its Ideology. One night stands may be fun for people but in our culture, it becomes a cardinal sin.

Our Art has room to grow and will continue to grow. But not on seedlings from the West. It will grow on its own impetus. The journey from Mani to Kamal uddin Behzad to M.A. Rahman Chughtai is worth studying. Chughtai Art was all new. New style, new technique, new everything and yet here the modern rascals termed him as a traditional painter.  As if the word tradition itself was a sin. Chughtai Art grew on tradition but he is referred as the Modern Contemporary Artist of Pakistan in international circles. For the other goofs imitating others way of life, he was to be feared as the IDENTITY OF PAKISTAN. Modern Art sole aim was to destroy our Ideology and interestingly they did not get away with it. The number of admirers could be counted on finger tips, while the others, baffled into submission as to some hidden content which was not possible for them to fathom in  any way. Art has to make you think, yes, but first, it has to please your senses. To soothe the nerves of living in life, and to relax and invigorate man towards his struggle for civilization. Just making fool of people is the way of life of the so called Modern Artist of Pakistan. They are already relics of the past.

THE SKETCH BOOK OF OF PRINCESS VICTORIA
ROYAL HOUSEHOLD PENCHANT FOR PORTRAITURE

No aesthetics move most of our dullard leaders

The quality of required leadership is indisputable in all ways. Leaders are supposed to be in a position to do things, to be able to rise above others. Emperors of the past were all versed in many professions. They were good at things and they appreciated excellence. The English Royal household was obsessed with Art and Artists. But some of them were painters themselves. Take for instance Princess Victoria, who later became Queen Victoria and ruled all over India. We find her not only interested in collecting Art or even looking at Art, we also find her interested in painting herself. Some of her private sketches from her book were published long ago. It is our pleasure to present a view of the Queen of India which may not be known by many. The statue of Queen Victoria adorned Lahore’s Charing Cross for a long time. Memories of her must be still there out somewhere.

RONALD I. SPIERS AMERICAN AMBASSADOR INTEREST IN CHUGHTAI ART
EXTRAORDINARY VISIT OF AMERICAN DELEGATION TO CHUGHTAI MUSEUM

AmerIcan Ambassador James Langley offered M.A. Rahman Chughtai a scholarship for United States. Professor Schuyler Wallace offered a teaching session at Columbia University. Did Chughtai Artist accept the same? It never even crossed his mind to leave his art profession for other things. He politely refused the same. But American diplomats continued to visit the studio of M.A. Rahman Chughtai and later his Chughtai Museum. The Americans felt at home in the museum and we made them welcome all the time.

Ronald I. Spiers was a diplomat of acute insight. Chughtai Art fascinated him and when he came to Pakistan in 1981, he immediately planned a trip to Chughtai Museum. Photographs used to be taken at that time and our ace photographer Majeed Bhatti was active in his work. The official photographer Salam Al-Makky was there on rare visits. Americans had questions to ask and we freely gave answers on our history and culture. Americans love their country , so do we. We love Pakistan and Americans were fond of the fact that we were patriotic Pakistanis in the spirit of Iqballian thought. The dividing line between the region did not create Pakistan, it was the Ideological base of our country. We wanted to live in peace but within our way of life. Americans of those times were highly intellectual and respected diversity as natural.

An air of dignity was left behind by those diplomats. Today bitterness is more the key feature of visits. Diplomats bring nations together. Art diplomacy is the best diplomacy for the purpose. Unfortunately today’s moronic leadership cannot even understand these concepts.

AMERICAN AMBASSADOR DEANE HINTON VISIT CHUGHTAI MUSEUM
DELEGATION ENTHRALLED BY CHUGHTAI ART AND WARM RECEPTION

Art and Culture bringing nations together

Ambassador Deane Hinton was Ambassador to Pakistan from 1983 to 1986. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and his background was military itself. Even with military background, he and his wife were interested in the Arts and paid a visit to Chughtai Museum. American Ambassadors were very fond of visiting art institutions in Pakistan at that time.

A complete delegation of American diplomats accompanied the Ambassador here, and he was warmly received by us. After going through the gallery, he was shown more paintings in the office of the Director. Later there was exchange of presents and these were endorsed for the future record.

Art and Culture brought USA and Pakistan nearer to each other. Today Art diplomacy is no longer there and one of the reasons for the present state of relations between the two countries. The quality of national leadership is responsible for this apparent decline in interest. Pakistani heads carried Art and Culture abroad. Today there is nothing like that on the horizon.

JAHAN ARA KUNJAN OF MONGHEER RISING STAR OF INDIA
DANCING AND SINGING FROM CALCUTTA TO LAHORE

Owner of her own theatrical company

On 25th February, 1938, Jahan Ara Kunjan came from Calcutta to Lahore and spent three months here with her theatrical company. She had spent Sixty thousand rupees on the project at that time. She was the owner of the company and administered it too. But she was also the singer and dancer of the shows, two of which were held daily in Lahore. Hakeem Yusuf of Lahore was her patron here.

M.A. Rahman Chughtai had just come back from a tour of Europe and Hakeem Yusuf wanted him to meet this singer and dancer, and introduced her to the artist. At the age of merely 20/22 she had started her career in a big way. She was alone at that job and under gaze of many rivals. Certainly M.A. Rahman Chughtai who was very fond of theater shows, viewed her performance in Lahore.

Jahan Ara went from Lahore to Amritsar and then to Multan. She would have carved an even greater name for herself in the region, but she died young. Hakeem Yusuf was constantly advising her on health issues as well as sending medicines to her from Lahore. At that time for Calcutta stars to take opinion of Lahori persons was a great achievement in itself.

THE SIKH CONNECTION OF M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI
BHAI VIR SINGH AND SARDAR PURAN SINGH’S NARGAS

Ernest Rhys early tribute to M.A. Rahman Chughtai

There was a clash of interests between Hindu Bengal and Muslim Punjab. The Sikh community was attracted to all things Punjabi and hence supported M.A. Rahman Chughtai in letter and spirit. A lot of influential literary figures of Sikh community were in touch with M.A. Rahman Chughtai. Sardar Puran Singh was a great expert on Omar Khayyam and had seen the first published image of Chughtai Artist in Modern Review Calcutta in 1917. Puran Singh visited the house of M.A. Rahman Chughtai and together they visited the house of the Punjabi poet, Baba Hiyadat ullah of Chabuk Sawaran Lahore. The talk related to Heer Ranjha epic, as written by Baba Hiyadat ullah himself. Talks were also conducted on Omar Khayyam.

Sardar Puran Singh translated the work NARGAS by Bhai Vir Singh into English and it was published in England in 1924. It was illustrated with a painting by M.A. Rahman Chughtai. This work is closely knitted to another similar work by the artist which was exhibited at Lahore Museum in 1920 and bought by the Nawab of Bhawalpur for his palace in Bhawalpur. Sold by his heirs and it is some where in the West now.

The book is a living testimony of interfaith relations of those times.

MEDIA PROSTITUTES NOT EVEN WORTH A DIME
RAILING AGAINST THE IDEOLOGY OF PAKISTAN

Bandar tamasha at Master’s command

All intellectuals search for critics to analyze their out pours and give them constructive wisdom on issues. That is fair play. But when Abu-Jahls start speaking on issues as if they knew their subject well. No one had the courage to tear Dr Allama Iqbal or Muhanmmed Ali Jinnah in their life time. Now petty bandaris, literally media prostitutes, not even worth a dime, tearing the dauntless work of our icons apart and creating nobodies into icons of Pakistan. Has the Sun started shining from the other side? There are eternal truths which no monkey dance can undo from the hearts and minds of people.

A cable joke goes like this. A shameless man used to pass a street where there was a parrot. The parrot knew the value of the man and would call him BAY GHAIRAT every time he passed the place. The man got tired of being called shameless on his face and complained to the owner of the parrot. The owner promised him that he will not repeat the word BAY GHAIRAT again. Next day when the man hesitantly passed the place, the parrot looked at him and said, “Obviously you understand what you are and you are still the same.” The parrot did not mention the word BAY GHAIRAT but knew well that the man was one.

A person who spits on the Moon, the spit falls on him. To tackle icons with petty moronic minds and the ridicule is all yours. You are the shame of our history. Perhaps 500 people working against the interests of twenty crore citizens of Pakistan. Indeed work of bay-ghairat brigade in Pakistan.

A DURBAR AT LAHORE WITH ITS LANDMARK ANARKULLIE
JOHN LAWRENCE ADDRESSES THE AUDIENCE IN URDU LANGUAGE

ASSEMBLY OF RULERS OF PUNJAB AT LAHORE 18TH OCTOBER 1864

The role of Lord John Lawrence is not a small one. The British were on the verge of losing everything in Hindustan. Had the Army in Lahore not been disarmed over night, the War of Independence in Delhi would have taken a different turn! The Multan rebellion suppression was on the cards too. Lord Lawrence made good decisions for the Empire and saved it from premature collapse. So that Lahore may never be able to be a threat, the walls of Lahore were brought down as well as the Gates of Lahore. Houses demolished and big lanes made inside the city for elephants as well as horse cavalry to go inside the city whenever that may be the requirements of the time. Yes, Lord Lawrence was the Saviour of the British in Hindustan. In recognition of crushing the Mutiny, he was made Viceroy of India.

A grand Durbar was planned in Lahore in October, 1864, and all the Rajahs and Maharajahs and Men of power were invited to Lahore, to feast and rejoice. Men of power do not travel by their own selves, each Raja came with thousands of attendants and all were camped on the bank of the river Ravi, that is the grounds of Anarkullie. By that time the Freemason Hall had already been built in Lahore again in Anarkullie. Lord Lawrence was received in grandeur at the Lahore Railway Station, of which he himself was responsible in a big way. There was a dinner at Governors House, a levee, even a grand affair at Shalimar Gardens Lahore, and a private Durbar for Rajahs was also held in Lahore. The famous LAWERNCE HOUSE was inaugurated and the word Lawrence was on a plaque outside it. All this from about 11th to 18th October, 1864. The finale was the great Durbar itself, where every Rajah was individually presented to the Viceroy. The Order of Merit was also granted by the Viceory to a certain Rajah. It was all well planned to the dot mechanism, which Lord Lawrence was famous for in action. The most amazing thing was that Lord Lawrence well versed himself in Urdu Persian language and addressed the gathering in local Hindustani. An amazing feat as each person listened to him with undivided attention. Today the Urdu speaking nation is addressed in English by the rulers of the country. A switch which cannot be understood in plain terms.

Years later Lord Lawrence on his death bed, said to his wife I AM WEARY. she kissed him and he expired. The services of the Lawrence brothers can never be forgotten by the British Empire.

LATOAN KAY BHOOT BATOAN SAY NAHI MANTAY IS ADEPT NOW
MORALITY AND LEGALITY CANNOT DEFEAT MONOLITHIC CORRUPTION

The sad days for Pakistan becoming more and more sad as people watch

It is traditionally said that when you shake a honeycomb of bees, expect the worst bites possible from the bees. If you fiddle with a pit of snakes, obviously they are all going to start spitting venom at you. All this was predictable but the Pakistan Army is intelligent enough to have known that would happen when this beacon ray of hope was started for the people of Pakistan. If you do not crush the head of a snake, the snake becomes even more powerful and violent, and dangerous for everyone in the vicinity. For those who have sold their souls,what else could you expect?

General Raheel Sharif, this is your defining moment in life! Being constitutional and continue by the book will be a terrible blow, not merely for the people of Pakistan (the people know sufferings from decades), but for you yourself, as once the chance is gone, the Rahmat of Allah goes with it. On one hand there may be no Pakistan, and the other hand, there may be an insipid and impotent Pakistan, to be thrashed in the future by every Tom, Dick and Harry. A thousand years of chaos will descend on our region. Mothers will tell their children that VALOUR IS USELESS, the best of life is for the MIR JAFFERS of existence. Prove it wrong! Your last chance and our last chance. The souls of the millions who gave their life for Pakistan expect this from you. Train your guns on our Mir Jaffers for decisive fight for the existence of Pakistan.

A FOURTH CENTURY GUPTA SEAL FROM LAHORE (QUESTION)
MAHARAJA MAHESVARANAGA SON OF NAGA BHATTA

SOLD BY BAHADUR SHAH OF MOCHI GATE LAHORE

The story narrated by J.K. Fleet, recorder of Gupta Inscriptions goes like this. Yes, sixteen hundred years ago, there was Gupta period King by name of Maharaja Mahesvaranaga son of Naga Bhatta. There was a copper seal made by him. It was 1 1/4 inches high, 1/16 inches thick, oval shape of 1 7/8 inches by 1 5/8 inches, with a weight of 2 1/4 ozs, and it was unique in many ways. Obviously it had a cow on it, sitting on a straight line upturned at ends, with a hooded snake (No head to this snake, perhaps a stick of some mythological source) on its lower end and the name of the Raja as we know it. But the strangest part is that it had a CRESCENT on it. A crescent, a rising moon, the sign of Islamic civilization. In Hinduism we have the celebration of AMAVASYA and PURNIMA and I wonder if a coin legend is named after same. But if it was sixteen hundred years old, where did the Islam came from? The 1600 years conjecture is due to paleographical evidence only. That means the evidence of the writing and as it is Sanskrit, the presumed period of that writing. The writing is rather rough and not very calligraphic or beautiful in its flow. I think we can go further than that.

In 418-419 AH Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi issued a silver dirham at Lahore, at that time named as MAHMUDPUR. It had both languages on it. Islamic represented by Arabic and Hinduism represented by Sanskrit. We hear of Raja Jaipal ruling Lahore who was of BHATTI origin. Even today a gate of Lahore is named after Bhattis, namely Bhatti Gate, Lahore. Here we are told of a Raja by the name of NAGA BHATTA, a missing link in the history of Lahore.

The story of antique dealer Bahadur Shah is well known to us. He was the only person in Lahore dealing in antiques at that time. He had no penchant for getting things from elsewhere. His sources were Lahore itself. When General Cunningham bought this SEAL from him, and did not record its source, it is established that the source of the Seal was Lahore itself. A Bhatti Maharajah of Lahore is no coincidence. It is very well possible. In 1888 it was not possible to gather other evidence, but in the present times, more reliable dating can be given to the Seal. For us it is the earliest record of a Maharajah from Lahore itself., To confuse his use of the name NAGA as with the semi divine race of Nagas, who lived according to legend under the earth, is a mere speculation. Naga is a symbol of respect for Hindus and named after a snake is no confusion for divinity. The name of this Raja appears nowhere else. For us it is a rare break through of knowledge about Lahore.