THE INFILITRATION OF CHUGHTAI ART
IN ORDINARY LIFE OF PAKISTAN

Many miss the point of aesthetics

The aim of M.A. Rahman Chughtai was to create a National Identity. For this identity, he did not merely desire the recourse of exclusive exhibition shows for the elite of the society. He wanted to create an ideological movement. That is why we see Chughtai Art in the 1950s and 1960s sweeping everywhere. Every national emblem or insignia, he contributed a design. To the designs which repulsed him, he offered suggestions to people in power. This is theme of another blog but suffice to say that he tried his best to inculcate a timeless quality about our aesthetics.

In those times most of the literary work created by our great writers had the design on the cover by M.A. Rahman Chughtai. These dustcovers are a phenomena on themselves and there must have been hundreds of them all over the region. The museum has archived nearly 200 images of such jacket design for the record.

In cinemas in Karachi as well as Delhi, commercial painters painted Chughtai’s works on the huge walls of the theatre. We used to be so impressed with seeing these and many movie goers of Karachi would recall this well. But the latest is an image of Chughtai Art on the sale of CONTRACEPTIVES in Pakistan. This is really new. We were not asked for same but we did notice this use, and we thought we like to share it with our art lovers. The Art of Chughtai is ingrained in us for all times.

LIGHTENING CANDLES IS NOT ISLAMIC
BUDDHIST TRADITION CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

No “Sawab” just a mourning ritual

A long time back I saw a movie on the life of Buddha. An old lady wants to light a DIVA for Buddha. She has no money , so she sells her pigtails. With oil bought from selling her hair, she lights a Diva in a ritualistic place. A storm comes and Demons are behind it. All lights are extinguished but her lamp keeps on being lit, even under the bitterest winds. The power of lighting candles in the Buddhist tradition is shown. Unfortunately this is not in the case of Islam.

Yes, there is a tradition of lighting Lamps on graves as well as Mazars of Sufis, and we have plenty of that. But even that is just a sweet ritual, which consoles oneself, nothing more. Our greatest traditions lie in the RECITATION OF QURAN at times of mourning as well as at graves, or at such occasions, and that is Quran Khawani. In fact reading and understanding the Quran is the foremost duty of any Muslim.

We are quickly learning and adapting to foreign ways, without resorting to our own tradition. In fact the infiltration of foreign lobbies in our way of life is immense. Our intellectual life is put to test by lowering of the standards of many aspects of life. Even our humour is now STREET SMART HUMOUR and nothing to do with our developed abilities to create enjoyment for ourselves. I think a wave should be created to develop ijjtehad in a way to further our existence of peace. But also the beauty of what is being done must be considered too. Aesthetics are part of our life only if we take them forward.

THE INCEPTION OF PAKISTAN TAUGHT HARD LESSONS
CURRICULUM OF EDUCATION DESIGNED WITH EXPERIENCE

The poison of “bum may hai dum” for our young people

Parrots clamouring to remove hate material on payrolls on the other side. There are two extremes in Pakistan. One is the Mullah lobby whose only interest in Islam is to gain clout as well as financial resources. On the other side is what is called by people as Baygharat Seculars, whose only aim is to sing the song told by our neighbours across the divide. Remove hate matter here, enliven the hate material on the other side.

To study what is done here is to first study what is being done on the other side. Day and night we are being told is that to be MODERN we have to give up our principles and way of life and for that the favourite is Islamic bashing not in the style of the Islamophobics of the West but our local version, in we can talk of the goodness of others and degradation of ourselves.

Sultan Mahmud Ghazni receives bashing from all sides, Indian as well as Baygharat liberals. But if you really study the life of the Sultan, you find him strangely very different from the stereotype generated about him. Has anyone told you that his fight was with political Hinduism not Hinduism itself. That he had Generals in his army who were Hindus. That he never destroyed any mandirs which were not politically inclined. That he built Mandirs for his Hindu population in Ghazni itself. Where is the hate? Yes there was not even one Muslim in Lahore before the Sultan and there were thousnds after his capture of the city. That he presented Hindustan with one thing that makes them tremor with fear. He gave this region egalitarianism. He destroyed the Class ethnic system based here. A Slave could become Sultan under the new system and that was based on Ideas not blood relation itself. His coins carry the name of the Caliph of that time and the whole Muslim world cheered his achievements. But the funny thing is and if you check history books, you will find a strange anomaly. After the death of Sultan Sabuktageen, Sultan Mahmood was just a young child, and to conquer Ghazni, it was Raja Jaipal who attacked GHAZNI first. Cannot believe it! Check LIFE AND TIMES OF SULTAN MAHMUD OF GHAZNA by Muhamed Nazim, a PHD from Cambridge University in 1931. Want to know more, request our own book on the matter.

Similarly read the life of Aurangzeb Alamgeer and you find similar spinning of history, as he was a wonderful personality. His life too send shivers in the spines of people. That later!

These pseudo intellectuals who travel to the other side and rave about this hate material, consider the hate material on the other side is in actual proof. We do not carry needless hate in us, disgust obviously at low IQ behaviour. A man known as an international terrorist has been elected in leadership role to UNDO Pakistan. And to undo Pakistan the easiest way is to belittle Dr Allama Iqbal, Quaid e Azam and all our leaders. Yes, Pakistan Studies envisaged at the time of partition is not hate material. It is facts and figures as people remembered them. Today the Indian clout is only felt due to CHAMAK from the other side. Most of these pseudo intellectuls are on bed of Wine and Women and the sway of the Indian hip drives them mad and away from their way of life. Their use of “bum may dum” for us is belittling our way of life. It is more than hate material. It is poison for our young minds. These stupid low IQ beasts should ask our own channels to stop bomb blasting us with filth from the other side. WHY NOT EMULATE THE BEST OF INDIAN CULTURE? There is plenty. Why go for their street smart ideas of fun and frolic?

Billions are pouring in our system from the other side. By 2016 it is said ONE percent will own NINETY NINE percent of the world. Beware egalitarianism will evolve into a revolution of the masses. And perhaps bloody not intellectual in any way.

PIONEER PAKISTANI ARTIST RAZIA FEROZE
EXPERIMENTATIONS EVERYWHERE

Fairy tales Pakistani Style in Urdu

The quest for giving the Identity to Pakistan was taken by the artists. These were the people who knew that the Identity of Pakistan mattered and it had to be projected on all fronts. Razia Sirajuddin was doing this in a very big way. Unfortunately we have not come across some of her publications. A relative seems reluctant to share her with us in any way. The matter rests. In any case we came across a book by Razia Feroze with an introduction by M.A. Rahman Chughtai in 1954. It is a small publication published by the Bible Society Lahore, but it is a historical document in all ways. It is worthy of being shared with others.

Razia Feroze was born in Shahpur Punjab in 1925, and when she was two only, her father Dr Ferozeuddin brought her to Lahore. Reared in Lahore, studying at Convent Jesus and Mary and then at Kinnaird College, she achieved excellence in many fields. The inspiration of her life was her father Dr Ferozeuddin, who unlike the greedy doctor of today, used to be so kind to his patients and used to treat many of them free of cost. This compassion was inherent in Razia herself all her life. She evolved a good friendly relation with M.A. Rahman Chughtai who encouraged her all his life. The foreword proves this in all ways. The Americans offered her a scholarship to study and lecture in the United States.

The quest for doing this kind of job, was in the hearts and minds of many people. It was a poverty stricken Pakistan and whatever one could do, one did. We salute Miss Razia Feroze for her many ventures. She was doing painting, sculpture and even nude studies. But that is a separate blog in itself.

MARK SAGOFF’S HUMANISTIC PUBLIC POLICY
ISLAMIC LAWS OF HUMANITY
CAN CLASH OF CIVILIZATION BE AVERTED?

Many people mean good and we cannot doubt their good intentions. However much good we perceive is man made and Allah has own laws as stated to us in the Quran Hakeem. Is modern thinking compatible with Divine permanent laws as given by Allah? Obviously this analysis must be made.

Mark Sagoff is a wonderful human being and he is addressing these issues from an intellectual frame of mind. For instance he deals with the following issues for us:

When is the decision to go to war justified?
To what extent should society regulate the choices people make, for their own good?
What does ‘environmental protection’ mean beyond a concern with human health, safety and welfare?
What obligations do we have to future generations?
What is a fair distribution of limited resources in regard to health care?

1. The decision to go to war.

I do not know Sagoff’ final view on the matter. But Allah has definitely spelt JEHAD for us? The word is so much abused in international terms that the beauty of it is lost in prejudice. From times immemorial Heroes have waged wars against injustice. For example take an American example itself. The American Texas Ranger namely Lone Ranger galloping all over the West, correcting wrongs where ever they occur to help humanity. The same thing applies to the Islamic Nation to correct wrongs and diversions from humanity, wherever they may occur. Never it is said Wars are necessary for economic exploitation of other nations and the grabbing of National Resources. So Lone Ranger’s Hi Yo Silver away can be an easy replacement for Allah o Akbar itself, proclamation of the greatness of Allah in promoting a good cause for humanity.

2. Regulation of people’s choices.

Freedom is a situation much admired by Allah. Allah’s benevolence can be judged from the fact that he has allowed man the capacity to even rebel against HIS own injunctions. One can imagine the respect for concept of freedom that there are no JAIL TERMS in Islamic reference. Punishments yes, jail never. A much loved and cherished ideal, that is freedom. Everybody is free to do anything that they like but within some constraints. And the principles of these restraints is simple, as not to break the heart of anyone or indulge in hurting the sentiments of others. The printing of Cartoons of the Prophet (BPBUJH) by Charlie Hebdo is absolutely wrong in name of much trumpeted freedom of expression, but the assassination of the group is also totally wrong and we hardly know who actually did it and why? To bring bad name to a community whose way of life starts with the name PEACE itself.

3. Environmental protection.

To preserve Planet Earth as it was a million years ago is not the ideal of anyone. To dream of a world in which the essentials of life, like rich supply of air, trees, natural beauty is absent is wrong too. The skyscrapers are no answer nor underground tunnels. The balance is progress but not at cost of deprivation of the beauty of life itself. A flying butterfly cheers us up as nothing else. A world without butterflies would be a matter of great sorrow for us. Porcupines and skunks are ALLAHS creation too, but we cannot increase their population so that we face them at every corner. Here we come across enhancement of scenes and animals for our healthy growth and restraint (not elimination of other unfriendly species). There is no fun in trying to clone a dinosaur again, there is obviously need for research on it. We have to respect other species and the Quran itself asserts the presence of life elsewhere. So the way we envisage ALIENS is our thinking. The real aliens may allude us. But there is no doubt hat we are ASHRAF UL MAQLOOK the ultimate life, as created by Allah through an evolutionary process. As a balance between mind and heart, we are the balanced creation of Allah. The ultimate message of Allah to us is simply this: LIFE IS IMPERFECT, AND THE MISSION OF HUMANKIND IS TO FIGHT AND MAKE IT PERFECT. Or more simply CONQUER NATURE!

4 and 5. Total obligation to future generations.

Every household in Islamic civilization used to know one thing. Education is the key towards progress. Every mother wanted her children to move forward. So on the microcosm level one thing naturally means same thing required for the whole nation, the whole world. But here the privileage is of the few to harness the labour of many. Communism was a dirty word in American folklore but so do I found the words Socialism having similar connotations. Islamic society is an egalitarian society. Not forceful distribution. The minute a child is born, the State responsible for everything. From medical to education , what not? Once the person grows up and start earning, then he/she repays the society for the privileage given to him or her. No one to be left alone or to the dogs as it is proverbial said in many places. A balanced society where greed is eliminated and replaced by the ability to share things. This is the definition of the religion of the great books, to foster the less privileaged and make the person better. Altruism need of the hour.

I admire Mark Sagoff. He is the son in law of our great American friends. We know they mean well for the world. But for a moment free of prejudice, they can read the Holy Quran once in a while, to understand that Allah truly is Compassionate, Merciful, and Beneficent. We are all human beings on Planet Earth. Where ever we may go, we must carry the message of Peace to Universes everywhere. That is Infinite wisdom of Allah!

WHEN OUR HEARTS CRIED WE TRIED TO MAKE PEOPLE SMILE
17TH JANUARY BECAME A TOUCHSTONE OF STRUGGLE

A PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUM OF FORTY YEARS WITH MOMENTS MANY

17TH JANUARY, A TOUCHSTONE OF

THE ENIGMA OF A SULTANATE FIGURINE OF LAHORE
JESTER, ACROBAT, OR GAME PLAYER

Riddles of life in Lahore

A well ten feet down the surface, hidden from sight. A well twenty feet deep carrying secrets of long gone Lahore. Every day Lahore tells us something of its past in a new light. The period authenticated with some Ghaznavid coins lying in the same surface. What does this slim young man is telling us?

Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi founded the city of Mahmudabad. The Muslim city and the Hindu city always stood in dispute, as to the availability of no remnants of the Hindu period from Lahore. Certainly that city was somewhere else. We have already discussed that elsewhere.

In any case with the foundation of the city of MAHMUDABAD, Sultan Mahmud invited people from Ghazni to settle in Lahore. The historian Baihaqi tells us that 200 different professionals came from Ghazni to impart Muslim Culture here and they were so successful in their job. We have discussed that in great detiail at many places.
This latest figurine (discovered from Lahore by someone and in his possession) gives us the face of a very slim young man. He hold certain things in both of his hands. One looks like a hammer or a bat and the the looks like a ball being held in his hand. He wears a pointed conical cap and an upper costume.

Malik Shamas the great expert on Indian Art and Architecture once told me that they have Buddhist Sculpture in which the figurines are shown playing something like CRICKET. AMAZING ISNT IT! Perhaps this figurine is also playing a sort of CRICKET or a BALL GAME. Of course no one can say anything but it excites the imagination beyond control. Viva Lahore!

A FORGOTTEN HANIF RAMAY OF 1954
AN ASPIRING ARTIST WHO BECAME A POLITICIAN

Lohari Gate to Ravi road on a bicycle

My cousin has a great memory. He recalled many visitors to the house of Chughtai Artist. Of many of these, one was Hanif Ramay. From the shop at Lohari Gate, he would take a bicycle to the house of M.A. Rahman Chughtai in a bid to secure his works for a magazine or show him his own works. Obviously the artist encouraged every body and there certainly was potential in the artist. Of the many meaningless artists at work at that time, the artist saw talent in this young man, and my uncle would say that of all the persons working in Calligraphic Art, Hanif Ramay excelled them all. That obviously included even Sadequain the artist.

The artist came to the residence of the artist again on 18th January, 1975, to participate in the Qul ceremony of the artist. But this time he was the Chief Minister and came in official protocol. But he never met me, nor my mother. He met his own comrades who were there to receive him and was whisked away in minutes, and all that he could promise was the acquisition of everything we had, for a generous amount of RS 1000 per month for us. Obviously he forgot that what he was talking about was priceless and the RS 1000 was not even the salary of a Chowkidar even at that time. Thrones confuse people and he was back to normal when the Bhutto government hounded him out of power and sent him to Lohari Gate jail in Lahore. When I went to see Mrs Nusrat Bhutto at the Prime Ministers House in Rawalpindi, she abused him all the time, much to my embarrassment. I was friendly to the American wife of Pervaiz Murad, that is Joyce, and when later she married Hanif Ramay, it was news for me.

There is no doubt that he was an intellectual of high order and we saw him at the funeral of Ghulam Ahmad Pervaiz again. Well done to him! His brother did call at our house to request Abdur Raheem Chughtai to inaugurate an exhibition of Hanif Ramay at Alhamra. My uncle refused simply for Hanif Ramay as Chief Minister had refused to see him.

There was duality in him which few can understand. He reached both highs and lows at the same time. But he was a nice man and a very good artist. I pray for his soul. May Allah bless him in heaven!

ISLAMIC WALL PAINTING
CONTINUATION OF TRADITIONS IN EGYPT

Village houses decorated with wall paintings

Adverse propaganda has been spread for so long that we fail to see ground realities. In Egypt in modern times people in villages still decorate their houses with wall paintings. And the themes are all Islamic and related to events in Muslim History. But added are facets of modern times, like cars, foot soldiers, and even aero planes. And this is not upper class practice, nor work of rich people. Just plain villagers , decorating houses of other villagers for petty sums of money.

The site is so picturesque when you walk into a village and see the walls decorated with so many paintings. It looks amazing indeed for times that do not even know of this practice. Such colour looks like being influenced b the huge frescoes of the Pharaohs in Egypt. But here the subjects are very interesting. Haj issues. Departures and arrivals. Ordinary life in the villages,. Flowers, naqashis etc. All reflect the simple taste of the villagers. No great masterpieces here, just art works for fun and enjoyment.

In Pakistan too the common people have inherited the folk art as expressed on moving trucks. And here the subjects are totally different. Recently I came across trucks with Dr Allama Iqbal on them. Amazing, isn’t it. The Pakistani Ideology directly influencing ordinary people, with no high profile intelligence. Another media is the influx of printed posters of Saints of the region. Where figurative painting is considered as curse by Mullahs, we see abundance of images of Hazrat Ali (blessings be on him), and his sons, along with every conceivable saint of the region. It makes us think figurative art is part and parcel of civilization in general and Muslim civilization in particular. Enjoy our brethren art from Egypt!

ART GIMMICKRY IN PAKISTAN
PANDERING TO ISLAMO-PHOBIA
Pakistan bashing at its best

All art in Western traditions is based on Art for Religious sake. Hindu Art is also as religious as Buddhist Art. In Islamic civilization the game changed and art became truly Art for Art sake. Obsession with aesthetics alone. The last century brought awakening in Art in general. This is forgotten in this modern era, and the result is chaotic approach to the arts in general and particularly to Art in Pakistan. In fact modern contemporary Art in Pakistan is pure gimmickry aimed at pandering to Pakistani bashing as well as Islamo-phobia of the West.

Why are Pakistanis willing to submit to the demands of the West? Simply financial reasons. Pakistani bashing sells and sells most when you bash Islam too. Study the works of most modern painters in Pakistan and you find this bashing very clearly. Very important. Mullahs beating their wives, women screaming at acid being thrown on their faces, bigots rejoicing in heaven and in modern lore bashing of all those who uphold Islamic traditions. Looks like fun to these people, the ruse of destructive mechanism.

If it is the creativity of our artists, we certainly have no objections to whatever they do in life. But to make works for mere financial reasons and that to bash ourselves is shame of great proportions. This can easily be judged and no arithmetic required for analysis. The real creative Great Masters had something to tell us. In expert craftsmanship, they had a message to their Art too. In words of Dr Allama Iqbal,”What is Art that does not have the striking power of Moses staff?” And who put these artists on the media plain? Critics, again a breed of its own. Most people writing about Art in Pakistan know nothing about Art at all.Their sensitivities are totally lacking and one hears them speak of so called great Pakistani Art, it makes us hang down our heads in utter shame too.

M.A. Rahman Chughtai and Dr Abdullah Chaghatai were the first writers on Art here. They were followed by Dr Muhammed Din Taseer who started this venture at the request of Chughtai Artist himself. Another critic of great dimensions was Malik Shamas, Curator of Lahore Museum, whose understanding of Art was phenomenal. Colonel Majeed Malik contributed his lot too by introducing two figures in Art writing that is Amjad Ali and Jalaluddin Ahmad. Dr Muhammed Baqir obviously knew his job well. Shafi Aqeel and Marjorie Hussain were and are two equally good writers in Art here.

There we read then are a host of people writing on Art. Some are just plain ignorant, others are writing on the behest of foreign lobbies, making mountains of dirt in Art here. Gimmick Artists with gimmick critics hand in hand. In a sweep destroying the Ideology of Pakistan. Bashing our roots and our innovations all at the same time. After the death of M.A. Rahman Chughtai on 17th January, 1975, Dr Akbar Naqvi of Liverpool personally attacked the artist in many of his writings, particularly in Dawn Magazine. He even had objections to our gifting of books to friends and critics in a malignant tone. We kept quite. We hear from a Karachi resident that Dr Akbar Naqvi regrets his utterances these days., Who knows? Even in his book he accuses the artist of many things which he does not even know at all. What can we say? The stature of Chughtai cannot be upset by puerile accusations. We wish Dr Akbar Naqvi the best in his life. As he is from Liverpool, we hope he writes something on the history of the group BEATLES. It would be worthy addition to world knowledge.

Obviously Art Gimmickry is always short lived and will die its eventual death. A thing of Beauty is a joy forever and we know that well.