GROPING IN THE DARK FOR LOSS OF AESTHETIC SENSE;
INVASION OF PSEUDO ARTISTS TO PERVERT OUR SENSES.

I often wonder why museum visitors in the West carry very young children with them. At times even babies in their arms. Or moving in prams. And those young eyes are trained to look at art. I remember many years back a Spanish couple from Islamabad called, working in the UNO, came here with their very young daughter, few years old. She was looking at me wonderstruck, but actually afraid of me. I started showing them paintings and the parents would ask their daughter Anita, her impression of each work. She could hardly speak but she had a mind of her own, and would give judgment of each work. By the time they left, the young girl, a few years old, seemingly fell in love with me. She rewarded me with her affection by pasting stickers of Smiley on my trousers as well as on my face. I allowed her to do that, for she taught me a lesson. Aesthetic training starts very early.

M.A, Rahman Chughtai had an idea to inculcate such aesthetics in the people of Pakistan, by building a museum to house his works as well as works of other artists and build the finest art library in Pakistan. Western lobbies were allergic to the development of Pakistan which would lead them to national consolidation. So perverts in the form of artists, with jeans and pipes in their mouth, came here to dissuade us from developing the same, by jumping in the bandwagon of the Western world, in the most ludicrous way possible. Their inspiration was Picasso, and their style mimicry. It was the start of not Pakistani Art, but so called searching for an ideal landscape, where there was not even a landscape. Absolute Gimmickry! They started worshipping canvasses  of fake Picassos, in the same way the Buddhists worship Siddharta Buddha or the Hindus worship the Lingam of Shiva. Their faith in the pseudo western world was so strong, and they started to ridicule all that was the essence of Pakistan. Indeed it was a clash of our civilization with the make believe world of another civilization.

http://blog.chughtaimuseum.com/?p=10389

It is time to assert ourselves to assert our identity. And by doing it, we need to understand Chughtai Art. We are starting a series of blogs on the Art of M.A.  Rahman Chughtai, to understand same. So that young generations of Pakistanis do not ape the gimmickry of the so called western world, and come face to face the function of Art itself. Art for Art sake indeed, but not without the striking power of Moses staff.

Lesson number one

Each work of Chughtai Sahib starts first from a story. He conceives a story and on that story he bases his concept of art.  Yes story telling through line and colour. More later!

SAID GRASS IS GREENER IN ANOTHER MEADOW;
ONLY WHEN YOU STOP NURTURING YOUR OWN.

People lose faith in their country. And believe that transporting themselves in another world will solve if not all, at least some of their problems. We get a chance to meet people from all over the world. And share their happiness as well as their anguish. I felt sharing the thoughts of Ahmed Humayoun, a Pakistani designer artist who migrated to Canada has to be shared with others. In Canada from 1965, he narrates all the vows there. Read and start taking your country seriously. Plenty of issues, but can be corrected by looking at them as a challenge. Not creating unimaginable issues for oneself. Sharing!

Dear ARC,
If you find paradise on earth, please let me know, I would also like to move  there. I visit Pakistan every two years. I see people eating better and living better there. All my colleagues without exception are part of Pakistani art history. Their names are mentioned and their work is published in books etc. and their names are going to be mentioned after they are dead and gone. They are well respected in the Pakistani society. They are financially comfortable and have no financial debits. All my colleagues including myself, without exception who decided to leave Pakistan, have no place in the art history and will never have one. I am quite sure, had I stayed in Pakistan, I would have been in the same company as my colleagues who decided to stay back. About 8 years ago I met an artist (originally from a very well respected family in Lahore) and later on found out that he passed away suddenly and was cremated by strangers and his ashes scattered somewhere.

My assessment is that only 10% of the migrants make it in the West, the rest 90%  don’t. The immigrants go through loss in 3 areas. One – loss of culture (that includes history, language, cuisine, appreciation of music, family ties etc.). Second – loss of family ties, lack of respect of elders, marriage into other faiths, loss of identity etc. Third – Religion (which to most people is extremely painful).
Police with all the riot gear burst into an Ottawa “desi” house at 3 a.m. three years ago and arrested a young man, born in Canada, who was suspected of terrorism. The case has not come to trial yet. When? No one knows. The cost to fight the legal battle is close to 2 million dollars. The family obviously does not have that kind of money. There is always fund-raising being done for it.

We have had at least two suspicious deaths in police custody of young “desi” boys as well as one case of suspected suicide. Some of the girls as well as boys marrying into “other faiths” is very common. The parents can not do anything about it. The children normally are “independent” after the age of 18 years.
I see two groups amongst the “desis” being formed – one group is extremely religious and the other is not. The not-so-religious people say that all the religions are good because no religion teaches bad things. Therefore, religion is not important and their entire attitude towards life is guided by it.
Today, I read an article in the local newspaper, that a family in Winnipeg (White mother and Somali father) was raided with riot gear when they were celebrating their son’s 5th birthday. The man sued the police for damages. The judge’s threw the case out and commented that he got better treatment here and he should feel himself lucky to be in Canada.

We have three children, two boys and a girl, all married off fortunately to “desis”. The children were born here and studied here. The children have different interests and capacity for education. Our older boy did not go beyond high school and he drives the city bus. The daughter excelled in studies and she is a dentist. The youngest boy did his masters in communications last year and is still looking for a full time job. I am sure, had they been in Pakistan, their attitude towards education would have been the same.
I do not have a brother. My sister in Pakistan has three daughters – the oldest one is an administrator of a famous school system in Lahore. The second one is a school teacher and doing her masters in languages at the same time. The third one is a doctor. The girls were born, educated, and working in Pakistan as well as managing their families and children.
My wife and I worked in Canada since 1965 and paid 60% of our income in direct or in direct taxation for 40 years and are still paying taxes. There is tax on the funeral also. I noticed that a vast majority in Pakistan do not pay taxes and still would like the same privileges as the West. A totally unreasonable expectation I would say.

Pakistan is no bed of roses, neither is the West. Bottom line is that one
ends up trading one type of problems with the other. I remember reading about a Bangladeshi fellow who won the lottery in US green card draw. His village collected money for his fare and sent him off with lot of fanfare. The poor fellow died in a construction accident a month after his arrival there.
I have made 16 visits since 1965. I have never been looted, pick pocketed, threatened there or harassed by the customs officers upon arrival. I have always traveled by bus, train and by car within Pakistan. If I happen to be a target on my next visit, I certainly am not going to blame the country for it. Same way I am not going to blame US if I end up with an unpleasant experience in a crime ridden city like New York.
I think selling all the assets and moving to a new land, where one has
nothing in common with the people – the customs, language, cuisine, lifestyle etc. and starting a new life from scratch – is an extremely personal decision. A decision which is going to affect the lives of the present and the future generations.
Please let me know if I have answered your questions.
All the best. With fond regards.
Ahmad Humayun

HAFEEZ JULLUNDRI AND M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI
POET AND ARTIST IN PERFECT HARMONY
A TALE NOT TOLD BEFORE ANYWHERE

M.A. Rahman Chughtai was a born Lahori and lived in this atmosphere all the time. But there were others who came from other places. One such name was that of the poet and writer Hafeez who came from Jullundur to Lahore a long time back. A literary group was already here and known as the Niazmandan Lahore, and were reluctant to allow entry to someone from other places. It was M.A. Rahman Chughtai who welcomed this young man into this literary group. A beautiful letter tells us all this in the words of Hafeez Jullundri himself:

“Please believe me when I say that out of all persons alive, your existence is one of which is the greatest source of pride for me, right from the start of my creativity to this day. You were the first to eulogize me, when I came to Lahore, by not only looking at me with favourable perceptive eyes but also concrete help as well as boosting of my morale. A writer can perhaps forget everyone, but never the first source of his encouragement and as far as Abdur Rahman Chughtai is concerned, a pulsating personality of the world, whose influence is spread all over, what can one say more, except that I long to see you soon.
( Translated from letter dated 1959).

A beautiful friendship emerged between the poet and the artist. When Hafeez Jullundri took out a magazine from Lahore, it was encouraged by Chughtai and we find the title as well as contribution of a painting for publication in it. The relation went deeper. When Hafeez Jullundri started his epoch making Shahnama Islam, he completed the first volume in Lahore, and it was read by Mian Nuruddin (known as Nur), a famous voice of Lahore, in the house of M.A. Rahman Chughtai, and there were at least 100 people who attended this reading, including Hafeez Jullundri himself. The wife of M.A Rahman Chughtai recalled how difficult it was for her to cook to entertain so many people at the same time.

The relation between the two touched at many points, including the design of the Pakistani flag, when catering to the idea of a SITARA HILAL, the artist penned down designs for the Pakistani flag for the Quaid e Azam with a rising Crescent in it. A number of people had actually sabotaged the design by having it tailored as a descending Crescent. The tailor Master was a Christian by faith and had no concept of rising and descending crescent and cultural saboteurs were at work to get it done wrongly by him.

The Poet and artist were in touch all the time. He would call at our house all the time. I remember one day I came from school and he was there seated in our drawing room with my father, and I saw an English woman with him. It was one of his wife and that wife held him in great love and reverence.

The poet Hafeez Jullundri was there first on the death of the artist on 17th January, 1975, and went with the funeral to the graveyard and he is seen standing in the front row of the funeral prayers in most pictures of same. On 17th January, 1976, he was there at the first death anniversary of the artist, and recited the national anthem there, while he cursed those in power, who were trying to even undo the National Anthem of Pakistan. Amongst tears Hafeez Jullundri cried and made many in the audience cry too. There he read his last QASIDA on Chughtai artist, entitled ‘CHUGHTAI, ABDUR RAHMAN’. He would pat me on the cheeks all the time and was very proud of me. We maintained a relation till his very end, and he introduced me to his wife and daughter. The daughter was reading the News on Pakistan Television. The family is still in touch with us.

EXPLORING THE ROLE OF THE MAHARANI COOCH BIHAR;
IN PUBLICATION OF M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI MURRAQQA.

There are many approaches to the past. Well forgotten or well remembered. But the middle ground remains muddled. And when there is mere speculation, it goes wrong many times. It starts with the visit of the famous Indian critic G. Venkatachalam to Lahore and the house of  Chughtai Sahib in Kocha Chabuk Sawaran. The artist invited him to stay in the house. Not only showed him his works but dined with him many times. Obviously the critic, expecting hostility, got surprised at the cordial welcome. In one of his reviews he talks about the personality of the artist in beautiful terms. The working style in the humble house impressed him and he promised to help. In fact more than the paintings, he wrote about the personality of the artist in his review.

Bangalore was a regular place for visitors to visit the gallery of G. Venkatachalam. The year was 1926 and there was a painting exhibited there, entitled “The Extinguished Flame”, and it impressed a lot of people. One visitor was the Maharani of Cooch Bihar, Indira Devi, but the painting was listed as sold. The lady liked the painting so much, that she dispatched a letter to the artist, if he could copy it for her. That letter is on record too. The fascination for the artist started, as well as the name Mirza Ghalib sprang up in the discussion. G. Venkatachalam told her about the proposed program of the artist in the publication of Murraqqa e Chughtai. Although the artist had raised money for the project, but that was not enough. Maharaja Patiala had bought some paintings and the purchase was helpful to the venture. Realizing the  possible success of the project in a financial proposition, she sent an offer of a business deal, in which she would acquire 15 of the original works, along with a portion of the returns on the sale of the book. Amazing terms for a rich lady to give to a humble artist. That letter is on record too.

Then a letter dated 27th March 1927 when the Maharani of Cooch Bihar sent a draft of Rs 5000 to the artist and waived the portion on the sale of books voluntarily on her own. And then a blank portion as to what happened after that, but a letter from the Maharani itself, thanking receipt of the book sent to her, but that is dated 5th May, 1932. The question remains if the book was printed in 1928, why did it take such a long time for the book to be sent to her. There are unanswered questions.

We do know that the Nizam of Hyderabd was approached by Dr Allama Iqbal for a grant of another Rs 5000 to the artist, as funds had run out for the publication. That letter is there in Hyderabad archives but we do not have a copy, only a reference. Funds came or not, the book was dedicated to the Nizam of Hyderabad. But all of the paintings were sold to Princess Durre Shehwar of Hyderabad Deccan. Finally the works were hung in the Nizam’s Palace Delhi. Where are they now? No one knows. 

But what about the fifteen works that were to be taken by Maharani of Cooch Bihar? She wanted a selection of her choice. Not possible that she left pursuit of them. That is an enigma that cannot be solved. But the truth is the works must have been copied by the artist for her. One work rather a different version of the Wasted Vigil, was sold by the Maharani of Jaipur, from her mothers collection. Confirmed to me by Ms Mehreen Rizvi-Khursheed. The Curator Anthony Spira refused to send a HD version of the work for my analysis, and long after the exhibition show is over in the UK. I still haven’t received a copy of the catalogue. Obviously it was promised to me and I cooperated fully with them. They were inclined to put a fake picture of the “Serenade” in the show and I gave them the original one. The UK riots going on these days, suggest the colonial attitude still persists in the UK.

LOST ORIGINAL MINIATURE AND VARIOUS COPIES,
OF ACTUAL FUNERAL OF EMPEROR SHAH JAHAN;
AND SURPRISING LINK OF THREE MANUSCRIPTS.

The Mughals created history, and loved the written record of it. They didn’t miss much and their historians wrote whatever they could. But even then things are missing. And no one jumps to their imagination for fear of losing credibility.

The death of Shah Jahan was inevitable. Jahan Ara had programs for a Royal procession, but Aurangzeb permitted Islamic rites, and buried him next to his wife Mumtaz Mahal, although that was not the actual plan. The whole dream of the Black marble Taj Mahal was gone. Certainly there would be original miniatures but seemingly lost with time. One sees copies coming up in the 18th Century and even in the 19th century. And certainly people stood by their Emperor till the end. But the original architect Mimar Ustad Ahmad had died in 1649 AD. The need for a new architect to plan the new burial was there and somebody would be there, along with the administrator of the Taj Mahal complex. Muhammed Salih calls it the “Rauza Munawara”, or the “Illumined Tomb.” So what is new? Three manuscripts reveal startling new information. A little information and background is necessary for the same. The three manuscripts of that period exist in reality.

Manuscript One

A copy of Zain Obain by Mir Waiz Kashfi, written by two partners. One of them is Mir Shah son of Mir Muhammed Ali Al-Hassani Al-Hussaini, and the other Lutufullah, and witten in both hand writings. Plain, no gold ornamentation. The year 1077 AH. Why is the year important? It is the year of death of Emperor Shah Jahan, and there seems to be a need for these both partners to be together at one place. Which one? 

Manuscript two

A copy of the Holy Quran with a hashiya on it. The calligrapher Syed Shah Muhammed Al-Hassani Al-Hussaini. The date 1091 AH. The Hashiya by Lutufullah Ahmad Muhandis. Dated 1092 AH. Whayt is important about this?

Syed Shah calls himself the Khakrob of Astana Munawara.  Who is a Khakrob, a dust cleaner, a maintenance person, or an administrator to keep things working. And what is Astana Munawara? Muhammed Salih the court historian calls the Taj Mahal Rauza Munawara. Syed Shah goes one step further and calls it Astana Munawara. The house of Taj Mahal.

Both partners together in the premises of the Taj Mahal, spending their time in writing books, and working on maintenance and architectural modifications. What can be more clear than that?

Manuscript three

A risalah on MANTIQ by Syed Shah, found in the library of Muhammed Hanif, Imam of Wazeer Khan Mosque, and calligraphed by Luufullah Ahmad Muhandis.

All three linked together. The secrets of history are ever there. It needs intelligence to find the secrets. Vey clear who was there at the Taj mahal doing these things.

AN AGE OF QUICK LEARNING, TODAY’S SCHOLARS ARROGANCE,
LEADS TO SELF DELUSIONMENT OF THEIR IGNORAMUS NATURE,
CONCLUSIONS WITHOUT ACCESS TO ARCHIVES, ORIGINAL WORKS.

It all started in 1975 with the death of M.A. Rahman Chughtai. We realized those who knew the artist Chughai first hand were gone. Few were left, and made us realize the importance of creating a new batch of scholars. Students and scholars have come from all over the world to study here and we have helped them. Really fine people. But there are those who became arrogant with what we taught them.  The extent was that they started to mislead the world with the scanty things they knew. Humility is the first sign of greatness. With knowledge we gave them free, they started making money out of the same. No harm done on the right track. But misleading created problems. 

Few have recorded the last phase of the artist. Certainly he was fine by 1972 and even 1973. But 1973 and 1974 created problems. His illness led to tremor in his hands and this is reflected not only in his signatures but in the works themselves. To hide the tremor he purposefully made his elegant line thicker so that the tremor could not be noticed. We list some things for information.

Dust Covers of books

In July 1973 Chughtai made a dust cover for the poetry of Sarmad Mazhari. That reflects that he was fine till July 1973. No stopping his creativity.

Some works of last phase

Note the works Mother and Child, Noora the Gambler, the Victor and it is clear that by this time things were fine. In the work Mother and Child we notice the tremor. This was possibly his last work. 

Signatures Urdu

Compare signatures of various periods. People cannot even recognize the signatures of the last phase and many can mistake them by being not his. But they are very well his own. So keep the inquisitiveness alive. Ask us if you don’t know. 

More later!

THE ISLAMIC HINDUS OF LAHORE
KHARBOSA DEKH KAY KHARBOSA ,
RANG PAKARTA HAI: CO-EXISTENCE!

There is a saying in our culture. It says ‘Kharbosa dekh kay kharbosa rang pakarta hai’, which is plainly saying that if you put a melon , near another melon, that melon picks up the colour of the other melon. Lahore has always been a Muslim city, proven by documentation as well as archaeology. The mythical Lahore of a Hindu city, if it ever existed has not been discovered yet. And certainly somewhere else. The Muslims brought in their culture here with the advent of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, although it is said that Arab quarters existed here even before that. The recent discovery of remnants of a flood dam in Mahmood Booti proves that, with its huge pillars of wells for water control, The culture of the Sultans as well as the Mughals certainly affected the heart and minds of the Hindus which started co-existing with their Muslim companions here. Baihaqi (historian 11th century) talks of the Hindu Slave boys brought here, and how they were very much loved and pampered by the people. It was natural that cultures get through people with love and affection.

An Anarkali curio dealer, the late Manzoor Hussain Sahib was a man of many dimensions. He rang me one day of a Quran (plain, not decorated) which had been brought by a Pathan, residing in Qaiser Hotel Lahore. There was nothing special about the calligraphy, but it was written by a Hindu calligrapher of Lahore. Manzoor Sahib was reluctant about it, for he thought in terms of blasphemy, but I was very excited about it. I gave him permission to buy it, but the Pathan vendor slipped away, and our library was never able to acquire it. Of course there were many manuscripts being written in Lahore in Persian and Arabic by Hindu calligraphers, as proven by their presence. A number of QITAS are also there with Hindu names on it. I was offered a royal copy fully stamped of ‘Masnavi Maulana Rum’, written in Lahore, by a Hindu in Aurangzeb’s time. So much for the so called bigotry of Aurangzeb Alamgeer. And that was not enough!

We hear of a Kalyan Mimar son of Hira Mimar of Lahore making Islamic buildings in Aurangzeb’s time. The name is mentioned in many official documentation. Mausoleums as well as mosques were in his preview. Other Hindu Mimars were attached to the famous Ustad Ahmad Mimar’s family in Lahore, and attested to their involvement in Mughal buildings. The name of Hindu supervisors and administrators like Haibat Rai even refer to the construction of the Mausoleum of Rabia Durrani, wife of Aurangzeb Alamgeer at Aurangabad in Hyderabad Deccan. The architect was Attaullah Rushdi but the supervisor was Haibat Rai. But there is more!

Masjid Wazeer Khan Mosque Lahore was a scene of many MUSHAIRAS (poetry reading groups) and there is record of many such events in the mosque itself. Even the Wazeer Khan mosque itself was inaugurated with a mushaira in 1044 AH as attested by the Diwan of Mahmood Lahori. One event is particularly recorded and published in book form. It is a mushaira known as NAATIA MUSHAIRA, which is a group of poets of the area, reciting their poems in praise of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). The said event is dated in 1875 AD, and records the name and poetic outlets of about 25 poets. Names as well as poems are given. All in praise of the prophet, and all such poems are called ‘NAATS’. The surprising part is that there are two Hindu names in it. The poet TARA HALWAI (of Chowk of the Masjid) with the poetic name of ‘Tara’, and ARORA RAI, known as ‘Rai’. Two Hindus of Lahore reciting poems in praise of the Muslim prophet. Incredible isn’t it!

M.A. Rahman Chughtai used to talk of his dear friend MALIK RAM, who was a resident of Chabuk Sawaran Lahore, too. With other boys, Malik Ram, received his Quranic teaching at the Masjid Mulla Ghous ( same place where Mirza Ghulam Qadiani met Baba Hiyadatullah) as well as the Chinay wali masjid in the same area. Malik Ram was very proud of those days and being a literary giant, has written about those days and his Quranic education. It was in the same spirit that the famous singer Lata Mangeskar sang a NAAT for the film Mughal-e-Azam in her full spiritual candour. These incredible incidents of Lahore remain unrecorded and most interesting for future of our two countries.

We know of Hindu Mandirs designed and made by Muslim Architects, but do we know of Jamia Masjids, designed by Hindu Architects. Take Bijapur and the Masjid of Karimuddin there. Karimuddin was son of  Malik Kafur, famous General of Sultan Allauddin Khilji. A Jamia Masjid was made in Bijapur in 1242 AH or 1320 AD by Revoya of Salhasdage. It exists to this day, famous due to extensive use of pillars in it.

QUAID E AZAM’S COMMITMENT TO THE PALESTINE CAUSE
BATTALION ARMY, 250,000 GUNS and DIPLOMATIC BACK-UP

A veteran journalist Tariq Ismael Sagar (full respects to him) in an internet broadcast, mentioned the role of Quaid e Azam in helping the Palestine cause. Obviously, it required research, and our dear lady, Ms. Saleena Karim offered to do so. That will take time. Till then the news is like this.

E. Epstein a leading Israeli personality and diplomat in Russia corresponded with another diplomat, Editor of the Hindustan Times, namely K.M. Panikkav, in 1948, and it is also in the personal diaries of the Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion. It is suggested that these documents are also in the Government of Pakistan records but perhaps suppressed by those in power. The facts mentioned are the offer of a Battalion of Army to the Palestinians, guns 250,000 bought from Czechoslovakia, and three fighter planes to Egypt. Help was not mere words. It was an actual help. Why do we not hear more about it? Is the present set of leaders afraid of the past, and the solid commitment of our initial leaders to the Islamic cause and Identity? If Israel can document same, why cannot we? Till then, feel proud of those who made Pakistan. Is it not time to make Pakistan, Pakistan again!  And get rid of these moronic, self-serving politicians, who have made mockery of our national life. Pakistan Forever!

THE FALCON AND THE PEACOCK BEING STORY,
OF TWO INSIGNIAS OF M.A. RAHMAN CHUGHTAI

The Ideology of Pakistan was well understood by the National Artist of Pakistan, M.A. Rahman Chughtai. And Ideology is best understood by using icons which people can understand. The main person behind all these insignias was Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, and after his death continuation by Chughtai Sahibs’s best friends like Agha Bashir, Director General of both Radio Pakistan, and Pakistan Television Corporation. He also lived not very far away from the house of Chughtai Sahib.

I met him personally when I went to see him on request of a friend who wanted one of the official Televisions imported by PTV. The first thing he told me was to let Chughtai Sahib know that a set of 23 inches Phillips was reserved for him. Convincing Chughtai Sahib was a different matter. Not everyone could afford Rs 960 at that time. It really touched our daily life.

It was in 1946 that Liaquat Ali Khan started writing to Chughtai Sahib about designing various things. The design of the Pakistani flag, the first insignia of Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Postal Stamps, and yes the insignia for Radio Pakistan. Various letters are on record, but phone lines were also used. A set of designs were carried to Delhi, by the neighbour Majeed Al-Makki, which is on record too. Not much is on record with us about Radio Pakistan, and Radio Pakistan’s audio records have been donated to the Library of Congress, in the USA. Strangely we picked up an article in the Civil and Military gazette of Lahore, dated 27th April, 1949, and there is a review by “Raz”, on the  radio coverage on Iqbal day. Raz writes:

“Of all the government institutions, Radio Pakistan is the most indebted to Iqbal. His Shaheen has given it its insignia through the ACT OF CHUGHTAI  and Iqbal’s poems are the very life blood of its daily programmes.”

And the Quran says:

The Quranic Arabic Corpus 2:83

And speak to people good [words] – وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسۡنٗا

This review confirms two things all at once. The insignia was in place by 27th April, 1949, and that it pictures nothing else than an iconic image of a SHAHEEN. A Shaheen in Iqballian terms, spells Ideology. A logo is a design symbol that hints at the icon and does not show the icon in realistic terms. It is shown as a step of Idealistic aesthetics. Plus the instructions for Radio Pakistan are clear from the Quran itself. Yes, speak to people with good words! A researcher gives us the following solid information:

INSIGNIA, MOTTO AND LOGO

Radio Pakistan’s insignia was designed by the well-known artist, Abdur Rahman Chughtai. It is composed of the figure of an eagle in flight, the wings spread out in the form of a crescent enclosing a star, giving it a two-fold association. Firstly, the crescent and star are symbols of Islam, and secondly it incorporates Iqbal’s concept of ‘Shaheen’ as the independent spirited bird with a keen eye, lofty flight and divine attachment. In the original insignia, the words ‘Radio Pakistan’ were inscribed in Urdu within the crescent. These were replaced by Quranic words in 1951. The *Ahang \ Radio Pakistan’s programme journal, carried the insignia for the first time with the Quranic inscription and the motto in its issue for the second fortnight of August 1951.

The Arabic script inscribed within the Radio Pakistan insignia are words from the Holy Quran, verse (Ayah) No. 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah (speak fair to the people)* and form the motto of Radio Pakistan. These Divine words have been a guideline for Radio Pakistan both in the concept and execution of its policies and programmes. A former Director General of PBC, Qazi Ahmad Saeed, selected these words at the behest of Z.A. Bokhari who wanted a Quranic verse to be adopted as Radio Pakistan’s motto. Another claimant to the honour of choosing the motto is M.H. Shah, a former Administrative Officer of PBC. The calligraphy of the motto is the work of Muhammad Yousuf Dehlavi. (Later known as Hafiz Yusuf Sadeedi). Syed Saleem A.Gilani, a former Director General of PBC contributed the logo:

I know a little about its history, for it was done in front of me. The first design was for Lahore Station only. Vey simply done and done in a hurry, for there was no understanding of television at that time. A TV display was arranged by USIS before that of a Panoramic review. The success of TV led to revisions after revisions. Then Agha Nasir came to the house and met me. It was decided to use the Lahore design for the Federal level too. Chughtai Sahib himself modified same and Aghas Nasir picked it up himself. Later it was subject of many revisions. But essentially from day one the idea of Chughtai Sahib was two fold. One of the Peacock spreading beauty all over Pakistan. And the other the design invoked the idea of a transmission pole spreading information in the country through direct waves. It was a revolutionary idea, and today’s imbeciles see it as outdated, when it was ahead of its time. Design copiers of the West see no ideology in their design studies but Ideology mattered most to M.A. Rahman Chughtai. Radio Pakistan and PTV lives through the icons as well as Chughtai Sahib lives through the designs.

AN AMAZING ACCOUNT OF ONE MUGHAL PRINCESS;
FROM AN AMAZING PASSIONATE WRITER RUBY LAL.

India and Pakistan are two countries. We have things in common, and we have things different. Usually writers of both wings, take the perception of history in their own ways. Documentation does not serve any purpose, the aims are usually sinister. Presenting history, manipulating history, and rewriting history. Few people seek the truth.

This is the amazing part of the personality of Ruby Lal. Even choice of her subjects reflect passion, interest, and in no way involves any kind of bitterness. I always compliment her as the smiling and laughing writer. And in her narration, we also come across the tragedy of her father’s death, and the lack of her ability to be there, due to the epidemic of those times. Well done to her!

My interest in her latest subject is multi-fold. First there are many families in Lahore, who came with Emperor Babur to this region. And we are one of them. And another bizarre thing is that we live a little more than a mile away from the Lahore Fort. This is where Princess Gul Badan wrote her “Awal”. Not much of Akbar time’s remain, as these buildings were demolished by Emperor Jahangeer himself. Recently an Akbari hamam was excavated there. Perhaps Gul Badan used to take a steamy bath there herself. Open to our wildest imagination. Not that anybody could have access to same. An unknown miniature from Jahangeer’s album in Gulistan Museum in Iran, could perhaps spotlight her, on the illness of Lady Sahib Jamal, wife of Prince Saleem. Perhaps not, open to our imagination. 

I do not think the abundant details in the narrative of Ruby Lal on Princess Gul Badan, can even by superseded by more research. Facts are scarce. Her analysis is more than complete. But she makes up for lack of material, with narratives of other travelers in the same era.  And the details of the Haj travel is actually unbelievable and reflects the time spent on her research by Ruby Lal. And Haj accounts even exist of 1579 AD when Gul Badan was still there.

All praise for Ruby Lal. Congratulations on a splendid job. The only objection I had I noted long ago. I said this to Ruby Lal herself. If Sultan Murad had an objection over economic upheaval with the visit of Mughal ladies and issued farmans to kick them out of Khanna Kabba, it is his issue and issue alone. All Mughal ladies were adventurous, naturally as part of their DNA and upbringing in that world. One can call her anything, but the word “vagabond” is a negative connotation, and does not apply to her. With her penchant for endlessly giving sadaqas to the poor, “HUMANITARIAN PRINCESS” more like it. Or to her core, namely

“ADVENTUROUS PRINCESS”. Giving charity is in no way being a vagabond. I apologize in advance, for this is a suggestion only. I never impose on others! Freedom is essential for all writing.