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.