Naimat Khan
KARACHI: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan told to an author, who sought Jinnah’s help in pointing out mistakes in his autobiography in an apology for one mistake, why should I do your work, if you don’t know facts about my life you should not write about me, this was disclosed by Sheela Reddy, Indian author of a book on Jinnah here at its launch at Karachi Literature Festival here on Saturday.
She talked with Governor Sindh Mohammad Zubair, F.S. Aijazuddin and moderator Kamran Asdar Ali about, Mr and Mrs Jinnah: Hindustan ki Hairankun Shadi.
“Jinnahs personal life has never been discussed in this way. Pakistanis would probably not like it (the book), they don’t want to humanize Jinnah in this manner, they can’t fathom that he fell in love with a Parsi girl. So they might not like it but the truth must be told” said Mohammad Zubair. Author Sheela Reddy was asked what attracted 42-year-old Jinnah to an 18-year-old Parsi woman, to which she responded, “I think on his part it was her very youth that might have attracted him, she was a great romantic. I think she had qualities that he had suppressed about himself due to his need to self-invent into another man, a great man.”
A large number of book lovers and literature enthusiastic attended sessions of their interests on various thought-provoking subjects on the second day of Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) on Saturday. The visitors exhibited their love of reading with purchase of books authored by both new and well-known local and foreign writers.
The series of activities related to literature were also well attended by visitors of all ages.Oxford University Press (OUP) Pakistan event gathered avid readers, writers, academics, and literary figures from across Pakistan and the world for the second day of the festival, which began on Friday at the Beach Luxury Hotel.
Oxford University Press Pakistan Managing Director and Founder/Director of KLF Ameena Saiyid said that KLF is a mini university, the youth are asking questions to the point of activism. The day started with the session “Home Fire: Rosinka Chaudhuri in conversation with Kamila Shamsie”. Home Fire was long listed for the prestigious Man Booker Prize and has garnered international acclaim. Centered around a British-Pakistani family torn apart by a conflicted past, this novel features themes that are very relevant today. The audience heard interesting commentary about Pakistani writing in English, the Paksitani diaspora in Britain and much more.
The book launch for Remnants of a Separation: A History of the Partition through Material Memory by Aanchal Malhotra had a panel consisting of Aanchal Malhotra, NazIkramullah Ashraf, Shahnaz Aijazuddin and Reema Abbasi with moderator Saif Mahmood. “When you are born in India or Pakistan, you cannot separate yourself from partition”, said Aanchal Malhotra.
Shahnaz Aijazuddin pointed out, “In Harry Potter, wizards use everyday objects and magic to transport them to another place. In Aanchal’s book, she has used ordinary objects to transport herself back in time.”Aanchal added, “Official history doesn’t encompass everyone so we have to trust peoples memory. But memory is inherently fallible so collective memory becomes personal memory. We have to take things at face value, blend of oral history and academic history as they cannot exist separately from one another.”About interviewing people regarding partition, Aanchal explains, “Memory is not chronological, you need triggers to remember. You need to talk about senses, ask questions like what did Chittagong smell like at that time.”
At the book launch “Bhopal Connections: Vignettes of Royal Rule” by Shaharyar M. Khan,
Award Ceremony of KLF-German Peace Prize Winners with Dr Christoph Hein (Leading German Journalist on Asia)was presented by the Consulate General of Germany, Karachi. Dr Rasul Baksh Rias was declared as the First German Peace Prize winner.Ijaz Hussain won the second German Peace Price for his book Indus Water Treaty: Political and Legal Dimensions.”The only way to solve the water problem in India and Pakistan is to work together”, said the winner author. The third prize was won byAhtar Baloch for his book “Prison Narratives”.
The most interesting session was “Slam-Bam Verse! Utterances of the Age” where the speakers Zohab Khan, ZohaJabbar, Batool Hassan, Shameneh Majid, Mariam Paracha, Hamza Iftikhar discussed the details withZohab Khan.
Book Launch: Pirani & Other Short Stories by Jamal AbroMahtab Akbar Rashdi, Attiya Dawood, Shah Muhammad PirzadaModerator: Masood Lohar
In the session #MeToo: Gender issues today, the speakers AurélieSalvaire, Kami Chouhdry, HarisGazdar and session moderator Bina Shah discussed the burning gender issues. “A lot of the issues brought up by the me too movement expose not just sexual exploitation but economic exploitation,” saidHarisGazdar, adding, “”Surveys reveal that women themselves don’t regard their own labour as work.”Aurelie Salvaire said, “I find there are more feminists in Pakistan’s lower middle class than in the upper classes”. She added that “Imagine what would happen is all the women in Pakistan stopped working for one day, the country would be paralyzed. We have so much power but we don’t know it because patriarchy has divided us.”
At the session “Why is Shakespeare Shakespeare?” Zia Mohyeddin read selected abstracts in his trademark style.
On the session on sports “Howzat!The Madness that is Cricket”, the speakers Richard Heller, Shaharyar M. Khan, Mohsin Khan and moderatorSohaibAlvi discussed important sports issues. Shaharyar M. Khan said that “You need coaching academies across the country and not just the big cities so young talent can flourish.”
Three books on Socio-Economic and Governance Priorities for Pakistan also launched ate the event. Hafiz A. Pasha, SakibSherani and Vaqar Ahmed sat with moderator Abdul Qadir to discuss the details.Hafiz A. Pasha said that “Since the 90’s Pakistan has lost its growth. What is equally worrying is that we have high and rising inequality the evidence is that over the last 15 years and so, the gap between the rich and poor has risen to 12-1. In the last few years the gap has increased by one thirds. The fundamental is how to manage the low growth and inequality.” In an intriguing session, NasriNazmaurNayeeShairi, Afzal Ahmed Syed, Tanveer Anjum, Azra Abbas, ArfaEzazi sat with moderator Syed Kashif Raza
In the session Autobiographies: A Conversation, Zubeida Mustafa, first female editor of Dawn and author of My dawn years sat with Kesho Scott of The Habit of Surviving & Tight Spaces. Zubeida Mustafa said that “I wouldn’t say I was the first woman in journalism but I did join it at a stage when I could influence policy and pave the way for other women.”
In the Book Launch: Travels in a Dervish Cloak, author Isambard Wilkinson talked to Victoria Schofield about his new book.
Book Launch: The Three Innocents and Ors.: Chughtai on Childhood Translated by Tahira Naqvi Shahnaz Aijazuddin and SabynJaveri sat with SamanShamsie to discuss the book.
At the Book Launch: A Thousand Cups of Tea: Among Tea Lovers in Pakistan and Elsewhere in the Muslim WorldJurgen Wasim Frembgen sat with ArfaSayeda Zehra to discuss his book. ArfaSayeda Zehra moderated the session. Going Bananas with the Boys was an interesting session where the Banana News Network boys including Murtaza Chaudhery,Mustafa Chaudhery&Faisal Chaudhery entertained the crown. At the Book Launch: The Faltering State: Pakistan’s Internal Security Landscape the author Tariq Khosa sat with Babar Ayaz, Hamid Khan & Javed Jabbar.
Maheen Zia, AriebAzhar and Pervez Hoodbhoy had a healthy discussion in the session EACPE Video Competition: Fostering Tolerance in Pakistan In session The Power of the Individual Story: Pakistani Women’s Autobiographies, Attiya Dawood, Azra Abbas, Samina Rahman and KishwarNaheed sit with Kesho Scott.
In the session “Can Art and Culture Save the City?” DurriyaKazi, Sania Saeed, Faraz Hamidi and YawarJilani sat with moderator Naila Mahmood. “Citymaking is a complex task especially if you bring culture into it. Citymaking needs a conscience, an understanding of history,” says YawarJilani on architecture and pubic spaces. He added that “This process of engagement and dialogue. Our city has no planning authority. It’s headless.
— Continued
