Daily Times

‘A bull in a china shop’ is a familiar phrase. We all know what havoc it denotes. Now a new standard has been created by the ‘bull’ that entered Nairang Art Gallery recently. Nairang Art Gallery is situated in front of Kinnaird College for Women on Jail Road in Lahore. It is set up in a town home where the famous architect Nayyar Ali Dada once lived, and is now dedicated to art. It is a location that is accessible and has a modest restaurant attached to it. It has gradually become a hub of thinkers, artists, writers and intellectuals who find the ambience conducive for creativity. It is a sort of replacement of the old teahouses and coffee houses of earlier, traditional Lahore. Lahore, like Paris, has a long tradition of intellectual ferment in teahouses and coffee houses. Before independence, such places were the hub of writers, artists, thinkers, journalists, philosophers, teachers, poets, film and drama personalities and so on. The momentum lasted a while and, with the shifting of the ‘centre of gravity’ of urban Lahore and the ageing of the old guard, the teahouses and coffee houses on the Mall strip between Plaza cinema and ‘Bhangiyon ki Tope’ (Kim’s Gun) became less frequented by the ‘intellectual’ crowd. The last outposts still existing are the Old Mayo School of Arts (now NCA), and the Government College (now GCU). Both these outposts of intellectualism’s walkway have gone through changes; so has the strip between the Plaza and Kim’s Gun.

Lahore would have begun to lose its bohemian cultural aura if some new ‘stops’ had not been created to pause and think. Nayyar Ali Dada’s contribution to the cause created such a ‘stop’, and frequent gatherings of writers, historians, thinkers and artists became a routine. Nairang Art Gallery was growing in the classical tradition of Lahore.

Into this fragile abode dedicated to the creative and peaceful segment of society walked a bull. It was a senior member of the chief minister’s (CM’s) police force from Punjab. The Shadman police station’s SHO, Rana Zulfiqar, entered the gallery and manhandled and misbehaved with the female curator, staffers and customers at the Nairang Art Gallery! It was a few days before the beginning of Ramzan. The SHO entered the gallery and started abusing the customers, including women. He physically tortured the female curator for wearing a sleeveless shirt. He accused the gallery of spreading obscenity. The Punjab government promised to take strict action against the SHO. This has been nothing more than lip service as usual because nothing has happened and the SHO has ‘lived happily ever after’. How can one expect action from a government of the PML-N, which has consistently shown a soft corner for extremists, funded them and stood by them? This police functionary could very possibly have been briefed by the extremists and acted in cahoots with some segments of the PML-N to do what he did. This incident has again exposed the presence of religious extremism in the police, something that led to the assassination of former Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. A senior lawyer, Ms Hina Jilani and several other human rights activists have demanded an impartial inquiry because they do not trust the Punjab government.

Most shocked is indeed Nayyar Ali Dada himself, whose son was also beaten up and his letters to the CM, IG, CCPO and others have had no effect. The Human Rights Commission has raised the most relevant question: excesses by policemen are hardly an anomaly in Pakistan but since when have the policemen assumed the responsibility of the Taliban?

The CM Punjab has had a good personal reputation concerning his attitude towards creative artists. He chose to recite verses from the works of poets. He is not shy to sing publicly as well. Then why are his policemen parading around harassing artists and art students? Why does he not take exception to it? The police in Punjab raid theatres and art galleries! How did they get the license to enter different premises to enforce their twisted versions of aesthetics and morality? Does this fit into the image of a CM who claims liberal thoughts and recites Habib Jalib? If nothing else, for his own image’s sake and for his party’s sake, he must take strict action and restrain such extremist police individuals. He should not show any weakness to please some elements in his party who look down upon the arts. Unfortunately, there are such elements in the PML-N. The CM, who holds a high position in his party, needs to harness negative tendencies against creativity.

The artists are well within their right to protest. They are seeking support from the press and are demonstrating in front of the press club. Is the government trying to paint them in political colours to justify using its police for arm-twisting? Or are the police seeking a ‘share’ as usual? In either case, such actions are not going to win any friends. Such harassment can only germinate hate.

Artistic expression is mostly aesthetic. It adds to the ‘beautiful’ in any society. It is the “jamal” that the Quran itself recognises. It is an attribute of the Almighty Himself. A policeman, or anyone else, cannot claim a right to interfere in His will.

The writer is a culture and media management specialist, a researcher, author, director and actor