Daily Times

To this reviewer’s comprehension a biography contains the author’s life history and experiences overlapping the socio-political environment and history of the era he lived them.

Even in a novel the history in the making engulfs the plots and characters of the novel. Doctor Zhivago, novel by Boris Pasternak, was published in Italy in 1957. This epic tale about the effects of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and its aftermath on a bourgeois family was not published in the Soviet Union until 1987. Similarly, biographies are something more than just the personal accounts of the writer. The local English Daily Dawn report on September 2022 states that ten best and talked about autobiographies included a book titled Mushahidaat. This book was banned because of its contents is the autobiography of Nawab Hosh Yaar Jang Hosh Bilgirami. The book describes, in addition to other things, the royal courts and royal lives in princely states of Hyderabad Deccan and Rampur. Since it revealed some parts of personal lives of those who mattered, its publication provoked uproar from readers. Many pages had to be removed and stickers had to be pasted to hide many lines. But the high-ups were not satisfied and it was finally banned and confiscated in Deccan. The writer was shocked and died a few days later. Today its copies are extremely hard to find.

Tariq Mahmud’s autobiography titled ‘Daam-e-Kheyal’ comprise many true tales written in effective discourse. He lived in that Pakistan that included its Eastern Wing namely East Pakistan. Tariq had spent a reasonable time in East Pakistan as a bureaucrat. Naturally the memories became a part and parcel of his life system. So he brought forward the bygones of his past and lifted those memories in his autobiography. His journey therefore does not look like treading a set path but also travels on the offshoots of the main path and the valleys – Page 09. Akram Malik a consistent colleague and friend observed that Tariq’s autobiography therefore is divergent of the set pattern and make many colourful circles around it. Tariq Mahmud acknowledges Akram Malik’s contributions in compiling this book that is a poet of repute in Punjabi Urdu and English but shuns media coverage on his works – Page 07.

In the first chapter titled ‘Sail-e-Rawaan’ starts by saying that the book comprises his story which could be that of the readers as well. It could be that of Pakistanis and I collected their number could be in millions.

I you listen to my story you may find its reflection in your story. Tariq waited to come to this world after Pakistan was created. He did not desire to change his nationality more frequently. He knew a friend who lived in East Pakistan. After the fall of Dhaka he moved to Karachi. Still dissatisfied he migrated to America. He is still unhappy when he comes across the news of a fellow Pakistani under distress. Tariq remembers the helicopter journey which brought him to Quetta. He recalls his servant Illahi Bukhsh Baloch’s song ‘Saif ul Maluk Ki Ammah’ when his wife used to go to her mother’s house. Tariq had spent his childhood in fort Sandmen. The smell of fruits like apricots grapes and nuts was in his existence in the fruit garden. Years later when he visited that place the trees had vanished. This chapter comprises Tariq’s stay in Sialkot and Rawalpindi. He remembers inter-wing scholarships being offered after the interview. He appeared and got scholarship for BSc Honours. He spent four years in Dhaka as he loved Bengal.

The next chapter gives the background of British influence in the development of East African countries. Tariq spent his youth in this area. He used to commute from Karachi to Mombasa mostly by sea. Tariq describes the travel arrangements mostly by dirty roads surrounded by plantation. Even Africans loved to watch films of Raj Kapoor Dilip Kumar Madhubala Nargis Devanand Kamini Kaushal Nimmi and Meena Kumari. Nest chapter ‘Safari Park’ gives ‘by sea’ journey to Mombasa; about the lie of passengers on the deck. Minute observation of a Sikh trying to dry his turban that is carried away by extreme windy conditions above his head brings forward his sense of humour which was appreciated by fellow passengers when he said that his turban flew back to his country. Tariq’s family was ready to travel to Tanga another city and then to Nairobi. The latter was known as Arica’s London; lights restaurants shopping Malls etc.

Tariq jumps back to Bengal in the next chapter ‘Aamar Dishiar Kotha’ (story of my country). Tariq is in love with Dhaka capital of East Pakistan. Tariq explains that Salimullah Muslim Hall was representative of history of architecture. The advent of Muslim League in 1906 was announced in this hall. Across the road were two hostels for Engineering University. A railway line passed nearby. Temporary poor-men tented housed many families on the side of the railway line. Ladies looked or daily wages menial jobs in the university ((Page 50). Staying in senior students room Tariq made friends with his Bengali class fellows. Bengalis who are politically very active people used to take out processions for Lisaani Tehreek (language Movement) and leftists were close to Sheikh Mujib ur Rehman’s Awami League party. Nineteen Sixties was an era of music and poetry; Tegore’s poetry Hement Kumar and Anil Biswas’s music. Singing Nazarul Islam’s poetry was a degree for any singers.

Tariq Mahmud’s love for East Pakistan Lahore and Multan etc. has been explored and expressed with deep meanings in his autobiography. A lot more has to be written for which we shall or next two instalments. This reviewer shall suffice by borrowing Asad Shah’s observation that says ‘I have started reading ‘Dam-e-Khayal’, a recently published comprehensive autobiography by Tariq Mahmood, a distinguished writer, who has also been a top bureaucrat. This is a monumental work, spread over some six hundred pages. The autobiography is spellbinding and is so well written that I have no hesitation in saying that Tariq deserves to be included in the top category of Urdu writers. His excellence in writing is also a continuation of the tradition of top civil servants of Pakistan including Qudratullah Shahab, Mukhtar Masood and Masud Mufti. As I am reading the book, I have remained riveted to the stories being narrated and the pictures being painted.

The writer is the recipient of the prestigious Pride of Performance award. He can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com