The Sikh heritage in Pakistanon March 9, 2018The Quest Continues: Lost Heritage — The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan Author: Amardeep Singh Publishers: Himalayan Books, New Delhi Edition: 2018 The Times of 25 December 2015 published under the title, ‘A heritage all but erased’ a review I did of Amardeep Singh’s first book, Lost Heritage; The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan. In his debut work he had published stunning photographs of Sikhs gurdwaras, … [Read more...] about The Sikh heritage in Pakistan
A walk down familiar roads — in the wrong directionon January 31, 2018I belong to an old locality of Lahore - Mozang - where my ancestors on the paternal side have lived for as long as they could remember. In the Civil and Military Gazette of 1880, a news headline read, “A man dies of snakebite in Mozang, a village two miles from Lahore”. By the turn of the 20th Century, Mozang had been enveloped by expanding modern Lahore under British patronage. Temple Road, … [Read more...] about A walk down familiar roads — in the wrong direction
Treading the footprints of Ava Gardner in Lahoreon January 9, 2018The Goddess of Hollywood, Ava Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990), was in Lahore in 1955 to shoot for the film Bhawani Junction (1956), which had Stewart Granger as the man opposite her. She stayed at the Falettis Hotel which is inseparable from the history of British India and its many favours to Lahore. An Italian named Mr Falettis established the hotel in 1880. As Lahore’s … [Read more...] about Treading the footprints of Ava Gardner in Lahore
Muslims against the Muslim League: Critiques of the Idea of Pakistanon November 11, 2017A topic greatly under researched is finally attracting the attention of scholars: the opposition to the Muslim League, its idea of Pakistan and the partition of India that was inevitable were the idea to Pakistan materialise as a separate state for Indian Muslims in the Indian subcontinent. In this regard mention must be made of Shamsul Islam’s, Muslims Against Partition (2015), which has … [Read more...] about Muslims against the Muslim League: Critiques of the Idea of Pakistan
Is Marxism relevant today?on September 17, 2017Karl Marx is undoubtedly one of the greatest thinkers of all times whose ideas have profoundly impacted the modern world. A prolific writer, theorist, polemicist and activist, his revolutionary theory of socialism proved to be the most telling indictment of the horrors, which the industrial society of the 19th century had generated. Addressing the workers of the world rather than any nation or … [Read more...] about Is Marxism relevant today?
Project Lahore: telling a story pictoriallyon April 20, 2016I am not sure if any city on the Indian subcontinent exercises such mystique and charm as Lahore does. Its origins are shrouded in Lav, son of Lord Rama of Ayodhya, founding it. In Milton’s Paradise Lost (published 1667), Lahore and Agra are mentioned as great cities of the world. At least since the time of the Great Mughal, Emperor Akbar, Lahore has enjoyed the steady devotion of myriads of … [Read more...] about Project Lahore: telling a story pictorially
A Marxist analysis of the class structure of Pakistanon April 20, 2016Dr Taimur Rahman’s book, The Class Structure of Pakistan (Oxford University Press, 2012) is an impressive undertaking in Marxist scholarship. Through painstaking research combining a skilful discussion and elaboration of key concepts — mode of production, class, private property, and so on — with systematic treatment of vast empirical data, he sets out to shed light on the class … [Read more...] about A Marxist analysis of the class structure of Pakistan
Superstorm Sandy and Gods wrathon April 19, 2016Every time death and destruction result after the ‘normal’ weather pattern is disrupted and hurricanes, typhoons and storms occur or vigorous seismic activity takes place that results in earthquakes and tsunamis, our clerics and even many professionals and intelligentsia describe them as proof of God Almighty inflicting punishment and pain on humanity gone astray. Once upon a time, … [Read more...] about Superstorm Sandy and Gods wrath
Yash Chopra of Lahoreon April 19, 2016The news of the death of the famous Bollywood filmmaker and director Yash Chopra (September 27, 1932-October 21, 2012) has been received with great sadness in Pakistan. Almost all leading Pakistani English-language newspapers paid tributes to him, and I am sure the same is true of the vernacular press. Among Lahoria film buffs, the sense of loss is personal as Yashji was a native-born Lahori. … [Read more...] about Yash Chopra of Lahore
For and against Malala Yousafzaion April 19, 2016The world at large and particularly the majority of the people of Pakistan are holding their breath as the 14-year old Malala Yousafzai struggles for her life after suffering grievous injuries at the hands of Taliban gunmen, who on October 9, 2012, stopped her school bus, in Mingora, Swat and shot her in the head and neck. Two other girls in the bus were also injured. Malala received the best … [Read more...] about For and against Malala Yousafzai
