Malcolm X lives and matters, 50 years on on March 1, 2015“The house Negro usually lived close to his master. He dressed like his master. He wore his master’s second-hand clothes. He ate food that his master left on the table. When the master would be sick, the house Negro identified himself so much with the master, he’d say, ‘What’s the matter, boss, we sick?’ The […]
Malcolm X lives and matters, 50 years on on March 1, 2015“The house Negro usually lived close to his master. He dressed like his master. He wore his master’s second-hand clothes. He ate food that his master left on the table. When the master would be sick, the house Negro identified himself so much with the master, he’d say, ‘What’s the matter, boss, we sick?’ The […]
Saadat Hasan Manto: a mirror for man, 60 years on I on January 17, 2015“I have seen him on the cleanest roads, in a dust-covered amazement; in the gathering storm of blind, overturned cups; Tossing the empty bottle he shouts, ‘Oh world! Your beauty is your ugliness.’ Booms becoming the noise of chains The world stares back at him Their bloodshot eyes rattle with the question ‘Who nabs the […]
Hamza Alavi: interpreting Pakistan, changing the world II on December 2, 2013I flew to Karachi in July/August to see him at his elegant Gandhi Gardens residence, clad in his immaculate white kurta pajama (national dress). What followed were a couple of hours on a sophisticated exposition on the class structure of Pakistan and suggestions for future research. Back in Leeds, I added to my grateful instructors’ […]
Hamza Alavi: interpreting Pakistan, changing the world I on December 1, 2013“Stop all the clocks … let the mourners come” — W H Auden. December 1 marks the 10th death anniversary of the late Hamza Alavi. My reflections for this piece will chiefly consist of memories of my lone meeting with him in the last years of his life, before reflecting a bit on how that […]