Amina Saiyid, Managing Director of Oxford University Press and on the Board of Trustees of the newly established Mahomed Ali Habib University, did it once again, drawing mammoth crowds to the English Literature Festival on the three consecutive days, namely Friday, February 7, 2014, Saturday, February 8, 2014 & Sunday, February 9, 2014 at the Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi.
Arrangements at the Beach Luxury Hotel were under the expertise of the third generation of Avaris, the handsome, brothers, Dinshaw and Xerxes. Very much there, the Avari siblings, conspicuous with their presence, addressed every little detail for the function. And that care for perfection, with no slip ups, made this secular oriented O.U.P. Book fair, in the Avari family Beach Luxury Hotel, a meritorious, runaway, complete success. Dinshaw and Xerxes were seen in the Hotel premises on all three days. Also present, on his toes, was Moin the Manager of Casbah Barbeque Restaurant that catered to the massive turnout of elite guests reaching the venue of the book festival.
Meanwhile, the City was entrapped, with the perennial strikes of political parties. Public transportation was at a halt. Weather was also inclement. Be that it may be, that did not deter disciplined, well dressed men, women and children, subscribing to different castes, religions and sects, with their school, college enrolled adolescent, boys and girls, from coming to the venue. They braved difficulties to witness the three days event.
The suited booted crowd proved Pakistan's salvation lies in returning to the vision of Jinnah, who had a very strong sense of liberalism. He was attempting to build a state for Muslims which could be viewed as a liberal project, rather than a theocratic State.
But all that changed within six months of Jinnah's death on September 11, 1948, Jinnah's notion for the citizens of Pakistan was circumvented, reversed and trampled, with the Objective resolution of March 12, 1948 adopted by the Constituent Assembly in Karachi. Unequivocally Jinnah stated on August 11, 1947, Pakistan would be a Secular State. However Jinnah's democratic and secular order, tolerance was to be dismantled, mocked by successive Pakistani Government, since the leader's demise.
Old Dinshaw Avari, paternal grandfather of the young men Dinshaw and Xerxes established the Avari Hotel at the time of the Partition of August 14, 1947. During the September War of 1965, Dinshaw Avari, representing the Minority, validated his patriotism by asserting on Pakistan Television: "We will tighten our belts but we will never give up Pakistan."
THE KHOJA'S: THE CHOSEN ONES
Friday, February 7, and Saturday, February 8, highlights of the Literature Festival were over, with audiences in awe, at the grand standing by the illustrious Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson of the Mahatma Gandhi, Hussain Sarwar Naqvi (H. S. Naqvi) of Homeboy fame, Amina Saiyid, representing Oxford University Press and the fledging Mahomed Ali Habib University as well as the articulate, courageous retired Ambassador Zafar Hilaly, nephew of Agha Shahi, long serving Foreign Minister of Pakistan.
Zafar Hilaly had dared to say in a TV Talk Show that Taliban and Jinnah's Secular Pakistan represented two different civilisations. In fact, Hilaly contends the Islam of Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, cleave one another apart rather, than bring them together. Best for the Government and Military in power to elucidate to the new generation of Pakistanis that our salvation, in terms of direction, lies in returning to Jinnah's vision of Pakistan, or else, the nation would be fragmented in fighting a civil war. The sects, heritage of Muslim Persian and Muslim Arabs would divide. Hilaly went on Government should change their archaic policy and stance to shatter the shackles of the overplayed card of "Strategic Dept" in Afghanistan.
They must seek a harmonious equation with India, long championed, and prescribed by columnist the late Ardeshir Cowasjee and the late Minoo Bhandara.
Robert Fisk, the noted Irish expert on North Africa and the Middle East, living and writing from Beirut, was missing. Beach Luxury Hotel Management, stated that suite was reserved by the O.U.P. for Fisk for the duration of the week of the Literature Festival, but on second thoughts he had opted out from leaving Beirut, for Karachi. Presumably, Fisk did not show up for the Karachi Literature Festival because he could not distance himself from the crisis in the neighbouring Syria Sunday, February 9, 2014, at the gathering of the fifth Karachi English Literature Festival, anchor Mubasshir Mir of Pakistan Television had me placed among the luminaries, for my observation of the Festival. I was on the panel of Javed Jabbar, Mohammad Hanif, author of "A Case of Exploding Mangoes", Amin Hashwani, nephew of expatriate Sadruddin Hashwani, of the Marriot and Pearl Continental Hotels. Nephew and Chaca are followers of the Aga Khan with liberal Ismaili lineage and protagonist of Aman ki Asha, sponsored by a publications group in Pakistan and Times of India in Bombay. Sadruddin Hashwani and Amin Hashwani are keen campaigners of closer ties between the arch antagonists Pakistan/India. Hashwanis are for promotion of trade, non discriminatory market agreement, between the two countries, while sidelining other issues. I told Hashwani, the moot question for India is the Pakistani, military leadership. The army has no rivals and that is the de facto reality.
To Amin Hashwani, at the Beach Luxury Hotel, I quoted Robert Oakley, former US Ambassador to Pakistan, also known as the 'Viceroy' who castigated Nawaz Sharif, when General Pervez Musharraf declared Martial Law on October 12, 1999. Said the American 'Viceroy' "When one deals with the army recklessly in Pakistan, one usually gets hurt, pays the price." The supremacy of the Parliament is a myth and Nawaz Sharrif or for that matter, Zardari had to heed the armed forces of Pakistan. The army is the one that really counts in Pakistan. The Generals have to decide, the pros and cons, whether the non discriminatory trade agreement should be attested with India and the Wagah Border opened for all movements, transactions with India.
Earlier Javed Jabbar had stated at the Aga Khan University on Tuesday, January 18, 2014: "Going back into the making of the State, Jabbar reminded that Pakistan was an overnight state, coming about at 10 weeks notice. As history goes, the British were looking to pull out of the region after the Second World War, so they brought in Lord Mountbatten to take care of their little problem with a mandate to do it in eighteen months. But Mountbatten had an even quicker fix in the form of independence, take it or leave it. He said the British were fine with the division of India but Jinnah is held responsible for it, as he was the first one to agree to it. His predicament was his Doctor, having given him one year to live. Jinnah had himself said that Pakistan without Calcutta would be like a man without a heart, but when the Map came, he agreed to whatever, he was getting and he did not have time to argue. August 14 and August 15, 1947, happened to be the independence dates for Pakistan and India, also because that happened to be the second anniversary of the Japanese surrendering to Mountbatten. He brought in his ego into the whole matter, Jabbar said." I retorted to Javed Jabbar that his observations were convoluted, fallacious and all wrong that the sole spokesman, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, conceived Pakistan overnight, like a magician pulling out pigeons, rabbits, from a hat.
Jinnah was informed on Thursday July 31, 1947 in Bombay by his Doctor Jal Patel, Professor of Grant Medical College and radiologist, Doctor Jal Daeboo that he had only a year live. I told Javed Jabbar, when Dr Jal Patel gave the verdict, the decision to divide the sub continent, by the Congress, Muslim League and the British had already been unanimously reached in New Delhi on June 3, 1947. I explained to Javed Jabbar, one had to be accurate and not callous when transcribing of a sublime personage like our great Founder Mahomed Ali Jinnah.
Alex von Tunzelmann in her landmark Book "Indian Summer, the Secret History of the End of an Empire" has written Winston Churchill's rendering, vocal support for Pakistan was instrumental in creating a Muslim State. According to Alex von Tunzelmann, Jinnah and Churchill had made a secret pact several years before because of League's support to the Allied War Effort that the Tory/Conservative party would stand for Pakistan. Churchill's letters to Jinnah reveal his keen interest in Muslim League. There was a long standing equation (1931-35) between Sir Winston Churchill and Right Honourable Mahomed Ali Jinnah described in my Book "Chosen One's" as given by Sir Sulieman Jetha, in his address to Karachi Club Members. The scheme for a secular Pakistan was not an overnight decision.
For sure, I related to Javed Jabbar, by 1946-47, the British Government, under the Labour Party Prime Minister, Clement Atlee, was desperate to get out of India by any means necessary and that was very strongly connected with the terrible state of British economy after the Second World War. November 20, 1947, the heir apparent to the Windsor throne, Princess Elizabeth married Prince Phillip. For her wedding gown, given the strict rationing in clothes, Princess Elizabeth had to make ado from pooling of coupons of her sister Margaret, cousins and bride maids. I elaborated to Javed Jabbar that the initial decision to divide India and creation of Pakistan was taken at the failure of the Round Table Conference in London between December 3, 1946 and December 13, 1946 attended by Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Baldev Singh, Mountbatten and British Prime Minister Clement Atlee. Jinnah was sufficiently invigorated, physically fit and not at all sick to have borne the London, December winter of 1946. Subsequently, Jinnah made the arduous journey to Cairo at the invitation of King Farouk and Prime Minister Nokrashy Pasha.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his entourage itinerary of December 25, 1946 in Cairo, listed a visit to Mehmet Ali Mosque and celebration of his seventieth birthday, on the night of December 25, 1946 at the banquet hosted in his honour by Prime Minister Nokrashy Pasha in the Shepherd Hotel of Cairo. Following day, Nokrashy Pasha had driven, personally escorted Jinnah from Shepherd Hotel through streets filled with cheering crowds for an audience with King Farouk and Queen Farida at the Kubba Palace. Jinnah described to the Egyptian monarch the constitution of Pakistan would be secular and liberal. From Cairo, Jinnah flew to Karachi that was the only airport for international flights of undivided India, where he was received by the Pioneer of Muslim Banking in the sub-continent namely Seth Mahomed Ali Habib, Chairman of Habib Bank Limited. Pakistan was on the anvil, confided Jinnah to the Financial Wizard, Seth Mahomed Ali Habib. Jinnah instructed Seth Mahomed Ali to shift Habib Bank Limited, head office from Bombay to Karachi. First week of January 1947, Seth Mahomed Ali Habib moved the headquarters of Habib Bank to Karachi that formed the original corpus of the State Bank of Pakistan. Seth Mahomed Ali Habib also bought a Sindhi styled bungalow on Clayton Road to which he gave the nomenclature of Habib Cottage. True to the dedicated patriot that was our Seth Mahomed Ali Habib, he never visited his home city Bombay, once he settled in Karachi in January 1947.
Setback to Jinnah's health came about when he returned from London to Karachi. For three months, January/March1947, he convulenced at the Bahwalpur Palace in Malir. Jal Patel diagnosed the fatal tubercolosis in his lungs, through chain smoking during the last week of July 1947.
Again, I related to Javed Jabbar, he was all wrong that the date of Independence of Pakistan of August 14, 1947 was dictated by Mountbatten because it synchronised with the surrender of Japan to Allied Forces, culminating the Second World War. Facts are on the night of August 14, 1947, a Banquet in tribute of the Quaid and Miss Fatima Jinnah was given at Karachi Club. My father Haji Bhai Esmail Dossa was listed among the 800 guests that attended the sit in dinner.
Papa had specially flown from Bombay to Karachi, to participate in the Independence Day Ceremonies of August 14, 1947. Probably, Jinnah mentioned to then Chief Minister of Sindh. Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, his thoughts were with his only child Dina whom he had left behind in Bombay. Estranged from her husband Neville Wadia, Dina was residing in her mother, Ruttie Jinnah's mansion, South Court, Malabar Hill, with her two children, son Nusli and daughter Diana. My Papa recalled that towards the end of the gathering at Karachi Club, Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, requested the Ken Mac Band, specially flown for the occasion by Senior Members of Karachi Club namely Khan Bahadur Bana and Abdul Mahomed Valiani, from Bombay, to serenade the Founder with "Happy Birthday Dina" because her date of birth coincided with Independence Day of Pakistan. For more on the subject, why Jinnah chose August 14, 1947, as the Independence Day of Pakistan, I suggest my erudite friend, historian, Javed Jabbar read "The Aftermath of Partition in South Asia." Contents describe the interview given by my illustrious Papa, Haji Bhai Esmail Dossa, Sir Suliman Jetha and Abdul Mohammed Valiani to the authors namely Tai Youn Tan and Gyanesh Kudaisya at the Mount Royal Hotel, in London, during June 1960.
August 14, 1947, my cousin, Mansoor bhai Hasham Hirji, a member of the Ismaili Supreme Counsel of the Aga Khan, and his uncle Roshan Ali Hirji were partners of Bengal Pottery in Calcutta. Industrialist Sir Adamjee, Real Estate Magnets, the Rashid Karim family, Dada's, Sultan Maujee, Abul Hassan Ispahani and Mohammad Ispahani, Saeed Saigol, Mohammed Amin Mohammed Bashir, had their head offices in Calcutta, up to the Partition. Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy was the Chief Minister of Bengal and it was natural for Jinnah to assume that Calcutta would be awarded to East Pakistan. Jinnah was dismayed when Radcliffe in his wisdom decided to sign off Calcutta to India, though Calcutta and the suburbs had a majority of Muslims. For sure, behest of Mountbatten, Gurdaspur District in East Punjab was awarded by Radcliffe to India for a corridor to Kashmir. Jinnah made the cynical observation when he learnt of the status of Calcutta and Gurdaspur "better a moth-eaten Pakistan than no Pakistan at all." In keeping with patriotic zeal for Pakistan, Mansoor Hirji, Sir Adamjee, Ispahani, Rashid Karim, Sultan Maujee, Dada, etc shifted to Dacca while entrepreneurs Saigol and Mohammed Amin Mohammed Bashir transferred their establishments to Lahore. From Calcutta Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy reached Karachi where he initiated his Law Practice.
MURDER MOST FOUL
At the Literature Festival, Mohammad Hanif expressed the view that he failed to understand why for the last fifteen years, the Shiites were persecuted and routinely assassinated in Karachi. I told Hanif to take a trip to Karachi's Central Jail, visit the death cell where the condemned prisoners were separately lodged, awaiting execution on the gallows, when their mercy petitions would be hopefully denied, rejected, by the President Excellency Syed Mamnoon Hussain. Hanif should inquire for his academic understanding from the inmates Ataullah and Sharrif, why they had taken upon themselves to cold bloodedly murder the good, innocent, Khoja Shiite Isna'asheri Doctor Mohammed Raza Pirani in front of his clinic at Soldier Bazaar, on the afternoon of June 26, 2001.
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