Here is a teaser: Karachi begins at Tando Adam; True or False? False, said I; true said Sajid Hamid, district scout secretary Pakistan Railway Scout Karachi. Once a train reaches Tando Adam it has entered the jurisdiction of Pakistan Railway Karachi, which is responsible from that point to the metropolis for everything that concerns the running of the train, its security, emergency handling in case of accident, he said.
My passion for Karachi, her culture past and present, her people and her history down to contemporary times is unlimited. But I was ignorant about two things: Karachi's link to Tando Adam and that the Scouts movement is alive, here and throughout Pakistan. This also revealed the sharp class - culture division between the upper middle-class and affluent class on the one hand and the lower middle-class and working class on the other.
This shameful distance between 'them' and 'us' became acutely obvious as I made my way to platform 8 of the Cantonment Railway Station to see the museum on rails called the Azadi Special Train, which had arrived in Karachi on September 8 on the last leg of a journey that began in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on August 12. On Wednesday evening when I went to Cant Station, I could spot just one 'us' family, comprising four females, one male and two children who had come from PECHS. The rest of the crowd, in hundreds, if not over a thousand, comprised 'them'.
The women, except for a dozen negligible girls, were all in black coats and hijab. A few had their face covered, yet you wouldn't call them religious fanatics. As for the men, most were in shalwar-kameez, few elderly males had beards, most were either clean shaven or sporting moustaches. The majority were family and employees of Pakistan Railway and Pakistan Railway Carriage Factory. Their children were schooled at the Pakistan Railway school or government schools.
There was a puppet show and music concert before the door to the railway carriages were opened exhibiting historic pictures, worth seeing, of the refugees arriving by train in 1947-48; the British building the railway track, even a picture of Major Rafique who was in charge of bringing in the trains from Amritsar to Lahore. A most interesting exhibit of the signal lamps from past to present times was also worth seeing. There were figures dressed in the costume of every province, above all an impressive likeness of the Quaid, before which children and adults stood to pose for photos. Besides the railway's own history and its role in Pakistan's history, there were life size figures of soldiers on the front, including two wearing snow suits pointing to the 'highest frontier' Siachin Glacier. There was something for all ages, and in a subtle manner the Azadi Special Train and entertainment programme not only educated but created national pride in all, men, women and children who came.
Even though the crowd was huge, you could not say all segments of Karachi society were present. Conspicuous by their absence were students from private schools, men and women from the upper middle-class and affluent class. You could not excuse them of not being informed.
The Azadi Special Train was well publicised. They were just not interested, it seems. Recently, some society types glibly parroted what the electronic media was saying about the PTI and PAT dharna in Islamabad. They said the positive outcome of the dharna was that it had involved the upper middle-class and affluent class on a matter of national interest. It was obvious high society cannot differentiate between propaganda and patriotism. None of my acquaintance who admired the dharna went to see the Azadi Special Train which was exclusively designed to create fellow feeling and national pride sans political hype. Since most of them are my friends, I think I will call their attitude armchair patriotism, it is the kindest comment for their lack of social involvement with people who do net live in big bungalows, travel by bus and send their children to government schools.
The Scouts Movement was once part of extra curricular activity of every school. Today it thrives only in government schools and for some conscientious youngsters from the upper classes who privately participate in scouts activity. A senior decorated with many medals, Mohammad Tahir Shaikh is Rescue Commissioner Sindh Boys Scout. He said the young people in the upper classes are not just fun-loving people. They have sense of responsibility to serve, the evidence of this is that there are some 3,000 open district scouts in Sindh (Open district means those youngsters who do not have scout training in their private schools). No other activity brings people of all classes in friendly, caring and responsible contact as does the Scouts Movement. It should be made compulsory in every school.