Adil Najam
This picture is carried today by both Dawn and Daily Times. Dawn’s title is “Still Heroes” and the caption reads: “Bronze statues of Quaid-i-Azam, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Allama Iqbal put on display at the Science and Technology Expo-2007 being held at National Memorial Museum in Shakarparian in Islamabad.”
A visit to the Museum is on the top of my ‘To Do’ list when I return to Islamabad end of the month. I hope they are still there.
My first thought on looking at the picture was to note how both Jinnah and Iqbal are wearing suits here (this penchant of ours – me included – to dress up these guys in the garbs of our desires has been has been quite a remarkable historical see-saw!). My second thought was to wonder what the folks at Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa might have to say – or do – about this. I hope there is significant security against vandalism here.
But even more than that, I wonder what these three men are sitting there thinking about what is happening today in the country they helped conceive. Late at night when the museum is closed and the statues come alive and walk about, what is it that they sit together and talk about?
Those who forget history have no future. Lets not let that happen to us.
I read the post on how the old statues in Lahore disappeared and wonder if the same will happen to these!
What do they say to each other at night?
They wonder what Pakistanis are saying about them!
And I can bet that none of them like what they hear
Na dhoond is cheez ko tehzeeb e haazar ki tajjali main
yehi to saraa masslaa hai,
they dont understand, or they understand but refuse to acknowledge.
Dear Harris:
You are correct. Thanks for pointing out. This gives me an opportunity to add a couple more verses which are equally relevant:
Teray sofay hain affrangi teray qaaleen hain irani
lahoo mujhko rulati hai jawaanon ki tan-aasani
Amarat kya, shikoh e khusrovi bhi ho to kya hasil
na zore e haidri tujh main na istaghnai salmani
Na dhoond is cheez ko tehzeeb e haazar ki tajjali main
Kay paaya main nain isthaghna main meraj e mussalmani
(Aik Naujavaan kay naam)
(Istaghna= bay-niayazi)–Feroze ul Lughaat.