Bapsi Brings
Life to Tollinton
By Emanuel Sarfraz
The Oxford University
Press and the Crow Eaters Gallery jointly launched
‘Beloved City, Writings on Lahore’ on
last Sunday evening at the newly renovated historical
landmark of the city of Lahore, Tollinton Market.
The well-organized book launch was the first function
to be held at the venue that brought good old memories
to most of the participants, who gasped at the beauty
of the new shiny structure, which would soon be
converted into a city museum. Lahore’s noted
daughter leading English language novelist Bapsi
Sidhwa, who has now settled in the USA, has edited
the anthology ‘Beloved City’ and graced
the event. Her love for the city, quite visible
in all her writings, had attracted a number of literature
lovers, writers, poets and the elite. She spent
the first hour of the scheduled time signing hundreds
of books they had bought from a stall set up nearby.
The book brings together a selection of poetry and
prose by some of the greatest writers of the land
including Intezar Hussain, Aamer Hussain, Kishwar
Naheed, Bapsi Sidhwa, Sara Suleri, Faiz Ahmad Faiz
and Ashraf Ahmed. These writings explore their personal
experiences, perceptions and the ways in which the
city molded their personalities. Mystical poems
of Madho Lal Hussain and Bulleh Shah, Iqbal’s
ode, Faiz’s lament from Mclagan, Aijazuddin’s
historical treatises, Kipling’s ‘chronicles’
and Irfan Hussain’s account of Lahori cuisine,
all feature in the book.
Dr Javed Iqbal formally completed the launch ceremony
by opening up the wrapped book presented to him
by Managing Director, Oxford University Press Ameena
Saiyid. Earlier he shared views about the editor
and commented on her writings. “One day Bapsi
made a reluctant disclosure that she was a good
story teller. I read her manuscript and suggested
that it was worth publishing.
“‘Kaan ghada hoia hai’ (he has
eaten crow) is used for a talkative person in Punjabi.
Parsis are very talkative and since the novel was
about Parsi community, I suggested it should be
called ‘Crow eaters’. The novel was
published and the comment of Faiz Ahmed Faiz was
printed on the back cover. The Parsi community in
Karachi, however, was not happy about it,”
he said.
Sidhwa read a few passages from her writings included
in the book. She said the anthology was completed
in two years. “I wanted to present old and
the modern Lahore in it as well as the vibrant face
of the city just before partition. I miss Ashfaq
Ahmed and Ijaz Batalvi who are no longer with us,”
she said.
Sidhwa’s brother MNA MP Bhandara said Lahore
in 1930s and 1940s was the intellectual capital
of India. “The summer of 1947 this city was
the epicenter of an earthquake that measured 50
on the Richter scale. Death toll exceeded all disasters
prior to that. Works of writers, many of whom are
forgotten here, like Krishen Khanna, Ved Mehta and
Pran Nevile have been included in this book. They
had their roots in this city and this book is a
rediscovery of those roots,” he said. Bhandara
read a passage from his contribution in the book.
It was about his meeting with Hollywood legend Ava
Gardener at the Regal Cinema.
Writer Bano Qudsia spoke about Ashfaq Ahmed’s
friendly association with Bapsi Sidhwa. “Ashfaq
Sahib always believed that her work would create
storm in the literary world and that has happened,”
she maintained.
Legendary poet Munir Niazi read two of his Urdu
poems on the city of Lahore.
In her welcome address, Ameena Saiyid introduced
Bapsi Sidhwa and pointed out that her anthology
was a step in the right direction. “The book
provides an excellent overview of the range of writing
that either focuses on Lahore or is inspired by
it,” she said. She revealed that the first
edition of the book has already been sold out.
Khalid Ahmed and Fakir Syed Aijazuddin also shared
their views. Intezar Hussain was expected to attend
but could not come. PCB Chairman Shehryar Khan,
Sartaj Aziz and a number of other prominent personalities
were also present.
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