Slice of Pakistani life

On one side of the ‘border’ was a cluster of shanties, and on the other, a hillock with ramshackle huts. A man in dark glasses, a Shiv Sainik, trying to be well meaning, pointed out to the hillock, warning me not to go there. That is Pakistan, the mosques are full of bombs and guns, he said.

Pakistan — it’s a name that evokes varied feelings in our hearts, some bordering on fear and a disturbing unease. The volatile relationship with our neighbouring country has certainly strained the possibility of sustained neighbourly love. And yet, there is a fatal attraction with Pakistan; a strange kind of fascination to know what lies across the border. The political climate may not be conducive for Indians to visit Pakistan. But there are a few brave journalists who have overcome several obstacles and managed to report on life in Jinnah’s country. Meena Menon was the correspondent for a national newspaper and based in Islamabad, till her visa was abruptly cancelled and she had to return to India in May 2014. Reporting Pakistan is a bare-all account of her brief stay and the people and situations she encountered while living there.

“Living in a country, even if it was for nine months is more valuable than short trips. Both countries reveled in babudom and paperwork.”

Your attention to detail is commendable even though you were only there for nine months. Did you maintain a diary during your posting there?
No, I did not maintain a diary, though my husband Venkat did ask me to — I brushed aside the suggestion saying I had no intention of writing a book. Much of the detail is from memory, also from the stories I did and notes I kept, and Venkat too is a keen observer so he reminded me of some things which escaped my memory. Also, the book has a lot of stuff I couldn’t put into my reports.

“Most Pakistanis internalised Bollywood so much that they almost believed that Holi was celebrated exactly as it was shown in the movies, with pichkaris and colours, and long flowing outfits.”

The book chronicles the Pakistani lifestyle, offering deep insights into the average Pakistani mindset. Their obsession with Bollywood makes for a hilarious read. Were you ever asked to share your experiences of meeting stars?
Unfortunately, I don’t know any Bollywood stars but yes, people love Indian films which run to full houses, never mind the quality, and filmy gossip on which I am equally low. So when the Karachi press club delegation visited Mumbai, high on the agenda was meeting Aamir Khan, which they did and it was a lifetime experience for all of them, much to my amusement.

“Sectarian violence claimed the lives of over 200 Hazara Shias in Balochistan in the first few weeks of 2013. The report documented more than 200 sectarian attacks which killed 687 people. Seven Ahmedis lost their lives in targeted attacks and in the deadliest assault ever against Pakistan’s Christian citizens, over 100 people were killed in a Peshawar Church.”

Reporting Pakistan by Meena Menon Rs 599, pp 340 Penguin.

The general perception is that Pakistan is unsafe even for ordinary civilians. What kind of security measures were you provided, especially since you lived alone?
The perception that Pakistan is unsafe is only partially true. Karachi with a high violence quotient and robberies and murders is really not safe, but we spent a week there in November 2011, during the Mumbai Press club exchange programme with our Karachi counterparts. The few times we went to the bookshops and markets were pleasant but we were told not to carry expensive mobiles or travel alone. Besides, we were government guests, so most of the time we had security. However, Islamabad, despite the bomb blast or two, is not like Karachi and yes, I did live alone, but never for once did I think of having a security guard. I have covered more bomb blasts in Mumbai and my house was robbed in Mumbai, not Islamabad, after I came back. There were robberies in the houses of Indian diplomats in Islamabad, one of whom lived close to my house, and we were warned to be careful and lock our doors, etc., and officials at the high commission suggested we could hire a security guard, but I did not.

Do you believe that the concept of Pakistan is a failure as there seems to be so much of infighting within the various Muslim communities and even the Mohajirs are not really considered mainstream, while the Ahmadis are alienated.
I think the idea of Pakistan that Jinnah had envisaged was eclectic, and the reality today is very different. I found that this is something Pakistanis acknowledge especially in their analysis of textbooks, the fact that it is not a secular state, and that the minorities are persecuted. A lot of people have asked me if it’s a failed state, no doubt it is a conflicted society, and the security establishment looms over it, but it has a vibrant civil society and media which voices dissent, though there are curbs on freedom of expression. It is a state that is struggling with so many complexities.

While you do talk about the bonhomie and affection you received, the chasm remains, especially when discussions of Kashmir come into the picture. What do you feel?
On Kashmir, the first time I visited in 2011, to my surprise people said India and Pakistan can have good relations despite that issue which will continue to be a thorn. I met Kashmiris in Islamabad who were disappointed that the Pakistan government did little to resolve the issue other than repeatedly calling it the jugular vein and saying it is a part of their country. Of course, there were many protests on Kashmir day and Hafeez Saeed, founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and others did make vociferous calls for a jihad for Kashmir, but in my personal relations with people that did not create the chasm you are referring to.

You have met and interacted with Pakistani celebrities. Who were you most impressed with?
I was charmed to meet singer Abida Parveen and Haroon, creator of the popular cartoon series Burka Avenger, but meeting women from self-help groups who did their work amid so much hostility against them and carved a place for themselves was interesting, as also the bureaucrat Shoaib Sultan Khan who inspired rural development models both in India and Pakistan.

It was meeting ordinary people who are up against so much violence that stayed with me, the protesters against bomb blasts, against the attacks on media, against minorities and others and the people whom I met who live with so much threat to their lives. I have good memories of the media community and the friends I made and so many people who went out of their way to be helpful — that is equally important for me.

Did you feel a sense of relief when your stint ended (even though it was sudden)? Given a chance would you like to go back there?
No, I did not feel a sense of relief, my posting was supposed to be for three years, that’s the norm, and it was unusual and most disruptive to be sent back. Relief was the last thing on my mind, I had gone there to do a job, remember? Though people said I was going back home, so what was the problem. To answer the second part of your question, why not? Though it’s up to the Pakistani authorities to give me a visa.