Pol, Soc, Her, YA: Have we ever fought?

[Anil Vaswani <VaswaniA@AOL.COM>]

People,

I read these messages about all the hardships sindhis have gone through. I
note a very pacifistic tone in all of them - in accordance maybe to the
Sindhi Sufi line of thought - but I have a question that I hope some of you
can answer - have sindhis, as a group, ever fought for anything? Have we ever
defended our territory? Have we ever avenged (may not be the right term) a
wrong?

Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King are two leaders who were able to create
the dynamic movement required for social change. Does such an example exist
in Sindhi history? If so, it may explain why we have not taken arms.
Arguments will always come up to support the concept of not bearing arms and
waging war. Others will say that it takes more courage sometimes to withstand
the beating, so to speak, than it takes to hit back. To some extent, I
understand.

I've always believed that you must take a stand for what you believe in. Does
that include war? Maybe, maybe not. But I would defend myself and what is
important to me when my livelyhood is being threatened. The Jews took a
stand, and they have Israel. Are we willing to take a stand - or is it too
late? I'm not trying to stir the pot and start a war - I'm just asking a
question. We have an incredible amount of culture and history - instead of
preserving it, we're fighting amongst ourselves, as evidenced in the recent
discussions re the Samellan and SANA conventions. I'll address that in a
seperate posting shortly.

Anil


PS - To those who are working on the flag, I'd like to see a Bull who looks
like he's willing to kick some ass if need be.... sometimes all it takes is
to look like you can kick some ass....



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DR. GUL AGHA WRITES:
In this age of materialism and cynicism, we forget the fortitude and
character of the many great people who lived before us, whose ideals
withstood the trials and tribulations of time and who were undaunted
by fears.  Saaiin Inder Kripalani's story about his grandfather
reminded me of the story of another great person about whom I posted
many years ago.

I had the pleasure of knowing and spending many a hours with saaiin
Kewalram Dayaram Shahani, a friend of my late maternal grandfather
(whom I never knew).  Saaiin Kewalram Shahani was the son of Rishi
Dayaram Gidumal Shahani, a famous philanthropist who was the founder
of the D.G. College in Hyderabad (Sindh).

Saiin Kewalram Shahani had to suffer considerable harassment and
difficulties after partition, for a while he (with young children) was
left with little more than his majestic bungalow in a posh
neighborhood by the Clifton beach in Karachi (an area considered safe
because of its neighborhood of embassies, ministerial homes, etc.).
His family had owned large numbers of stores, lands, etc., but these
were confiscated as "evacuee property" by the government of Pakistan
(never mind that Saaiin Shahani refused to move anywhere despite
threats to personal safety).  Even the family's charitable trust was
violated and Mr. Shahani had to make the rounds of courts for over a
decade and a half, in crowded public buses, unable to afford even a
car, in order to try to retrieve some of his property.

Well, after a little of the family wealth was recovered, Mr. Shahani
continued his unpretentious lifestyle, and returned to the
philanthropic activities that his family had long been known for.
Among other things, he gave generously to the only School for the
Blind in Karachi (which had a residential facility).  So it came to be
that they put him on the Board of this school.  (If I recall
correctly, he had donated the land for this sprawling complex in the
middle of the city in the first place).

I was about twelve years old and enjoyed visiting him frequently, he
being like an old great uncle to me.  He took me to the school and
advised me to volunteer my time which I dutifully did (reading books
that were not available in Braille to a student).

Well it came to pass one stormy night that a boy was murdered at the
school premises.  It so happened that this was the only Sindhi boy in
the school and a Hindu one at that.  They beat him with sticks for no
apparent reason other than that he was different (I don't know which
crime of the poor 10 year old was greater, being Sindhi or being
Hindu, probably both).

Saaiin Shahani called me the following evening as he heard the news
and asked me to accompany him to visit the school the following
morning.  At the school, the officials received him very politely
(indeed obsequiously) and nervously, given his position as a major
donor.  They "explained" that the gang of kids who murdered the boy
had mistaken him for a dog, that it was raining heavily (which it had
been), and his cries for help were confused for the yelps of a dog.

A visibly shaken saaiin Shahani said little and asked only a few
questions.  Yes, the police had been over and they had cooperated
fully.  One of them, sensing skepticism, was quick to add that he
wasn't saying that this was the real story, but who knows, and this is
what the boys of that house (dormitory) were saying.

I was in a rage at the gibberish the officials had spouted with a
straight face, but bit my tongue, it not being my place to speak in
the presence of an elder.  Mr. Shahani then visited the site and bid
farewell to the school officials.

He then asked me to accompany him as he went around town collecting
all the newspapers for the day and the day before (Urdu, English and
Sindhi, the only Sindhi paper then available in Karachi being
published from Hyderabad).  I scanned every newspaper cover to cover
for the story as he sat quietly.  I helped him decipher the Urdu
papers for he could not read Urdu.

The English paper had a small matter of fact paragraph, "A boy from
Hyderabad was beaten to death..".  The Urdu papers largely ignored the
story (one had a one-liner news brief).  The Sindhi paper published it
prominently and also gave a lead editorial which was largely what one
would expect -- shame for humanity that such a horror could happen,
how could blind kids in particular be so inhumane, what sort of an
education were they getting, what prejudices they were acquiring in
Karachi, etc., and demanding a full investigation and action against
the culprits, etc.

I was horrified that the coverage in the Karachi (non-Sindhi) press
was so meager.  This is sick I said.  The only reason they fail to
publicize it is because the boy is a Hindu, I said, as though
Mr. Shahani needed to be reminded of this fact.  And the nerve of
those school officials!  The police, they will do nothing too..

After a long quiet contemplation, Mr. Shahani finally broke his
silence with a Sindhi refrain. "InheN meN Bi bhalo!" [there is also
some good in this].

What in the world was he referring to?, I demanded to know.  That the
boy was a Sindhi Hindu, and so the bigots have ignored the tragedy.  I
was dumbfounded.

Slowly, with a tremor in his hand, this man who had suffered decades
of uncalled for indignities for his ethnicity and creed and who now
lived among a people so often spiteful towards his kind, elaborated.

"If the boy were not a Hindu Sindhi, they would condemn the school.
The school would have very bad publicity, and many people would use it
as an excuse not to be charitable towards it.  As a result, every
child in the school would suffer, for the school relied entirely on
donations.  And if I was rightfully angry towards the culprits, surely
I didn't believe that there is not a single innocent child in that
large school?" he asked rhetorically.

"Sure the officials were not forthright.  But this just shows that
they are attached to their school and so want to protect its
reputation, so it can continue helping blind children.

"As for the Sindhi newspaper, this was good too.  For the family of
the boy lives in Hyderabad, and they would read it (and it alone) and
be a little consoled by the fact that someone cared about the fate of
their son.

"We cannot reverse fate ["jekee thiyaRno ho, so thiyo"].  We can only
try to help those who are left behind and those who can use our help.
And so we must control our anger [`Belee keenay manjhaaN keena thiye']
lest it prevent us from doing good."

I am afraid I couldn't.

I returned only once, to volunteer for another hour.  I really wanted
to know how the older boy I had read to, felt.  I can't really
remember what he said, other than convincingly claim that he wasn't
involved (it happened in a different building).  But he did not show
that he was particularly grieved either.  Perhaps he simply wanted to
block it from his mind.

I never returned.

As for Mr. Shahani, I am sure that he continued to contribute
generously to that school.  For you see, Mr. Shahani was a follower of
a long tradition of Sindhi Sufi thinking.

Peace,

Gul Agha