Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Topic: Followup: Supreme Court Takes Action on Honour Killing Case from Naseerabad

Guests: Hina Jillani, Dr. Fouzia Saeed, Fareeda Shaheed

Will the case of the 4 Baloch women killed in the name of honour be resolved? Will witnesses’ step forth and evidence be presented or will we continue suffocating under tribal feudalistic norms and traditions? How will former CJP Dogar’s suo moto notice be different than present CJP Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry’s self intiated action? As the Supreme Court demands relentless investigation into the incident will the local administration be able to hide the facts much longer? If the powerful and privileged top echelons of society continue to justify such practices in the name of tradition and custom, is there really any hope? I find it hard to hold onto optimism and hope in light of the fact that the very family accused of being involved in this case enjoys public offices today. However, the show must go on.

International Women’s Day 2009: celebrated in style and grandeur with an impressive panelist of 12 leading women from all walks of life. A special heartfelt prayer for all our sisters in F.A.T.A: the fate of whom are in the hands of misguided miscreants. Answers to questions such as, who is a woman of substance and what should be the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day etc. are sought by an enlightened audience of young women. 

Let us all come together on one platform and strive to become compassionate and strong women, who can not only hold their own but can in fact contribute towards ensuring a healthy, balanced and peaceful society. 

On-Air: Monday, February 2, 2009 {7PM, 3AM, 12PM (PST)}

Basant! Once again we restlessly await spring and once again the debate begins: to have or not to have basant this year! Since the first ban on basant in 2005 the debate continues whether this is a borrowed custom (some say it is a Hindu event paying a tribute to their goddess Saraswati), Islamic or unIslamic, etc. On the command of the Chief Minister Punjab has ordered Home Secretary Nadeem Hassan to submit a comprehensive plan of arrangements for kite flying on Basant, including strict safety measures e.g. banning the use of dangerous types of strings used for kite flying. We had an intense debate with Yusuf Salahuddin, an enthusiast, DCO Lahore Sajjad Bhutta and an Islamic scholar par excellence, Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman.

SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTH: revenue generation from the foreigners and Pakistanis coming from abroad and also from within the country to Lahore, plus 50,000 families earn during the days of festivities, it is a cultural activity for which lahoris are known, coming of spring is the time to celebrate and basant is the best type of festivity

WEAKNESS: no check on making of deadly glass and chemical coated strings, and firing of gun shots in air, indifference and carelessness of the kite flier, if a steel wire is tied to the kite string it may protect the kite from being BO KAATAA but can play havoc on the electricity lines and transformers, failure of administration in making people realize the threats this sport can cause to human life by and large but the basic responsibility falls on the citizens themselves because it is not the alien who are flying the kites but one of us all we need is the sense of responsibility

OPPORTUNITY: if celebrated with care Jashne Baharan can enhance tourism, culture and economy of the people in kite making business and also provide a healthy activity and festivity to the depressed citizens as every place is known for its culture and now Pakistan is losing its positive and lighter image with the financial benefits

THREATS: the ban has negatively affected the tourism of Lahore, and also the light and fun loving image of Pakistanis, but the basant if celebrated carelessly can increase the number of causalities from the deadly strings and falling from roof tops and accidents 

On-Air: Thursday, January 29, 2009 {7PM, 3AM, 12PM (PST)}

What to make of a law that aspires to break free from senseless spending and pretentious extravagances under societal pressures? One would think it would be extremely popular with the masses. Why then is the law of one-dish at weddings met with so many petitions filed in high courts and supreme courts against it? Agreed the “Marriage Functions (prohibition of Ostentatious and Wasteful Expenses) Ordinance implemented in 1997 was slightly rigid in restricting wedding functions to only hot/cold drinks and insensible in dictating the number of guests allowed at weddings (not to exceed 300). However, the law, re-implemented in 2008 in Punjab (with the return of the Sharif brothers) and still unobserved in other provinces, has become much more flexible. {The Marriage Functions (Prohibition of Ostentatious and Wasteful Expenses) Ordinance 2000 under which the Punjab government is allowing only one-dish at wedding parties (one dish includes “one curry/salan, with rice and bread/roti and one sweet dish”)}. Today when Pakistan is experiencing an economic meltdown coupled with increasing global food costs (150% price hike of rice in the past year, shortage of flour etc.) this law has come as a blessing in disguise for middle and lower class Pakistanis. One might argue why the need of such desperate measures in a country where Eid and weddings are the only two times of rejoicing, the latter being grand, ostentatious, and lavish cultural events. However, one must understand the societal pressures and expectations which drive the poor to bury themselves under debt just to please and appease relatives and in laws. Weddings are a matter of prestige in our part of the world, cutting across class spectrum in this largely impoverished country of 160 million people, where the World Bank estimates per capita income is $800 a year. In the wake of this law how are caterers, poultry farm owners and marriage hall owners faring? People come up with newer ways everyday to serve lavish wedding dinners, whether by calling guests at home after the functions, having friends ‘host’ dinners, labeling it ‘aqeeqa’ or ‘birthdays’ etc. Information Secretary Nayyar Mahmood said the government will rely on anyone from police to snoopy neighbors to report violators, who risk fines of 100,000 to 300,000 rupees ($1,430 to $4,285) and confiscation of the food. The implementation of this law is questionable to date, including the actions and scope of the police - whereas the police are not allowed to raid private properties they are nonetheless suspended if authorities find out the law was breached (two SHOs were suspended on 23^rd of December 2008 from service for not enforcing the ban on lavish wedding parties in Lahore).

I spoke to a representative of PML (N) - the party which introduced and re-implemented this law, a caterer, a marriage hall owner, DCO Lahore, and a religious scholar. The Islamic scholar put it beautifully, in that Islam preaches never going to the extent where one feels weighed down or compromised.

On-Air: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 {10am, 4pm, 3am (PST)}

Film industries worldwide gain recognition, fame and a stable if not hefty income generation for their respective countries. Whereas Hollywood has become a benchmark for perfection, Bollywood as the most up and coming and recognized industry, Lollywood unfortunately is not merely struggling but possibly breathing its last. Whereas many a finger is pointed at the lack of government support to the local industry, nonexistent archives, deplorable cinemas, obsolete technology, lack of professionalism, vision and local and international promotion, by far the most debatable phenomenon is the penetration of Indian movies in Pakistan (ban on all Indian movies was imposed in 1961 and removed in 2005). Whereas some view this as healthy competition for the local industry, much needed entertainment for the masses, and income for the starving cinema owners, many others view it as an assault on the already struggling local industry, suffocating the already bleak spirit of nationalism, and as a means of infiltrating the society with foreign cultural values, norms and traditions.  I invited Pakistan’s most prominent Director and Producer Syed Noor and the Chairman of the Pakistan Film Association Zoraiz Lashari. The heated debate that ensued covered all aspects: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and failures to and of our local industry now that it is exposed to international competition. Both guests remained steadfast and vociferous on their respective stances, with the vocal Syed Noor being confrontational and Zoraiz Lashari remaining unapologetic.

No country should abandon its own industry, however how much time and how many opportunities do we give to Lollywood to evolve? We have never lacked talent or brilliance, then what remain to be the reasons behind the disintegration and deplorable condition of our film industry today - and to what extent can one blame external competition? Are Indian movies introducing controversial topics (e.g. Dostana: homesexuality) or were we cashing in on the klashinkov culture and vulgar flashing of skin to begin with? Are these international flicks even taxed? Why do cinema owners have millions to bring in Indian movies and none to invest in our own? Should Indian movies be banned altogether and on which bases? All this and more… stay tuned for the online version of the show!