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Too
many roadmaps to an elusive solution The
magic in the realism Soulful
display The
master
situation There have
always been multiple proposals on Kashmir but what's lacking is consensus on
the most acceptable one By
Muhammad Badar Alam
Plans
for Sopore's multi-million facelift do not just mean the uplift of a
far-flung locality, which most in Pakistan and India will find hard to locate
on the map. By moving to the centre of intra-Kashmir trade, the town is
emerging as an emblem of change in the region. While bunkers and embankments
have been, for a very long time, the only types of construction in Kashmir,
the road network now being built on the two sides of LoC to facilitate to and
fro movement of people and products shows military installations no longer
have the monopoly to dictate the direction for the region's future. It's not
just coincidence that all the actors involved in Kashmir invariably call
their proposals for the resolution of the problem there as 'roadmap.' If the
region aspires for a peaceful destiny, somebody needs to conceive and pave
the way for that. But
Kashmir has not been a festering wound for the lack of options. The fact
doesn't help that there have always been multiple proposals doing the rounds
for the resolution of conflict in and over Kashmir. Someone still needs to
come up with the most acceptable, most practicable and most enduring plan to
resolve the issue. The various 'roadmaps' being put forward by different
parties to the conflict suffer from one fatal flaw: They fail to arouse the
interest of and generate respect from their detractors. Instead of trying to
improve upon the other's plan, everyone so far prefers to offer one of their
own. To get a
sense of who is saying what, pick up any news commentary on the issue and you
will find a whole range of options - from self-governance and autonomy to
self-determination and independence. The fine text between these broad
categories is replete with references to demilitarisation, infiltration,
softening of borders, respect for human rights, release of political
prisoners and ending the constitutional ambiguities that the two parts of
Kashmir have with respect to their relationship with central governments in
India and Pakistan. The parties to the conflict have too much on the table to
be able to clearly talk to each other. Removing
some of the clutter may help them move forward, from merely talking at each
other, something they have indulged in quite frequently to eat into the
meagre reserves of mutual trust and respect. If you (unreasonably) keep
increasing the size of the negotiation table, you are certain to add up to
the din. The other side should be forgiven if they discover some malice in
your motives. The
faction of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, and
dubbed moderate by Indian media, responded negatively to the Indian
government's initiative to hold 'roundtables' on Kashmir precisely for this
reason. The leaders of this faction did not participate in the first
roundtable held in New Delhi because, in the words of a senior Hurriyat
leader quoted by an Indian newspaper, "if you are going to gather a
crowd...then we think that no serious talks can take place." He also
strongly objected to the ideas of inviting the representatives of castes,
clans and professions. But
Farooq-led Hurriyat needs to appreciate the need for a lesser din emanating
from the ranks of those standing on the other side of the Indian union. The
roadmap -- that Mirwaiz promotes as united states of Kashmir comprising of
all parts of historical parts of Kashmir as they existed together before 1947
with complete internal autonomy under the joint sovereignty by India and
Pakistan -- has come a long way to assume a distinctly separate status from
the long-held belief of pro-Pakistan Kashmiri leaders that a plebiscite under
the auspices of the United Nations was the only legitimate solution to the
issue. With
Jamaat Islami's Syed Ali Geelani, who heads a smaller but more radically
charged faction of Hurriyat, sticking to this half a century old formula and
all militant groups, without exception, refusing to talk to the Indian
government from a position of weakness, Mirwaiz will find it extremely hard
to sell any agreement with India based on his roadmap beyond his Friday
pulpit in Srinagar. Only at his own peril, he can also underestimate the
power and popularity of leaders like Yasin Malik and Shabbir Shah, who the
Indian government believes are respectively inconsistent and isolated. But
Malik is as much a darling of the left of the centre political circles
anywhere on the globe as is Mirwaiz sought after by the rightwingers among
us. But blessings from the outside, even if they come from the mighty United
States or the influential radical intelligentsia, are no alternative to
popularity with one's own people. The
other mentionable roadmap comes from Pervez Musharraf. It comprises of
self-governance for Kashmir, demilitarisation of LoC and joint management by
India and Pakistan of the region's borders and external affairs. Despite
stiff rhetorical opposition from the rightwing, especially the religious
parties and militant organisations, Musharraf may get away with this
turnabout from Pakistan's 'principled' position favouring the resolution of
the issue in the light of United Nations resolution of early 1950s. A
strife-weary populace is struggling to juggle with too many internal problems
to let Kashmir drag for another 50 years. Any solution to the issue, which
guarantees face-saving for Pakistan and ensures the protection of its most
vital strategic interests should come as a huge relief for most of the
Pakistanis. For
Pervez Musharraf, though, his proposal will be a hard sell to the civil and
military establishment which, in the words of an Indian academic Amitab
Mittoo, lags far behind public's aspirations for peace and the governments'
will to forge ahead with it in both Pakistan and India. The
'establishmentarian' Indian answer to Pervez Musharraf's ideas rhymes
perfectly well with every single word he speaks but essentially it means
nothing except status quo: Good-governance, open borders and cooperative
mechanism' are the salient features of the official Indian roadmap for
Kashmir which rendered in plain English mean that New Delhi is still looking
into its union box, instead of trying something out of it. Fortunately,
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has wrested some of the initiative away
from the 'establishment' by declaring that talks on Kashmir cannot be open
ended and there needs to be a solution by 2008. He has also set up, for the
first time, a permanent mechanism to keep talking to the 'moderate' faction
of Hurriyat and agreed to a proposal by Mirwaiz that Pakistan be allowed to
air its concerns about the way India is handling the Kashmir issue through a
white paper. Another significant step is his willingness to let Hurriyat not
attend the May 25 roundtable in Srinagar if it wants to. Considering
that he did all this in a single week in the immediate aftermath of a major
bloodbath in Kashmir which resulted in the death of 35 people at the end of
last month, the progress the issue of Kashmir is making towards its
resolution appears to be unbelievably remarkable. Whether
the progress will be sustainable will depend on how easily the participants
in the process of resolution move to a clear-headed consensus and how -- also
for how long -- the initiative remains with the political leaderships of
Pakistan and India which apparently mean business for now rather than with
the backward looking establishments in New Delhi and Islamabad. A lot of
cautious steering is required to avoid upsetting Kashmir's applecart.
review Ali
Kazim's paintings provoke the question, What will he do next? By Quddus
Mirza
This
human being is not new for Ali Kazim, or for his viewers, who saw this
character again in Kazim's latest exhibition, that was held from 2nd to 6th
May at Alhamra Art Gallery, Lahore. The show at Alhmara was more like a
preview of the works which are being dispatched to the United Kingdom for his
solo exhibition, which will open on 24th May at the Light Gallery in London.
Like his previous paintings, the new works testify to Kazim's command of the
technique of a water-based medium, observation of life and his chosen mode of
expression -- realistic art. At first
glance his works may appear examples of realistic art, but to a keener eye
these surfaces unfold a different scenario. A visual tension is created
through juxtaposition of various objects in a single frame. Men and other
elements in his paintings are rendered in his -- now easily recognisable --
technique of building imagery with multiple layers of flat colours, and often
leaving a considerable portion of the composition white. In addition to that,
a single image is embossed on the paper, either tinted or just left blank. In
some works, the figures is drawn against a dark background, or next to a
bright red or deep yellow.
In an
unprecedentedly small span of time (he graduated in 2002 from NCA), Ali Kazim
has established himself as one of the important artists of younger (or the
youngest) generation. His seriousness of approach, his level of skill and his
unique method of creating an indigenous vocabulary of art, have distinguished
him among his peers, with the work being highly sought after, not only in
this country but abroad also. However Kazim's approach was evident in his
exhibition at Alhamra. Here a number of works were based upon his earlier
repertoire -- the sensitive rendering of the male figure -- but the painter
had introduced some new elements too. The most
obvious and direct subject in his work is magic rites and spiritual
undertakings. Besides using titles like 'Kala Jadoo' the artist has
emphasised this aspect with the help of other symbols, such as an owl and
parrot perched on the hand of a man and an animal riding on the back of a
person. In addition to that, the light in the glazed eyes of his characters
also conveys the presence of some supernatural substance. The feeling of
other-worldly creatures is shown in the way men in his paintings appear to be
trapped in a trance -- with white flowers placed in their ears. These men are
rendered as if made of stone, an impression given not only by their dark and
earthen colours but even by the coats of thin paint on heavy textured paper
that enhance the grains of the image and make it resemble the rough surface
of a stone. It seems
that Ali Kazim requires this touch of magic in his realism. This side serves
to turn his work mysterious, attractive and enchanting for the viewers, but
Kazim is doing more than that. In fact he is dealing with matters relating to
religion, emotions and sexuality. In a number of works a man is shown wearing
or about to wear the crocheted skull-cap on his head. This cap holds a
specific religious significance in our society, and, at the same time,
alludes to the increase in religious fervour and the growing fascination of
young people with a fundamental interpretation of faith. But on
another level the depiction of these youths, with their closely shaven heads
and their small and ordinary skull-caps, could be read with a sexual
overtone. The sexual element in his work was revealed in another painting,
'Lava', with a naked man lying under a semi-curve from which a few drops of
liquid are erupting upwards. Interestingly,
despite having painted several shaven heads, Kazim avoids portraying phallic
symbols; yet his work is loaded with the beauty of male figure. The muscular,
powerful and balanced body is depicted in several works. The sombreness and
elegance of postures accentuates the charm of a man posing in nude (even if
always shown from the top of his navel). But in most of his works, Kazim is
unable to surpass the quality of his previous works, nor could he offer
exciting new themes, images and techniques to his fans, who are thrilled with
and eager to watch the rise of this intelligent painter.
Another
memorable location, the Haveli Baroodkhana in Lahore, served as the venue of
the VASL International Artists' Residency By Fareeha
Rafique With a
beach display in Gadani in recent memory, which will be remembered not least
for the ambience, VASL International recently held an International Artists'
Residency in Lahore, too.
Anup
Mathew Thomas's work can safely be said to be conceptual, as opposed to
visual. The manifestation was in the form of stills -- running as a slide
show. The artist placed thirteen slides of his work in the NCA library after
closing hours, inscribed individually for artists who are teaching at NCA.
Most of these disappeared from the library. There are sixteen cameras
installed in the NCA library to prevent acts of theft/vandalism. The
slide presentation showed sixteen stills of the NCA library. The
introduction to the artists' work leaves unanswered if the artists were all
informed that a catalogue had been placed for them in the library.
Interesting concept, more of a study of human behaviour. Awena
Cozannet worked in fibre and fabric, employing the wide open space of a
courtyard to advantage, with suspended-in-the-air forms spread over a large
area. Awena's work created shadows that in themselves were distinct forms. The
36-photograph display by Nilofer Akmut, '36 Views of the Minar e Pakistan',
taking up one wall, was work as visually strong as it was politically
emphatic. "National emblems have a tendency of entering the human psyche
regardless of whether they are acknowledged or not viewed as works of
art," says the artist. Inspired by the famous Japanese woodcuts '36
Views of Mt Fuji (1830-1834)', Akmut's black and white photographs show the
Minar from every angle conceivable, and then some. Seen through the Lahore
Fort's arches , through doorways, with people in the foreground, as a distant
speck, even cut in two, divided by a structure in the middle, all views of
the Minar are an embodiment of our culture, drenched in history, teetering on
the present. A little bit of Pakistan, so to speak.
Naushad
will be remembered for making some of the greatest music of Indian cinema By Sarwat
Ali To many
Naushad Ali, who died last week, was the greatest film composer of the
subcontinent. When he appeared on the scene in the nineteen-forties, film
music was still a fledgling effort, and his most creative phase, which lasted
till the beginning of the sixties, saw it grow into adulthood and maturity.
His
fathers disapproved of his passionate interest in music. Naushad joined a
theatrical company and, on account of the dispute with his father, bid
farewell to his family for good to accompany the company on tour; but
unfortunately the company had to close down due to financial collapse. The
owners of the theatrical company left Naushad at Viramgam (Gujrat, India) in
a state of absolute destitution. With help from a stranger, Naushad succeeded
in reaching Lucknow. He remained in his native town for a very short while
before he left for Bombay, the city of his dreams.
Naushad
made his debut as a full-fledged music director in producer Mohan Bhavnani's
film 'Prem Nagar' released in 1940 but his first musical success was the film
'Station Master' in 1942. It was a box office hit and all its songs gained
wider acknowledgement and immense popularity. In the early phase of his
career, Naushad's musical score in 'Station Master' and A.R. Kardar's 'Sharda'
became an instant hit, but he still wanted to do better and reach perfection.
'Ratan', released in 1945, was a turning point in Naushad's career. Directed
by M. Sadiq for producer Jaimani Devan, it became a record grosser. Unlike
most other composers, who are tempted to accept a dozen or two contracts
simultaneously, Naushad's way of working was entirely different. He always
endeavoured to maintain the highest standard of his art.
From his early days in Bombay when he used to sleep on the footpath
opposite the Broadway cinema, he worked on one film at a time. The phenomenal
success of 'Baiju Bawara' virtually shook the film and music world. In the
year 1953 a colourful function was held at the same Broadway cinema to confer
the first-ever Filmfare Awards on its artistes. Famous
composers, such a master Ghulam Muhammad, Muhammad Shafi and Khayyam,
assisted Naushad and learnt the art of composition from him. Khayyam assisted
him in the film 'Saathi' and Laxmikant Pyarelal served in Naushad's orchestra
as instrumentalists for quite sometime. Laxmikant played the mandolin, while
Pyarelal was a violinist. The
majority of the subcontinental film composers know little about background
music, but Naushad on the other hand was one of the very few music-makers who
never neglected the background musical score. He was the first music director
to bring about drastic changes in the method of recording. There was no
separate recording of the voice of the singer and the sound of orchestra and
he, for the first time, used scientific method of separately recording all
the different components in order to obtain greater clarity and a better
tonal effect. Following in his footsteps, this method is now used by all the
music directors of the Bombay film industry. He was the first music director
to maintain international staff notations of every piece of music composed by
him. This facilitated the several re-recordings he did with the orchestra of
BBC London. Naushad
was responsible for introducing a number of singers and poets to the Bombay
film industry. He creatively exploited the talent of an already popular
K.L.Saigal, popularised singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Muhamad Rafi, and
introduced composers and singers like Shyam Kumar, Uma Devi, Mohindra Kapoor,
Suraiya, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Shanti Mathur and Sunder; while poets like
Shakeel Badayuni,Majrooh Sultanpuri,Khumar Barabankvi,Tanveer Naqvi.wrote
lyrics for his compositions. In 1982
the Government of India conferred on him the Dada Sahib Phalke Award. In
India only those artistes are considered to be worthy of this award who have
rendered prolonged services to their film industry. Devika Rani, B.N. Sarkar,
Pirthvi Raj Kapur, Pankaj Mullick, Salochina, B.N. Reddy, Dhiran Ganguli,
Kanan Devi, Nitin Bose, R.C. Boral, Sohrab Modi and Jai Raj had been the
recipients of this coveted award. In accordance with the custom, Naushad was
presented with a 'Swaran Kaml', Rs. 40,000/- in cash and a shawl. Moreover,
in April 1985, the Governor of the Indian State of Madhiya Pradesh presented
maestro Naushad with the Lata Mangeshkar Award. The Padma Shri Award, the
greatest civil award for outstanding performance in art, science and
literature given by the Federal Government of India, was yet another feather
in his cap. Before
Naushad the film compositions were based either on folk melodies of the
Punjab and Bengal (R.C Boral, Pankhaj Mallick) or on westernised
orchestration as employed by Master Ghulam Haider. But he introduced the
classical ang in film music, besides drawing heavily on the folk melodies of
his native Awadh. He kept the melodic content of the song foremost, whatever
the source of inspiration. In the 1970s, when Broadway cinema was demolished,
it was also the symbolic crashing down of the edifice of his music. The
emphasis of film music had shifted from its melodic richness "There is a
conspicuous difference", he said in an interview, "between the
music then and music now. Melody has today been completely lost in the ugly
and unwieldy noise of heavy orchestra and it is the consequence of imitating
Western tunes. If we play Saigal's songs to the generation of today, people
say that there is little appeal for them.. today's producers say, that the
people cannot understand classical music. But 'Baiju Bawra', too, had been
composed by me on the classical base. We must own our own musical heritage.
Even today, you should go to the West and play bhajan (such as Mann tarpat
Hari darshan ko aaj) and tell them that we have introduced bhajan into film
with striking success by means of music. In my film 'Mother India' I did not
use even a single Western musical instrument." During his long career Naushad has so far composed music
for more than 60 films.
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Sopore,
a small town in Indian-controlled Kashmir, is awaiting first trucks to arrive
to carry its produce to the other side of the Line of Control (LoC), into
Pakistani-administered part of the region. When India and Pakistan agreed to
let a trade route between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad operate from July 2006,
people in Sopore knew their apples would be among the first lots of goods
exchanged between the two parts of Kashmir. Now they are getting ready for it
by laying new roads and repairing the older the old ones. 
One
wonders about the identity, location and history of the man who has been
occupying a central space in Ali Kazim's paintings. His features are sharp
and distinct, but not much different from ordinary people. He is young,
dark-skinned, with an athletic body, shaven head, half-closed eyes, and
mostly without clothes, and is the main character around which Kazim weaves
his narrative. This person is surrounded by flat areas of colour or by one or
two objects that help in identifying the his inner self and his place in the
world.
Ali
Kazim may have asked himself what to make and present next, after his early
success. A dilemma shared, and (sometimes) resolved, by a number of our
leading young artists. These individuals, after quick recognition and
substantial demand for their work, have secured a place for themselves in the
local -- and in some cases, the international -- art scene. They are required
to reproduce what has been admired by the public, accepted by the gallery and
purchased by the collectors; but at the same instant they feel an urge to
fabricate something new, unforeseen and unexpected. This treading (or
trading?) between two paths is the real test for an artist conscious of his
creative abilities as well as aware of the art market's intricacies. 
And
with this, VASL surely further reiterated that a soulful display for their
'open house' every time is an essential to the work done every time in a VASL
residency. In Lahore the Haveli Baroodkhana was host to the work of Nilofer
Akmut (Kabul/Lahore), Anup Mathew Thomas (Bangalore/Kerala), Asma Mundrawala
(Karachi), Shahram Entekhabi (Tehran/Berlin), and Awena Cozannet (Lyon).
There were video installations, a slide show, a fibre installation and a
photography display. Shahram Entekhabi and Asma Mundrawala's joint
presentation -- Anarchy in the UK, a 4 minute-ish video presentation had a
rap music score -- shot in the National College of Arts. Based on thematic
lyrics, the film relied on the soundtrack to provide content, rather than
visuals. More like an arty music video.
And
as opposed to the stark modernity of the previously-mentioned film, the other
film in the show, 'Qutbuddin Aibak Ki Kahani' (Shahi Qila se mansoob vaqiat)
was quaint and olde-world. An engaging six minute production by Asma
Mundrawala, Qutbuddin Aibak Ki Kahani had a narrative of a couple of stories
intertwined. The venue being the Lahore Fort, an elderly man as the
storyteller takes the viewer on an audio-journey, spinning tales of old.
Interestingly, way back when the Singhar Burj of the Sheesh Mahal was made,
the mirror for it was imported from China, the kind available locally being
not good enough, as I learnt from the narrative. 
Born
in Lucknow, probably in 1919, Naushad got his schooling at the local Aminabad
High School. But formal education held little attraction for him and he
reportedly set up a music school, Windsor Music Entertainers, at Lucknow,
where he imparted training in the melodic arts to the youngsters of the city.
He was hardly twelve when, at a shop of musical instruments to which he had
access, he learnt to play different types of musical instruments and to
reproduce on these instruments musical pieces that he had listened to at the
Royal Cinema, played by the orchestra in the days of silent films. His
prodigious abilities were honed in the same period by Ustads Ghurbat Ali,
Babban, Yousaf Ali and Luddan.
It
was not easy to make a breakthrough in the world of cinema and he had to
stand outside the gates of the film companies to get some work. After a
persevering struggle of months, Naushad finally succeeded in getting
employment as a pianist in the orchestra of the legendary composer Ustad
Jhande Khan, for Rs. 40/- per month. Ustad Jhande Khan was much impressed by
his talented shaagird and after a while promoted him to his assistant.
Naushad learnt much from the Ustad and later assisted singer Manohar Kapur to
compose music for the Punjabi film 'Mirza Sahiban', joined Ranjit Studios and
became an assistant to composer Khemchand Prakash. He also assisted composer
Mushtaq Hussain Khan for a short time. Employed by Kardar as an in-house
composer at Kardar Studios, he composed some of his most memorable music for
Kardar, his disciple M.Sadiq and also for Mehboob. 