Author name: dlg

Meraj Hamayun Khan That a new era has begun in KP was obvious from the oath taking ceremony of the new Cm. No subdued tones, no ‘Ehsan Tariq’s’, it was a rowdy public expression of joy and achievement typical of a youth deprived of hope and happiness. This was a crowd which had waited too long for progress. Their hopes had been crushed again and again and they were risking their lives to go legally or illegally to other countries in search of an elusive dream. All of a sudden events at home took a turn and their colleague, their leader was handed over the reins of the government. Winds changed direction from the earthy, murky and bigoted political lands of central and southern districts to the harsh mountains of the borderland of KP. From time immemorable these winds have blown over the rugged, barren hills immortalized by the poet in his verse: Na is pi ghas ugtein hein, na is mein phool khiltey hein Magar is sarzameen si aasman bhi jhuk ki miltey hein The hardly people living here have braced these winds and lived by sheer ingenuity in the waterless, rocky terrain. They live in poverty in mud houses yet they lead a colourful life observing a special code of conduct and association. They live in poverty but their hospitality is proverbial, their word given to someone in honour is a sacred oath never to be breached Bold as well as brutal like their mountains, no one dare arouse their wrath.  The new CM of KP is one of them and their rejoicing at the oath taking can be understood. It was a wild expression of the sense of deprivation that they had felt for centuries. They were only considered to be good for wars, and with no other means of income they enlisted in droves and earned a reputation of being mercenaries. No government wanted to seriously address their issues and implement a comprehensive and solid development program here. Thus this region remains underdeveloped compared to other districts of the province. There are a lot of expectations from the young, student leader who has already made history by being the first CM from the tribal belt. Like his predecessor he will be fully attentive to the wishes and guidelines of his leader, but at the same time, he will want to bring relief and hope to his people. That will be the test of his leadership – how to balance and meet the demands of two strong forces. He will need a lot of support from his party which, unfortunately, has several groupings. Moreover, the opposition, weak and highly insecure, will use all their tactics, legal or illegal, to discredit him and send him home.  My advice to him would be to be cautious and weigh every decision carefully before announcing it. Consultation with his party leaders would strengthen him and technical support from professionals can guide him to pursue a development agenda that shows quick results. Literacy, employment opportunities, law and order, women empowerment, climate change are sectors that need his attention. With patience and consistent hard work he can achieve a lot even with the weak resource base. Our prayers are with him.

            Meraj Hamayun Khan One of the big dilemmas that I face is how to address or introduce my domestic helpers, what title should I give them if and when I have to introduce them to someone. Driver, cook cleaner, sweeper? My driver, my cook/khansama, my cleaner, my sweeper? Or simply Ted to my Kaamwali, hamari Kaameded Wali? In one case, they are reduced to the position of slaves because there is ownership expressed in the title, in the other she becomes a faceless entity only meant to be at the beck and call of the masters to do their bidding in, whatever the nature of the task is. Both hit the very core of a person’s personality, her self-confidence, her self-esteem. It puts her at a disadvantage, she diminishes in size as she weakens in importance. I have often wondered how a woman feels after scrubbing the marble floors of her Ince mistress home, or when she picks up the plate of curry with two rotis placed on top as a lid to take home to her children she left sleeping when coming out for her job. Envious? Sad? Angry/ Belligerent ready to snap at anyone who addresses her? Does she pray for a better fate for herself or does she curse her mistress and her home? Arriving home to the gleeful shouts of welcome from her emaciated but loving children, does she shed the disappointment that she feels with her life? What is the reason for the wide divide in the living standards of these two groups of people the employer and the employee?