On the march

While Israel was busy bombing the defenceless population of Gaza up till last week, people across the world were on the march protesting against the brutality of the Zionist entity and in defence of the Palestinians.Karachi, a city that has witnessed plenty of violence, albeit on a smaller scale, was not far behind as parties and organisations of all socio-political hues and bents held rallies to condemn the slaughter. From a few dozen protesters raising slogans in front of the Press Club to thousands marching down M.A. Jinnah Road, as the conflict intensified, it seemed there was a march every day in the city.The brutality of Israel’s assault had brought the leftist and the Islamist, toddlers and senior citizens, women in fashionable attire and ladies wrapped in flowing chadors and abayas – marching in their own rallies of course – to the streets of Karachi to stand up and be counted.There were speeches, there was rhetoric and there were calls for divine intervention. While one set of protesters carried pictures of Ayatollah Khomeini, Hasan Nasrallah and Khaled Mashaal, other marchers held aloft pictures of Che Guevara and Hugo Chavez.Apart from chants calling for the destruction of Israel, something, a friend told me, even many well-educated liberals had endorsed after witnessing the blood-curdling brutality of the Zionist entity, effigies of Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and now (thankfully) former US president Bush, as well as American and Israeli flags, were burnt with gusto.Though one is not sure about this particular mode of protest as when somebody else decides to torch a Pakistani, Saudi or Iranian flag (the latter two bearing religious inscriptions), it would cause many in the Muslim world to see red or cringe with disgust, and rightfully so. At one rally, organised by a political party, marchers were urged to pelt posters of Olmert and Bush with projectiles of their choice, for a nominal fee. From the news pictures, this little attraction looked like it was drawing plenty of crowds.The people of Karachi from widely differing backgrounds were – albeit in their own camps – united for a cause. This was refreshing. The protests were largely non-violent, apart from one in which charged-up members of a students group tried to make their way to the US consulate. The cops responded with tear-gas and batons and a melee ensued. What did these protests show? True, they pointed at the fact that the Muslim world largely feels impotent, thanks to mostly unrepresentative, self-centred world ‘leaders’, and these protests are a way to vent anger.But one felt that if Karachians could take to the streets for the people of Gaza – no doubt a noble cause – why can they not use similar non-violent tactics to force the rulers of this land to ensure that justice, the rule of law and basic human rights are all within the reach of every Pakistani?—QAMNo nuts availableIn the winter one has a craving for dried fruit which taste great on chilly nights, but somehow this season the commodities seem to be in short supply in some parts of the city.Similarly tea and qehwa also are very much in demand during the winter as people tend to believe a warm cuppa will heat them up and extra cups are consumed on cold wintry nights.On a similar chilly night, I went to a cousin’s place in former district central of the city. On my way back, as I came down from his apartment accompanied by him, we went to a roadside tea shop. To my utter surprise, he told me that the small tea shop had been forced to close down. Recently, there was some violence in the city and the worst affected were the Pashtun community who mostly run small businesses particularly tea stalls and sell dried fruit on pushcarts. Owing to the trouble in the city most of these tea stalls and vendors either had to move out to safer areas or close down their business temporarily.Karachi is a cosmopolitan city and belongs to everyone, for its richness lies in its cultural diversity and every community contributes its bit to make it a vibrant and exciting place.Karachians do not need any form of violence in the city and wish to live in a spirit of brotherhood, peace and harmony. So let’s enjoy the limited cold season we get and open up the tea stalls and get those peanuts roasted before the summer is upon us and the unbearable load-shedding resumes with a vengeance.—Jacques PintoA forgotten wonderThere were days when the Boat Basin Park was green and water basin clean. I remember going to the park as a child in the evenings with my family and enjoying the few swings and small paddle boats that were there.Away from the hubbub of the busy Karachi life, Boat Basin gave the tired Karachians a nice, calm and serene spot to unwind. It was clean, it was green and it had a nice water view which was all that was missing from other recreational spots. In those days no one minded the absence of advanced facilities like electrical swings or fast food joints in the park. It was the calmness that mattered most.Then it slowly began to die. The boats were gone, the water turned murky, the trees began to die and drug addicts made their homes inside the once beautiful spot. The only other visitors apart from the drug addicts were perhaps the college students who ventured there during the day. The Boat Basin’s ‘claim to fame’ then became the many, many food outlets which mushroomed over the years and lined outside the park. The basin and the park lay forgotten. Until perhaps, now!A few days back I came to know that there are plans to develop the park by launching a drive to eradicate pollution from within and around the boat basin and installing light systems in the park areas. What should follow is a plan to revamp the entire expanse of the Boat Basin. For example, some light water sports could be introduced once the basin is back in shape. Proper seating and lighting are essential in creating the perfect get-away ambiance instead of merely installing huge stadium like floodlights which destroy the beauty of a park.Karachi did get quite a few parks in recent years like the Askari Park near the old Sabzi Mandi, the Beach Park along the sea strip and the Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim. Beautiful no doubt they are, but all of the above-mentioned lack the basic ingredient: greenery in the form of trees. Our city planners seem to think that lots of lights will make a park beautiful.The city desperately needs a nice recreational spot with the proper ingredients and Boat Basin promises to become one if its renovation is properly planned, executed and, of course, unhindered by the bureaucracy.—Tooba AsimCompiled by Syed Hassan Ali