Moin Bhai Dilliwala, a tribute to Moin Akhter

As if the year passed in a stroke. It is hard to come to terms that one year has passed since Moin Akhter left us. A stand up comedian who took the art to a level whose altitude is hard for any other actor  to surmount. As a family friend there are countless small and [...]

Traditional Chinese Wedding vs Desi

Befriending a Chinese colleague closely has busted a lot of myths with which I grew, primarily them being reserved or unfriendly. Going though her wedding pictures ( which took place 27 years ago in Shanghai), I could not with hold my surprise, of the similarity between their wedding and our desi one , in terms [...]

Lawn ki kahani, meri zubani ( The story of Lawn in my words)

Published in TheNews Blog : http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2012/03/21/story-of-a-lawn-hater/ Designer lawn, designer lawn, designer lawn! Every Sana, Nida and Hina is coming out with designer lawns. Thankfully never a fan of lawn as a material, it does not awaken the woman in me. However I remember my mother, who lives in Delhi, where summers are really biting, once came [...]

Learning the art of peaceful protest from Gandhi’s Dandi (Salt) March

This is a unique and simple story that changed the course of Indian Independenc movement. No destruction, no chaos, just a peaceful protest for a cause. Though it is impossible to summarize it in a few words… ‘On March 12, 1930, Gandhi along with the protesters set out, on foot, for the coastal village of [...]

Celebrate the woman inside you !

Published in TheNewsBlog:  http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2012/03/08/celebrate-the-woman-inside-you/ While discussing how one should celebrate International Women’s Day this year, a friend said: “It is not just the abuse outside that we women need to fight, but we have to fight an inside war too.” I did not quite understand what she really meant, but before I could ask she went [...]

Gimme all your worries

Published in TheNews Blog : http://blogs.thenews.com.pk/blogs/2012/02/13/%E2%80%9Cgimme-all-your-worries%E2%80%9D/ “What if my boss doesn’t like my work?” What if I get cancer? What if I don’t pass the exam? What if my friends don’t like my dress? What if Mommy doesn’t come back from work? Worries! Age, gender and ethnicity, is no bar. From babies to youth to middle [...]

Horse ‘art’

Horse and man has been friends and companions since time immemorial. It is said that their association dates back to almost 5,500 years ago. Initially used to carry loads, was later used as the main means of transportation, for wars and then for recreation. The horse when used in wars needed protected gear like the [...]

Basant, a festival beyond beliefs

On 27th January, 2012 India celebrates Basant panchami. In Pakistan, it is celebrated towards the end of February.   Towards the end of January till early March, the golden harvest of wheat stand tall ready to be harvested sometime in early April.  And wheat is our staple crop. At the same time in Januray February [...]

Continuation of a joint heritage

Published in Aman Ki Asha , in TheNews on December 14, 2011. http://amankiasha.com/detail_news.asp?id=584 Ilmana Fasih recounts some examples of the ‘Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb’ and centuries’ old, peaceful coexistence beyond religious divides An otherwise sane looking person I met at a party recently started to spew venom laced with conspiracy theories about “Hindu Muslim animosity”. To top [...]

Do it anyways

I wasn’t so, not so long ago. But after all the chaos pertaining to hatred, intolerance and self-righteousness all around, I have come to believe that the only way to have real  ’peace’ is if we donot reciprocate hate with hate or evil with evil. The following words by Kent M Keith which inspired even Mother [...]