Years
back, when the very well-know Pak Tea House was closed down, a small portion of
the Hall III, Al-Hamra, The Mall, Lahore, was made into a place exclusively for
the littérateur to sit, chat, and take a cup of tea. It was known as Adabi
Baithak (ادبی بیٹھک).
It’s
important to note here that there is a “canteen” also inside the premise of
Al-Hamra, outside of which in the open space visitors and especially students
of music, and artists used to sit and enjoy a cup of tea. One could see and
listen to the sound of a Sitar, or someone rehearsing his / her singing there. It
was a very enjoyable place.
We
a group of friends now and then visited the Adabi Baithak. Sometimes we
preferred to sit in the open and have our discourse there.
Now,
when after a week or so, I went to the Adabi Baithak last evening (September
13, 2014) at about 6 PM, a security guard standing at the door of the Baithak stopped
me and asked for the Pass. I told him, I am one of the frequent visitors . . .
He told, go to the Admin Office, they will give you a form, fill it out, then
they will give you a Pass, only then you can enter the Baithak. I asked him to
have a peep inside the Baithak to see whether any acquaintance of mine was
sitting there, he refused and told: no you cannot; this door cannot open
without the Pass!
In
the meanwhile, one person who was known to me by his face as he too was a
frequent visitor, came and told: Actually, about 4 or 5 days back one
“Executive” was present in the Baithak and one man with a cap on his head
entered, the “Executive” inquired from him, what’s he is in for; he told he was
there just to use the washroom. Then and there, or after that, this restriction
has been imposed: Get a Pass from the Admin and then you can enjoy sitting
there.
I
went back and sat on the stairs of Hall II. When the other friend came we
thought of sitting in the open canteen. But there was no chair outside in the
open space. I asked a waiter why there were no chairs here in the open. He
told, a few weeks earlier, a group of people was sitting here and someone who
was drunk broke a chair and there was some fight, since then the Office-wallas
have ordered the canteen not to put any chairs outside. I asked him, would he
bring tea for us if we sit on the stairs here outside. Yes of course, he said.
I
remember when the Pak Tea House was renovated and opened a proposal to issue
passes was discussed and was not entertained for obvious reasons. But here this
Adabi Baithak has been aristocratized / bureaucratized. Yeah, go to the Admin
office, and they give you a form, you fill it out, it asks, who you are, you
tell some of your credentials, they ask prove them, or get it verified who you
are.
I
thought, in every realm of life and letters, now there is widespread
aritocratization and bureaucratization; that’s what we have. There has emerged
a class in Pakistan, the State Aristocracy (Riyasati Ashrafiya) and it doesn’t
want anyone else, anyone from outside to interfere with its privacy, enjoyment,
and life-style. For that to achieve, it creates a process, sort of a hurdle, in
the form of aristocratization and bureaucratization. It means, it rests with
them whom they allow to join or not. That’s like the Gymkhana (a club of state
aristocracy) in Lahore.
So,
it’s a choice for us: to ask for a pass or not ask for a Pass to enter the
Adabi Baithak.
Note
it please that Attaul Haq Qasmi, prominent columnist, is Chairman Al-Hamra Arts
Council, Lahore. As its head, responsibility for this aristocratization and
bureaucratization rests with him, no matter who did impose this ban.
Note: This was originally posted on September 1, 2014.
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