Spring sans wine

A curious case of Pukhtu identity theft

Last year, a book titled “Poetry of the Taliban” was published by Columbia University Press, USA, and received mixed reactions from the international community. While some quarters refused to conceal their anger and disgust over the content of the book, others couldn’t help but secretly admire the bravery and courage of their staunch enemies. Almost one year after its publication, the book found a new audience in Pakistan and gained importance at the recently concluded Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) where the publication was introduced as the expression of contemporary Pukhtun nationalism and resistance against foreign occupation. There could not have been a better season other than spring to talk romantically about topics of love and war, and specifically about a people who have unjustly been demonised and their identity repeatedly threatened.

Poetry holds great importance for the Pukhtun nation and some of their most fiercely guarded treasures include poetic compilations of 17th century poet Khushal Khan Khattak and his predecessor Rahman Baba from among many others. Therefore, it would not be wrong to say that poetry is the only wine that Pukhtuns would readily drink without showing the slightest signs of remorse. The eminent Pukhtu poet, scholar and painter Ghani Khan Baba in his book titled “The Pathans” justifies this characteristic in the following words, “His violent nature, strong body and tender heart make a very unstable combination for living, but an ideal one for poetry and colour.”

As mentioned earlier, the KLF brought together locals and foreigners within a single sphere for three days while it was also attended by representatives of different countries. The mentioned book was brought into discussion in a political session titled “Deadline Afghanistan” and the session was moderated by Mr Najam Sethi, along with former diplomat Mr Ilyas Muhammad Khan, Mr Zahid Hussain and The New York Times correspondent in Pakistan Mr Declan Walsh.

On the occasion, University of Peshawar (PU) Department of International Relations Chairman Dr Ijaz Khan said, “The author had tried to portray the Taliban as leaders of the Pukhtuns but in reality they are not.” Dr Ijaz further said, “If any outsider read this book then he/she would assume the Taliban as operatives of Pukhtuns which is a great injustice.” This is what he had to say about the involvement of senior journalist Mr Najam, “No doubt Najam Sethi has deep eyes on Afghan issues but how is it possible that a non-Pukhtun can thoroughly discuss Pukhtu literature?”

A Pukhtun journalist Ali Arqum, who attended all three days of the KLF, said to a journalist of an English daily, “Can Declan Walsh, a foreigner who does not speak Pukhtu language, interpret Pukhtun culture?” The sentiments of these two gentlemen are owned and shared by a majority of Pukhtuns living on either side of the Durand Line as the feel that the Talib Jan (Dear Talib) is losing ground to the Taliban.

The concept of Talib Jan, different from the talibs of the Taliban, developed as an important subject associated with the intensities of love and longing in Pukhtu literature emerged from a tale of love between a Talib Jan and a maiden named Gulbashara. Later, in a very different time, poetry composed by high-ranking members of the Afghan Taliban regime burned the midnight oil to disown the persona of Talib Jan, the restless romantic. It seems that the military intelligence establishment of Pakistan is currently doing the same and the great scheme of yet another identity theft was set into motion during the KLF, and the target this time is to rob the cellar of an entire nation.

In the poetry book, Taliban make many references towards the important figures and events from Pukhtun history, and have thus conveniently started the process of identity theft, and that theft is being projected by the Pakistani security establishment as the impetus of contemporary Pukhtun nationalism.

Instead, a brief anthology of Pukhtu poetry owned by the Pukhtuns would be a more interesting and engaging topic. The poetry of Rahman Baba, Khushal Khan Khattak, Ghani Khan, Hamza Shinwari, Qalanadar Momand, Mir Mehdi Shah, Aasi Hashtnagharay, Muhammad Azam “Azam”, and progressive poets Sher Ali Bacha and Sanubar Hussain Kaka Jee reflect the struggle of Pukhtuns against aggressors for the rights of the oppressed. The writings of these men retain substance and stance while talking about topics as personal as nationalism and as vast as internationalism and humanism.

In order to clear a few misconceptions, the Pukhtuns do not want to go to heaven with a suicide jacket and a rocket launcher. Instead, Hamza Baba sums it all up as follows:

The enemy says it is the language of hell,

But to heaven I will go with Pukhtu.

A contemporary Pukhtun progressive poet namely Khial Yousafzai, drew inspiration from his three-year-old daughter to write what every concerned father would have written in the 1980s:

Once more the region has been engulfed by hunger, fear and countless wars,

One side has fallen to tyranny’s cold embrace,

The other is littered with cold bodies disgraced.

On one side of Europe’s highest peaks,

Death in itself is being starved to death.

And pointing at dark times of mourning; is Asia’s still and silent face

Today, my child, I looked at you and sunk my heart in worry deep

At last the war has travelled back home with a deadly and silent pace.

Now the world has become entrenched due to imperialism’s treacherous schemes

Henceforth my child your ‘tomorrow’ is at stake,

And my life could also soon make haste,

While the enemy is multiplying and branching out around us,

Once more everything would be put to waste.

These poetic examples have the capacity to engage the outside world in a productive and civilised way, unlike the Taliban poetry that shows little understanding of the modern world and live more or less in oblivion of changing times. Therefore, it might seem like a convenient idea for some to impose an alternate literature of rogues and criminals on the Pukhtun nation, but the idea would certainly have serious repercussions as have happened in the past. But there is something important that the mentioned book achieved and that has been summed up by Dr James Caron of the University of Pennsylvania and a researcher on Afghanistan and its ethnicities, as follows:

“These poems expose something of the full, textured, deeply conflicted humanity of those who actively consume and recirculate them, those who may be insurgents at the same time they are humans. In providing such a picture, the ‘insurgent’ is restored a sense of humanity, and agency, and thus even (as the editors note) an accountability for violence that would be impossible to expect from a mere avatar.”

While our world crumbles around us, at least we should be able to freely sway to the rhythms of our finest wine. The passageway between reality and escapism should not be closed down on anyone because sometimes it is the only way to ensure that a person remains sane. Therefore, while the spring is still young, we might as well drink to that.

Roses, wine – a friend to share!

Spring sans wine I will not bear,

Abstinence I do abhor,

Cup on cup, my Saqi, pour.

(Translation of Khushal Khan Khattak’s poem by Olaf Caroe and Evelyn Howell)

The writer is a staff member.