Humayun Naseer Shaikh has taken a little bit of humour, adding a touch of eccentricities, and mixed in his ‘little knowledge’ or ‘dangerous things’ into one fine read. The Untold Story of India’s Oldest Muslim Industrial Family has a collection of short stories delivered through a crisp and witty narrative.
“When the British finally conquered all of India, after the ‘war of independence’ in 1857, the Muslims of India boycotted everything British, unlike the Hindus, pareses and the Sikhs. The Muslims boycotted the British education system, learning of the English language, the British dress and customs, and opted not to make use of the British financial and banking system, and not to put up any industry based on technology,” he writes.
“Despite the boycott, the first factory was put up in 1901, in what is today Faisalabad, by my grandfather, Shaikh Mian Muhammad Ismail, a network of 22 factories, several free schools and hospitals were put up across ‘The Undivided Punjab’,” he adds, recalling the dynasty that was created by his grandfather. It was a great feat considering the turbulent times in which this foundation was laid. When Pakistan came to life, the Shaikh family’s empire also expanded. From the 22 factories they had gone into the list of 22 families that ruled the country.
It was in 1971 that things seemed to go a little too out of control for Pakistan. Humayun recalls, “My father was convinced that West Pakistan will be dismembered into four independent countries. That is when the third generation went into exile and set up businesses in Eire, England, USA, Dubai, Ras al-Khaimah and Mexico.” It was only after Bhutto’s execution that the family returned to Pakistan.
The book has a lot of anecdotal titbits relating to Pakistan’s history, as seen through the Shaikh family’s lens. The very first martial law under Ayub Khan is remembered for many things, and Pakistan’s economic progress is on the list. He writes about how Shaikh was supposed to be Ayub’s ‘Blue-Eyed Boy’.
When he was asked by the Martial Law Administrator to join the Constitution Commission in 1960 Shaikh gave it serious thought. “Shaikh, the plain speaking man that he was, said to the president that he was a student of Chemistry by education, and a tongue-in-cheek shopkeeper by profession, (he never tired of declaring that he was an Industrialist) but that he would educate himself in Political Science and then give his independent opinion regarding what type of constitution should be suitable for Pakistan,” the author recalls of his father.
Ayub Khan had thought he had Mian Sahib wrapped around his fingers and he would be able to get him to dance to whatever tune he played. Little did he know that Shaikh actually found four professors to hire so that he would become well versed in the matters before him in a manner that made sense to him.
As for the Civil and Military Gazette (C&MG), Shaikh had extracted an agreement from the president that he would run a totally independent editorial policy for the paper, but things began to fall apart for C&MG when deadline for Constitution Commission Report neared. The president asked for Shaikh’s vote in favour of his ‘Basic Democracy’ model but Shaikh made it clear that he would cast his vote as he deemed fit.
Later on, it was Shaikh’s refusal to “bend with the wind” which resulted in the closure of the paper, which although had been earlier rejuvenated by the president’s support. The nawab of Kalabagh was entrusted with the task of “bringing Shaikh to his senses”. The government cancelled C&MG’s allocations and paper’s letter of credit for machinery was revoked, bringing the paper to its knees with huge losses and plummeting circulation.
However, the fighting spirit and clarity of thought carried the author himself forward as well. Once Bhutto was gone the family returned to a broken Pakistan. The industry was dead, and corruption ruled the roost. Despite the obstacles Humayun found a way to get things up to speed. His dream of setting up a denim operation brought itself back to life.
The book is a compelling read that keeps the reader hooked in. In an odd way as the family’s journey is discussed we see how Pakistan, too, transformed. Humayun’s life as an industrialist and stories of his families and friends keep the reader wondering what will happen next.
