From Tehran to Lahore: Another Deewar-i-Mehrbani for the City

Wall set up by GCU students near Jain Mandir

LAHORE: Acts of kindness continued happening across the city with select Government College University (GCU) students establishing another Deewar-i-Mehrbani in the city on Friday near Jain Mandir.

The idea had first taken-off last week with the launch of the city’s first wall of this kind in Gulberg by some students of the Punjab University (PU). “I first came across the idea on social media when it was introduced in Iran. I wasn’t sure whether it could be replicated here till I saw it being done last week,” Ali Khan, who spearheaded the idea at the GCU, told The Express Tribune. He said the idea behind the initiative was to build on something good that had been taking place across the society.

Khan said the students had decided to set up the wall in the area as many labourers happened to be there. A number of workshops are located adjacent to the wall where work on the Orange Line Metro Train project is also being carried out. Referring to this, he said the wall would be demolished to make way for the project. “It was not easy to obtain permission to paint the wall here because everyone said there was no point to it,” Khan said.  He said they had eventually managed to prevail on police to allow them to forge ahead.

Zainab Fakhrunnisa of the GCU said students from the varsity’s fine arts department had spent all of Thursday to paint the wall. “It usually takes over a day to paint a wall this big,” she said. Fakhrunnisa said the students had used the time between classes to paint the wall. “Today, we had a class at 8am. We came here after it ended to set it up,” she said. Fakhrunnisa said Khan, who happens to be a friend, had approached her with the idea nearly three days ago. “Since I put up in a hostel, he wanted me to spread the word there. We told our friends and asked them to talk to students from different departments,” she said.

Fakhrunnisa said this had worked as GCU students had contributed clothes, foodstuff and stationery in droves. Khan said they had lost count of the number of clothes they had received and handed out over the day. Citizens were also provided pencils, books and fruits in addition to clothes. “We are open to all kinds of donations as long as they happen to be in a good state,” Khan said.

Beneficiary Mubarik Ali, a scrap vendor, praised those behind the idea. “We will pray for them,” he said. Ali helped himself to some books and pencils for his four children and a scarf and sweater for himself. The wall also grabbed the attention of children in the area. Among them being seven-year-old Nabiha and 11-year-old Umaeen. “I have gotten myself some chocolate, books and a sweater,” Nabiha said.

The students behind the venue remained at the spot to ensure proper distribution of clothes. “I don’t think we will be leaving the clothes here overnight,” Khan said. He said he wasn’t sure as to whether that would work. Khan said he had been left overwhelmed by the response of the people to the initiative. “I want to continue doing this and will definitely put up something next week too, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2016.