Peshawar remembers ‘forgotten’ sons

Participants at a talk titled `Forgotten Citizens of Peshawar’ made a joint call for the propagation of the work of those inspiring personalities from diverse faiths who made remarkable services for historic Peshawar city and its denizens.

The talk was organized by the Archeology Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Victoria Hall of Peshawar Museum with Dr Muhammad Amjad Hussain, an illustrious US-based Pakistani doctor with roots in Peshawar, as guest speaker.

People from different walks of life including minority communities attended the talk and gave valuable suggestions for highlighting the rich history of the city and contributions made by non-Muslims in the development of Peshawar and this region.

Director Archeology, Dr Abdul Samad in his welcome address said that this region has a very rich diversified history comprising people from different religions who lived here and left legacies for coming generations.

He also highlighted measures taken by the Archeology Department for the promotion of religious tourism in the province.

In the talk, Dr Amjad Hussain who has penned several books on the history, culture and heritage of Peshawar city, made an observation that we cannot progress until we recognize and remember the contributions made by personalities from different faiths.

“Our dilemma is ‘willful forgetfulness’ while men and women who selflessly served the city in the past are the milestones on the road to progress for the present generation,” remarked Dr Amjad.

The towering figures who made Peshawar a tapestry of multi-faith diversity and harmony and migrated after partition in 1947 must be remembered in golden words for their exemplary contribution to the people of the region and the development of the city, the scholar emphasized.

Dr Amjad’s speech mesmerized the audience who came to know about noteworthy services for the people of Peshawar in the fields of health, education, philanthropy, and even politics by people belonging to different religions including Hinduism, Christianity, and Parsis.

Famous among those personalities mentioned by Dr Amjad included Lala Bal Mukand, a known philanthropist, Dr Amar Singh who served people at Mission Hospital, Mehr Chan Khanna and Pundit Amir Chand Bamwal who made names in politics, Seth Ishwar Das Sahni, a prominent businessman, while Edwin family, Salwan and Kashi Nand left their marks in the education sector.

He said Mrs ID Parkash of Edwin’s family had set up a girl school in the Karim Pura area of Peshawar city in 1905 when there was no concept of girls’ education in this region.

The lady taught for around 40 years and equipped a countless number of females of Peshawar with the treasure of knowledge and education, he apprised participants of the talk.

Similarly, Dr Amjad continued, Rai Bahadur Kashi Nand who lived at Asia gate and set up a Sanatha Daram High School near Lady Reading Hospital, the building was later converted into a hotel.

Hubert Micheal Close also deserved a mention for his services in education and humanitarian services for the people of Peshawar.

The gentleman, Micheal Close, has educated a few generations of the Pashtun belt of Pakistan and is remembered as a phenomenal personality having no match in regard with his services, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2023.