An open letter: I’m talking to you

When talking about Karachi’s violence, we forget to speak to one group of people that matters as well.

Mere aziz hum watno. Nahi, ye mera matlab nahi tha. Mere aziz Karachi wallay. Agar aap Karachi ke un larkon se hain jinhon ne hathiar ut’haey hain, me aap se mukhatib hun.

Jab se Karachi me killings shuru huey th’e, me, The Express Tribune ki city editor, aur hamarey reporters is ko cover karne me lag gae. Magar is ke dauran mujhe bar bar ye khayal ata tha ke hum siraf police, siyasatdaan, government officials ka version lete rahe.

Hum tadziakaar se poochtay rahe ke, ‘Aap ka kya khyal he, ye sab kyun ho raha he?’

Is khoon-kharabay ko hum kaise khatam kar sakte hain? Mujhe bar bar ye baat tang karti thi ke jahan tak aap logon ka mokaf tha, humain is ka zara sa bhi andaza nahi tha.

Aap se baat karna bohat door ki baat thi.

Kabhi me andar hi andar sochti thi ke aap log TV pe, aur akhbaron me bayanaat ko sun kar, aur parh kar shayad hum sab pe hans’tey honge: Dunya kya janti he ke hum kis cheez se guzr rahe hain, aap sochte honge.

Akhir kaar, thak kar, me ne ye socha ke shayad ek chota sa hul ye hoga, ke me aap tak ye paigham pohnchaun. Aap se directly baat nahi kar sakti, magar ap ko likh to sakti hun.

Jab me university me parh rahi thi, to mujhe ye sikhaya gaya ke kisi aur ke liye kabhi baat nahi karte, kyunke aap ko kabhi ye nahi maloom ho sakta he ke asl me un pe kya guzr rahi ho. Is principle ko mad’de nazr rakh kar me ne hamesha sahafat karne ki koshish ki he.

Aur in dinon me bhi mujhe bura laga ke hum, sahafi ho kar, puri duniya se baat kar sakte hain, magar wo asl log, jo is situation me mulawiz hain, jo asl actor hain, kisi ne un ka version nahi liya.

Bohat sarey log aap ke liye agay agay barh kar apni raey dete hain. Magar aap se kisi ne poochn’e ki zehmat nahi ki.

Theory ko chor dain, wo to professor aur intellectuals ka drawing room ka kaam he.

Asl me mujhe ye shak he (aur siraf aap bata sakte hain) ke aap ke dil me bohat zyada narazgi he, dukh he, confusion he.

Aap ko aap ka haq nahi mila hoga. Aap pe so demand honge. Aur aap me se kuch log shayad, shayad ek jaal me phans chuke hain. Party se aap nikl nahi sakte. Aur party ke baghair aap mehfuz nahi reh sakte. Aap muashre se door ho gaey.

Shayad aap ne ek dafa jo goli chalai to aap ko samaj me aya ke asl quwat ye he.

Shayad aap ne theek samjha. Shayad aap wapas nahi jana chahte. Aap powerless mehsoos hona pasand nahi karte.

Bandook jab bolti he, sab chup ho jate hain.

Shayad aap ko ye lagta he ke aap ka koi mustaqbil nahi ho sakta Karachi me jab tak aap se kai gunah zyada taqatwar siyasatdaan hain. Akhir marna hi he sab ko.

Shayad aap ko ye maloom he ke agli aap ki bari he?

Violence se aur violence niklega, hamesha - ye ek purana theory he. Ham sab ke andar kisi ko marne ki salahiat, zulm karne ki salahiat he.

Muashra humain dho deti he antiseptic se. Aur ye umeed karti he ke hum achey bachon ki tarha school jaenge, job karenge, bache peda karenge aur phir marr jaenge.

Magar jis ke hath me taqat he, wohi jeetega.

Mujhe sirf ye fiqr hoti he ke jab koi violence kisi aur pe karta he, wo khud badl jata he.

Me aap ki awaz sunna chahti hun. Me ye nahi chahti ke siraf Rehman Malik, Zulfiqar Mirza, Zafar Baloch, Raza Haroon, Farooq Sattar, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Saud Mirza, Wajid Ali Durrani, Ahmed Chinoy humain aap ki kahani bataein.

Aap apne liye baat karein.

Mere aziz hum watno. Nahi… mani e matlab nahi. Mani dost Karachi wallian. Agar shuma Karachi e aman bachkani gomai, ama ye dasta athiara’n to man ye goma mukatib ha’n.

Aman waqtan che Karachi a qatl shuru ein man The Express Tribune’e city editor o mani reporter cover kanaga lagategan.

Magar am’e dorana mana bar bar e khayal atka ke man police, siyasatdaan, sarkari afisarani khayalat ishkonag bita. Man tadzianigaran che joost kota, ke ‘Shum’e khyal a, e chia bia gaen?’ E khoon kharab’e a man chun khalass kan’e?

Mana bar bar e gup pareshan’a ke shum’e moquf e mara kum mo bi khayal nabi ta.

Shum’e goma gup’e kanag, baz dooren abre. Kadi kadi ma dil’e toka sochta ke shuma TV aur akhbar’e bayan ishkonag wanagan che rand mai sra kanditan: Duniya che’zan ke ma kujan che guzrega’en, shuma sochegae.

Akhir kar, man sochta ke shum’e wasta kasan’e al ishen ke man shuma ra kasan’e pegham’e pesh bikana. Shume goma direct gup kut na kana, magar shuma ra likhkana.

Waqt’e ke man university’a wanaga butagun to ma ra’e sikenag buta ke kasi e wasta kadi bi abar makan’e chun ke shuma ra kadi bi khabr nabi ke aie goma che guzrag bita. Am’e principle e tahat man hamesha sahafat kota.

Aur am’e rochana bi mana bura lagta ke man sahafi goma duniya goma gup jan’e, magar ma ama asli mardoma ni goma, jo am’e asli situation tok’e an, jo asli actor an, kas’e a bi aen na gup na jata.

Baz’e mardom shum’e wasta dema kaen wati rae de’an. Magar shum’e goma kas’e a joost kanag’e jurat nabi ta. Theory a yal de, a to professor or intellectual ani drawing room’e kar’e.

Aslan che muna e shak’e ke (or siraf shuma aya gusht kan’e), ke shum’e dil’e toka baz narazgi e, dardein aur pareshani e. Shuma ra shum’e haq narasta. Shum’e bazein demand ba’hn. Aur shuma ra chen chand mardom shayad jalan tahat pasetagan. Partian che shuma darhatk nakan’e. Aur party’e baghair shuma mehfuz nab’e. Shuma muasheran che door bit’gae.

Shayad shuma yakberi goli alent to shuma ra samaj yatku ke asli takat ameshe. Shayad shuma sahi samj’e ta. Shayad shuma wapas rawag na lot’e. Shuma kamzor be’ug passand na kan’e.

Bandook abar kan to durust kamosh ba’hn.

Shayad shuma ra e nalagi ke shum’e koi mustaqbil yast’e ho sakta’e, ke Karachi a jab tak shuma’ra che kai guna zyada takatwar siyasatdan yasta’n.

Agar mirag dursa’n ast’e. Shayad shuma ra e khabar biag luti ke dema shum’e bari’en.

Violence sa che violence dar’ke amesha - e yak puran’e theory che. Me sajenan’e toka kas’e na kase’e janage salaiyat, zulm’e kanag’e salaiyat yast’e. Muashra mara shudi antiseptic a che. Aur ma umeed kan’e ke man, sharre’n chukka ni pema, iskool’a raen, kar kan’e, chuk kare’n, aienya chirand mire’n. Arch’e dasta zor’en ama katti.

Mana sirf e fiqr’e ke kadi bi kas’e violence kan to ay’e wati alat badl bi. Ma shum’e awaz’an goj’darag lota. Man na lota’n ke sirf Rehman Malik, Zulfiqar Mirza, Zafar Baloch, Raza Haroon, Farooq Sattar, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Saud Mirza, Wajid Ali Durrani, Ahmed Chinoy shum’e kis’e an mara goj’tawar bikana.

Shuma wati abra bikan’e.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2011.