Through the mouth of a glass eater

As a self-propelled system in constant action, Javed Jabbar gives you the impression of an ideal machine which has stepped out of the realm of theoretical physics.

But with his ability to move in different directions at the same time, he presents an improvement on that perfect contraption as its exertions remain unidirectional. JJ, as he is affectionately called by fawning NGO ladies, was an enigma of human engineering to me till I learned he had eaten crushed glass from the hands of a holy man when he was a child. On a fuel of this kind no machine could be less than multifunctional. A prolific writer, eloquent public speaker, an activist in the field of voluntary social work, a conservationist, a film maker, information wizard, a publicist and advertiser, JJ has gone in and out of politics at will, been a minister at odd moments of our history and, with his Roman features, has rightfully been a senator too. You get a spangled sampling of all this in the seventh volume of his writings, Criss-Cross Times, that has recently come out.

The book surveys the expanse of his national and international concerns and provides a very handy source of commentary on issues of our time as well as the political ups and downs of our national life. The international section covers such varied themes as Islam’s global image, Pakistan and India as potential partners, in defence of secularism, the human cost of Kashmir conflict, a stronger United Nations, Track II diplomacy, climate change, Hyderabad Deccan, Malaysia’s advance, three scenarios in Iraq, and an Indian TV madrassa teaching how to hate a neighbour. I found the national section much more insightful and interesting as it also shows the transformations in the author’s thought; particularly the expectations and disappointments of the Musharraf era. There are a number of excellent pen portraits of some eminent persons he knew; his chance but long meeting with Benazir Bhutto in Damascus, a discourse on the King’s and Queen’s parties, the accountability of religious leaders, the top where the buck starts and stops, how we can prevent future military interventions, judicial sense and sensibility, three factors in containing the Taliban menace, Musharraf: four credits and eight discredits, drifting to Quaid’s Pakistan; and that interesting but incomplete piece about his munching crushed glass.

The third section, which deals with matters relating to the media covers such aspects of media development as its prospects in South Asia, the gap between the information-rich and the information-poor, the missing Muslim media, print media as bridge or barrier, public opinion, community radio, the media world war and Pakistan, horizons and hazards of electronic media, freedom and anarchy in electronic media, commercialism: from need to greed, cross-media ownership, media accountability and such other matters that figure in light discussion but are seldom given serious thought as in these studies and comments.

In his piece on Musharraf’s credits and discredits, he has mentioned the reservation of women’s seats in the elected bodies, the decision to replace the separate electorate system with a remarkable system of both joint and separate electorates for the minorities of the country, the decision to allow FM radio stations and TV channels in the private sector and last, his cultural liberalism and his respect for pluralism that led to the completion of several important projects like the National Arts Gallery etc, as the four good things he did which nobody can deny or nullify. I think JJ missed mentioning Musharraf’s courage in broaching the Kashmir issue with a fresh approach leading to the opening of traffic between Azad and Occupied parts of the disputed state, a development which could grow into the solution.

Consistency is said to be the virtue of retailers and deputy secretaries, which reminds me of the late President Leghari, who could not rise to become a leader and remained stuck in the position the senior Bhutto had picked him from. JJ would know that better of course having wasted his time and talent with him; but then sages have erred, which gives allowance to the bolder lot to make blunders. When India pestered Musharraf with Kargil, he told them history was older than that event from which he too could quote a thing or two. That kind of had them shut up.

JJ has listed eight discredits of Musharraf; the ninth was parting ways with the author of Criss-Cross Times, thus depriving himself of the refined and sophisticated company of someone who could point to him the path of propriety and discretion.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2010.