| Islam,Terrorism and Jihad | |
| 05 Jul 2011, NewAgeIslam.Com | |
| Genre: Kashmir Jihad | ||
 In the 1980s, every genre of the Pakistan Television (PTV) programmes began to accommodate, belligerently, themes that were either outright religious or carried religious connotations. For instance, Al Huda (1981) was a series of lectures by the late Dr Israr Ahmed, known for his misogynist and extremist views, while talk shows hosted politicians like Mian Tufail Muhammad (17-12-84), chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, at a time when the names of opposition politicians were banned on the PTV (1). In 1999, Pakistan army captured power in a bloodless coup that did not meet any resistance. According to some circles, the coup was welcomed. Could it be the case that the army benefitted, partly at least, from the positive image PTV drama helped build through Sonahary Din, Alfa Bravo Charlie etc and a militarized atmosphere through plays projecting Kashmir Jihad? And could a spate of Hate-Pakistan Bollywood productions in the late 1990s onwards, could be a reply to PTV’s Jihad genre? Who knows! -- Farooq Sulehria | ||
| Genre: Kashmir Jihad | |
By Farooq Sulehria
“All the dramas on Kashmir, including Angar Wadi, have been highlighting the governmental viewpoint. Not merely permission was sought in advance from the ISPR, the ISPR was also encouraging and helping such plays. Angar Wadi cost roughly Rs 60 million”
In the 1980s, every genre of the Pakistan Television (PTV) programmes began to accommodate, belligerently, themes that were either outright religious or carried religious connotations. For instance, Al Huda (1981) was a series of lectures by the late Dr Israr Ahmed, known for his misogynist and extremist views, while talk shows hosted politicians like Mian Tufail Muhammad (17-12-84), chief of Jamaat-e-Islami, at a time when the names of opposition politicians were banned on the PTV (1).
Tele-drama was considered jewel in PTV’s crown ever since television in Pakistan began to broadcast. By the early 1980s, the PTV drama also began to assume religious colour. On the one hand, plays scripted by reactionary writers like Ashfaq Ahmed and Bano Qudsiya were generously granted air time, on the other hand, drama serials glorifying Muslim (mostly Arab) past or Pakistan Army were telecast. Hence, Nishan-e-Haider series was launched in 1985 to mark September 6. Directed by Qasim Jalali and written by Zaheer Ahmed (2), ‘Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed’ was the first episode (Date of Telecast, DoT onwards, 17-8-85) of Nishan-e-Haider series. Consequently, Rashid Minhas Shaheed (Director: Shahzad Khalil), Lance Naik Muhammad Mehfoz Shaheed (Director: Bukhtiar Ahmed), Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (Director: Salim Tahir) were aired. However, Nishan-e-Haider series was preceded by Panah (two episodes, depicting Afghan ‘resistance’ against Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, director: Saleem Shahzad) and serials based upon Nasim Hijazi’s novels: Akhari Chattan (Director: Qasim Jalali) and Shaheen (Director: Mohsin Ali).
The 1980s began with a drama serial titled Tareekh-o-Tamseel (1981) that depicted Muslim conquerors (3) while closed with Anokha Safar (1988-89), a serial directed by Rohi Ejaz and written by A Hameed, that presented great Muslim scientists and philosophers of the past(4).
This trend continued through the 1990s, Sonahary Din (Director: Shoaib Mansoor) and Alfa Bravo Charlie (Director: Shoaib Mansoor), for instance, projected Pakistan Army and were in fact produced by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). However, in the 1990s Kashmir began to dominate the PTV drama with Jihadist connotations.
Genre: Kashmir Jihad
In the 1990s, not merely long plays like Taloh and Eindhan were aired, popular stage shows like Tariq Aziz Show (Producer: Tariq Jamil, DoT: 16.8.98, 20.8.98), adopted Kashmir as theme. Similarly, a special show ‘Kargil Heroes kay Naam’ (Dedicated to the Kargil Heroes) was telecast (DoT: 24.8.99). However, it was highly loaded drama serials that took up the cause of Kashmir like never before.
Four will be discussed here:
1. Muqadama-e-Kashmir:
Producer, director Bukhtiar Ahmed also scripted this play. It has also been published in bookish form under the same title (5). The three-episode series was broadcast on 6th, 13th, and 20th July 1991. For the first time, India was named in a PTV play (Ahmed 1991).
Abdul Ahad, the protagonist, represents the Kashmir case. Not merely his entire family, including infants is killed by Indian army; he himself is finally gunned down by the Indian troops.
This case is presented before the ‘court of international conscience’. Major characters from the history of Indian sub-continent like Lord Mountbatten, Pandit Nehru, Sheikh Abdullah, Hari Singh, Partab Singh and Gulab Singh appear before the court.
The Dogra dynasty is depicted as brutal and anti-Muslim while Lord Mountbatten and Nehru are painted as biased towards Muslims. Nehru is prejudiced because he is a Hindu while having an affair with Edwina Mountbatten. Sheikh Abdullah is accused of secularism, ladeeniat (heresy), and connivance with India.
2. Mohasra:
Written and directed by Shahid Mehmood Nadeem, This four-episode play was telecast in April, May 1994. Mohasra (The Siege) is apparently based on a true story. In 15 October 1993, the Indian forces laid the siege of Dargah Hazrat Ball in Srinagar. This revered shrine hosts a hair string of Prophet Muhammad. Indian authorities believed that ‘terrorists’ had taken refuge at the holy site. The siege came to an end on November 15 when 65 besieged ‘pilgrims’ courted arrest peacefully.
Among the besieged people there is Zehra and her mother-in-law Baigan. Zehra is expecting a baby, hence, she along Baigan has come to pray at Hazrat Ball.
Baigan: It is vital to pay a visit to Dargah. After all Allah is blessing your prayers after 13 years. It is a must that we visit Dargah every Friday.
Zehra: But I will visit to pray for one more blessing [from Allah].
Baigan: And what is that?
Zehra: Yeh kay mera bacha aik azad or Islami Kashmir main paida ho [That my son is born in an independent and Islamic Kashmir](6).
In yet another scene, Zehra when allowed to leave the Dargah for being pregnant, she comes out of Dargah and yells at Indian troops: Khoni darindo, main thokti hoon tumhari iss jhoti insane dosti per [Bloody beasts! I spit on your humanism] (7).
3. Angar Wadi:
Directed by Tariq Meraj, Angar Wadi’s script was penned by Rauf Khalid. This 13-episode play was a joint production of Cosmos Television and PTV, first of its kind. The first episode was aired on 23 June 1995. Angar Wadi has also appeared as a book (9).
This play was widely promoted by the PTV and the official circles. For instance, Hussain Haqqani was Secretary Information at the time. Talking about Kashmir dramas and Angar Wadi, he said:
‘PTV has planned to launch a campaign to combat the false Indian propaganda. It is our duty to bring the harsh realities and true facts related to the unforgettable sacrifices of Kashmiris into light and all the credit goes to the Kashmiri freedom fighters whose unforgettable struggle made it possible for him to conceive the idea of this drama serial.’
Ziaud Din (2004) claims: “All the dramas on Kashmir, including Angar Wadi, have been highlighting the governmental viewpoint. Not merely permission was sought in advance from the ISPR, the ISPR was also encouraging and helping such plays. Angar Wadi cost roughly Rs 60 million”.
This perhaps explains Rauf Khalid’s statement: “ It was not possible to meet the expenses of the serial, which would have been more than 6 million rupees but with the grace of God Almighty, and cooperation and support of the people, this effort bore fruit” (11). Understandably, Rauf Khalid was awarded Pride of Performance even if this was his first major play (Zia 2004).
Angar Wadi is the story of two Kashmiri brothers, Hamza and Talha. The former an officer in the Indian army, disgusted at the treatment of Kashmiris, joins the ranks of ‘resistance’. His brother, Talha is a doctor, teaching at a medical college in Delhi. But fed up with the discrimination, he resigns and returns to Kashmir to start his own clinic. His girl friend OSHA, a Hindu, joins him in Kashmir. Both the brothers, in short, forced by different circumstances, join the ranks of resistance and finally move across the Lin of Control to continue the struggle. The Indian brutalities are symbolized by Ajit Nolukha, a Border Security Force officer.
Nolukha: This is my court, my law and I am the punishment. Murgha bano.
Talha: What is my crime?
Nolukha: Your crime is that you howl a lot (Tumhara jurm bohat ziada bakwas karna hay) (Khalid 1996: 119).
In this play, while India is a flawed secular republic, brutal and intolerant, Muslims are large-hearted and tolerant:
Boy: Moulvi Sahab! I suspect this lady doctor
Moulvi Mushtaq: What for
Boy: She prays in her room and has a Hindu goddess in her room
Moulvi Mushtaq: What do you think am I doing?
Boy: Ablution
Moulvi Mushtaq: What for?
Boy: To pray
Moulvi Mushtaq: Look I am busy doing my ablution to pray. Islam does not forbid people of any faith from praying. Hope you won’t talk like this ever again (Khalid 1996:143).
Similarly in another scene, Indian troops are painted thus:
Osha: Papa I am working with a Mujahid hospital
Papa: What…have you joined the terrorists?
Osha: It is not them who are terrorists…The Indian soldiers are terrorist…They are freedom fighters…Principled Mujahideen’ (Khalid 1996: 153).
4. Laag (1998)
Directed and produced by Rauf Khalid. Play broke the previous rating-records of PTV programmes and was heavily funded by ISPR.
In 1999, Pakistan army captured power in a bloodless coup that did not meet any resistance. According to some circles, the coup was welcomed. Could it be the case that the army benefitted, partly at least, from the positive image PTV drama helped build through Sonahary Din, Alfa Bravo Charlie etc and a militarized atmosphere through plays projecting Kashmir Jihad? And could a spate of Hate-Pakistan Bollywood productions in the late 1990s onwards, could be a reply to PTV’s Jihad genre? Who knows!
Notes and Bibliography:
For the record of broadcasting a certain play, this writer has depended upon the PTV Archives at Islamabad Headquarters and PTV Lahore
Cast included: Munawar Saeed, Zil-e-Subhan, Z A Zulfi, Sikander Shaheen, Mumtaz Ali, Tahira Wasti, Qasim Jalali, Asif Raza Mir.
Some of the plays aired under the title Tareekh-o-Tamseel included: Tariq ben Ziad (Director: Qasim Jalali. Script: Talat Hussain. DoT: 26.11.81. Cast: Imtiaz Ahmed, Talat Hussain, Samina Peerzada, Wakil Farooq, Mohammad Yusuf, Zil-e-Subhan). Chand Bibi (Director: Iqbal Ansari. Script: Shahid Kazmi. DoT: Not Available. Cast: Tahira Wasti, Muhammad Yusuf, Aslam Lattar, Zil-e-Subhan). Al Tutmash (Director: Qasim Jalali. Script: Fatima Surriya Bajia. DoT: Not Available. Cast: Mehmud Masood. Tahira Wasti. Javed Sheikh. Marriana Hassan. Kamal Irani. Ayesha Khan. Ishrat Hashmi). Bakht Khan (Director: Bukhtiar Ahmed. Script: Intizar Hussain. DoT: Not Available. Cast: Mehmud Ali, Khalid Zafar, M Warsi, Ishrat Hashmi, Taj Haider, Begum Khurshid Mirza, Shahzad Raza). Suleman Alishan (Director: Qaiser Farooq. Script: Shahid Kazmi. Cast: Salim Nasir. Anil Ch., Mushtaq Ahmed, Subhani Bayunus, Aslam Lattar, Mehmud Ali, Azra Sherwani, Sarwat Sultana).
Anokha Safar consisted of: Ibn-e-Batuta (13.7.88), Ibn-e-Khaldoun (20.7.88), Bo Ali Seena (27.7.88), Ibn-e-Hesham (3.8.88), Naseer-ud-Din Tosi (10.8.88), Ahmed Jalil (17.8.88), Yakub al-Kundi (28.9.88), Abu Asarkat Baghdadi (2.10.88), Ali ben Tibri (2.11.88), Hana ben Ishaq (26.10.88), Ahmed Taseer Faraghani (30.11.88), Ibn-e-Rushd (7.12.88), Abu Rehan Al-Bairouni (14.12.88), Muhammad ben Jabir al-Astani (21.12.88), Ali ben Eisa (28.12.88, 4.1.89, 11.1.89), Yusuf ben Manzar (18.1.89), Araib Qurtabi (1.2.89, 8.2.89, 15.2.89), Jaish ben Hassan (1.3.89), Abu al-Wafa Bozjani (8.3.89, 22.3.89, 10.4.89)
Ahmed, Bukhtiar (1991) Muqadama-e-Kashmir. Karachi: Muktaba Ittehad
From the script available at PTV Lahore Archives: Episode 1, scene 10, p 8
Ibid: Episode 4, scene 24, p 18
Khalid, Rauf (1996) Angar Wadi. Lahore: Soraj Publishing Bureau
Ziaud Din (2004) Pakistan Television Drama aur Kashmir. Tehqiqi o Tanqeedi Mutalia. MPhil Thesis. Islamabad: Allama Iqbal Open University
The Muslim. 18 Jan 1995.
Pakistan Times. 18 Jan 1995
Farooq Sulehria is working with Stockholm-based Weekly Internationalen (www.internationalen.se). Before joining Internationalen, he worked for one year,2006-07 at daily The News, Rawalpindi. Also, in Pakistan, he has worked with Lahore-based dailies, The Nation, The Frontier Post and Pakistan. He has MA in Mass Communication from Punjab University, Lahore. He also contributes for Znet and various left publications in Europe and Australia.
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