My Feudal Lord.–Book review

Author Tehmina Durrani

ISBN 978-0-552-14239-7

Publishers Transworld Publishers (Corgi books)

The autobiography of Tehmina Durrani the Pakistani activist.

The book chronicles her journey from a docile protected Pakistan girl, to being the whistle-blower of the elite Pakistani society. The price she paid for it, she had to sign away all financial support, lost the custody of her children, alienated by friends and disowned by parents.

Tehmina Durrani, born to an elite Lahore family washes dirty linen in public sharing her life from being a sheltered daughter, marrying into a respectable family, having children and leading a leisurely life. Her personal demon of insecurity and the middle child syndrome shows up evidently through the book.

The book allows the reader a voyeuristic view of the domestic structure and feudal form of Pakistan. It is interesting to see the vast difference in the social environment and etiquette in the beginning of the book and its evolution towards the end of the book.

Intrigue within the family, illicit fairs, pedophilia, sibling rivalry, a conflict of tradition and the need to rebel all screams through the book on the domestic front.

She lays bare her nightmarish second marriage to Mustaf Khar the eminent Pakistani Politician without allowing him vindication. He is portrayed as violently possessive and pathologically jealous. Mustaf Khar appears to isolate her from the world outside for almost fourteen years.

The political activity at Pakistan plays an interesting backdrop. The highly westernized Pakistan elite and their dual lives is very evident

The book is definitely Tehamina’s story, with Mr.Mustafa Khar playing the Villain. When first published it shook the Pakistani society to its foundation. Here is a woman who apparently has succeeded in reconciling her faith in Islam with her ardent belief in woman’s rights.

Chronicle of a shared kind.

Pittho’s world

ISBN 978-81-7223-934-3

Author Murtaza Razvi

Publisher Harper Collins:

About Murtaza Ravi (1964-2012)

The introduction to Murtaza Razvi on the title page of the book says 1964-2102, I do not know if it is in competent proof reading or a reflection of the author’s agelessness.

The book opens in the not so perfect of Shieku and Rani.  Set in the changing society of Pakistan.

The novel is at a much laid back pace allowing the reader to visualize, contemplate and to a certain extent even experience the book.

The book could be the experience of sixties born person in the big fat neighborhood of Pakistan that is what the author calls us! Through the book the author recreates the character of cities and towns.

The describes the celebration of Nauroze the Persian new year a celebration that went on for 13 days, one colour for each day until all the thirteen colours were covered. To me nauroze was the festival of the Parsi community and was divorced from Islam.

As Shieku presents his lineage linking him to the Persian Syed’s he talks of his Nani, the maternal grandmother. She would probably be as old mine, as he describes her penchant for smoking Craven’s cigarettes, I remember my own grandmothers more liberal view than my mothers, who like Shiekhu’s mother is all about being the conventional Hindu daughter-in-law.

The book is memoir of a fading genteel Pakistani life to the more aggressive and ugly way of life inspired by America. The more westernized open lifestyle of Karachi Muslims, at people has the tendency of hating the majority who rule.

The author talks about a pre-independence Bangladesh, which was East Pakistan, where his father started his career. With the Bangladesh becoming independent there was the second influx to Pakistan, and an interesting observation that he makes here, the way people tended to hate the majority who ruled.

Another really relevant observation is seen in the story Uncle Tom and Gavi, that the concept of wife is basically a governess who doubles a wife.

In the memoir of Lala’s death he talks of how city life and education has taken away our more tolerant and natural response and reaction.

When talking of the big bad city of Karachi focuses on the subtle observation of a so called tolerant society, and how people inquired about religious, ethnic, political affiliation before fraternizing, use of words that subtly differentiated the Muslims from non-muslims.  Returning to roots is also unsettling as the familiar is familiar but yet unfamiliar.

Pittho’s  is just a symbolic representation of a bygone Pakistani society, Murtaza uses the traditional storytelling technique of introducing the character before letting him or her manifest, like he talks of Lala in Pittho’s world and gives his story in Lala’s death.

The book is a reflection of changing moral and ethical values resulting in a changing society. Sheiku’s experience at college. The college at Lahore addressed its students as “Great Ravians” by the faculty which he claimed was very empowering he actually uses a similar notice one from Lahore and one from Karachi College and brings out the difference.

The book reaches its end, with the islamization of Pakistan which the author credits to CIA. And the transition of a tolerant, gender equal open society to a gender segregated closed society. Suddenly the Sari which as a favourite wear of the Pakistan woman became Hinduà that is Indian. Good morning and goodbye were replaced by Khuda hafiz and assalm aleikum.

As Murtaza Razvi says “I have nothing to talk about all has been said.” The book is the collective tale of the subcontinent.

The book was a complimentary copy sent by Harpar Collins for reviewing.