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    'Lahore Will Not Cower Down to Terrorists': Lahore Literary Festival 2017

    Written by: Syed Abbas Hussain
    Posted on: February 28, 2017 | | 中文

    Teju Cole with Mohsin Hamid at LLF 2017 (source: Pakistan Today)

    In the words of French artist Henri Matisse, “Creativity takes courage.” Following the recent wave of terror that unleashed in the country, the city of Lahore seemed to have risen from the ashes with resolute bravado on the fifth edition of the Lahore Literary Festival. The fate of the event was hanging on a tight rope till the very end – its venue being finalized just on the eve of the festival. The modestly attended event saw a mix of notable local and international speakers who graced the immaculate halls and canopies of the Faletti’s hotel with panache.

    The lineup of guests included: Michael Palin, Ayesha Jalal, William Dalrymple, Zehra Nigah, Teju Cole, Mohsin Hamid, Daniyal Mueenuddin and Kamila Shamsie, among others.

    Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) 2017: Michael Palin and Kamila Shamsie

    Michael Palin and Kamila Shamsie (source: Express Tribune)

    Digging Deep: Crossing Far was a morning session led by a panel consisting of artists who discussed a project that captures the various dimensions of World War I. The panel of artists consisting of Risham Syed, Elke Falat, Julie Tieke, Muzammil Ruheel and Ali Usman, discussed in particular the plight of war prisoners and their personal experiences. The artists discussed their individual installations via pictorial slides and the angle they had focused on in the context of the War. Risham Syed talked about her interest in the Kaala Paani prison, based on the stories she had heard as a child which propelled her to dig into visceral archives that helped shape her work. Muzammil’s work, on the other hand, personified a passionate romance between a prisoner and his love interest and the ordeal surrounding their means of communication.

    Award-winning Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid, who is a regular presence at the perennial event, joined two sessions; one with Nigerian writer Teju Cole and another with Dwight Garner as part of the launch of his new book. Hamid’s first session with Cole on Who Belongs Where treaded on identity and race in light of the trajectory of global politics. The session was peppered with references to the writers’ works and explored the ramifications of the post-Trump world – seemingly a running theme which surfaced in most of the sessions. Cole’s unabashed irreverence and punchy one-liners made the session a treat to attend as he described in bold assertions, how Trump’s victory is a triumph of white supremacy in America. Contrasting Obama with Trump, he referred to the former black president as “expanding the American imperial project, but in an elegant manner.” He also went on to underscore in his tongue-in-cheek manner, how the white male has a penchant for the idea of ‘identity’: “White people love identity. Most of the books you see in the library on identity are written by white males!”  The conversation also ventured into the dynamics of cities as entities, a topic that often resonates in Mohsin Hamid’s work and interviews.

    Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) 2017: Books on display at the festival

    Books on display at the festival (source: Pakistan Today)

    The much celebrated Urdu writer Zehra Nigah’s session, Zehra Aapa Ke Saath, encapsulated a poignantly articulated introspection on different spheres of life: the personal, social and the political. Noted historian and Professor, Arfa Sayeda Zehra shed light on Zehra Nigah’s indelible contribution to Urdu literature and discussed historical anecdotes, while alluding to the latter’s poetry in varying contexts. Although the narration meandered into different realms of human nature, it flowed seamlessly, intermittently folded in rousing poetry which kept audience members in thrall. Two memorable recitals by the writer were “Suna Hai Jungalon ka bhee koi Dastoor Hota Hai” (We hear that even the jungle lives by a certain code) and a gut-wrenching poem told from the perspective of an aborted female child called “Main Bach Gayee Maa” (Mother I am saved). Beghum Zehra Nigah’s demeanour exuded an old-world charm as she sat gracefully in her signature style – draped in a simple, elegant sari with her cream-coloured hair wrapped in a bun. Her warm-timbered voice boomed through the hall as she shared her deep reflections. A striking facet of Beghum Zehra Nigah that stood out during the discussion was her hope in the youth. Given that the older generation of artists and literati often harken back to an era of glory in the past and dismiss the new generation’s frivolities, it was heartening to hear her positively describe the youth’s thirst for knowledge and self-awareness. “No matter how much they converse in the English language, young people are curious about their history and the country’s true ethos,” she emphasized, recalling how young people used to gather around her at the T2F space in Karachi (during the slain activist Sabeen Mahmud’s lifetime), quizzing her about pieces of Urdu literature.

    Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) 2017: Zehra Nigah with Arfa Sayeda Zehra

    Zehra Nigah with Arfa Sayeda Zehra (source: LLF Twitter)

    Shabnam Ghosh had created waves in the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) this year, and her second innings in Lahore at the LLF evoked a similar reaction. Audience members, many of them her fans from the older generation, sat wide-eyed with excitement as she chronicled her journey as an actress in her Bengali-accented Urdu. The moderator – notable drama writer Asghar Nadeem Syed – was well versed in Shabnam’s films and her era of cinema, and thus posed specific questions about the life and times of her acting. “The film industry was like a family back then”, Ghosh asserted, “we all got together to help if any one of us got into a crisis.” Such was her demand in Lahore’s film industry that she left Dhaka to move to Lahore following the creation of Bangladesh. In the question-and-answer session, attendees urged her to come back to Pakistani films, with one writer even suggesting that she would pen a script especially for her. The yesteryear actress appeared teary-eyed during many moments of the session while talking about the adulation that she has received in Pakistan, and the ailment and eventual death of her father, which was a precursor to her retirement.

    Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) 2017: Writer Asghar Nadeem Syed with legendary actress Shabnam Ghosh

    Writer Asghar Nadeem Syed with legendary actress Shabnam Ghosh

    One hopes for greater normalcy to return to the city of Lahore in terms of security, so that next year’s event exhibits the grandeur of the earlier festivals, with a more extensive line-up of speakers spread across three days. However, this year’s event, albeit truncated, has been symbolic as it sent out a clear message: Lahore will not cower down to terrorists.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021