We constituted three generations of educationists living outside the city of our birth, Lahore, in different parts of the world either by choice or by compulsion, and now I had to carry on the tradition of my seniors of service to humanity to the best of my abilities

For those who studied political science and public administration at the Punjab University in Lahore during the 1950s and until the early 1970s, Professor Emeritus Shaukat Ali is a familiar name and a highly respected educationist. Many senior Pakistani civil servants and public figures have been his students.

I was never his student, but knew him through Professor Riffat Hasan (a renowned Islamist feminist) and her brothers who lived very close to our house on Temple Road. Professor Ali was a daily visitor to their home and later married their sister, Professor Parveen Hasan. They have together a very talented son, Dr Saleem Ali, who is a leading expert on environmental issues. He is currently involved in a movement which aims at building a peace park in Kashmir — something that will transform that region from a conflict-prone part of South Asia to a zone of peace, cooperation and friendship.

Professor Ali and his family have been settled in the USA for a long time now. I had the privilege of enjoying their hospitality when my family and I visited the USA in 2002. At that time his eyesight was fast failing but I was pleased to know that he had read some of my earlier work. On July 29th, 2002 I recorded a formal interview with him on pre-partition Lahore. This is what he said:

“I was born in 1923 in a very poor Muslim family in the slums of Bhati Gate. We lived in a predominantly Hindu locality of Mohalla Jallotian, Kucha Nakarchian inside the walled city. We were five brothers and sisters with no earning member of the family except my widowed mother who used to perform various domestic chores such as stitching and needlework for others. Of the 250 or more families living in that locality only five were Muslim. Our Hindu neighbours were very gracious and God-fearing. Almost all of them kept a cow at home. Knowing that my mother was a poor but hardworking woman they would give us milk, butter and curd free of charge. At the time of Hindu festivals such as Holi and Diwali we would receive sweets from them. I don’t remember a single instance when they made us feel unwelcome in their homes. The only restriction was the kitchen which the women kept only for themselves and Muslims were not allowed there. This was part of their religious practice and had nothing to do with discrimination as such. The Hindu women would come and spend hours talking to my mother.

“I studied at the Dayal Singh High School. Most of my friends at school were Hindus. There was no discrimination at school, our teachers were fair and kind and very helpful. The school was located in Said Mittha Bazar and I had to walk that distance on foot from Bhati Gate. It was my great desire to become an academic, but my circumstances were most discouraging. However, my mother took on more work and my maternal uncle who lived in Said Mittha Bazar also helped me financially to get admitted to Dayal Singh College where I did well and gradually gained admission to the BA honours class.

“Two of my Hindu teachers took special interest in me and inspired me to work hard. One was Professor Prem Kirpal who had studied at Oxford University. His father, Rai Bahadur Ishwar Das, was the registrar of Punjab University. They lived on Race Course Road. Professor Kirpal would invite some of us home for extra coaching. The other boys came from well-to-do backgrounds. I was the only one who was humbly-dressed in shalwar-kurta and a Turkish fez on my head. We were treated to coffee and western delicacies, things I had never tasted before. The same was true of Professor Lajpat Rai Nayyar. I used to go to his house too which was located near Miani Sahib off Mozang Chungi. He also treated me very kindly.”

At that stage, Professor Shaukat Ali started crying. He told me that he was still haunted by the smell of burning flesh and skin and screams of the victims of the 1947 riots. Lahore was never the same again.

While in Delhi during March this year, I narrated Professor Ali’s story to some senior refugees from Lahore. To my great surprise, I was told by Yuvraj Krishan Sahib that Professor Kirpal (he will be 95 on 30 April!) was alive and lived only about 300 meters away from the India International Centre where I was staying. Yuvraj Sahib himself had been a student of Professor Kirpal in Lahore and had kept the contact. He told me that until very recently Professor Kirpal was in fine shape and his memory was clear and sharp, but then it declined rapidly and his overall health was now rapidly deteriorating.

On March 14th, I visited 63 F Sujan Singh Park and rang the bell of Professor Kirpal’s flat. The servants had been informed about my visit. I waited for a few minutes before he was brought into the visitors’ room by some helpers. Both his eyesight and hearing ability were seriously impaired and his memory had indeed all but gone. I tried to tell him about myself and his pupil Shaukat Ali but it seemed he did not comprehend anything. Only once he opened his eyes wide open and caught a glimpse of me and smiled the kindest smile in the world. I learnt he never married. It was pleasing to note that he had excellent helping hands at his disposal, however.

My greatest regret was that although after more than 56 years Professor Ali would be delighted to know that his old teacher and benefactor was still alive, because of his poor eyesight he may not be able to see the picture I had taken for him of Professor Kirpal. I felt destiny had chosen my eyes to see them on each other’s behalf. It was a deeply moving experience.

We constituted three generations of educationists living outside the city of our birth, Lahore, in different parts of the world either by choice or by compulsion, and now I had to carry on the tradition of my seniors of service to humanity to the best of my abilities. A mission had been given me!

The author is an associate professor of Political Science at Stockholm University. He is the author of two books. His email address is Ishtiaq.Ahmed@statsvet.su.se

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