Life partner of my first friend from Pakistan is no more
As I opened the Facebook page of Aisha Gazdar to share
Neela Bhagwat’ s classical rendition of Faiz poem, “Bol”
As her page slowly opened, I wondered why
She had removed her Profile Pic
and then
I felt a bolt from blue , I was numb, with a blank stare
The news stared at me
Rights activist Hassam Qadir no more amongst us, He was just 44
My Eyes closed, fervently wishing this to be a bad dream.
I went to a Flashback
My friendship with Pakistan began with Aisha in 2000
My Myths about Pakistan started crumbling ,
thanks to our friendship ,
which happened as we met at a neutral ground in London
We both were Chevening Scholars studying Human Rights
Our friendship beyond borders ripened
She came to India to make a film on women rights and CEDAW
I was her coordinator in India and loved every bit of it
Hassam also came with her in 2005,
My first reaction was WOW
This is a Marc Zuber look- alike from Pakistan
Kumbh ke bichade bhai ke samaan
His first morning in Mumbai,
This is what we see
He is standing in the Kitchen making his own Tea
Broad shoulders and a broader smile
Behind the Robust Masculine exterior
Lay a Gender Sensitive Man,within
A human rights activist and Lawyer
Hassam
was a Passionate Fighter
Aisha , the most soft spoken person I have evermet
is a carnation of ‘ Tameez and Tehzeeb.”
Hassam was a True Punjabi from Lahore in every sense of word
His jokes and crackling laughter, still echoes
He forgot his Black Sandals
Every time I talked with Aisha and him
We laughed and said
‘Tuhade chittar taan aithe hi reg gaye, ki kariye “
( Your sandals are still here, what to do ? )
He once jokingly said- Sambhal ke rakhna Amitabh Bachchan na lae jaye !!
( Please take care Amitabh Bachchan does not take them !!)
Left behind Memories , Jokes, Vaccum
and yes
A pair of large sandals
sitting in a drawer
with hopeless anticipation ……
A pair of large sandals
befitting a towering personality
Remains…………………………………………………………waiting forever
July 2, 2013 at 11:31 am
very beautifully put kamayani…
July 3, 2013 at 8:57 am
RIP Hassam…a befitting tribute indeed for a gentleman