Death Well Show

I remember going to see these Maut ka Kooan (death well) shows in shabby wood-panelled temporary wells with my father when I was young. A few times I have been so scared especially when I saw a show with one car and three motorbikes in the well. The walls were so fragile that they would shake consistently as the car drove on the walls.

I was passing this festival when I saw the signs and you all cant imagine my excitement, especially because I get to show my children one of the fun/scary things I have experienced in my childhood. The worst part this time was getting up on the side of the well. These were the shabbiest stairs with no side railing and huge gaps in between. I climbed every step remembering David's adventure on the staircase in the House of Shaws (in Kidnapped by R.L.Stevenson).

Saawan Mela (festival)

Reminders of childhood...attended a public festival past week with rides and food and animals and circus etc.etc.

Clothing and handicraft stalls where most of the products were made by local women artists and workers.

A small girl selling kids snacks. She got so shy when she saw the camera...

Shopping, shopping, and more shopping...

Pakistan National Monument

Past weekend I traveled to the capital city, Islamabad, with my kids to meet family and friends. 

Islamabad has lots of beautiful places to visit but this time the main attraction was the Pakistan Monument as it was built in 2007 and I did not get the opportunity to see it before. The monument is spread over a total area of 2.8 hectares. The high location makes the monument visible from across the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. 


The Pakistan National Monument represents the nation's four provinces and three territories. The four main petals of the monument represent the four provinces, while the three smaller petals represent the three territories (Gilgit-Baltistan,Azad Kashmir and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas).The blooming flower shape of the monument represents Pakistan's progress as a rapidly developing country. 


The inner walls of the petals are decorated with murals. The central platform is made in the shape of a five-pointed star which is surrounded by a water body. A metallic crescent surrounding the star is inscribed with sayings of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and poetry of Allama Iqbal. The Monument has been designed to reflect the culture and civilization of the country and depicts the story of the Pakistan Movement, dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for future generations.

From air the monument looks like a star (center) and a crescent moon (formed by walls forming the petals), just like the star and crescent on Pakistan's flag.

Hijras: the third gender

Once during our field interviews, we came across some guests of a client who played some traditional instruments and sang for us.


Ryan if you are reading this post; remember our discussion on the third gender and how they are outcasted and  confined to the fringes of the society in very specific professions. 

  

I recorded this video while they sang for us. The three musicians in the back are men but the two singers in the front are hijras. 

The hijras (meaning eunuch or hermaphrodite) are an ancient community in the Indian subcontinent; now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan. They are classified as the third gender, an identity separate from men and women, considered neither completely male nor completely female, also having their own specific gender role. Some hijras are born with intersex variations, others could be physiological males who have adopted female gender identities. Few also have been converted into eunuchs by emasculation or castration of their genitalia. 

Once they used to have a high status in society but the British rulers in colonial India stripped the hijras of the laws that granted them the protection they received under Mughal rulers and regarded them as a menace to society. Now most hijras live at the margins of society with very low status, mostly sex-workers or low level entertainment artists performing at functions. They are rejected by their families and are the victims of extreme social ostracism. Few employment opportunities are available to them. Many get their income from sex work, performing at ceremonies, or begging. Violence against hijras, especially hijra sex workers, is brutal. And as with the transgender people in most of the world, they face extreme discrimination in health, housing, education, employment, immigration, law, etc.

For the past 20 years, many NGOs and hijras themselves have been working and lobbying for their rights especially for official recognition as the third gender. A remarkable step has been taken for the welfare of this marginal community by the Chief justice of Pakistan in Dec 2009 when he ordered that national ID cards be issued to the members of the hijra community showing their distinct gender. 

The tong, you see in the picture is a traditional percussion instrument in South Asia. It is generally 2.5  to 4 feet long and is used individually or in combination with other musical instruments for bhangra music or folk songs.

Meet Kainaat at Mitchell's Fruit Farms

I would like you all to meet Kainaat, she is almost 12 and has one of the happiest smiles I have ever seen.

Its always hard to find women clients at home because they would be working in the morning. In the last village I was conducting interviews; several women work at the Mitchell's Fruit Farms, a very large food manufacturers of jam, jellies, pickles etc. (like Smuckers in U.S.) I decided to go to the factory and interview some of them there. I wasn't able to go inside the factory without prior authorization but I did tour the fruit farms outside, where they grow the apples, oranges, mangoes, plums etc to be used in their products.

Outside the factory gates, there was a huge tent where several people were sitting and cutting fruits with large cutters and choppers, talk about cheap labor...  families working together just sitting and cutting fruit from youngest to the eldest, they spend their whole day chopping fruit from the farms, then put them in large bags that carry 1 maund (82 pounds) each. I asked the women how much they make in a day. She said they average anywhere between 2 to 3 bags full of cut fruit in day and get paid $ 1.00 for each bag.

Thats where I met Kainaat's and her family. Kainaat is the same age as my daughter, Shahnur, who is in sixth grade and aims to be a scholar of comparative studies when she grows up. She also enjoys soccer and video games; and does arts and crafts in her spare time.

 

Whereas Kainaat had a large pile of fruit in front of her that she cuts with a 12 inch long cutter the whole day long. When not working she helps her mom in household chores and takes care of young siblings...

Kainaat served us unripe mangoes sprinkled with raw salt, with a beautiful and contagious smile.