The idea of a book on Lahore is hardly new. A number of books have been written on this wonderful city that has seen the ebb and flow of time through the centuries. But, there is need for many more. For Lahore remains a virtually inexhaustible treasure of stories that inspire, instruct and entertain. Majid Sheikh in his writings on the people, places and events that constitute Lahore's history brings out its exuberance as well as its pathos. Over times it has been laid waste by waves of invaders and by bouts of famine but has bounced back each time with its zest for life undiminished. Perhaps, it is to this distinguishing trait that its denizens point to when they say Lahore Lahore ai. Today when the city can no longer call the Ravi its own and is beset with mindless development and gabza groups as well as grinding poverty in its midst, that spirit is much needed. But, what strikes one most in reading the book is the historical plurality of culture, religion and ethnicity that gave Lahore its particular tone and style. And it is perhaps this that helps Lahore retain that very special place not only in the hearts and minds of those who live here or elsewhere in Pakistan but throughout the subcontinent and beyond.
Majid Sheikh is a freelance columnist writing for leading English-language newspapers. A working journalist since 1971, having worked in Pakistan, Britain and Europe. He is also a professional researcher and analyst in economic, financial and entrepreneurial affairs.
The art of telling a tale will probably never die. In it lies the very essence of passing on to others, both young and old, the stories that our ancestors picked up, probably massaged a bit, and passed on, depending on how strongly one felt about the issue at stake. My father, Hamid Sheikh, was an avid storyteller. As the Editor of the daily 'The Civil & Military Gazette of Lahore, he was known as 'HS' the man who described his city better than anyone in his times. In our childhood years we would listen to his stories with rapt attention. We never knew when, or where, he crossed that thin line between a fib and reality. It was engrossing stuff all the same, and we all, eight of his children, loved his stories. To add to his passion for storytelling, he would often take me on long walks through the narrow lanes of the old walled city of Lahore. On the way he would point out where people lived and what they did. Those trips probably added a touch of reality to the stories he told. Most of what I have to say in this book has been picked up from where he left off, and us, in 1971. As a student of Government College, Lahore, one cultivated friends who shared a similar interest in the history of our ancestors and the old walled city. These friends are still there for me to tap, to learn from, to develop my understanding of what we are all about, where we are headed and where we are likely to end up. Among these friend I would count Ghazanfar Iqbal alias 'Sheero' and Khalid Mahmood alias 'Khalidi, both of whom possess immense knowledge of Lahore and its history. Our way of life dictates that we remain "unknown", for we have just started on a new career path of researching and writing about Lahore, its history, and the culture that in these destructive times survives.
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