Reaching out to Na Maloom Afrad …. and Post-Its saved the day

Reaching out to Na Maloom Afrad …. and Post-Its saved

the day  

Karachi traffic has been getting worse. There was a time when my Karachite friends used to declare Lahore traffic as crazy. I think Karachi didn’t like the edge Lahore had over her and decided to upstage Lahore. Well here we are with traffic conditions in Karachi reaching crazy heights.

However this story is not about lamenting Karachi’s unruly traffic, or its bad rule ignoring citizens or even the bad Na Maloom Afrad, (well they can be good too!). It’s about communication.

On my way to work, which is situated in a posh Clifton locality, I was extremely irritated to see my way blocked by a car parked right in the middle of a u turn. Let me clarify, this u-turn, facilitates smooth traffic flow and frequent traffic bottle-necks created due to location of schools and colleges in residential localities in Karachi. Due to this problem, many such schools have taken it upon themselves to regulate the traffic associated with their institutions, to minimize trouble for the residents and other citizens in the vicinity, as has the institution I work for. For this purpose there is a board visually indicating the u-turn. You can imagine my irritation on finding the car in question parked across this area. An inquiry directed to the guards and chowkidaar of my institution revealed that the car belonged to a resident of the adjacent apartments. I requested them to inform the chowkidaar of the building in question to ask the resident to remove the car.

Car parked outside my workplace

The next morning the car was parked in the same place. Irritated I marched upto the guard and demanded an explanation. I was told the chowkidaar of the building in question did not know who the car belonged to, however the guards had conveyed the message. “Try again” I told him and walked into work fuming at the apathy, cooking up plans of vengeance at the car owner. “Deflate the tyres” a suggestion by a colleague, caught my fancy and the whole day I gleefully imagining the face of the person walking of out their comfy apartment the next morning and finding a flat tyre. Yes I would have my revenge. This would be my plan of action for tomorrow.  The whole night I actually looked forward to the act of deflating the tyre, almost savouring the imagined reactions of the car owner.

The next morning fulfilling my expectations, the car was parked right across my way blocking the approach to the u-turn. Almost rubbing my hands in glee I got of my car, ready to put my plan into implementation. However a small niggling voice struggled through my bubble of vengeance. Like Jimminy Cricket of Pinochio, the voice cautioned me about an eye for an eye approach. Irritated with this righteous voice I tried to push it away. I was so close to act of driving the pin I carried in my bag into the tyre and see the air slowly go out of the tyre. I wanted to experience the satisfaction of causing as much inconvenience to the car owner as I had experienced for Three days. The voice wouldn’t give up, it kept poking, “how are you any better,” it asked? “It’s not about who is better”, I replied irritated beyond limits. “You just want revenge,” the voice quipped. “No I want to teach a lesson,” I spat back. “Look at your methods…what will this yield…..a sense of reciprocal injury?” “Did the chowkidaar deliver the message?” This stopped me in my tracks. “Have you tried another method……have you tried enough,” it asked?

I slowly lowered my hand into my purse to put the pin into the bag, and my hand touched the Post-it I carry around with me amongst the other paraphernalia. You must have guessed what followed. I wrote a carefully worded message to the car owner and stuck it on the windscreen. As I walked into work that day a felt a lurking sense of having been cheated out of the satisfaction of seeing the tyre deflate when I pricked it with my pin.  You can’t be all good!

                                                               My little note to the owner 

The next morning there was no car blocking my way.

I would like to end this first by thanking the owner. thank you for reviving my faith in the power of communication and reaching out. And now by reflecting on what veteran actor Talat Hussain said recently, “The act of lying to oneself is reflective of a dead society and we are gradually developing into one.” (http://tribune.com.pk/epaper/) 

Communicating with the little voice inside might help us avoid this. But caution, you do feel cheated out of the vicious satifaction that you get when you indulge in that sweet thing called Revenge.

Tradition vs. Modernity: the debate in reference to Art and Design education

Has the institutionalization of knowledge and industrialization of institutions indeed resulted in independent and critical thinkers? Or are we being held hostage by the colonial mentality ingrained in us that makes us believe in the supremacy of all that is modern, and shun tradition. 

Why am I writing this? I cannot attribute a single happening to this. It can be said that there are perhaps various happenings, that have led me to write this piece. The passing of Shahid Sajjad, a sculptor par excellence, revived the debate in art and design circles, of the oppositional relationship between schooling and the creative process. Shahid Sajjad did not believe in the institutionalization of art education.

There is a pervasive belief that in our part of the world, the developing world - especially Asia, the existence of ‘old-school’ methods and the master-disciple relationship heavily influences the practice of teaching in educational institutions and the mindset of teachers, and this forms the basis of the arguments built upon by the new modern education systems against the so-called ‘old-world methods’, (Richards, 2004). The sole responsibility of low achievement of students, lack of innovation in teaching as well as student out put, independent and critical thinking in students, lack of student motivation and many other problems of education systems in general, are attributed partially to this old-world mindset. 

The master disciple relationship or the ‘sheikh-mureed’ or the ‘guru-chela’ relationship, is the foundation from which a lot of teaching practice emerges in the context of Pakistan, and I will make it clear here that I am talking about art and design education in Pakistan, and not extending this to other disciplines, keeping in view my own association. Though there might be similarities with other disciplines as well.

A very common phrase while I was growing up was “itna chela banay ki zaroorat nahin hai” (there is no need to be such a follower), alluding to the fact that being a chela is something not looked upon too favorably, underscoring the obedience and allegiance such a relationship entails traditionally. The question then is, is the Sheikh-mureed /guru-chela relationship all that bad? What exactly is the relationship? By believing the rhetoric and building new methodologies based on the premise that the traditional methods are redundant and backward and do not allow growth of independent thinking and critical reflection, are we indeed headed in the right direction? Is the adoption of all these new methods the way out of our present crisis?

I refer here to an article suggested to me by the esteemed Abbas Hussain, in order to broaden my understanding of this traditional relationship. Smith (2006) outlines the difference between the teacher–student relationship and the master disciple relationship.

It would be fair to say that the master-disciple relationship is based on the principles of mutuality and reciprocity. However the context might be different from the way we apply it in teaching theories today. In teaching today, it is the commonality of education that brings the teacher student to each other, the body of knowledge that the teacher has.  A student seeks a transfer of that body of knowledge by virtue of being taught by the teacher. However the master-disciple relationship is not dependent on a specific body of knowledge that the disciple seeks to get, but the total self of the teacher. In this sense the relationship is not utilitarian. “ The master does not enjoy the disciple’s esteem because he conveys something that is useful in any utilitarian respect” but “what is significant for the disciple is master’s total self, whose character and activity are unique and irreplaceable,” (Smith, 2006, pg. 149).  In education circles here, there is an ascendance for publication and research as criteria set by HEC in evaluating educational institutions. This severs the principle of mutuality between the teacher and student. A teacher can pursue this practice of research and publication without the student. It is the thus the public side of a teacher that becomes the criteria for their evaluation and esteem. In the master disciple relationship, “the master only becomes a master in his relationship to his disciples, and only through perceptive and comprehending disciples does he become fully aware of his mastership,” (Smith 2006, pg. 151). This is not say that I am devaluing the importance of research and publication in teaching practice, but my intention here is only to point out there is a need to tread with care lest we allow the former to over shadow the importance of the latter. The latter is the basis of the student-centered teaching methodologies we keep expounding and it is important to note that therein lie some of the solutions to some of these new notions. For instance as Smith explains, a teacher resents interruptions where as for the master the entire experience is nothing but interruptions. Time the most important factor in today’s educational circles, where we talk of credits and workloads is of equal importance in the master-disciple relationship. However the difference is in the approach.

This leads me to another aspect that raises its head over and over again in educational circles, the question of aptitude. There is perhaps merit here in going back to the notion of ‘calling to discipleship’. Having just an aptitude does not nesessarily translate into being motivated and sticking it out. The concept of being called to discipleship then perhaps explains what it is we are looking for when we induct students. A student, who is motivated to learn, has an aptitude for the given subject and a learning orientation.  Smith (2006) also points out the two requirements of discipleship, questioning and submission. While there will be no eye-brows raised about the former, it is the second that we need to think about. In the master-disciple submission is the prerequisite for learning to take place. Is it really so different from what we want in a student when we cry about the lack of attention and disregard for what the teacher is saying in class. The attention will only come from the student when he submits to the idea that what the teacher is about to reveal to him is indeed something important and of value.

As far as the question concerning the lack of individual thought and rote learning is concerned, again Smith explains that a teacher is one who gives of himself to his students, but a master gives himself. However as disciples are also varied in nature, each disciple will take away from the master, in accordance with his own understanding and ability. He then goes on to explain the three stages of tragedy in a master’s life- the starting of mastership and renunciation of things held dear, the realization that he will have no true heir as all disciples will interpret and experience their teachings differently and finally the loss of pushing the disciple away.  Here is when the dilemma then shifts onto the disciple. At this moment it is the disciples choice to come into his own, or become an idolater.   It would therefore be unsuitable to rest the blame of solely on the traditional approaches. It is indeed human nature to be defensive in times of loss. To a disciple the loss of parting with teacher perhaps gives rise to the defense mechanism of idolatery. In todays context we think of lack of individual thought and critical thinking in students and their expectance of spoon-feeding.

My concluding remarks then bring me to question our berating of our own traditions of teaching and practice as something old, outdated and to be discarded. Will the utter disregard of the old help us in solving our problems? Has it solved the problem of education else-where? Has the institutionalization of knowledge and industrialization of institutions indeed resulted in independent and critical thinkers? Or are we being held hostage by the colonial mentality ingrained in us that makes us believe in the supremacy of all that is modern, and shun tradition. Perhaps it is time we turn to look at all that is still not lost to us, look around us where tradition still exists alongside the modern. And then try a new individual approach, an approach informed by knowledge of our own tradition and modern thought.

References:

Smith, Huston, 2006, “The Master Disciple Relationship” World Wisdom online Library.

www.worldwisdon.com/public/library/default.aspx

Cameron Richards (2004), “From old to new learning: global imperatives, exemplary Asian dilemmas and ICT as a key to cultural change in education”, Globalisation, Societies and Education Vol. 2, No. 3.

Shahid Sajjad-1936-2014, (2014) video presentation, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.

Interactions of a bumbling urban dweller with a multi-faith community: Lessons learnt

A visit to a village in, Gharo, one on the many villages which is targeted by IET for its Livelihood Enhancement Scheme, became a a journey of learning for me. Among the many things learnt, I would like to dwell on some most pertinent to development, the possibilities of peaceful coexistence of multi faith groups in times of religious intolerance and strife, the existence of sharing and reciprocity as values, and importance of organization for development, independence and ownership in any community. 

Hidden away from the eyes of those driving down the Super Highway a small village, Essa Jamadar, Deh Khari Seer (Salty Lake) houses a population comprising of Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Its a lovely sheltered village which is ably managed and represented by the Village Organization's president Qaiser and finance secretary Raja Farukh Abbas. The Village organization is Jai Shiv Shanker. "There has never been any strife based on religion in this village. I am a muslim and I have lived in the village for 15 years, these people are my own," explains Farrukh.  "I also teach the villagers in the evenings." 

What was strikingly different was the circular structures of the houses which are not common in this area but are evident in the Tharparkar region. The community most probably originates from there. The plan of the houses was in a radial grid like formation, reflecting a close knit community and organic nature of evolution. The villagers were lovely and welcoming. 

Women gather to welcome us

As soon as I got off the car I was welcomed by the President and the Finance secretary. We carefully made our way across the iron girder, all alert lest we fall off the bridge into the canal below. This girder acts as a bridge across the canal and I was proudly told that the villagers had raised funds and along with external funding, replaced the old dangerous bridge with this broad new and more safe one. " The old bridge was so dangerous we would fall and get hurt all the time." I wondered how restricted would be my movement if I had to cross a dangerous bridge to enter my neighborhood every time. Ease of access is an important concept in development, but in this case it is shocking how basic the manifestation of access is.

Farukkh and Qaiser on the newly installed bridge

Farrukh, the finance secretary of the Village organization

Inside the was the newly acquired School. Farukh and Qaiser explain that the village did not have  a school and now with the help of a linkages program they have acquired a school. " We were introduced to the sources available and then we made a proposal. And this Christian mission accepted our proposal and now we have a school. We have a new teacher here from Karachi, Elizabeth. She is trained from St. Patrick's School."  The pride they feel in their accomplishments is very evident, the fact that they have been able to use their newly acquired knowledge on existing funding opportunities, making proposals and getting things accomplished within the realties of the village life is empowerment indeed. Would this have been the case had the school been made by some alien organization entirely? 

Elizabeth, a trained teacher from Karachi, in the school building

We moved onto examining the goats of Dharmi, a recent recipient of the Livelihood Enhancement Schemes. She showed us her lovely flock now comprising of 6. "I got four goats but one died. The three reproduced and now i have 6." I questioned her about how she was using her newly acquired assets. "My children did not have milk before now my family of 5 all have milk". But what about the left over milk, aren't you selling any to the villagers? She looked at me nonplussed. "I don't sell to villagers, when they need milk they just come and milk my goat and take the milk, and when I need something I also just ask them for it. When I will have more goats I will then think of selling milk to the outsiders". Another eye opener. Community development is based on the concept of sharing and reciprocity, and seen at its most basic form in this village. Perhaps it's my goggles of urban life which limits me to measuring value in predominantly monetary terms. For Dharmi it is quite simple and uncomplicated. On the question of whether then this is Livelihood Enhancement, it is. Its not just the family benefiting from the scheme but collectively the whole community benefits from the milk of the goats.  

The villagers paint their houses, with images of birds trees peacocks or whatever they like. While on one side of the wall, a mother paints the motif of tree and flowers, the other side is a train drawn by her son. "He was remembering his journey to Mithi, where we had gone to visit his grandmother," the mother explained to me. Nature and modernization coexist on these wall, but for how long, I wondered. Qaiser and Farukh then told me about their next plan, a community space or hall for the people. However there are problem with their plans. The land does not belong to them, but to the local landlord. "We were left in peace and were never troubled by the landlord. But now we are becoming organized and speaking out and achieving things; they have told us to pack up and leave." Organisation is another important step in development. However it can also be dangerous as it challenges and disturbs the heirarchial and traditional structures. In this case i am struck with a sense of foreboding. A multi racial and faith community and challenging the local heirarchy. Will this peaceful community be punished for becoming independent and  disguised as religious strife. 

Showing her art work

A son relives his train journey to Mithi