They say that people think about the past a lot more when there is little hope left for the future. I have come across quite a few people this ramazan reminiscing about how Eid used to be when they were young and there were no security problems and stuff.
Still go out at any night after midnight in Karachi and you will find the bazaars teeming with people right now, its all glitter glitter and clink clink as people rush around town to get their last minute Eid shopping and gifts organized. New notes are short in every single bank here and money exchangers are actually charging premium prices sometimes as high as 150 rs for a packed of new notes. Funny is it not? how people can pay premium just to have new packets to distribute Eidi while there are people out there who do not have enough to buy a single pair of clothing or give any Eidi to their families at all.
Our news media is as usual chock full of warnings and I sometimes wish I could contribute to the various strips they run across the bottom of our Tv’s something like “Scared population sits at home in Ramzan” could be followed by “There is no more parking available in Forum mall, if you want to go shopping get a cab”
This is the dilemma of Pakistan, we are a mass of contradictions and a population who is daring enough to brave any adversity and foolish enough to actually do so as well, cue the throngs flocking to the beach when a hurricane was predicted and you would have our psyche perfectly.
The entire nation will thus soon be engaged in an orgy of cake eating, money distribution and random visits with lots of hugging thrown in to various peoples homes to celebrate this grandest of Muslim festivals and our version of Xmas. We will all get upset stomachs by the second day, we will be sleeping in different corners or anywhere close by because of the hectic activities of the fasting month coming to a close, and we will all act like we love each and every one of our friends and relatives to death..but before all this…something has to happen..before this
Scores of fat bearded men organizing telescopes have to sight the moon. We lovingly refer to them as the Rooh ate Hilal committee, Hilal being the moon and them being moon sighter’s. Sluggish at best as they require about three shahadats or witnesses before they can proclaim the Eid moon has been sighted and short sighted enough to make sure there are at least 3 Eids every year in different cities in Pakistan. they shall be getting together with plenty of munchies and other various scholars of note (all portly offcourse) to try to find us an Eid moon tonight. If not we fast again tommorow and repeat the whole cycle till they sight the luminous sign in the sky which says
“PARTY ON”
Eid Mubarak to all of my readers from me and may you have a splendid day wherever you are, this Eid try and distribute some sweets and Eidi to the poor as well, I am sure we can all help make their Eid a happy one too!!!