Legacy of Pain: The Pain of Partition and its aftermath in the Indian Subcontinent

Cruel Cut
Can you imagine living in a village which suddenly becomes two halves and each half is in a different country?

Partition Pain
Can you imagine that suddenly half of your family is Pakistani and half is Indian? These are just some of the consequences ordinary people faced in 1947. What a way to draw a border!

Wagah
That village is Wagah which hosts the border crossing with a big picture of Mr Jinnah on the Pakistan side and a big picture of Gandhi on the other side.

Lost Home
Imagine suddenly you are in hostile territory and while estimates vary, over 12 million people found themselves displaced - effectively homeless and forced to cross hostile territory to find a new abode.

Terrible Terror
The terrible violence that took place as people moved lock, stock and barrel produced an atmosphere of hostility and lack of trust that colors the relationship between India and Pakistan even today.

Hall of Admiration
Could this have been avoided? Would the more peaceful solution have been no partition? It is easy to look back with the benefit of hindsight and ponder but at that time Mr Jinnah felt that there was no other viable solution if Muslims were to have full dignity in a country. Mr Jinnah (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) is considered to be the person that insisted upon a homeland for Muslims.

Here is the modern take on Mr. Jinnah and what he means to those who are now the descendants of that great exodus.

Rizwan Shams
"Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three! For any Pakistani these words are carved in pride." (American Biographer Stanley Wolpert (Biography Jinnah of Pakistan))

Remarkable Irony
As a leader of the Pakistan independence movement Muhammad Ali Jinnah is one of the most remarkable statesmen of the 20th century. Yet ironically he remains one of the least known figures of modern history, in the same way that his nation and people are often not understood in their full complexities.

Gandhi versus Jinnah
Almost everyone knows about Mahatma Gandhi and they quote his (Gandhi) quotes, bravery and leadership in everyday talks and speeches.

In Houston Texas, USA, the City of Houston named the business district after him as Mahatma Gandhi Business District. These are the great accomplishments and unity of the Indian community and that’s how they spread the name of Mahatma Gandhi all over the world in the hearts and minds of the people and that made him (Gandhi) a legend.

Kashif Yaseen
Mr Jinah is a great and brave leader of the world. <Mr. Jinnah is also known as Quaid-e-Azam meaning Great Leader>. Quaid-e-Azam is a great history of Islam. I have met with Quaid's security guard Raja Yaqob. He was my grandfather's friend. He said Quaid was a nice and brave person. He was very hardworking.

Asima Sadia
Mr. Jinnah was a great leader having strong passion and determination for the Muslims to have their rights by having an independent homeland, so that they may lead their lives independently and with free will. His passion, determination and positive focus finally brought forward the desired results; a great personality in all aspects that can be followed; a man of ethics and principles with positive focus and determination to achieve his goal.

Mushtaq Hussain
He was a great human, lawyer, leader, bold and brave. He led a Muslim minority to give them their rights.

Work, work, work was his slogan.

Raashid Wali Janjua
He was a very practical and ethically minded person with an incisive intellect. A self-made man who created a niche in Indian politics through hard work and sedulous advocacy of the political and economic rights of oppressed Indians from all religions.

He parted ways from Congress (the Indian political party) having despaired of its policies about Muslim political rights.

He loved, participated in politics, entered law practice and led the Muslims with a principle-based passion.

There is a beautiful side to Pakistan on par with the best in the world

Rehana Matri would like you to know that there is a beautiful side to Pakistan, on par with the best in the world.

Media MayhemRehana Matri: When I first came to Pakistan as a foreigner I was kind of prepared to live in trees so to say!

Modern Surprise! 
I was totally surprised to see people living in beautiful houses with modern facilities, because the media only showed primitive living, girls carrying water on their head in large containers and so on.

21^st Century Image
Almost 40 years later the image makers are still sending out the same pics, taken today, from remote villages that indeed have never entered the 21st century yet. Why?

Face of ProgressAny country interested in tourism shows to the world its face of progress, beauty of nature, and modern facilities you will enjoy when you visit.

Beauty SpotsAll third world countries like Pakistan are filled with the most beautiful spots and also filled with poverty and backwardness. What is given out to the world is always the same, poverty, slums, backwardness.

Backward Beauty
People abroad never get to see anything but the backwardness by the world media. They love to show the slums, the villages, the image of backwardness, and the raw beauty but highlighting the backwardness at the same time.

Core Dislike
If you don’t like someone and wish him ill, the way to do it is to give him/her an image that makes everyone think, oh what a crude person or people, or an image that makes you afraid of him/her, or to make him/her look useless, a burden to society, evil, a danger to all.

Friend or Foe
A friend on the other hand who wishes you well, he would give a friend an image that makes everyone think oh what a lovely person or people, an image that makes you love him/her, makes him/her look clean and strong and bright, showing his/her work in the best of light.

Graphic Imagery
And nowadays the image makers are busy showing Pakistan as a country where girls, if they wish for education get shot in the head.

Sunny Side
Pakistan, like any other country in the world, has beauty and ugliness side by side. People can focus on what they wish to focus but the foreign media rarely shows the sunny side of the picture. They show what they wish to show of every country. The image makers know their trade!

Positive Stories about Pakistan

What does a British mother-in-law and a journalist have in common? Visit Pakistan, they say.
http://abetoday.com/2012/03/02/what-does-a-british-mother-in-law-and-a-journalist-have-in-common-visit-pakistan-they-say/

Take a trip to Khewra, the second largest salt mine in the world and the oldest in South Asia.
http://abetoday.com/2012/02/26/take-a-trip-to-khewra-the-second-largest-salt-mine-in-the-world-and-the-oldest-in-south-asia/

Naltar Valley is where beauty smiles. Smile back and life smiles on you. http://abetoday.com/2011/01/22/naltar-valley-is-where-beauty-smiles-drink-in-the-beauty-the-smiling-beauty-and-feel-it-is-smiling-at-you-because-it-is-smile-back-and-life-just-gets-a-whole-lot-better/

Let’s ride on the transport treasure of Pakistan. Highly decorated chariots of mass transport, these cultural gems enrich the whole world. http://abetoday.com/2011/01/08/let%e2%80%99s-go-for-a-ride-on-the-transport-treasure-of-pakistan-says-susan-mckenzie-these-highly-decorated-chariots-of-mass-transport-are-cultural-gems-that-enrich-the-whole-world/

About Rehana Matri
German-born Rehana Matri is a mother, a grandmother, an artist and an interior designer. Raised in a liberal Christian family, after Rehana studied comparative religion, she embraced Islam.  

Other postings by Rehana at www.abetoday.com

God fills the heart of married couples, says Rehana Matrihttp://abetoday.com/2012/10/17/god-fills-the-heart-of-married-couples-says-rehana-matri/

Should English-speaking Muslims lace their language with Arabic terms when others do not understand?
http://abetoday.com/2012/10/15/should-english-speaking-muslims-lace-their-language-with-arabic-terms-when-others-do-not-understand/

Daughter-in-law and mother-in-law woes or wonders. Rehana Matri points the ways to blessings
http://abetoday.com/2012/03/16/daughter-in-law-and-mother-in-law-woes-or-wonders-rehana-matri-points-the-ways-to-blessings/

Can a Muslim mark Valentine’s Day? Rehana Matri and friends shed some light
http://abetoday.com/2012/02/13/can-a-muslim-mark-valentine%e2%80%99s-day-rehana-matri-and-friends-shed-some-light/

Do you believe in love at first sight? Rehana Matri’s take on true love
http://abetoday.com/2011/05/07/do-you-believe-in-love-at-first-sight-rehana-matri-gives-us-her-take-on-true-love/

Marriage is a two-way street, says Rehana Matri.  This posting is by Rehana Matri as to what marriage means in Islam
http://abetoday.com/2011/03/11/marriage-is-a-two-way-street-says-rehana-matri-this-posting-is-by-rehana-matri-as-to-what-marriage-means-in-islam/

Call to Prayer and Success: Blessings of God through Prayer by Rehana Matri http://abetoday.com/2012/12/05/call-to-prayer-and-success-blessings-of-god-through-prayer-by-rehana-matri/

Just see, feel and be beauty (pic Naltar Valley)

How do I improve my English? One boring secret that helps immeasurably

FAQHow do I improve my English is a question I regularly get and I would like to share with you the secret of improving your English.

Boring Secret
It is a boring secret which a lot of people don’t like when I give them that advice. It is to read every day.

Practice Propels you Towards PerfectionIn other words, the secret is to practice every day – to practice reading on a daily basis. A lot of people dispute whether practice makes perfect but one thing I know is that if you don’t practice you either stand still or you lose what you have. The adage use it or lose it is so true. You have been warned.

One HourIf you really want to improve and maintain your standard of English you should allocate one hour per day for English improvement and use that time to read.

Stumbling BlockOne hour – I have this and this to do!  Yes making one hour on a daily basis will be a hurdle for most.  So you have to incorporate English improvement as part of your lifestyle.

Double WinFind English reading matter in your areas of interest and develop your career and English at the same time.

Reading Widely
In my home country of England – reading is considered key to developing English and vocabulary which is word and expression power. This is why when I was a child I was dispatched to friends and relatives and made to read out loud in front of them. You don’t have to have an audience to do that although if you can find a kind person to listen to you – it will make the reading more meaningful and perhaps deepen a relationship.

Phrase by Phrase
A phrase is a group of words, so two words can be a phrase.  For example, “Have Lunch” is a phrase and a collocation.

Rote Learning
Despite what anyone tells you to the contrary – there is an element of rote learning (learning by memorization). For example we have may “have lunch” but we “have a shower. The Americans, of course, have slightly different collocations – they will take it!

The Modern Complication of Learning EnglishI am British so I will always say learning British English should be the starting point of your English learning. Also if you really learn British English, you will know most of American English. However, if you learn American English you may not appreciate the deeper nuances (subtleties) of the English language that are best developed when learning British English. Mentality (way of thinking) plays a part in English development.

True Education
I think for true understanding of English these days we need to learn both British English and American English. Start with one and then develop the other but when using English in your writing decide which system you would prefer to express yourself in and don’t mix up the two.

The Most Important English lessonCollocations are words that go together and when I teach English as a second language I always tell students understanding and developing your English through collocations is the most important English lesson and the key to understanding why the same word has different meanings. When you learn an English word you have to look at its associates (its associated words).

Associations and Associated Words
English cannot be effectively learnt through the word by word approach. It has to be learnt and developed through the phrase by phrase approach (which is actually the collocation by collocation approach).

Off By Heart Learning
I always tell my students that certain aspects of English have to be learnt off by heart (memorized) – so be prepared to do that. Good Luck in your English studies and do read daily. A good website for this is www.abetoday.com. Do read daily and do post comments of anything you don’t understand. I can then explain more.

Note to using abetoday.comMany English articles are filed under the heading of IELTS – even if you are not taking this international test – do read the articles – they are all helpful when developing English and thinking.  In fact that is another secret. Native speakers study English as a subject to develop their thinking and really there is no point learning English unless you are doing it for greater reasons: to be a more fully functioning person.

English Development Blessing
B:  Brace yourself for the long haul: all speakers of English need to practice their English to maintain and develop it.
L:  Learn what works for you best.
E:  Express yourself in English at every opportunity you get. Expand your English by expressing yourself in speaking, writing and actively reading (a questioning form of English).
S:  Snuggle up with a book or some form of reading matter that appeals to you and don’t go to bed until you  have done your one hour, even if you end up falling asleep with a book in your hand.
S:  Seize upon this secret of the greatest English speakers and that is always have a book on the go or some form of reading matter that appeals to you.
I:  I believe in the double win and that is use the urge to improve your English to also improve your career prospects by reading English matter in your career field.  Improvements will come over time if you are on the right track of one hour daily practice.
N:  Never give up, just find ways to get nearer to your goal of better English and great career development.
G:   Good Luck in your English studies and do read daily. Good blessings for you and God be with you.

The greatest knowledge is in books

Make a statement and see your career soar. Three ways to touch a higher level of success

Spur for Greater Life

No one gets out alive. Indeed people such as Steve Jobs used the inevitability of death as a spur for greater life.  If you are going to die anyway what is holding you back?  That was the lifestyle approach of Steve Jobs.

Lifetime of Success

Think about how you approach life. We all need sources of income and for most of us that will be a job or running a business.  How can we find ways to propel ourselves to success and greater success?

The Story of your life
1. Could you write your obituary now?  An obituary is like a summary of your life told to the public after your death. It is a life and career snapshot and usually is upbeat. Could you write it now?  What would it contain? If the answer is nothing memorable then you need to seriously have a rethink about your life actions and life purpose. 

2. Eulogies are the spoken tributes said at a funeral. Again this is usually an upbeat statement about how great you were. Is that the reality? If not do something to make sure your eulogy is fact and not embellished fiction.

Too Morbid?
Perhaps writing obituaries and eulogies are too morbid, or you just can’t put in the effort to do it. If you can’t make the effort to do this, then think about a profile, your career profile.

3. Resume Profile

You should be able to write your profile in one short paragraph that can be inserted into your CV. The resume profile is a brief summary of your skills, experiences and goals.  A resume profile is also known as a career summary or a personal profile statement.

Stand out from the Crowd
The resume profile enables you to stand out from the crowd.  You should give everyone a clear idea of your unique qualities and qualifications.  Think of your work experience, skills, levels of position and qualifications for the job.

Double Win
Writing Obituaries and eulogies are not what most people will be prepared to do but a resume profile is in your own immediate interests because everyone should have a CV or resume summary.

Even CEOs need Resumes
Even if you are some great CEO, you will still need a profile for international conferences and meet-ups. It pays dividends to have a short resume profile, and you can also use it as your blueprint to impress upon your mind your achievements and how you want your career to proceed.

Knowing What You Want
Your profile is a powerful statement showing what you are and what you can do.  Can you write your life story in four sentences?  You can write it as a short paragraph or in bullet form and highlight your most relevant experience and achievements.

Punch above your Weight Blessing

B:   Build your profile and live up to that profile.

L:   Life is in our words and statements, so let the words in your profile be the start of a living legend – your legend of the greatest achievements of your life. Live life to the fullest and explore all ways you can live life to the fullest.

E:   Explore, experiment, and enjoy your experiences so that you really build up the best life which you can turn into a positive statement that helps you keep the momentum going on and higher. 

S:   State your best life experiences and accomplishments in four pithy sentences and refresh your memory of that statement on a daily basis.

S:   Stand out from the crowd by living up to your highest statement ideals.
I:   Implement what you want to achieve in your life.
N:   Nature can’t be beaten but it can be molded and harnessed, so take your natural talents and push them to the highest level you are capable of.
G:   Give everyone a clear idea of your unique qualities and qualifications.

Steve Jobs used the inevitability of death as a spur for greater life.

Source of Strength blessings: Let my soul blessings bless your soul and life purpose

Raining Down Blessings Upon You

B:  Beliefs are at the core of our being, so be prepared to go deep to brighten up your thinking.
L:  Learn to think in bigger and better ways. Let your imagination run riot and imagine your mind is overflowing with wisdom. Look harder and deeper at the universe living within you.
E:  Every time you think of your blessings you are impressing upon your mind, soul and heart the good things you have, and you will feel better. Every time you think of the future you are impressing upon your mind that you have a direction and a place to be.
S: Shoot for the stars because the stars shine above us, give us light, direction and a place to be.
S:  Shooting Stars are part of the solar system inside you and outside you, so rely on the solar system to be a more feeling person of all the wonders inside and outside you.
I:  Imagine you are a fully powered system of power and abundant possibilities.
N:  Nearer to the level of bliss is the right direction to go.
G:  Give yourself the best thinking.  Give yourself the best in life by going to the highest place in your thinking and the realm of opportunities.

Strength from Friendship Blessing

B:  Bonds of friendship are great pillars of strength. Build bonds with like-minded and see your collective strength soar.
L:  Love enters your life when you friends are the pillars of your life. Loyalty and returning loyalty are an incredible force and base for future growth.
E:  Express friendship with worthy souls and watch the exponential expansion of the good in your life.
S:  Super bless your friends so that  you transform friendship to the soul level of soul mates.
S:  See your worthy soul friends as your soul mates and reap the soul satisfaction that comes with such alliances.
I:  Ingrain on your mind that you are a worthy friend and that great things will result from your close liaisons.
N:  Note all the good things about your friends and remind yourself regularly.
G:  Give it all you have got and great worlds will open up for you.

Reaping the Rewards of a Smile

B:  Beam that smile out to the world so that that you are beacon of smiles, a powerhouse of positiveness. 

L:  Lavish smiles on every one so that it is impossible for them not to be touched from this source of light from your soul. 

E:  Energize your being by smiling at yourself.S:  Sizzle with your smile. Smiling should be a way of life regardless of whether we get a smile back. Smiling should be a way of life because it blesses you and the world at a higher level.S:  Smile away the day.
I:   Increase your smiles and you increase the good in this world.
N:  Never stop smiling just because some people don’t have a smile in them. Notch up your own inner and outer blessings by saying to yourself:  My smiles will touch your soul and your lack of smile is only a delayed reaction because at the soul level you have accepted my smile and it has lightened your day.
G: Generous smiling is a superb gift that will eventually reap you great dividends in both physical and mental health!

Shoot for the Stars

BLISSFUL BLESSINGS: May you be blessed with friends, smiles and all the blessings of the universe

THE BLESSING OF FRIENDSHIP
B: Blessed beyond compare are we when we have beautiful friends. Beside me, I feel so blessed, loved and cared for. Friends certainly bless our lives and are a blessing.
L: Loving thoughts are all I feel for my friends. Loving ways are the hallmarks of great friendships. Loyal friends are worth more than apples of gold and silver.
E: Endearing qualities are produced when two friends express their friendship and love for each other.
S: Super blessed are we when we find our friend soulmates.
S: Super blessed, shared times create wonderful happenings and wonderful memories.

Y: Your greatest gift is to be a true friend. Thank you for your gift, I also give you the same gift.
O: Odes of love flow from my mouth. Odes of friendship envelop both of us and we sing the greatest lullabies together.
U: Understanding and kindness are the by-products of great friendships. Thank you for being a friend. Our friendship means so much to me and us.

THE BLESSING OF A SMILE
B: Begin each day with a smile. Big smiles are best. Blessed are those who smile as smiles brighten up life. Smiles bless the world and make this a better place to live in.
L: Lavish smiles on all and sundry. Laddle them on and soon everyone will be smiling.
E: Exceptional smiles energize all engagements.
E: Enter the smile and every encounter is uplifted to a higher plane.
S: Smile, Smile, Smile. Smile away. Smiles are always in style.
S: Smile, Smile, Smile. Smile away.

Y: You create your world. It can be a world of smiles, wide-grinned smiles if you so choose.
O: Open your mouth widely and give the biggest smile you are capable of.
U: Uplift yourself and your world with your smiles. With a smile the whole world can change for the better.

UNIVERSAL BLESSINGS
B: Beyond the universe is so awesome, so envision a world beyond the accepted wisdom of your universe.
L: Look for the universe within you and look outside at the lovely universe all around us. God so created the universe so within God is the universe and all the answers.
E: Energize your day, by getting excited about all the possibilities the universe has to offer.
S: Shoot for the stars and you surely will have greater success.
S: Savor the wonder of just being you.

Y: You are a whole universe of power and abundant possibilities.
O: Outstanding opportunities abound in this teeming universe of ours.
U: Unique you are. Utterly unique you are, so realize the full power that you are you. Up the ante and live up to your full potential. Possibilities and opportunities always OUTWEIGH the challenges.

Shoot for the Stars
(pic credit:
The image is from the European Space Agency.
It is listed as the LH 95 star forming region
of the Large Magellanic Cloud.
The image was taken using the Hubble Space Telescope).

DO NOT GROW OLD, JUST GROW

DO NOT GROW OLD, JUST GROW
I wish someone had told me this when I was in my 20s:
Do not grow old, just grow.

Whatever age you currently are, there is still time to just grow.

SEEING INTO THE FUTURE
As you get older you will not look the same. In fact, if you look at your parents and grandparents you will know in what direction your body and face will be heading.

Split Personalities
I had two grandmothers with totally different personalities and approaches to life: one was extremely fat, homely and totally a homemaker, while the other was slim, lively, energetic and dynamically modern, and worked until she was 85.

Mental Magic 
Both grandmothers are my role models. The can-do spirit of one combined with the comforting nature of the other. And when you analyze what I am taking from and emulating from their lives: it is their mental approach. The can-do spirit combined with a comforting nature.

MENTAL APPROACH IS KEY
While some of the physical side effects of ageing may be inevitable, your mental approach to life really does not have to go the same way.

Younger than Springtime
Mental processes do not age in the same way and do not have to age in the same way.

Spurts of GrowthIndeed, if you are approaching life from the growing more point of view, you become more. You become more knowledgeable, wiser and experienced. If we focus on just growing, then I think we will have a much better life.

GROWING MEANS LEARNING
Henry Ford is quoted as saying: Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80.

Henry Ford, Thomas Alva Edison, and Harvey Samuel Firestone - the fathers of modernity

Continual Growth
To grasp the concept of continual growth there are two parts to us. The outward physical manifestation and the inner thinking part of us. Of course, the two are interrelated, but also they have separate existences.

Separate Enhancement
Use the separateness to enhance your life, because really the body is just an outer coating. The interrelation comes because we use our body to carry out our daily functions, so to that extent we do need to keep it as healthy as possible, but whether it has baby-soft skin or looks like a wrinkled-up prune, that should not affect what we achieve in this life and should continue to achieve.

FROM LITTLE ACORNS TO GREAT OAKSI grew up in England, part of the United Kingdom.

Throughout Britain mighty oak trees grow. When you roam the countryside in the summer months, you cannot but come across acorns. I used to pick them up and then look at the mighty oak and be amazed at the wonder of the adage: From little acorns great oaks grow.

The adage has a number of meanings, but what works for me is the thought that our ideas can grow to be great things, that our mind can achieve great things when we let ourselves grow.

So just as the oak keeps growing and, there are some oaks that are more than a 1,000 years old, we too can keep growing if we keep fueling our growth with great ideas.

Forever Growing BlessingB:  Believe your ideas can grow to be great things, that your mind can achieve great things when you let yourself grow.
L:  Life from the growing point of view lets you become more: experienced, knowledgeable and wiser.  Learning is key to staying mentally young.
E: Enhance your life with the energizing thought, belief and strategy that growing mentally is easy-peasy.
S:  Spirit rules our minds and is eternal, so get the spirit of can-do working for you. Spirit of can-do propels you with greater energy, verve, enthusiasm and motivation.
S:  Still there is time to grow, so use time to your advantage and grow. Spurts of growth can happen at any age.
I:  Let yourself grow and watch your mind achieve great things.
N:  Never grow old in thinking, just grow.
G:  Grow, grow and grow some more. Growing and growth should be our key focus. Grow by fueling your growth with great ideas and plans of action.