By Altaf Hussain Asad

Dawn April 1, 2007

PUNJAB, the land of five rivers, boasts of many a historical edifice and monuments capable of stirring the inner chords of any diehard wayfarer. One can catch glimpses of centuries-old relics and historical remnants of times gone by in sheer abundance here. However, it is unfortunate that no one has as yet made any noteworthy effort in order to get acquainted with the history behind these monuments that dot the province due to which our lack of concern towards cultural heritage is fast reaching its apogee. Our heritage as a consequence is not only vandalised but is also in the throes of decay. The situation seems to be very bleak.

However, there is still light at the end of the tunnel in the garb of people like Muhammad Daud Tahir. The author skilfully fuses together history, geography and folklore to educate and acquaint us with our own land. A travel-writer, he narrates the tales of far-flung areas in simple yet engrossing Urdu. The purpose behind writing in the national language is to reach out to the common man who may be unfamiliar with the English language. After receiving a positive feedback from his readers for his first few books, Tahir penned more books based on his trips to countries all over the world at various stages of his life. As he churned out one book after another, literary heavyweights of the likes of Syed Zameer Jafri and Ashfaq Ahmad acknowledged his talent.

An inveterate traveller, Tahir’s persona oozes humility which comes forth as a pleasant surprise. Debonair and down to earth, he goes down memory lane to share with you his chrysalis years. “I was born in Gurdaspur in 1944. After 1947, our family came to Lahore where we stayed for some three years. Later, however, we shifted to Jhang where I received my early education. My father was a very well-read man and we grew up on magazines such Phool and Taleem-o-Tarbiat. After graduating from college, I joined Punjab University and did my masters in political science in 1967. Initially, I did not have any idea where I was heading but my teachers, Qazi Muhammad Aslam and Chaudhry Muhammad Ali, motivated me to join the civil service. After passing the C.S.S examinations in 1969, I joined the then Pakistan Taxation Service. In my extensive career, I worked in various areas and finally retired as a Grade 21 officer. During my service, I strictly followed the rules and regulations. I also made an effort to hear out the common people, keeping my door always open for the general public,” Tahir states.

All those years, his life revolved around his official routine. However, in 1989 he got a chance to visit the US. The trip turned him into a travel writer. On returning to Pakistan, his friends were eager to hear from him the chronicles of his stay in America. He was bombarded with a volley of queries by just about everyone he knew. So to amuse his friends with the details of his visit, Tahir decided to put pen to paper.

The result was Shauq Hamsafar Mera. Speaking of his first book, Tahir says, “It was my friends’ demand. At first I was hesitant, as I had not written anything before but somehow I was sucessful in recording my experiences on tape. The recordings later took the shape of a manuscript that I sent to my friends for their comments. A leading Urdu newspaper was interested in printing it in instalments so I gave it to them. I got a very positive reaction from people in the form of letters, etc. That was when I decided to get the manuscript published in book form. Again I was lucky as a leading publishing house showed interest in it. That’s how my first travelogue hit the bookshelves in 1995. It went into several editions.”

Tahir at first only wrote about the foreign lands which he got an opportunity to visit. The urge to concentrate on his own land came much later. Cashing in on the heavy response of his first book, he felt that he should write more. After visiting Iran and Turkey, he once again wanted to write about these countries in light of his experiences. Safar Zindagi Hai, his travelogue of Iran and Turkey, saw the light of day in 1998. Once again his attempt won the hearts of his readers.

“I always thank Allah for his countless blessings.” Once the habit of writing developed, Tahir never let his creative ink dry out. One book followed another. His trip to Kuwait culminated into another book titled Ek Safar aur Sahi.

After completing it, he thought of doing something on the domestic front too. He felt that instead of writing about foreign shores, one must also explore one’s own land as most of our people are quite oblivious of their cultural heritage. The task was no doubt cumbersome. It needed in-depth research but Tahir did not waver from conducting it. His job provided him with the opportunity of visiting many areas across the length and breadth of Pakistan, which helped him acquire first hand information about numerous small towns and cities. He wanted to write a book on the historical sites and towns of Punjab.

“When I decided to write about my own land, I thought I should focus more on Punjab and pinpoint its cultural and historical landmarks. The people of Punjab can be very ignorant as far as the history of their land is concerned. I wanted to write something for them. But in doing so I had to face a lot of difficulties. There is a dearth of authentic material on the small towns and cities of Punjab still I was able to collect much material about the towns and cities. It is a fact that local historians at times tend to distort real facts. However, I have tried to give a historically fair account of the areas and the places I visited,” he explains.

Braving against heavy odds, he succeeded in documenting nearly all the relics and historical sites from Attock to Shahdara. His magnum opus Manzil Na Ker Qabool is a history of the magnificent G.T. Road and all the villages and towns it touches. Starting from Attock, he slowly brings to life the many buried and forgotten facts about the cities and towns. Finally, his long and illustrious journey ends at Mirza Kamran’s Baradari that sits right in the middle of the Ravi river. His findings are alarming.

“It is sad to note that our history is in great peril. We are not bothered about it. Even the local residents of a particular historical town or village do not know much about their history. Let alone preserving history, our people are literally known to vandalise these sites due to which some of the places exist only in the archives. The situation gets worse with the passing of each day. If we want to save our cultural heritage, the government along with the people need to take this issue more seriously and be more cautious. The government should start publishing geographical dictionaries of districts as done earlier by our colonial masters. Archaeology should also be taught in schools and colleges to spread more awareness,” he laments.

Tahir wrote another travel book on the Punjab documenting all the historical places that dot the motorway from Islamabad to Lahore. Nai Manzelein Hein Pukarti is his second book covering the Punjab. But he is still a restless soul. “I want to focus my attention on southern Punjab. I have garnered enough material on it already. I plan on following the road from Lahore to Sadiqabad. It’s my wish to cover all areas within the province. I also plan to make some documentaries in the future,” he announces.

Muhammad Daud Tahir, who now intends to pen his biography, says he has no regrets in life although he believes that his readers can learn from his personal and professional experiences. He feels deeply indebted to his wife whose support made him what he is today.