Data Darbar: A Holy place or Haven for Runaways?

What happens on such a staggering magnitude in lahore’s Data Darbar, occurs daily on a smaller scale elsewhere without outraged editorials being written or inquiry committees being formed. We as a society are simply not prepared to concede that sexual and mental frustration regularly leads to deviant acts among both sexes. Indeed, the whole subject of underground social evils is practically taboo: very little scholarly work has been done in this area, and journalists tend to tread warily around the whole question.

As Lahore is known as “Data ki Nagri” in laymen’s term. People form all over the country belonging from all sects of society come to Data Darbar to pay ‘Salam’ to the great saint. The act has been part of their traditions and has been present since generations. Commonly the belief makes the runaway children and adults think that they will be protected and sheltered by the grace of ‘Data Sahib’. These runaway people stay at Data Darbar not with the motive of religious practice; instead, they find ways of hiding from their respective families and any official authority that are in search of them.

“People come to Data Darbar because they get food, secondly they have a place to live, and people outside Lahore have only one thing in mind that Lahore has Data Darbar where everything is available.”(Kashif, an official from the Child promotion bureau)

Why do they end up in Data Darbar, why not in any other place? Most runaway children and even adults come from cities that include Sheikhupura (sharakpur), Kohat, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan and Rawalpindi. When entering Lahore through the Ravi River, Data Darbar is the very first place that attracts them because of its lush socio-economic culture in their minds.

Almost everybody in rural areas knows about the importance of Data Darbar’s presence in Lahore. Men, women and even children living presently at Data Darbar are so content with their lives there, that unconsciously they attract others of their area and convince them through peer pressure to accompany them to the Darbar’s so called extravagant life. Lungar is considered to be source of food for the devotees and residents sheltering at Data Darbar.

The boys, most aged between eight and fifteen, sleep close together for safety and comfort as night falls and the dinner of lentils and roti from the data darbar huge lungar is eaten. (Mean streets – Lahore’s runaway children, (Monday, September 20, 2004), Daily Times)

If we talk about the causes of people running away or even leaving homes they can be uncountable. Few causes are huge family concept; that makes them feel neglected, poverty (they may be sent by families to work in urban areas and send money back home), and freedom of living.

‘I left home when I was ten, says hafeez, now nearly twenty. He has never since visited his parents, who live in a village near Sheikhupura, around hundred kilometers from Lahore. Hafeez says his father is a drug addict and he just couldn’t take the constant beating anymore. (Mean streets – Lahore’s runaway children, (Monday, September 20, 2004), Daily Times)

Is it just our ignorance, government’s inefficiency or any other factor behind the menace?

Most of the visitors are not interested in knowing about the happenings around Data Darbar because they don’t feel that they are being victims. Even if somebody witnesses such acts they are turning a blind eye and are doing nothing to eradicate such evils from Darbar and its adjacent area.

‘We offer our prayers there; recite from the Quran all night (Thursday) and replenish ourselves from the daily lungar and return home the next day after dawn.’ Says Akram Shah, a clerk. (Mir. A. (July, 10^th 2006) , Data Ganj Shrine a big draw in Lahore, World India.)

Police is usually blamed by the media and visitors for making the social crimes flourish at Data Darbar. Usually they are seen eating at one of the hotel nearby, or drinking lemonade at a stall, in total oblivion of whatever is happening around them.

According to the observation during the visits to Data Darbar , I noticed from the attitude of police officials that they have given up hope of improving the situation regarding masses indulged in social evils due to adjoining social crime hubs such as Heera Mandi, porno- mini cinemas, Minar-e-Pakistan, etc.