'Luxury' at a cost of real life

We have been emphasizing on the fact that nothing is being done to eradicate these evils from these darbars, while darbars’ management and police say that they’re trying their level best. We cannot be completely pessimistic towards their claim. There are endless talks of police reforms and NGO objectives but their service is indeed mired in inefficiency and corruption. In spite of all this there are some measures undertaken by the relevant authorities to curb the deadly issues of the darbar. They have a drug rehabilitation centre inside the vicinity of the Data Darbar. Moreover many organizations have started to work to curb the menace uprising in the Darbar. There are some NGOs that have setup their offices at Data Darbar such as “Nigh-e-Ban” which is part of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB), formed in 2004. It is working to rescue the children and rehabilitate them. They provide them with primary education, encourage them to study and help them recover from drug addiction and other issues they get involved in. The rehabilitation process will take its due time. Moreover, International Organization like United Nations International Children Educational Funds (UNICEF) has come in collaboration with the local government of Punjab, Pakistan to help the socially abused children around the pious Darbar area. How far such efforts will succeed in resolving the issue of these children remains to be seen.
During my research i interviewed a few of the children who are residing in these children centres in the darbar. I was alarmed when i found out that some of the children runaway from homes because they don’t want to continue studies as they’re afraid of physical torture by their teachers. Does this mean that some blame goes towards our educational institutions? Children at the darbar don’t have the motivation to learn something good in life. They don’t even feel like working. According to them they’re earning from begging and they don’t need anything else. For other fascinations and charms they accompany peers to nearby mini- porno cinemas, get highly intoxicated and settle into a slumber of lost paradise. After hours they’re either dragged by police or they’re left there by themselves. With the childrens’ so called satisfied lives, the question that now arises is do these children want to get out of the misery even if relevant authorities do their jobs?

Why shrines!?

If you have been following this blog you know that what we as contributors have tried to highlight the negative aspects, for lack of a more appropriate word, of the shrines. The illegalities that go on here everyday! The children, the runaways, the prostitutes and the druggies! Now I would like to bring your attention to a more controversial issue regarding these shrines. The legalities regarding this subject in the rule book of Islam. Building up these mausoleums seems to have acted as en evil in the society that has succeeded in rising up more evils. People prostrate to these tombs and worship them. They are the devotees of the durbars. They ask the great dead to pray for them to God and they speak of the great people of the shrines as immortals who came to earth! It has prompted rituals and cultures that were never meant to be. Building up shrines has homed much more than was banked on. So why build them up? I’ll welcome any suggestions that you may have for this openly.

Rites & Rituals at the Shrines

Shrines today have their own rituals that they perform. A simple silly ritual surrounding these shrines is the tying threads in knots around a tree. The purpose being, to make a wish, 'mannat' from God. I saw one of these little trees my self on my excursion of the shrines. It was dresses in what looked like threads. Another famous ritual is that of ‘urs’. This is the anniversary of the death of shrine people. The most famous ‘urs’ is that of the data durbar for Hazrat Ali Hajveri. People come from all over Pakistan to attend it. There are dances and performances and food. It’s a proper celebration. People who don’t know better would think there is a party going on. I’m going to go a little religious here and tell you that the most important issue here is the ritual of prostrating before the tombs of these people. This is a big NO NO. It sounds a little cliché but we bow to no one but One God! I think it is important to educate people in such matters and I hope this blog will be helpful. These are just a few of the silly rituals that our great nation has come up with. It’s time to move past such sordid affairs and concentrate on the more important things in life, one of them being to try and keep up with our faith.

Mirror to the realities of Data Darbar

The documentary shows the real picture. Interview by the local drug addicts of that area clearly shows that they live there because they get free food. Police instead of eradicating this problem from the area, are just interested in getting money out of their pockets even if it is Rs.20 only.

Another interview by the devotees from Rahim Yar Khan quotes a story where they saw a woman who came to Data Darbar from her house as she had a fight with her husband. Later in the morning nobody knew where she went nor even the officials. Where that women went leaves an unanswered question in our minds.

A true Picture, if you still don't believe it...take a walk around the premises of Darbar...you'll see it YOURSELF!!