I had very little idea to who she was and what she did, what I knew was that 'politically incorrect' sounded interesting coming from an Indian. The hall is full and we are all waiting for the talk to start. This 40 something, no wait 66 years old, well dressed woman walks on the stage, very Indian looking.
The talk with Shohba De was charming, as was she. The moderator Shehar Bano Taseer didn't do justice to her. She presented more like a news anchor, or an interrogator given a set of questions to ask. Reading off the paper like a script is what made it very boring but De's responses made the hall not fall asleep. Not knowing much about the author didn't interfere much. The discussion was based on issues/topics which a lay person could have understood.
She started off with the usual Pakistan-India comparison but to my surprise it was very well balanced. The comparison is not there to make in the first place but then it's inevitable not to, we have the same blood after all, similar problems, similar tastes, similar traditions etc. As an Indian presenting a talk in Pakistan she was very politically correct which was acceptable and unacceptable at the same time. Acceptable because she probably didn't have a choice and unacceptable because she is Shohba De.
The discussion sprung on to 'women'. Shohba De's comments about women oppression in the two countries seemed legitimate making her sound not too feminist. She described the women as the underdog. In Pakistan though I being a woman here can say that women are oppressed. They are expected to be moulded into the society which is dominated by men rather than being an active part in the society. This comment by the Vice President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the ceremony of the Pakistan Auto Show supports what I am saying, he said some say this is a male dominated society, but women are the ones actually dominating men here, behind every successful man there is a woman and behind an unsuccessful man there is a woman, so women should play their parts in making the man more successful to help this country get out of this turmoil. What does that mean? A man of his stature is saying on a public forum addressing to students that you keep your man happy and this country will get better. Why can't I do something productive other than keeping my man happy? It was a silly thing to say, and this just proves women are oppressed and relieved of their basic rights, again, not according to the constitution but by comments by men like him and women are to be blamed as much too, because they submit to comments like these.
Shohba De was talking about something similar I believe. "There is a scramble for jobs. Unemployed men feel threatened by ambitious, career oriented women.’’
Shehar Bano Taseer's choice of questions took a turn that I was dreading it would. The upcoming elections in India. Though De with facts tried to convince the audience that the elections are going to be a mile stone hit in India but I doubt it. Just like we said that the last elections in Pakistan would be, and we see the outcome, it's all the same. Nothing changes. Very interestingly she said the options in India are between 'the muffler, the bluffer and the duffer'. And that could be subjected to the options in Pakistan last year as well. We chose the duffer, lets see who India chooses.
The media came into discussion, and being a writer and an active columnist this was again unavoidable. What I got from Shohba De was that the Indian media is far more civilised than our media. And my biases towards the Pakistani media are unyielding. Although she has been facing death threats, house arrests etc she is a woman of her word. An interesting fact I found out during the discussion which I wasn't aware of earlier was that political parties can buy certain columns in newspapers. Connecting the dots this explains the language of the newspaper articles in Pakistan.
Overall the talk highlighted some legit issues but again I wish it was someone other than Shehar Bano Taseer conversing with her. The comparisons of India and Pakistan obviously were inevitable but I think Shohba De pushed it a little when she started drawing comparisons between Delhi-Lahore and Mumbai-Karachi. It was unnecessary and irrelevant. She did play safe through out which was disappointing. At this point in time she could've been a adventurous putting the two countries together. This is what happens when the two rival countries exchange participants, both play safe and goody goody. They become mediators rather than individuals. No one has the balls to says anything politically incorrect. The talk ended with the question answer session which was short but humorous and interactive.
