My little Princess and Our madam Marquise

It was one fine evening of early September 2016 when my little princess while sharing her daily school’s routine activities informed me that her school has scheduled an election for selection of Deputy Head Girl & Head Girl. She also informed that her entire class i.e. (VII B) has unanimously decided in her favor to contest for the Dy. Head Girl’s slot as for this class only this position was available for contesting. So she was a little excited about this and asked for my opinion in the matter. I motivated her to contest for the slot and guided her that such activities are held in good educational Institutions for providing the youngsters a learning opportunity to understand democratic values and voting process for their future endeavors in life. The little princess asked me what if I lost. I told her that winning or losing doesn’t that much matter; what really matters is to go in to competition and give a fight; and when one is in competition only then there are chances of winning.

After a little think over and on persistent demand of her class mates she applied for contesting the said position and got involved looking for the election symbols and slogans for the campaign. Her friends also started making badges etc. for her campaign and the days were going very excited and I can imagine her wits going up and down but she remained determined to fight for the position.

The school management committee that was of course headed by our Madam Marquise; the Principal, took Interviews of all the contesting candidates including my little princess and decided not to permit her and signaled go ahead for the other contesting  girls from other sections of class VII’s. Of course this was a big below for the little heart and supporters as well. I could imagine her feeling being heart with the decision of school authorities.

Anyhow that very evening she shared with me this news and I soothed her that don’t you worry it’s just learning and they will give you chance at some other forum or may be next year.  I however, registered my protest with the School Head in the subsequent parents/ teacher meetings and she covered the matter in some lollypop words etc.

Time went by and there comes year 2017. The school had started once again after summer vocations and the little princess is now a student of class VIII B. The election season once again has approached for the little hearts and the entire class once again is supporting and asking the little princes to stand this time for the Head Girl of the Middle section. She once again asked for my opinion and I being father once again encouraged her to fight. All the process as discussed above was once again repeated and our Madam Marquise once again repeated history not allowing her and gave go ahead for the rest. The little princess was very disappointed with the decision and wept a little in solitary over this biased being done with her again and again. I too, was quite disturbed with the school management’s weird attitude.

Now it is September 2019 and the little princess has progressed from middle school section to high school. Classes have started once again and election season has approached again. It is again one fine evening of September 2019. The little princess is doing her homework and while keeping her focus towards her books she speaks, “Papa I am not standing this time”.  At that moment I am reading a book and while keeping my focus towards the book, I answered,” that is okay “beta”.

The question arises here; and the question is that today the so called renowned private sector educational Institutes in Pakistan which otherwise have untiring claims that they are providing quality education to their students and not only take good care towards academics but are committed for their grooming by providing them with many co-curricular activities, in order to equip them with all the required confidence in their lives ahead.  Parents are working tooth to nails for arranging the heavy fees being charged by these Institutions. They are sacrificing many of their basic needs to cope with the unending fee rises, under the illusion that they (the schools) are really working hard in educating and grooming their children.

The little princess was not running for the Prime Minister or President of Pakistan’s slot. She was just running for Dy. Head Girl/Head Girl of the school and that too on the pressing demand of her class fellows. But our Madam Marquise was in authority and I doubt most of us in some authority wants to enjoy with the authority. Our little prides and prejudices come in our ways and to satisfy our egos we even forgot that who is in front of us. By keeping such biases with our children, we are guilty of committing injustice and left no stone unturned in shaking their confidence in us. 

The little princes despite this all, is in her spirits as her parents are there to back-up her, if not her spiritual parents.

Many of the readers of this article may be related to the profession of teaching if any of them manage to comprehend my message I shall consider that purpose of my writing these lines served.

“Long live my little princess with all your innocence and stay happy our madam Marquise along with your little Prides & Prejudices”                 

Gul e Abbasi Flowers

How many of us have ever listened the name or seen the plant called "Gul-e-Abbasi"? I guess very few of us may be able to recall this long forgotten flowering plant despite the fact that most of us may consciously or unconsciously have seen this speaker shaped light purple flower which was very common in the village in those days. 

I myself, well remember my little romances with this otherwise neglected plant; used to grow wildly and in abundance in the meadows, especially on the defense line digged; spanning from and around my as well as the adjoining villages. 

My memories attached with this flowering plant is as old as of even before my entering into my teens; when I used to collect stems of Guk-e-Abbasi full of funnel shaped flowers during my solitary walks or along with buddies of my age. I do remember that most of its collections I used to made during my on foot marches on the pathway starting from an "Old Well" heading towards the "Old Canal" and across moving towards village "Pathanke".

Among different characteristics of this plant was that it started fading away very soon; it was poisonous in nature; its stems have a hole in it and it was easy to pluck the whole stem with the use of just one hand. My romances with it kept going for quite some years of my early age. However I still well remember that I never ever brought this flower at home. One reason may be that the flower was wild in nature therefore my affairs with Gul e Abbasi remained a little wild too.

Time went by and I entered into my teens and middle school as well. My love for flowers remained intact, however quite unconsciously Daisy and Marigold replaced Gul e Abbasi. The reason I can understand that these flowers were used to grow in the courtyard of my school and were domestic in nature so I continue hovering around these flowers for another 2 to 3 years.

By the time I entered high school, I witnessed some physical and emotional changes in my body and soul. I started looking at things and people with new perspective.  

My passion for flowers remained the same however by the time my observation was a bit enhanced. Sometimes during my wandering around I started noticing flowers of new kind in nook n corner having stunning beauty in some instances. 

I still am unable to forget two of the kind. One was shocking pink and the other was light pink. Both were Roses; so delicate; so fragrant. Both were in their early bloom totally ignorant of the dangers and poisonous creatures around; looking for their fates good or bad. 

Things started happening in continuity and I kept watching all the drama from some distance.  

As destined the shocking pink had a bad luck as one dark night the flower as feared earlier was stung by a deadly wasp in her heart. Soon after her petals started shattering and within days the flower embraced a dreadful end. Had the rose taken some precaution, the rose still may have been showering his fragrance in the courtyard of some house but was not lucky enough like the Light Pink one.

Alas! At the end the charming rose weighed even lesser than the wild *Gul-e-Abbasi*

@ JAFAR