Sunday, March 30, 1958
THE MICHIGAN DAILY MAGAZINE
A
Paae Nineteen
Sunda, Marh 30,1958 HEMIHIGANDAILYMAGAZNE Pa %-N-nt qc.In
Pakistan's Younger Generation
Seeks To Bring Modernization of Cities
to Region's Back Country Villages,
even If they are replaced, it is no
good. The river still flows over.'
She stops and shrugs. The gesture
seems to Indicate the Pakistanis
have resigned themselves to the
omnipotence of nature.
N TIMES OF CALM, the farmer
pursues the same daily sched-
sle as his ancestors before him. He
is up with the sun, eats his simple
breakfast of wheat bread and tea,
prepared by his wife, and then is
off with his older sons to work the
fields of cotton, jute, wheat or
rice. His wife spends the better
part of the morning attending to
house chores. Later she and some
of the children may join the men
in the fields. Babies, or those too
young to work, are left with a
younger daughter or taken out in-
to the fields, where women erect
hammocks for them to lie in.
"The little children." Viquar
ughs and shakes her head.
"There are so many of them."
Families average eight or nine
children. A minute later she is
serious, leaning forward to im-
press me with a point: "You know,
don't you that this is one of my
country's serious problems?" It is
more of a statement than a ques-
tion.
Before I can answer, she is ex-
plaining in a low, but emphatic
voice, "You see, we are trying hard
to introduce birth control. We set
up centers and send social workers
to the country. But it is still much
the same: one earning member
and so many dependents."
. Viquar smiles again, an expres-
sion, I've mentally labelled as her
"crusading smile." "We will change
this . . . someday .. . soon." she
adds firmly.
JT WAS WHEN WE discussed
growing up in Pakistan, I real-
ized why Mohammed is uneasy in
my presence. From the time they
are born, until they are married,
Pkistani boys and girls are sep-
crated.
Dates are an 'theard of phe-
nomena. There are no coed schools,
although boys and girls both have
equal educational opportunities.
Explains Mohammed with an
empty gesture: "It's just not the
socially acceptable thing to do. If
you should even be seen going with
a girl to a show, you are consid-
ered very low class." He leans for-
ward with a shy smile: "In college,
a boy sneaks a date now and then. 'wife relationship is carefully re- Viqar leans forward. Her hands
But it is never anything serious." strained. "A wife must not show are "talking" as fast as her lips,
Marriages are arranged. Some- the least bit of affection to her "You see, I live in this dormitory
times the girl has never seen her husband in public," continues
husband-to-be. Viqar, who will be Viqar. When I am with my hus- and I see these girls going out
married four years this August band, we must walk yards apart. with these boys. This is fine. But
tells me how it's done, but only Why, if I was to take my hus- I also see all the tensions that
after I've leafed through a well- band's arm, I am sure that people follow and make them so unhap-
stuffed photo album of her hus- would jeer at me." py. Emotions should be latent.
band and two-year-old son. "And no one wants to change When you are encouraging emo-
Unlike many, she had met her this?" I expect the familiar "cru- tions, here will be pressures on
husband and talked with him sev- sading smile" and an announce- nerves. It is very bad."
eral times before the formal pro- ment that progress is being made. Viqar leans back. Her face looks
posal from his father to her father Instead Viqar replies indifferent- tired and a little strained.
was made and the traditional "tea ly: "Oh no. It has always been There is a moment of silence.
party" for the couple-to-be ar- like this. No one pays much at- Then Viqar bounces up, with her
ranged. tention. We have more important old vigor to show me pictures of
things to do." herrher and sister-in-law in
J
r
G
t
U
TRAVEL
is
a
long
story!
BUT
we
welcome
your
business
"N Y MOTHER then proceeded
to find out all about him, his "VIQAR," I say cautiously, "you
family background (an essential don't have to answer this
in Pakistan, where family ties are question, but you've been in the
of the utmost importance), his United States for a year now and
educational standing, social stand- seen our dating custom. If you
ing and other things." She thought had it to do again, which method
he was quite well educated-he's would you prefer?"
a petroleum geologist-and that As Viqar gives me a longh'rd
he had a good future. Then she look Iirg smeal ndwond
asked me if I was willing," ok, Isquirm mentally and won-
"se mesfyIuwere." der if I've really over-stepped my
"guess you eyer" bounds this time. She smiles.
"Well, to tell you the truths"';"Yes" Viqar replies quietly, a
wa s aidrel-cnsciou"ly "Iwould like to know the man bet-
"wWas bit yoreluctant.firstproposa ter, but I would not like to date
him."
"Oh no." Viquar looks surprised "hm t
and a little hurt. "Why not?"
I hasten to say that I ont
really think it had been and add
with an attempt at restoring my
good standing, "you must have
had dozens."!
"Oh yes." Vigar's warm smile
assures me that my slip-up is for-
given. "Oh, I don't remember how
many. They come and go, you
know. You start having proposals
from age 14. Most girls will get
married at 16, maybe 17. But my .
parents wanted me to get my edu-
cation before they married men
off. I was 22, my husband, 30."
California
AT THE END of the school year,
Mohammed, a graduate stu-
dent in Naval Architecture, and
Viqar, who is doing graduate work
in Physics will return to their na-
tive land
I ask them how long they think
it will be before Pakistan will be
able to stand on her own feet.
Mohammed hazards an optimis-
tic 10-15 year guess. Viqar, more
conservatively shakes her head
sadly and murmurs: "It will be
a long time. We must do so much,
you know."
CHAIRS
like those in the
Undergrat .Library
now.'.
"BUT VIQAR," I persist, "if you
don't know your husband,
how do you know the marriage
will work out?"
"It does," she replies simply.
"Well, you know, women don't
know the difference. They have
not had contact with other men.
They look up to their husbands."
She pauses thoughtfully. "Maybe
marriages are successful because
the women can't afford to leave
their husbands. They are the
breadwinners, you know."
After she is married, the man-
314 S. State
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