Told in the first person, this honest, deeply moving and searingly self-critical account of the life of first generation Pakistani migrants in England is imbedded in the kaleidoscopic memories of a generation haunted by the tragic events of history. Burdened by their own secrets, it is the tale of a family in pursuit of hope and happiness in a new world. The narrative lays bare the heart of family life and the cosmos of first generation migrants, as they struggle to find a toehold in an utterly foreign country. Plucked from the warmth of Rawalpindi, transported to a cold foggy London winter, surround by the invisible barriers created by her culture, Salmi’s life becomes confined to the four walls of her family’s two-bed flat in Stockwell. While Abbu and Ammi wish their children to succeed in Western society, they also strive to maintain the heritage and religion they cherish. Enthralled by the allure of the world that lies beyond her family home, Salmi is required to navigate the slippery path between the strict traditions she has inherited and the baffling modern life she encounters every day as she grows up. Battling the yearnings of her family ‘in exile’ as well as her own emotional confusion, Salmi gradually transcends the strict traditions she has inherited. Today, she knows she has triumphed against all odds…but at what cost?
This book will be of interest to students and scholars of South Asian history and popular culture. It examines partition's impact on cultural production, based on hard to access archives and collections situated in India, Pakistan, United Kingdom and the United States.
Beginning with a privileged childhood in an elite family of pre-partition India, to a troubled youth in Pakistan, this is the inspiring story of Salma Ahmed - a woman who surmounted formidable odds to achieve extraordinary success in business and politics. In this strikingly honest and candid account, Salma talks of her three marriages - to a naval officer, a scion of a leading feudal family, and a cricketing star; her conflicts as a mother as she makes the agonising decision to give up two of her six children; and her efforts to build a career as an entrepreneur and political figure in an emerging Pakistan. As she recounts the events of a life filled with dramatic highs and equally painful lows, she does not spare herself any more than she does other players in her story. This is a book that unabashedly reveals many of the hidden taboos of contemporary Pakistani society, bringing into question customs that are an integral, if unpleasant, part of subcontinental culture. Salma Ahmed's gripping narration of her political career is fast-paced and often amusing. The book relates events of the 1985 Assembly, which no other author has yet commented on. Her interaction with the late President Zia-ul-Haq and Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo, MQM leader Altaf Hussain, the charismatic Pir Sahib Pagaro, and several others, gave her a unique opportunity to witness first-hand the intrigue, power plays and unfolding drama of Pakistani politics. Her frequent visits to India brought her into contact with Indira Gandhi, her son Rajiv, and many other leading figures of the sub-continent. This is the absorbing tale of a woman who was a pampered child, an unhappy wife, a repentant mother - but one who emerged triumphant as a woman of substance, in business and politics.
Presents a consolidated timeline of medieval India by taking into account the period that marked the end of ancient India, and focusing on the importance of the transitory centuries when Delhi had begun to surface as the new power center, triggering prominent trends in thought and institutions. This book analyzes the nature of social forces, complexity of causation and the interdependence of change and continuity in the light of the crucial transition from ancient to early medieval India, with the emergence of the Delhi Sultanate and the Vijayanagar-Bahmani kingdoms. Proceeding to detail the most effervescent period in Indian history - the era of the great Mughals - the text provides an insight into the ideological-philosophical basis of the times, focusing on the Sufi and Bhakti movements, and culminates with the rise of the Marathas, the advent of European companies, and the eventual establishment of the British in Bengal. keeping in mind that the history of medieval India has not moved in a linear fashion, and that much of the period saw phases of expansion and realignment of political attributes, this book contributes to a deeper understanding of the much misread period of Indian history with a view that takes into account the resultant interface between the political, social, economic, religious and cultural elements and devotes to this crucial period the attention it deserves.
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