Book Review

The self pride of Afghan (Da Afghan Nang)

By Ajmal Khattak

Price: Rs.50

Available at University Book Agency

Peshawar

Reviewed by Dr. Yaseen Iqbal Yousafzay

Daily Statesman Nov. 11, 2003: Being a popular name in Pakistani politics, Mr. Ajmal Khattak, has seen many ups and downs throughout his long political career extending to about half a century. His life is full of tortures and sufferings he went through at the hands of various governments and decades long self-exile but his association with leftist ideologies has always earned him more public criticism than support. Being a supporter of Pukhto plus Islam philosophy in Pukhtun politics, I always criticize un-Islamic political philosophies (including the one supported by Mr. Khattak’s) for a nation full of Islamic and pukhtun valour but his contribution to Pukhto language as a legendry revolutionary and nationalist poet and writer will always keep his name shinning like a unique star in the sky of Pukhto literature. He has developed his own school of thought in Pukhto literature influencing some very great poets of his time such as great Rahmat Shah Sayel and has therefore, secured a unique recognition among Pukhto lovers.

Today, sitting 7000 miles away from my home, I came across his great book “DA AFGHAN NANG” (The self Pride of Afghan). Being very close to Afghan refugees in UK for a while, I had the opportunity to learn about the way Afghan Pukhtuns think and live. Afghanistan has always been misunderstood as an easy target by several popular invaders like USSR, Alexander and many others but the case has always been the reverse. Being frontline defenders of their country for several centuries, Afghans have learnt to live with honour and dignity in spite of being thoroughly bombed and forced to seek refuge. In his this collection, Ajmal Khattak has been very successful in painting the harsh realities of Afghan lives they never deserved or expected but never let their national self-pride down.

This collection has 19 stories and each story is so unique with intelligently selected characters and artistically gathered realities of the war that the author never looses his contact with the original theme. He takes his reader very close to the actual sufferings Afghans went through and at occasions makes one cry but at the end of each and every story builds such a confidence that in some cases the reader learns the real meaning of self-pride and its national significance. His skill of using simple words with great fluency and continuity keeps each story completely distinct from every other but simultaneously retains the theme of the book very alive and intact. In agreement with my personal experience of living with Afghans who always keep their national self pride dear and most important to them than everything else, the author has proved in his stories that Afghans as a nation prefer to live anonymous lives when in exile and work hard to earn bread but never reveal their glorious past to anyone even at the worst moments of their history.

In spite of his deep association with politics, the author has been successful in keeping the book free from traces of politics which makes it representative of a true literary giant hidden in the personality of great Ajmal Khattak. I would like to advise every pukhtun to read the book and understand the meaning of self-pride and realize that how their blood brothers and sisters left their great country and how mercilessly everyone (including the author of the book) criticized them at the moments they were desperately looking for and deserving their enormous support.