Harking Back: The ageless wise Lahori and lure of 'mohallah'.

Many moons ago I had the pleasure of leaving with Syed Babar Ali from his Bazaar Hakeeman house in his car. As we drove along Kashmiri Bazaar he pointed out a shop saying 'this is where I came to get a turban for the coronation of George in Minto Park, then called Company Bagh'.

The connection of SBA to the old walled city is almost a century old now. He still cherishes and contributes to its welfare and people. As we drove past the mosque of Wazir Khan I pointed out the work of the Aga Khan Trust in the Gali Surjan Singh demonstration project. He wanted to see it for himself. So we walked into the lane slowly observing the excellent conservation work. At the dead end an old woman saw us and invited him to rest in her house for a cup of tea. As he settled in on a charpoy in front of an open door, he commented: 'What a peaceful friendly place, I wish I could live here'. It was unprompted from the heart. It were the feelings of a true Lahori connecting to his roots.

Just what is it about the old walled city that refuses to leave the inner soul of its dwellers? The stories and tales of past are countless, and all of them exist within the people of this unique city. My mother-in-law was a Kashmiri who participated in the pre-Partition election campaign of Mian Amiruddin against K.L. Gabba, his full name being Kanhiya Lala Gabba. After Partition he converted to Islam and became Khalid Latif Gabba and was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly. The verses recited by common folk during that campaign still live in the minds of old Lahoris.

One verse goes: 'Wah bhai wah, wah bhai wah, Amir Din da kulcha tay Gabbay de chai, ulliwallay paisay nu lag gai hawa, wah bhai wah'. (Cheers for Mian Amiruddin's 'kulcha' and Gabba's tea, for their moulding money finally saw fresh air). An amazingly scathing and true comment about both the candidates. It truly reflected the politics of old Lahore.

K.L. Gabba in 1947 scared of the mobs migrated to India, but returned to Lahore after a month, saying 'without Lahore I am nobody'. In his old age he again moved to India and died there. Khushwant Singh was to write: 'If K.L. Gabba had died in Lahore, half the city would be at his funeral, instead not even half a dozen mourned his death'.

But the people of Lahore depended on the warmth and safety of their 'mohallah'. It is the central 'mohallay-dari' that is the binding factor. If you walk along any bazaar of the old walled city, you will notice that at the end of...