JUST BEFORE MONDAY
...Pakistani journalist Mehr Tarar tells Gargi Gupta. Her book reflects on the state of politics, religion and society in modern day Pakistan
Book: Do We Not Bleed?: Reflections Of A 21st Century Pakistani
Author: Mehr Tarar
Publisher: Aleph
Pages: 299
Price: 599
Mehr Tarar is among the better known Pakistani journalists in India – she writes regular columns in newspapers here and appears on TV, speaks frankly about the issues and troubles in her country (not to forget the fracas over her Twitter exchange with Sunanda Pushkar shortly before her death). The current book contains short essays on various aspects of contemporary Pakistan – religious oppression, honour killings, Islamicist violence, the vacuousness of society's upper circles, etc. It is both close-focussed and wide-angled, passionate and reasoned, hopeful and pessimistic, painting a complex reality of a country pulled in many directions. Edited Excerpts:
This book is a continuation of my columns: my perspective on myriad issues around me. Writing a book gave me scope to look at things in a more in-depth manner, and to present stories of people whose experiences, trials and tribulations are relatable anywhere: the universality of love, pain, survival, overcoming the odds.
There are no real constraints on media freedom as long as you know how to put across your point of view. I've consistently written about the ills plaguing Pakistan – religiously driven issues, governmental failures, flawed policies of the establishment – without facing any backlash. Pointing out bad things with an intention of seeing improvement, and highlighting flaws looking at all angles of the narrative are what differentiate healthy criticism from gratuitous trashing.
There are countless stories of women doing great things and leaving a huge impact on perspectives and narratives of women in Pakistan; Shazia Mushtaq and Muniba Mazari in my book are two examples. Pakistan is predominately a patriarchal society with many regressive ideas about women, but there's a slow and steady change, which is evident in presence of women in almost all fields of life today.
I spoke as a woman, not as a former journalist. Any film that deals with a woman-centric issue in the backdrop of a regressive set-up needs support from everyone in a predominately male-dominated society, yours or mine.
In every media house, the number of females is quite high. There are women working in all fields: editors, anchors, reporters, producers, content-writers.
Most books by Pakistanis simply present the reality as the writer sees it; there is no conscious attempt at least on my part to sensationalise my writing with "bitter truths". Most lives, anywhere in the world, are an amalgamation of black and white, good and bad, dark and light. This is what I try to encapsulate in my writing, and people respond to that. It doesn't matter where they are from; it is how a story affects them.
I became known in India because of a horrible tragedy. I've been very fortunate though; I've been to India four times since 2015, and all I got from people was love, warmth and friendship. I write for an Indian media house, I've appeared as a panellist on many talk shows, and I've been to three conferences/festivals. Other than occasional trolling on Twitter, I've had nothing but huge positivity from Indians. People in this age have enough sense to sift through media reports and come to their own conclusions; they give me nothing but love and respect. My heartfelt thank you to all Indians whom I've met in person and online, you guys rock!
Happy Kiss Day 2025: Wishes, WhatsApp messages, images, quotes to share with your lover
Why Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of Champions Trophy 2025? Report says Ajit Agarkar...
Meet woman, who studied 17-18 hours daily, cracked UPSC in sixth attempt with AIR..., she is...
DNA TV Show: Delhi Police searches for AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in threat case
ICC Champions Trophy 2025 warm-up fixtures: Will India play any practice game before mega event?
Meet man, IIT graduate, who once worked at Google, OpenAI, now owns...
BTC X8 Bumex Review 2025: Scam or Legit Trading Platform? Quick Facts!
AR Rahman comments on future of music, worries about THIS genre: 'We have lost all…’
UPSC introduces changes in online application process after aspirants' complaints; check here
TRAI's BIG move, introduces new rules against pesky calls, messages, fines telcos for...
Vir Das breaks his silence on India’s Got Latent controversy: 'A good artist will always…'
Who was Kim Rieul? Korean designer behind BTS and MONSTA X’s modern hanboks passes away at 32
Trade Compliance Meets Cybersecurity: Forensic Strategies for Risk Management
Enabling governance to organizations within AWS marketplace: A look at private marketplace
R Madhavan makes BIG STATEMENT about his bank account: 'I don't know how much I have and...'
Asense Interior: Celebrating 11 Years of Redefining Luxury Interiors in Bengaluru
Snow Moon 2025: When and how to witness February's full moon tonight? Know here
Kiss Day 2025: Why do we celebrate this day? Know history and significance
DNA Verified: Is Rashtrapati Bhavan hosting a wedding for the FIRST time? Know truth here
India's retail inflation slows to 4.31 per cent in January due to...
WATCH: Maha Kumbh girl Mona Lisa starts training before filming her 1st movie alongside Anupam Kher
Radhika Merchant stuns in blue and green suit at MahaKumbh Mela, it costs Rs....
BIG move by Mukesh Ambani, Reliance partners with US company, set to drive...
IND v ENG: Why are India and England players wearing green arm bands in 3rd ODI at Ahmedabad?
Tripti Dimri sets major beachwear goals in Maldives; can you guess price of her swimsuit?
Mitolyn Supplement Reviews: Ingredients, benefits, side effects, purple peel exploit
Gaurav Sharma: Visionary leader driving cybersecurity excellence
All About Details: Turning ordinary outfits into statement looks
Duolingo owl is dead? Launguage learning app urges users to respect Dua Lipa's privacy, know why
Why digitisation is necessary in construction industry and why its adoption remains slow
Meet IIT-JEE topper, who created record in Odisha by scoring 99.98 percentile, aims to join...
When is Shab-e-Barat 2025 – February 13 or 14? Check history, significance
THIS is India's last railway station where train never stops, know why
GBS outbreak: Mumbai reports its first death due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Ram Gopal Varma questions Rajinikanth's acting, says 'I don’t know if he can exist without...'
Who was Acharya Satyendra Das? Ayodhya Ram temple's chief priest who passed away in Lucknow
Old wedding card mentioning IIT degrees of couple creates buzz on social media; see viral post
Chunky Panday says Shatrughan Sinha advised him to 'make people wait': 'If you are punctual...'
UP Court summons Rahul Gandhi on March 24 over 2022 remarks against Army
Indian consulate in Marseille to strengthen 'people-to-people ties': PM Modi
India’s Top 5 Richest YouTubers: Know who’s earning more than Samay Raina and Ranveer Allahbadia?
Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Mittal are working to revolutionise mobile calling in India by...
DNA TV Show: UP CM Yogi Adityanath's multi-level plan for Maghi Purnima
Tejasswi Prakash reveals why she joined Celebrity MasterChef: 'I am obsessed with...'
Delhi-NCR schools holiday: Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, schools closed tomorrow due to...
'We can teach children AI but...': Sudha Murty urges govt to provide funds to schools to promote...
THIS startup gives whopping bonus to employees for loyalty, they get Rs...