'I will never join politics in Pakistan'

In hindsight after an engaging conversation with Fatima Bhutto itrsquos possible to believe the adage that the pen is mightier than the sword An hour earlier we were unsure what to expect when we walked into a Mumbai fivestar hotel for our meeting with the highprofile author who is dressed in a crisp pastel Aline kurta that complements her complexion and petite frame But we soon realize that there is much more to the striking articulate and passionate Pakistani than the tag of her nationrsquos most famous political surname PicsBipin Kokate ldquoBombay is like Karachi in so many waysrdquo she remarks We are off to a good start ldquoThe humidity the people the buzz therersquos a familiarity that greets you alwaysrdquo she continues telling us about ferrying friendsrsquo shopping lists from Karachi her home ldquoIrsquoll have to squeeze in a visit to Colaba somehow And where will you find Kolhapuris she asks in a flash We share a few addresses and then some more She refers to the city by its old name asking at one point ldquoWhat do you call it nowrdquo But our city rendezvous must wait For now we switch gears to her current big moment the launch of her debut fiction novel The Shadow of the Crescent Moon Why fiction we ask especially after successful works in poetry and nonfiction ldquoI hadnrsquot planned to write fiction In fact I had begun work already on a nonfiction title set in Karachi But somewhere I was disturbed by what was going on around me witnessing it as a journalist writer and a world citizen particularly the scene in South Asia and its women who seemed to be at the centre of turbulence The idea was always on my mindrdquo she shares telling us how the book was written in separate sittings before Songs of Blood and Sword was published The nonfictional woman The book set in Mir Ali in Pakistanrsquos North West Frontier Province is an insightful walk through of the life and times in a region that has been scarred by incorrect public perceptions and skewed media reportage and ruled by a heartless state Yet the universality of the theme and its characters especially the women struck a chord despite being based in a faroff landscape ldquoIrsquove discovered that with fiction the ideas didnrsquot matter so itrsquos my characters who dictated terms for this story Women are important to my writing Be it in Pakistan India Bangladesh Sri Lanka or Afghanistan they are in the eye of the storm in the government and in society they are forced into scenarios but they fight back Secondly women also face betrayal at all levels in society with their loved ones and during lossrdquo Little wonder then that in the book Mira middle brother Sikandarrsquos wife is her favourite character ldquoShe disturbed me initially I found her unsettling but as the story progressed she became my hero As in real life women do not let you decide itrsquos impossible to pin them downrdquo she grins By now we are well into the heart of the story Mir Ali the symbol of the other lesserknown Pakistan ldquoItrsquos the story of many places I could have set it in Peshawar or any other familiar name but I chose not to because I wanted to drive home the point that even in those isolated gunriddled zones issues are similar to the ones we face in our cities This is a South Asian story we all feel these tensions Drawing borders is a Western concept Asia with its ancient evolved civilizations thrived without these divisions for centuriesrdquo The Shadow of the Crescent Moon Fatima Bhuttou00a0Penguin Rs 499 Her fatherrsquos daughter The book is a dedication to Fatimarsquos late father Murtaza Bhutto and so naturally talk veers to his impact on her life and her writing ldquoI was lucky to have a feminist father He would always read to me When I was 11 for a school project I had written stories in a coloured storybook format I recall how he bent backwards to ensure that it got published He always told me to do what I loved and to say what one thinks and feelsrdquo Her voice firms up ldquoHe taught us that if we wanted to be political it was through writing My family always taught me the value of compassionrdquo Voice of reason So is the book a reality check for Pakistan and an instrument for the world to look at this region with the same compassion we ask ldquoIt should I too had my prejudices like the rest When I travelled to the Kalash Valley in Northern Pakistan I imagined the people to be dangerous and the kinds who oppressed their women It was untrue instead a matriarchal system prevailed that had been followed for centuries Women had voted since the 1970s and continued to play a huge role in society ldquoSecondly I believe there is this sentiment in Pakistan that violence has a purpose But as soon as you employ violence there is no space for compassion it destroys the very foundation of what we are striving to achieve peace and compassionrdquou00a0Itrsquos easy to gauge the pride with which she wears her nationalism dignified yet rocksolid but not on her sleeve Her Pakistan is increasingly and uncomfortably becoming a state that suppresses the emergence of new voices ldquoItrsquos always the same fourfive people speaking Millions are muted the poor minorities and women So who is leftrdquo she leaves the question open ldquoCorruption violence and unfairness are not helping Pakistanrsquos case Secondly the notion of community must be expanded Because Irsquove noticed that when people in our society are in trouble they look to their neighbours friends extended family or local heads for help but never the police This must changerdquo And does she see herself as this voice of change by joining politics ldquoNever My dream job was to be a writer I will keep writing about these things especially violence towards women Itrsquos my calling Itrsquos a frightening idea that fear prevails even in a simple act like walking down a road be it in a village or a metro We must keep talking about this at every platformrdquo Same difference At that juncture we mention the impact and role of Pakistani authors at literary festivals worldwide and particularly in India Having interacted with several of them their unified heartwarming take on the other burning issue IndoPak ties stands out Fatima Bhutto is no different ldquoYes it is the handiwork of a selfish few and the larger majority on both sides want the same thing peace friendship and easy exchange of ideas The two peoples are very alike Even our cities look the same Like the yellowand black traffic curbs on Bombayrsquos roads can be spotted in Karachi I was amazed to find someone from Larkana my hometown right here in Bombay Our food culture and people are the same too The intimacy that we share with each otherrsquos lives is amazingrdquo she maintains ldquoOur concept of leaving home is huge our beliefs about time home duties and responsibilities are so similarrdquo Fatima tells us recalling how she had to go to great lengths to reason with a Britisher who had read her book about how people from our parts who leave home are looked at and treated differently ldquoItrsquos lovely to be in India because I donrsquot need to explain anythingrdquo she smiles taking our leave Wersquoll believeu00a0 Quick Takes gtgt If you had to write the biography of a personality it would be It would have to be a poet because I find them compelling I grew up reading works of greats like the Lebanese Nizar Kabhani and Palestinian Mahmud Dervish gtgtu00a0Favourite Indian city There are so many but Irsquod go with Bombay I visited the city as a teenager but in 2005 as an adult and since then I like the vibe This city helped me fall in love with India Irsquove never felt more welcome as a Pakistani here in India than when Irsquove travelled to any other place in the world gtgtu00a0Favourite food in India I like the vegetarian thalis in Bombay I also love dosas and idlis You get dosas in Pakistan but not idlis so I got myself an idli maker the last time I was in India Madras kaapi is another of my favourites gtgtu00a0Favourite way to unwind Reading gtgtu00a0Favourite author u00a0Agha Shahid Ali Hector Abad Irsquom reading Jerry Pintorsquos Em and the Big Hoom right now and like it so far gtgtu00a0Favourite filmactor I wouldnrsquot want to waste two hours on a film I prefer watching TV shows Irsquove just completed Breaking Bad and loved it I like such shows for their structure and flow itrsquos where we authors find our inspiration Winks