Daku Day and Paindu Day in NUST-SEECS
Posted: Sunday 7 May 2017 by Hellllbender in
0
Celebrating Daku Day? Paindu Day?
Let us call upon logic. Paindu Day. Paindu. The word is derived from the Punjabi word “pind” which means “village”. A paindu is essentially a person who is “from the village” and lacks “culture”. The general usage of the word is in a negative connotation. The average urbanized and educated person uses the label of “paindu” for anyone who they believe lacks class and sophistication. The word is a desi parallel to words such as redneck and hillbilly. Meanwhile daku is the desi term for a dacoit i.e. an armed robber. And this is where the problem begins.
Just about everything about the celebration of these two days, seems wrong and illogical. From the fact that many of the kids were wearing bindi while posing as dakus (I mean how many dakus have you ever known who wear bindi, no really?), to the fact that most of the people - especially the ladies - who were posing as paindus, would rather chew on a rotting snake before they’d be caught acting paindu in their routine lives. While I categorically stress that neither gender likes to be called paindu, my special mention of the ladies is for a reason. Take a moment and recall the last time you heard two educated, female students (in NUST, for example) converse in Punjabi (since that is the prevalent language here, but you get equal points for any other regional language as well). Now count how many such incidents you have ever witnessed. In your entire life. That, is what I am talking about. Now let us take a brief look at the situation of the kids who have been partaking in the Paindu Day and Daku Day festivities.
Yay complex shuda log (not all, obviously, but many and enough) jo angrezi say neechay baat karna apni toheen samajhtay hain, jinmay say kuch ko tow Urdu tak parhni nahi ati, let alone writing it (and let alone having the confidence to speak in their own mother tongues), ab paindu ban kay khush ho rahay hain sirf is liay kioonkay yay aik event hay jismay inhay negatively judge honay ka dar nahi? Wohi log, jo kisi ka accent sun kar usay paindu label kar kay uska mazak uratay hain, ab khud wohi ban rahay hain because it’s a “thing”? Before you try and argue with me regarding anything I just said, make sure 100% of all these “paindus” and “dakus” are capable of reading and writing in Urdu, and routinely speak Punjabi or their mother tongues in the presence of their classmates in university. Make sure you are certain they all prefer to sport the same cultural items (such as turbans and parandas, which they wore on Paindu Day), or at least prefer wearing their national dress at welcomes, farewells, and other official events. Make sure the gents among them have been known to wear shalwar kameez with waist coats while delivering presentations and while going for job interviews. Also make sure you are certain none of them has ever made fun of someone else for being a “paindu” previously. Realize the fact that you are offending those who are literally “from a pind” or backward areas and who lack the financial resources as well as the exposure to have the same fashion sense as you do. Realize the fact that you are offending those have ever encountered a daku. And after that, take a look with me at the main culprit here: NUST.
Yay wohi university hay jahan sardion may mardon ko chaadar orhnay ki ijazat nahee thee (at least back in our time; I hear the ban may no longer be existent) kioonkay yay “dehshat gardon” ka libas hay (read: security concerns, because the NUSTian authorities somehow figured that a suicide bomber or someone carrying concealed weapons could do so only while wearing a chaadar, not a jacket), aur ab yahan bachay daku-daku khail rahay hay. Wo university, jo Valentine’s Day ko celebrate naheen karnay daiti, wo Daku Day pay razi hay? Yani behayai aur burai, dow mukhtalif cheezain hogai hain ab? I am not talking religion here, I’m talking principle. If couples aren’t allowed to show public displays of affection on V-Day, why are kids allowed to pose as dakus? Have we forgotten what dakus are, what they are capable of and what they do/have done? Surely someone seen giving roses to their “love”, is less threatening and less damaging to the society than someone posing as a daku? Mazeed baraan, NUST nay agar LUMS ki koi cheez naqal karni he thee, tow Daku Day he kioon? Why not the bit where their administration treats the students like humans and not flea infested dogs?
Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you I am all for women rights and equality (those close to me know full well my views on the matter), but I distance myself from the label “feminist”, which I reserve for people who take unwarranted offense at anything on the pretext of it being offensive and threatening to women. The surprising part is that even these feminists, both ladies and gents, are also among those enjoying playing “daku” when one would expect them to be principally opposed to posing as dakus, since the female victims of armed robbery easily outnumber the male victims. What? Oh it’s all in good fun? You’re not ACTUALLY going to go rob, beat, and/or kill someone, it’s just role-play? You are just holding toy guns and not real ones? Aaach. Thehro. Seeing your enthusiastic participation and your argument in favour of Daku Day (and Paindu Day), and knowing that you have been brainwashed by the media which is glamorizing dakus, both fictional (Robin Hood) as well as non-fictional (Bonnie and Clyde, Jesse James), may I propose a Rape Day and Druggie Day? Why don’t the men chase the ladies (and even the other way around, if anyone feels like; we are after all, proponents of gender equality) in mock harassment, and let them hold empty bottles labelled “roofie”, because if toy guns are a harmless gesture, so is an empty bottle labelled with an infamous date rape drug. Let the kids snort talcum powder while posing as druggies. Harmless fun, equally justified since no one’s actually going to be raping anyone, or taking drugs. Right? No? Because one wrong is “wronger” than another wrong? Or because the wrong you enjoy and subjectively consider to be right, is not wrong? Is the game of emulating rape, taboo because the crime of rape is much worse than that of armed robbery? The answer to this question isn’t as simple as it might seem.
If you are triggered by the “suggestion” of a Rape Day (and I am obviously making a point here, let your outraged heads not lead you to believe anything to the contrary) but not a Daku Day, then that is exactly the problem I am essentially trying to highlight, for I am focusing on a matter of principle. Posing as a daku isn’t going to turn anyone into a robber, and the same is true for Druggie Day or Rape Day. But on a matter of principle, I am objecting to celebrating either. Symbolism works both ways. Drugs are wrong, rape is wrong, armed robbery is wrong, murder is wrong. Posing or joking about any wrong, is wrong. Saying you can have harmless fun while pretending to be druggies or dakus, is EQUALLY wrong. Please don’t make a distinction between wrongs as far as opposing them is concerned. Have the integrity to vehemently oppose a wrong even if it is not much in magnitude. Rape alone, is a far more horrendous act than armed robbery alone, yes. But the only time that distinction is valid and necessary, is if you are given a choice between being raped, and being robbed. Perhaps not even then. Let us not forget armed robbers have no moral code and are not obliged to “merely” rob you. Practically they are free to, and in fact do indulge in worse, which includes verbal harassment, physical harassment, sexual harassment, and murder. There are plenty of dakus who commit rape during their dakas. In a way, this makes dakus even worse than “mere” rapists. No, do NOT twist this out of context. Go back and read again the build-up to my previous sentence. And if you think that there is a distinct line which separates the rapists from the dakus, making the latter somehow less taboo, you need to ask someone to slap you thrice on the head so you can wake up, because a rapist may rob the victim, while a daku may rape the victim. The fact that you “dakus” would abhor either label, daku as well as rapist, to be associated with your parents despite not having the same level of hate for both labels, is the final nail in the coffin of your argument and is reason enough for you to question yourself why you should pose as neither of the two.
Whatever happened to principles? Or are we all mindless zombies now, getting carried away by whatever is the prevalent trend? Wake up.
Celebrating Daku Day? Paindu Day? You deserve no respect.
Let us call upon logic. Paindu Day. Paindu. The word is derived from the Punjabi word “pind” which means “village”. A paindu is essentially a person who is “from the village” and lacks “culture”. The general usage of the word is in a negative connotation. The average urbanized and educated person uses the label of “paindu” for anyone who they believe lacks class and sophistication. The word is a desi parallel to words such as redneck and hillbilly. Meanwhile daku is the desi term for a dacoit i.e. an armed robber. And this is where the problem begins.
Just about everything about the celebration of these two days, seems wrong and illogical. From the fact that many of the kids were wearing bindi while posing as dakus (I mean how many dakus have you ever known who wear bindi, no really?), to the fact that most of the people - especially the ladies - who were posing as paindus, would rather chew on a rotting snake before they’d be caught acting paindu in their routine lives. While I categorically stress that neither gender likes to be called paindu, my special mention of the ladies is for a reason. Take a moment and recall the last time you heard two educated, female students (in NUST, for example) converse in Punjabi (since that is the prevalent language here, but you get equal points for any other regional language as well). Now count how many such incidents you have ever witnessed. In your entire life. That, is what I am talking about. Now let us take a brief look at the situation of the kids who have been partaking in the Paindu Day and Daku Day festivities.
Yay complex shuda log (not all, obviously, but many and enough) jo angrezi say neechay baat karna apni toheen samajhtay hain, jinmay say kuch ko tow Urdu tak parhni nahi ati, let alone writing it (and let alone having the confidence to speak in their own mother tongues), ab paindu ban kay khush ho rahay hain sirf is liay kioonkay yay aik event hay jismay inhay negatively judge honay ka dar nahi? Wohi log, jo kisi ka accent sun kar usay paindu label kar kay uska mazak uratay hain, ab khud wohi ban rahay hain because it’s a “thing”? Before you try and argue with me regarding anything I just said, make sure 100% of all these “paindus” and “dakus” are capable of reading and writing in Urdu, and routinely speak Punjabi or their mother tongues in the presence of their classmates in university. Make sure you are certain they all prefer to sport the same cultural items (such as turbans and parandas, which they wore on Paindu Day), or at least prefer wearing their national dress at welcomes, farewells, and other official events. Make sure the gents among them have been known to wear shalwar kameez with waist coats while delivering presentations and while going for job interviews. Also make sure you are certain none of them has ever made fun of someone else for being a “paindu” previously. Realize the fact that you are offending those who are literally “from a pind” or backward areas and who lack the financial resources as well as the exposure to have the same fashion sense as you do. Realize the fact that you are offending those have ever encountered a daku. And after that, take a look with me at the main culprit here: NUST.
Yay wohi university hay jahan sardion may mardon ko chaadar orhnay ki ijazat nahee thee (at least back in our time; I hear the ban may no longer be existent) kioonkay yay “dehshat gardon” ka libas hay (read: security concerns, because the NUSTian authorities somehow figured that a suicide bomber or someone carrying concealed weapons could do so only while wearing a chaadar, not a jacket), aur ab yahan bachay daku-daku khail rahay hay. Wo university, jo Valentine’s Day ko celebrate naheen karnay daiti, wo Daku Day pay razi hay? Yani behayai aur burai, dow mukhtalif cheezain hogai hain ab? I am not talking religion here, I’m talking principle. If couples aren’t allowed to show public displays of affection on V-Day, why are kids allowed to pose as dakus? Have we forgotten what dakus are, what they are capable of and what they do/have done? Surely someone seen giving roses to their “love”, is less threatening and less damaging to the society than someone posing as a daku? Mazeed baraan, NUST nay agar LUMS ki koi cheez naqal karni he thee, tow Daku Day he kioon? Why not the bit where their administration treats the students like humans and not flea infested dogs?
Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you I am all for women rights and equality (those close to me know full well my views on the matter), but I distance myself from the label “feminist”, which I reserve for people who take unwarranted offense at anything on the pretext of it being offensive and threatening to women. The surprising part is that even these feminists, both ladies and gents, are also among those enjoying playing “daku” when one would expect them to be principally opposed to posing as dakus, since the female victims of armed robbery easily outnumber the male victims. What? Oh it’s all in good fun? You’re not ACTUALLY going to go rob, beat, and/or kill someone, it’s just role-play? You are just holding toy guns and not real ones? Aaach. Thehro. Seeing your enthusiastic participation and your argument in favour of Daku Day (and Paindu Day), and knowing that you have been brainwashed by the media which is glamorizing dakus, both fictional (Robin Hood) as well as non-fictional (Bonnie and Clyde, Jesse James), may I propose a Rape Day and Druggie Day? Why don’t the men chase the ladies (and even the other way around, if anyone feels like; we are after all, proponents of gender equality) in mock harassment, and let them hold empty bottles labelled “roofie”, because if toy guns are a harmless gesture, so is an empty bottle labelled with an infamous date rape drug. Let the kids snort talcum powder while posing as druggies. Harmless fun, equally justified since no one’s actually going to be raping anyone, or taking drugs. Right? No? Because one wrong is “wronger” than another wrong? Or because the wrong you enjoy and subjectively consider to be right, is not wrong? Is the game of emulating rape, taboo because the crime of rape is much worse than that of armed robbery? The answer to this question isn’t as simple as it might seem.
If you are triggered by the “suggestion” of a Rape Day (and I am obviously making a point here, let your outraged heads not lead you to believe anything to the contrary) but not a Daku Day, then that is exactly the problem I am essentially trying to highlight, for I am focusing on a matter of principle. Posing as a daku isn’t going to turn anyone into a robber, and the same is true for Druggie Day or Rape Day. But on a matter of principle, I am objecting to celebrating either. Symbolism works both ways. Drugs are wrong, rape is wrong, armed robbery is wrong, murder is wrong. Posing or joking about any wrong, is wrong. Saying you can have harmless fun while pretending to be druggies or dakus, is EQUALLY wrong. Please don’t make a distinction between wrongs as far as opposing them is concerned. Have the integrity to vehemently oppose a wrong even if it is not much in magnitude. Rape alone, is a far more horrendous act than armed robbery alone, yes. But the only time that distinction is valid and necessary, is if you are given a choice between being raped, and being robbed. Perhaps not even then. Let us not forget armed robbers have no moral code and are not obliged to “merely” rob you. Practically they are free to, and in fact do indulge in worse, which includes verbal harassment, physical harassment, sexual harassment, and murder. There are plenty of dakus who commit rape during their dakas. In a way, this makes dakus even worse than “mere” rapists. No, do NOT twist this out of context. Go back and read again the build-up to my previous sentence. And if you think that there is a distinct line which separates the rapists from the dakus, making the latter somehow less taboo, you need to ask someone to slap you thrice on the head so you can wake up, because a rapist may rob the victim, while a daku may rape the victim. The fact that you “dakus” would abhor either label, daku as well as rapist, to be associated with your parents despite not having the same level of hate for both labels, is the final nail in the coffin of your argument and is reason enough for you to question yourself why you should pose as neither of the two.
Whatever happened to principles? Or are we all mindless zombies now, getting carried away by whatever is the prevalent trend? Wake up.
Celebrating Daku Day? Paindu Day? You deserve no respect.
Written by: Zain Shah