TEEN Talwar (three swords) is one of Karachi’s well-known landmarks. When exactly was it built and who was involved in its construction? On Nov 4, 1974, Dawn in its report highlighted that a national monument sanctioned for the city was being built at Girami Chowk on Clifton Road. The Rs1.2 million project was being handled by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and was likely to complete by end of 1975. Progress to date (Nov 1974) was stated to be 10 per cent.

The report added: “The monument consists of three pylons symbolising the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s motto of unity, faith and discipline. Each of three pylons resembles a sword with its hilt in the ground representing the valor and bravery of the Pakistani nation. They are interconnected 14½ feet above ground to convey that ‘united we stand’. They are not in a straight line. The second is eight feet ahead of the first, while the third is a further eight feet ahead of the second — to signify the nation’s will to keep a constant onward march to progress, stability and strength. The pylons will rise to a height of 62 feet from the crown of the road and will therefore be visible from a long distance.” Architects claimed that the beauty of the monument rested on its sculptural and well-balanced forms which would produce different perspectives as vehicles passed around the chowk.

The country was in focus the same day in another event as well when the chief minister of Sindh, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi called upon the students to prepare for supreme sacrifices for the sake of Pakistan’s solidarity and independence. He was addressing the students of the University of Karachi (KU) at a ceremony held to mark the handing over of a fleet of new buses for the institution. The chief minister remarked: “Our generation gave sacrifices in blood and tears to establish a homeland for Muslims. It is now the duty of the younger generation to see that no harm is done to it.” He asked the pupils to have a ‘sentimental’ view of issues facing them or the country.

In a similar vein, on Nov 8, Justice Nurul Arfin urged the scholars of the country to revive Allama Iqbal’s message of Islamic brotherhood to make the country stronger. Speaking at a National Centre function which marked the beginning of Iqbal Day celebrations in Karachi, he opined that Iqbal’s message had the vision and solutions for present social and political problems faced by the nation.

On the cultural front, on Nov 5, an exhibition of renowned painter Colin David’s artworks opened at the Indus Gallery. The show, containing a dozen canvases focusing on human anatomy, spoke about the artist’s overall approach to life and art. In a critic’s words, “In painting the female form, the artist seems to exercise considerable sensual restraint, concentrating all the time on compositional dialects and overtones rather than beauty of the flesh. In order to highlight a sense of distance between human and abstract images, David makes the skillful use of geometrical forms — squares and cylindrical chequered blocks.”

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2024