Learning and Life: Role Model of Forthrightness, Calm and Resourcefulness: Daud Khaloo

I can still hear the distinctive sound of Daud Khaloo's Java motor cycle coming from afar in 1970s calm and quiet Khawaja Nazimuddin Road portion of F-6/4 of Islamabad near China Chowk. It was the time when Shahrah-e-Quaid e Azam and the adjoining buildings now known as the Blue Area had not yet been constructed, nor were there any high rises on Khawaja Nazimuddin Road. The putt-putt of the Java motorcycle would announce his coming with Good Beti (Khala Jan) from the small bridge near our house in those clear, serene times of Islamabad. My mother and father would start issuing instructions on hearing this announcement to prepare for their reception.

Jawa motorcyle like this was brought by Daud Khaloo from USSR

What a man! I think the coolest temperament I have ever seen. Tower of strength and support for the family. Count on him during emergencies and crisis. His creativity and imagination used to become visible when he would tweak appliances, vehicles, water motor and other appliances with whatever tools that were available in the house without making fuss and creating a hoopla.

He once described how he along with friends in Allahbad went door to door canvassing for Pakistan idea of Muslim League before 1945 elections. He and thousands of other Muslim students made it possible for ML to win the Pakistan mandate through the elections. The results of these elections convinced the British government that Muslim League is indeed the sole representative of Indian Muslims.

In 1948 when the Indian army started its operation in the princely indpendent state of Hyderabad Deccan, my nani (maternal grandmother) and my maternal uncles (mamoo) and aunts (khalas) were in Bedar, Hyderabad. They had to flee the advancing army. Daud Khaloo came in and asked every one to leave immediately. Everyone just grabbed a few things that they can carry and left. His wife Good Khala Jan had three children. Youngest was about a year. The two others could walk. My mother and her younger sister were also in the group along with my Nani. My mother took the jewelry and put it in a bag, and they started running from the city. Once out of the city they were in fields and a sort of heavy growth of trees through which the family was hiding and running away from the advancing army. They could see the Indian forces advancing towards the city through the fields. They huddled down and spent the day in a small growth. Daud Khaloo noticed the bag containing the jewelry with my mother. He snatched that from her hands and threw it down a nearby well saying that you would get us all killed for this. At night rain came, and it became real difficult. The family was tired and hungry. Nani Jan sat down and refused to move unless his two sons (Rauf Mamoo, and Sardar Mamoo) join with them. These two mamoos were with the Razakars who were resisting the Indians. In desperation, Daud Khalu just picked up Nani Jan and carried her for the rest of the way till she decided to walk. Eventually, the two mamoos joined the party (where?) along with a cow cart full of guns and ammunition. Daud Khaloo got angry with them and got them to throw the arms down another well and asked them to just move with them. The group eventually would reach Bombay and would take the ship to Pakistan thanks to the help from Zafar Sharqi (who was a seaman and who assisted in getting them on ship (topic of another post). poet who would later write the rukhsati and sehra for my mother's wedding). Daud Khaloos stabilizing influence in leading this escape and migration to Pakistan is evident from his management to several crisis situations that they encountered.

Daud Khaloo was a erudite person and often gave long lectures. I had the honor to have been a recipient of his hours long lectures (monologues) through which I learned tremendously about concentration and warmth. However, despite my trying hard, I was often not able to connect his long winding discourse. This often would make others run away on one pretext or the other as soon as he started. I still recall vividly that long lecture describing the underlying issues and conflicts of "Gone With the Wind" in 1977 after we have come back from watching the movie from cinema in Rawalpindi. Still fresh with the vivid spectacle and experience of the epic, I could not connect with the deeper issues and conflicts that he was trying to explain. It will take me at least 5 years more when I would read the book to begin to appreciate some of his in depth analysis.

As I recall him, he was a person who was an embodiment of the following attributes as beautifully rendered by Ghalib:

Na suno gar bura kahe koi,
na kaho gar bura kare koi.
Hear not if evil someone speaks,
Retaliate not if evil someone does.

Rok lo gar ghalat chale koi,
Baksh do gar khata kare koi.
Restrain the man who goes astray,
Forgive, if someone is at fault.

He was wali of Allah as seen from his life, patience, relationships, and muamlaat.

May Allah give him the best of abodes in the hereafter. And make us worthy of following his example.
Aameen

[From Shah M Saleem, his son] 16 Rabi us Sani, 1999 is the day Abbu, Shah Muhammad Daud met his Creator. May Allah grant him Jannah and maghfirat . Ameen. Role model for me and it is nigh impossible for me to even follow in his footsteps. A person who made it possible for his family to get away safely from Indian army action in Bedar, Hyderabad Deccan in 1949 despite heavy odds. A self made person who financed his education by working on his land and then selling proceeds to pay for his fees from matric till Bachelors from University of Allahbad [date?]. Started from scratch in Karachi and then joining Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Went to serve in Embassy of Pakistan in Brazil, England, Afghanistan and Russia. Retired in 1980 and we all then came to Karachi.