Review: Do We Not Bleed? Reflections of a 21-st Century Pakistani

Do We Not Bleed? Reflections of a 21-st Century Pakistani by Mehr Tarar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is difficult to name a theme for the book. It is a little of this and that - about life in Pakistan. While the nation obviously has attracted a lot of criticism for it's support for religious extremism and terrorism - it is also a place where people have their dreams and aspirations. And that is at times forgotten.

A good section of the book has commentaries on feudal practices which are blatantly unfair to women. There are several painful stories of discrimination and violence. While the setting is Pakistan, quite obviously the lessons hold for the region and beyond. There is some very good material on inspiring Pakistanis such as Muniba Mazari who despite all odds, is today an inspiration for many. There is also some discussion on the rise of extremism and the impact on ordinary citizens - especially minorities (who have reduced from 21% or so when the nation was born to less than 3% today) who live in fear and are sceptical on being dealt with fairly by the law.

What I liked about the book is that the discussion is mature and fair - be it about what is wrong in Pakistan and in it's relations with other nations (especially India). It is clear that Mehr Tarar certainly means well. The major drawback of the book though is that there is no coherent flow and larger theme to hold the narrative together. And there was also potential to delve deeper into the rise of religious extremism and what could be done to counter it.

I found her section of Pakistan's relation with India to be a balanced viewpoint. It was also nice to read the influence Indian culture and films have had on her. The viewpoints from diverse personalities on the way forward is weak however, and some of the people she quotes have little or no credibility or standing in their own countries. I did like the viewpoints expressed by Syed Akbaruddin, Hussain Haqqani and Shekhar Gupta which stood above the rest.

A well meaning and very readable book which would have benefited with a better flow, more new material, crisper narrative in places and more imaginative expert opinions.

My rating: 3.5 / 5.

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