The other side of the Nirala storyPart I

Last week's column ('VIPs, victims and us') generated more mail than the average. I wrote about three separate incidents -- one in Lahore, another in Islamabad, and one in Karachi -- that were indicative of the abuse of power and privilege in this country but the one that clearly seemed to hit a nerve was the one related to Faisal Farooq, young CEO of Nirala Sweets, the well-known confectionary company with branches across the country and even in Dubai. The response from the readers clearly deserved a follow-up.

First, though, I would like to thank all the readers who wrote in. Due to time constraints I may not be able to respond to all of them as I want to do but I do read all the missives and do appreciate the time and the effort taken to write them. So, once again, thank you. Moving on.

To recap (for a fuller account please read last week's piece and the other newspaper accounts that have appeared over the last two weeks) Faisal Farooq drives his car into a Honda City forcing it to hit a tree. Three adults are injured (with multiple fractures) and a two-month old baby dies as a result of the accident. The young CEO does not remain at the scene of the accident for too long and takes off. Subsequently, newspapers report his threats to and physical attacks (with the help of relatives and guards) on the victims' family.

Most of the people writing in were fully supportive of the ensuing SMS and email driven call to boycott Nirala products and establishments that has been making the rounds (and which I endorsed). However, there were other accounts of the incident, forwarded to me, purporting to give us the other side of the story. One came from a Lahore-based management professor and consultant and in the spirit of fairness it deserves an airing in print. For reasons of space, I cannot repeat the whole epistle, but I'll quote at length as follows:

"Yours is not the only mail to have swept across the country and more in the wake of this

colossal tragedy. However, you may be more mature than the average joe (including many of my ex-students) who seem to have nothing better than do than indulge in wanton character assassination totally oblivious of even the most basic requirements of our faith and of basic decency.

"It is well nigh impossible for anyone, even half-mad to race a car [at the site of the accident]. The particular crossing where this terrible tragedy occurred is just designed for accidents to occur, which they do with alarming frequency. It's a sad country though, where laws have absolutely no value. Those who exceed speed limits (where posted) certainly break the law but those who insist on carrying babies and toddlers in their arms, sometimes even in the driver's seats commit something much worse.

"No one can claim to be unaffected by the little one's demise whether we have our own kids or not, but the basic fact remains that it was an accident. The only real problem of course is that the driver of one of the cars happened to drive a Porsche. The press which sadly for all of us includes some inveterate and shameless blackmailers obviously cannot imagine or tolerate anyone driving a Porsche.

Neither can the many yuppies safely ensconced in their cocoons of greed lining Karachi and Lahore's corporate boulevards. Many of the heartless sources who went on an email and SMS rampage are my ex-students. I can safely say that not a single one of them has ever done anything that would remotely suggest that they had a heart or any compassion for the less endowed. They do all however want Porsches and even Sadequains, illiterate about art as they may be.

"The facts will be clear if anyone bothers to use a shred of intelligence but the one big mistake that young man driving the Porsche made was to go to the hospital along with his ailing father, who is one of the most compassionate souls I know. Their decency to atone for an unimaginable tragedy landed them with false accusations and there appear to be enough mudrakers [sic] for now to make sure the family of the kid cannot even grieve in privacy and peace. I'm saddened by the loss of one so young but I am also deeply saddened by what so-called educated people are doing. It is no better than what happened to blacks when they were lynched by whites in the deep south of the USA simply because they were black.

"Faisal Farooq is being lynched by a thoughtless and mostly immoral media; the fact that many young people are joining the fray without the slightest thought for the facts surely augurs terribly for our country. May I suggest that much as it wasn't his fault, all of us, including the happy lynchers pause, think, and ask Faisal to donate a TCF (The Citizens Foundation) school in the deceased baby's memory. For Rs5 million he will earn both 'deen' and 'duniya'.

"Though nothing will bring the baby back, the parents may also feel a sense of peace at knowing that their kid's memory is giving so many other kids a chance in this sad, brutal land. One basic fact I did not stress: the gent does not drink at all. There were also at least four eye witnesses who can vouch that there was no race whatsoever. And I can vouch that the gent has an 18-year safe driving record. I trust you will at least find it fair and responsible to circulate this mail to as many of your friends who so eagerly wrote to you and others destroying the reputation of a young man who has much to offer this society."

Do keep in mind that the above comes from a person who has a close working relationship with Faisal Farooq (with the latter having gone on record to name the business professor and management consultant as one of his major influences in life) and so William Blake springs to mind: I was angry with my friend:/I told my wrath, my wrath did end./I was angry with my foe;/I told it not, my wrath did grow. [from A Poison Tree].

Nevertheless, this long, impassioned plea which sings the praises of young Mr Farooq deserves a detailed, considered response.



(To be continued)



The writer is a banker and freelance writer. Email: khusro_m@yahoo.co.uk