Intellectual ties

Irfan Habib is a renowned emeritus professor at the Aligarh Muslim University, India. His work on Indian history is impressive and he is considered among the top experts in the field worldwide. In a recent note to a friend of mine in Tharparkar he wrote: “I regret that despite writing a book [on the] Indus Civilization, I have never been able to see a major Indus site, let alone Mohenjo Daro”. It would be wonderful if the Sindh government, with a nod from Islamabad, were to invite Professor Habib for a visit to all the sites of historical interest along the Indus.

We should also think of this visit as a way to rebuild bridges with India that have been damaged in the past few years. Such a trip would of course help to enliven historical scholarship here by facilitating Professor Habib’s interaction with local academics and giving his own work a new platform and audience.

Q Isa Daudpota

Islamabad