The giant whose shoulders I stand on!

“From the sweetness of your words and sincerity to serve the people you will win Shakargarh hearts over” Dada advised me recently. He had added, “Listen patiently to people as this is the ground you stand on.

When I decided to enter politics in 1962, I came to my maternal village Shakargarh and stood alone in the shade of the tree watching over the beautiful landscape nestled on the border of Gurdaspur, and slowly a “qafla”of my support formed.

My grandfather recalled: “I came here to solve the problems of the oppressed and poor. Dadi Kathy, a graduate of Michigan University, also settled in Mary Pur to support Dada.

My Taya and Phuppo went to a local primary government school on horseback. “Mujhay Shahkargh ki mitti sey mohabbat hai” it’s in my blood, your father’s and now yours.”

My Dada’s house “Dera Anwar Aziz” has no gate. Large pillars give way to a big opening that is open to all the people of Shakargarh at all times. With a huge kitchen serving all who come in, huddled men having tea, coming into Dada’s room.

Whenever in the Village, I slept on the small bed in his room where phone would ring constantly and smoking men amidst a cloud of cigarette smoke. They came with issues, from broken transformers, police cases, school admissions, health emergencies, family conflicts and putting in a kind word. My Dada was passionate about resolving these issues, till his last days.

He would wake me with a gentle voice “Chaudhry Sb, people are waiting for you and we need to go”. I would accompany him for end less condolences, births, weddings, visiting the sick elders.

He gained his strength from spirituality. I visited Darbars of great saints --- Data Darbar, Barri Imam and Golra Sharif.

A month before his passing away we were together at Pir Khana Ali Pur Sayyadan Urs --- the yearly big event of Shakargarh. You, Baba and I sat through the recitations late into the night. Returning home you asked me to drive your car and turned to the people “Hun mera pota mainoon laanda lehjannda aye”.

Essentially a Sufi by nature, he stood by equity. I recall in my seventh year, when I pushed hard my village friend and he fell, may be feeling entitled or just like that and Dada heard about this incident.

He summoned me to the “Bagh” with other elders, his staff and Bilal my friend. He slightly touched my cheek pretending to slap me.

“Are you Anwar Aziz’s grandson and this is what you do to people who we love? Always remember they are our equal and there are no hierarchies,” I was firmly told. My Dada would always tell me being fearless is your first goal. “Puttar Durna Nai”.

He and Baba took me swimming to a big pool when I was just eight months old and then there was no turning back. We swam together in so many pools and in the currents of river Ravi. Every summer whether it was the tubewell in our village or the pool at Islamabad Club, I would swim. My Dada After all had competed in the swimming competition at the summer 1948 Olympics. With full dedication he taught me precision in strokes to compete and always be the best. He loved my fearlessness and he would say fear can make a person very small so carry fearlessness with you no matter what.

Dada was ahead of his time on environment preservation and he started planting trees when he settled in Shakargarh. There is a big Acacia jungle in front of the Dera and the saplings he told me were from Africa. Gardens at the Dera have grapes wines on the wall, which mostly youth, children come in and eat. Bair, neem, so many floweing trees, raat ki rani and his roses. I remember an instance when I almost ruined one of his tree trunks. I was as tall as the air gun he got me and told me very clearly not to hit at people or children and animals or birds. I decided to target the tree trunks and hit a young tree he got from Malaysia. That was the only time he got angry with me and told me “In our tradition the shade of a tree is very important and you will plant trees to provide shade.”

Dada made me feel so special and later on I realized that this was his magic with people he loved. On each of my birthdays he was the first one to arrive. On my 10th birthday I asked him to get me footballs to give to my friends.

He went especially to Sialkot and got them made with my name printed on each of them lovingly claiming, “Your wish is my command”. He was ecstatic when I grew as tall as him a few years back and then a few inches taller and he was so proud “Sada Potra sadeh toon lumma hai ji.” He would add in his introduction of me. He mentored me and many youngsters of the family and village to his wisdom but always in a language we understood. He was ageless and eager to learn. Often times he would communicate in poetry on which he had so much prowess over, he knew hundreds and thousands of verses and would recite in his friends get-togethers.

Wadeh Chaudhry Sb or Baba ji as people lovingly called him was clear about where his ancestors came from and how to communicate with the younger generation. “We lead with our intellect and brains. My father didn’t hesitate to beat me if I wasn’t on top of my class so I am used to hard work.” Dada was awarded the Full Bright scholarship in 1955 to study Bar at Law in Michigan State University. He loved reading and tried very hard to inculcate that habit into me.

We celebrated his 90th birthday quietly as it was too soon after Phuppho Kiren’s death. That evening he as usual looked larger than life and so handsome in the dark suit captivating the small group of family and friends with his life stories, poetry, just love for everyone. After cutting the cake he held my arm strongly, “Tughray rehna Chaudhry Saheb”. Few days later as I lowered him in the grave with Baba and thousands of ‘sobbing’ mourners, I was thinking of what he had said and I told him yes. Dada! you’re gone but I have your “tughra” shoulders to stand on and the legacy you leave behind will continue.