‘We are far from the vision and philosophy of Allama Iqbal’

Mian Yousuf Salahuddin, widely known as Yousuf Salli, is an eminent socialite, humanitarian, and ex-politician from Lahore. He is the maternal grandson of Allama Iqbal. Yousuf Salahuddin owns the traditional 18th century Mughal-motif haveli known as Haveli Barood Khana located in the Walled City of Lahore.

Salahuddin moved to this haveli and transformed it into an elegant residence; this move inspired many other heirs of the old Lahori families to visit the residence of their ancestors and to restore them to a liveable position. Many restaurants opened up in the area constructed with the historical heritage theme to emit a vibe of this old historic city beside delicious traditional desi foods.

He is also renowned for throwing parties and arranging dinners at his famous havelis; guests of high political, cultural, social and artistic significance are invited to his parties and dinners. Salahuddin is playing a crucial and potent role in resuscitating and promoting the cultural heritage of Pakistan. He is known for organising musical, artistic, and poetic gatherings. He is a prominent personality among the ranks of culture and arts circles of the city.

This week Bol News spoke exclusively to the socialite and asked various questions of cultural and social significance concerning Punjab’s chief city.

Would you consider yourself a quintessential Lahori?

Well, I don’t know if I am a quintessential Lahori, but certainly I am very much Lahori, born in the old city and still living in the old ways. Lahore is very much part of my soul.

How has Lahore’s culture changed over the decades?

It’s true that Lahore has changed, especially the old city. We have lost a lot of our heritage of historical significance. That itself is a great change. But in the old city people still celebrate some of the festivals. Most of these festivals are unknown in so-called modern and posh areas where the elites reside. While here in the old city we celebrate different occasions such as Urs of Data Sahib, Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH), Basant, Akhiri Chahar Shamba, Shab-e-Barat and Mairaj Shareef. Celebrating these traditional festivals differentiates the people from others living in the ‘advanced’ parts of Lahore city.

Has the state done a good job preserving the city’s heritage?

To be very honest, nobody really happens to bother about it. It was talked about on many occasions but no practical actions were set in motion in this regard. Secondly the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) was created at the time when Pervaiz Elahi was the chief minister of Punjab. And the WCLA was carried on in the times of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif when he was the CM. But it’s a real pity that no provincial chief executive actually chaired the meeting despite the fact that the position they once held is also that of the chairperson of the WCLA.

I am also the chairperson of the heritage committee of the WCLA. And as per the law, the heritage committee decides what is required to be carried out. Any little bit of work that has been done has been carried out during the tenure of former prime minister Imran Khan’s government. In my opinion, this was the only time when the CM of Punjab chaired the meetings several times and a lot of work has been done by a government in Punjab.

You are Iqbal’s grandson. Have we as a nation done justice to Allama Iqbal’s philosophy?

No, we are very much far away from the vision and philosophy of Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam. Everybody talks about it but their philosophy has just been restricted to words. Unfortunately it hasn’t been practiced on practical grounds. Just like the rest of us, I think, if we specifically talk about our values, we all are supposed to be good citizens. Of course, we perform our obligations but still we can’t reflect [on] the essence of these practices in our daily life. In my opinion, we pretty much are away from being ideal citizens. So, how could we become good Pakistanis or how could we create a nation? I think we are very far from it. It requires great strength and character to make and develop this country according to the vision of Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam.

Do you think Lahore’s tourism potential has been exploited?

No, I don’t think so. The biggest festival and the occasion that can and could attract the people from all around the world is Basant. And what we have done to Basant is quite apparent to everyone. Had it been in any other part of the world it would have been made safe. Unfortunately, there was not a single serious attempt by any government, including former PM Imran Khan’s government, although his government has done a lot for promoting tourism in Pakistan. And I think he should have asked the Punjab government to make a sustainable safe plan to conduct this beautiful festival. I think the Basant festival should be revived as per safe measures because this would bring a lot of tourism in Lahore and other areas of Pakistan.