Dr Akhtar Hameed Khan Profile

MIMAR 34 27 RURAL DEVELOPMENT DR AKHTAR HAMEED KHAN PROFILE <.:l .: ;:i 0.. Z .: > :.: u Z highlight of a recent seminar It was Dr. Khan who pointed out the houses built on two sides of a road - the for journalists was a meeting, floods were not caused by rain, but rather basic unit of social organization. Each A in Karachi, with Dr. Akhtar by the breakdown of the feudal system lane, in effect, became a co-operative led Hameed Khan. The setting whose institutions had ensured the by two elected lane managers responsible was Orangi Township, part of a vast drainage system was maintained. for applying to the OPP for advice, unauthorized settlement, where Dr. Khan Furthermore, he argued, the state couldn't collecting money, calling meetings, runs the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) - a function as a feudal system. The only organizing labour. The lane unit was small brilliant, grass-roots, self-help programme solution lay in organizing the peasants, enough to allow for making community predicated on the conviction that no thereby creating new institutions to contacts, and to circumvent local change is possible without social change. replace the old. This led to his councillors whose administrative unit is Announced as a cultural hybrid, he talked involvement in rural development, and the the neighbourhood or sector. about his life and times, occasionally formation of the Comilla Academy. Dr. quoting Aristotle and St. Augustine, Khan put it very simply: "God made me "Here is a new pattern," said Dr. Khan. punctuating his conversation with contemplative. I insist on action, not just "For the first time, poor people are being summary bullets: "People like me, today, contemplation." guided by highly qualified people. The are irrelevant"; and: "There is no free There has been much to contemplate, poor housebuilder is given advice by lunch in the United States, and no free however. He was living in New Delhi, still qualified technicians. I've come to the lunch in Pakistan, either - for poor a civil servant, when he decided to take conclusion that if professional people people"; or: "Business competition in up studying Islamic philosophy, spent more time educating poor people, Karachi is cut-throat except in concluding it was of no help in governing it can lead to tremendous results. What we corruption." Behind the ironic mask modern states. ("I remain Islamic in my need is not foreign aid, but this. breathes a born teacher. The professor heart," he said.) The right rejects him as Unfortunately, our efforts are seen as knows what it takes to motivate a class. a secularist; but he has refused to identify insignificant. Guiding people doesn't himself with the left. He parted company make a profit. Contractors in our country "I have a handicap", he said, with the British, but independence earn 50-per cent profit. A doctor here - responding to a question about his brought disappointments, too: "People you'd be surprised - sees 200, 300 background. "I was a civil servant of the like myself, steeped in both western and patients a day: 'Just give me your money.' British Empire. My role in the last 30 to Islamic cultures, were in favour of a To follow our lead requires a high 40 years has been to do research and secular state. But we were too weak, and standard of integrity. There's no personal present results. I have powerful friends. fundamentalism overtook us." advancement. But it doesn't bother me. We see ourselves as model makers. As an I sit here like a spider weaving my Dr. Khan has given courses in rural old man, I should know what is own web." happening in Pakistan. We are living in a development at Oxford, Harvard, Lund University in Sweden, and Michigan State state of transition, like China. Every 200 He is 75, and still weaving. "In University. In 1980, he turned activist or 300 years there is a period of strife. I Orangi," he said, "our families are being again. The catalyst was a banker with a happen to live in one of those periods. I forced to do what was done in Hong foundation to administer, Aga Hasan am committed to discovering the Kong 30 years ago. The home has become Abidi, whom he had met· 20 years institutions of the future. Old institutions a workplace. Everywhere you go in previously, in Comilla. Would the are dying, new ones are not born. This is Orangi, people are working frantically to professor be interested in doing my temptation: to show stability in a survive. In Orangi, a small family philanthropic social work in Orangi, a chaotic situation." enterprise never gets institutional credit: settlement then much in the news? Dr. in Hong Kong, yes. There are no training Khan proposed, instead, to develop a Make that situations - Orangi today, programmes in Orangi: in Hong Kong, research project more in line with his Bangladesh once upon a time, and many yes. Integration with big factories is principles, of which charity is not one. places in between. He resigned from a minor here, compared to Hong Kong." Thus was born the OPP. promising career in the British Indian Dr. Khan has begun to select family Civil Service. He became a labourer, and In brief, illegal settlers are motivated, businesses, which, "with a little help, a eventually a school and college teacher. He first, and then assisted by Dr. Khan's loan can double production and was the Principal of Victoria College in hand-picked staff of 50 to install their own employment. I hope to organize them Comilla, now Bangladesh, in the 1950s, sewage systems, improve building soon into co-op groups the when recurrent floods led to famine, construction, practise family planning, shoemakers, the street vendors. I would destroying the rural economy in that immunize their children, train teachers, try to make Orangi into Hong Kong. It province. The government of Pakistan and organize sewing centres. The key to took Hong Kong 40 years . .." proved helpless in dealing with the crisis, carrying out these programmes was the despite heavy investment in flood control. decision to make the lane - 20 or 30 ADELE FREEDMAN j .

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