Last to Eat, Last to Learn ~ Pashtana Durrani & Tamara Bralo (49 of 2024)

 

Pashtana meets a tribal leader to get permission to start a girl's school in that village. He just asks her, what is the need for girls to study. She doesn't have an answer that could convince him. She went back and prepared for some time searching in the history and their culture. She went back, met him again and explained why girls should have education. The leader was convinced and allowed to start the school. His question was a sincere query, to understand something which he genuinely didn't know. 

Pashtana says that convincing patriarchal Afghans is possible. But it was almost impossible to convince the corrupt government.

Saudi friend firmly believes in  beheading in public square and they are morally happy being under such rule. They  say, no theft in society.  They have different rules for hazarras and Pashto people.

Hazzaras must either live under extreme life threatening discrimination or leave their homeland and go to some Western country. When you talk about 'life' with Afghan men it's shockingly surprising how different their attitude to women is. For them, they firmly believe that women need not walk into a school..

Pashtana Durrani was born as the eldest daughter of a tribal leader who had to flee Afghanistan as a refugee to Pakistan. Her father was respected among the refugee community, and he took care that his daughters got an education and the skills for decision-making. We find that Pashtuna is an independent soul, always asking questions and never resigning to the ready-made answers from her elders. At a very young age, she decided to forgo the chance to study at Oxford and started LEARN, an NGO to impart education to rural girls in Afghanistan. 

The book describes her childhood, her struggles in Pakistan as a tribal girl, her time in Afghanistan spent negotiating with a corrupt government, snobbish tribal leaders who cannot see beyond the patriarchal lens with which they are conditioned, and the Taliban, who are out to kill. When the Americans left the country in the hands of the Taliban, she was forced to move to the USA, but not before ensuring that the movement she started carries on and she can continue her work in the US. 

I am enamoured by the writer's spirit, which never fails to get up and fight against all odds that are thrown at her. It takes no little courage to speak out against what one feels is wrong in a traditional patriarchal society that believes in violence as the solution to all problems. Then, it takes more courage and willpower to follow up those words with actions when the odds seem insurmountable. But it's not just her vision that is depicted in the book. We also get a broad picture of Afghanistan—the society, their traditions, the family, the history, the tribal system, and the values they hold. It is commendable that so many insights are packed into such a short book. The language that the writer uses is very energetic and humorous, but it never makes the reader forget the threat of violence that lurks on the next page. 

It is also ironic that Afghanistan, as a nation of such good people, has never tasted peace for centuries. One reason is the inherent strain of violence present in their culture, which is based on tribalism. The second reason is their position as a geographical bridge between east and west, which caused every affluent nation to have a strategic interest in Afghanistan. These incessant interferences and their tribal divide have cost them dearly. The values of Pakhtunwali that provide them all their endearing qualities are also a reason for the development of fissures within themselves, preventing them from uniting and resolving their issues. 

On the one hand, continuous wars and deep corruption have made them languish in poverty for generations and have rendered countless refugees. On top of that, the religious fanaticism of factions like the Taliban has severely curbed their already limited individual freedom. The Afghan women have suffered the most when even their freedom to step outside their home is curbed under Taliban rule, let alone to study or pursue a career. Last to Eat, Last to Learn is an autobiographical book by Afghan activist Pashtana Durrani written with Tamara Bralo about her struggles to set up an NGO that helps educate young girls in Afghanistan. 

Afghans are some of the bravest, steadfastest, and most principled people to walk on earth. Their loyalty and bravery, their sense of community, and their adherence to their value systems are renowned. Compared to any other Muslim nation in its neighbourhood, Indians like me have an affinity for and goodwill towards Afghans because of these qualities. In the Indian psyche, major icons of Afghanistan are Abdul Ghaffer Khan, also known as the Frontier Gandhi, and Kabuliwala, the dry fruit-selling Afghan who befriends a five-year-old aristocratic girl from Tagore's short story.