James Spain is highly appreciated for
his work on Pashtons, especially The Peshawar. But if the work is critically
analysed, it misrepresent the Pashtons people and does not pay attention to the
real symbol of representation of Pashton’s culture, such as Pashtonwali,
Hujra,Guddar,Jirga,Nang, Namos,Ashar,Melmastyia etc.Before critically analyzing
his work it is pertinent to analyze the choice of vocabulary he has used while
describing Pashtons and Peshawar.
— Ancient
— Crumbling
— Tattered
— Grimy
— Ragged
— Wildest
— Former glory
Does his
choice of vocabulary reflect his bid of positive interpretation of Peshawar and
its people? The choice of his diction at first place points to his intention of
negative approach. All of the adjectives have got negative connotations.
Again if we
look at his description of the city, he focuses on the following:
— Ancient serais
No doubts serias had been in vogue in Peshwar but these meant
for commercial purposes. Along side the serias, Pashton people have got another
established institution of Hujra, where there is no monetary consideration and
guests are entertained freely as a law of pahstonwali. Spain shed light on the Serias
but pay no attention to the established practice of the Hujra in the Pashton
culture.
— Crumbling
city walls.
In the whole city of Peshawar only the crumbling walls were
noticed by him. Did not he the mighty walls of Balahisar fort, why did not he
make any mention of the historic Kissa Khani bazaar, its monuments? Which tells
a tale of Pashton freedom movement their sacrifices and the untold atrocities
committed by the British colonial forces.
— Tattered
snow-leopard skin as a hint of former glory.
Here he points to the former glory, which implies that there
is no glory at present there, or perhaps he points to the colonial period as a
glorious one. In either case it is a misrepresentation and degradation of
Pashton people.
— Grimy timetable
of Afridi Bus Line.
The sentience again reflects his description of the transportation
system in a most inferior way. Is the word grimy a suitable collocation with a
timetable? It certainly shows his biased and partial approach.
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