So, to rev things up, Maliha banked on the success the vocalization activities had had the day before. "Rauf was an aaloo wallah yesterday," she told the kids. "Now you are all aaloo wallahs." Like any respectable street peddler, they were expected to call attention to their wares as loudly as possible. "Your aaloos are the best!" Maliha encouraged them. "Sell your aaloos." Once again, this activity was a success. A loud cry of "Aaloo wallaaaaay," rang through the Idea Room.
Once Maliha was satisfied that the group would be able to sell its hypothetical potatoes, the discussion turned towards the topic of identity. "What defines you?" Maliha asked the kids. "What makes you different from everyone else?" Attributes that might define one's identity were listed down. The blackboard filled up - fast. Nationality, gender and religion came up the most.
"Why?" she asked her parents as instructed by Maliha, who mentioned that if transparency in decision-making is not apparent, it is one's right to ask for it, as long as one remains within reasonable boundaries of respect for the authority.
Not everyone was convinced of this tactic. Rehan, skeptical, said, "Everything shouldn't be questioned." Rauf agreed, grinned, and added, "Yes, and there's always the danger of a beating."
For a while, Bakhtawar's mother deflected the questioning with, "Because I said so." However, she soon relented and explained that it wasn't safe for her to go out. Bakhtawar, still not satisfied, asked why.
"Because girls are naturally weaker," someone spoke. There were murmurs of general agreement from the male half of the group. Lightning-fast, Ruqueia protested and made sure all the girls did so as well. She rallied everyone who disagreed to raise their hands. Using examples, Maliha showed the women could take care of themselves, too, and that, in a truly dangerous situation, men would be equally as helpless. One by one, the boys began to raise their hands.
"She might be her aunt at home," commented Tamkeen, "but she's her teacher at school."
Sticking to the topics of decision-making and authority, the group's attention was focused towards democracy and voting. Maliha explained that, as citizens, it was everyone's duty not only to vote, but to be able to distinguish the right person to vote for. A mock election, in which both biryani and daal chawal contested fiercely to be the kids' favourite food, was used to demonstrate the power of a single vote. The group was explained about the importance of individual efforts and how they affect the system.
After a quick lunch of aaloo kay samosay, the group was handed out an excerpt from J.K. Rowling's 2008 Commencement Address at Harvard University titled: "The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination."
Before the reading began, the participants were asked what they thought about failure, whether they felt it was good, bad, both, or if they weren't sure. The mixed opinions were tactfully used as a segue to some powerful questions which Maliha asked them to think about. Can we live with people who have differences in opinions? Is it necessary for everyone to have the same beliefs and ideals for there to be peace?
Is it fair to force someone to change their opinion? Is it even possible? Can we have an opinion police? Would life even be interesting if everyone agreed on everything?
It was no surprise that the session was over before the excerpt had been fully read. Maliha instructed the participants to work on it themselves, underline whatever they didn't understand, refer to dictionaries if need be, and note down their reactions. "I want this to be completely full of stuff," she said brandishing her copy of the hand-out. "I want it to look filthy."
- Asad