Memories – Majeed of QAU

Sajjad Mahmood*

Majeed, a gentle and kind soul suffered with Covid-19 and left us on March 19, 2021. His hut survives and so do the memories.

By the end of the first decade its social centre was outside of the under construction campus of Quaid-i-Azam University! It continues to be among a collection of “encroachments” that have survived half a century – entire history of the campus.

At the start of the 1970s, realizing an economic opportunity, some local entrepreneurs had set up shop across the road from where construction began. Among them were the father of Baba Mir Afzal (known as Havaldar sahib) who had a mini general store, Basheer sahib sold fruit and later was a popular stop for juices, a Haji sahib with a restaurant and a much needed cobbler.

Today, when one approaches the main campus entrance, just past two gates leading to the library building that for some reason are mostly closed, Majeed’s hut (khokha) is located to the right. A few cacti and other plants partially curtain it. To the front is an outdoor arrangement of metal chairs and tables covered by old newspaper serving as tablecloth. The wood and stone entrance is marked by a tin-roofed kitchen to the left with a front faced opening and a small indoor “dining hall” to the right. Past the hall one walks onto the backyard where there are more tables and chairs with a covered porch or two. The backyard was developed sometime over the last two decades and provides a view of the Rawal Lake in the distance.

In January 2013 I visited Majeed. Having seen the chaos he managed during the lunch hours over my years at the QAU I reached a bit early. He reminded me of the “Inqilab'' that never came and never left! I complimented him for the beard he had grown – it was an “Inqilab, Islami Inqilab”, I said. We exchanged notes about kids and what stages they were at. And then it was mayhem again – the lunch crowd had built up.

I had met Majeed on his first day at the then University of Islamabad. It was probably August of 1973 and classes were set to resume after the summer break.

The introduction took place at a small structure, newly built on the path from the hostels to the administrative/academic buildings. The enclosure may have been at most a 100 square feet with a small porch and window. Later we found two other similar structures, one between the Physics and Chemistry buildings and the other near the Social Sciences block.

The campus at the time was mostly barren rocky terrain. There were 9 academic buildings, a few under construction, with Chemistry to the west and one housing Computer Sciences being the most east. In the centre stood the Physics and Mathematics blocks and to the south of the later were 2 administrative buildings. There were no fountains or walkways, one had to climb rocks, rather steep at places, and jump crevices when walking to class. The three hostel buildings, one for girls that housed working women and some faculty members too, stood quite a distance to the east. One of the boys hostel housed offices of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics as well accommodating the University bus drivers in one of its wings.

A room in one of the administrative buildings served as a cafeteria and it functioned only during office hours. Student’s staying in the hostel made daily evening bus trips to Aabpara market and gathered bread for breakfast as the mess only served lunch and dinner. There was a rudimentary shop set up next to the mess kitchen but it was mostly out of needed items.

Construction was ongoing and there were more donkeys to be seen on one’s way to class than fellow students. Our treks from and to the classes, over the rocky terrain kept the cobbler shop busy! The three odd, out of place structures were meant to provide a place for students to grab a snack or a cup of tea.

Majeed, born in 1956 and barely 18 at the time was put in charge of the small enterprise by one Afzal Ahmed Rizvi (Late). Mr. Rizvi lived in Lahore and worked at the State Life Corporation. He was a man with wide and varied contacts. Not overtly religious but pious enough. Earlier when he was stationed in Rawalpindi (circa 1965), he wanted help educating a child and mentioned it to his friends. One of them introduced Irfan sahib and Mr. Rizvi supported the education of Majeed Irfan (the eldest with 2 brothers and 3 sisters). Majeed was set on the path to QAU!

When Majeed completed the secondary school (Matric) examination (~1970-71), Irfan sahib asked for a job for his son. Rizvi sahib had other plans though.

Around that time Mr. Rizvi married Gulshan Ara Chohan, a medical doctor. They moved to Lahore and Majeed came with them, was enrolled in college and successfully completed a Higher Secondary School (Intermediate) Commerce Certificate (I.Com). Majeed’s younger brother Rasheed joined them and was helped through to Matriculation in 1973, enlisted in the Air Force and retired as C-130 technician.

Rizvi sahib liked to cook and Majeed picked up that aspect. In the kitchen, Majeed excelled at Daal Masoor (the red lentil) and Rizvi sahib liked Daal-Chawal.

Roshan Ara, the sister-in-law of Rizvi sahib was serving at the Government Girls College, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi and during the early 70’s Ms. Kaneez Yusuf (Late) was the College Principal. They were on good friendly terms and kept in touch after Ms. Yusuf was appointed the Vice-Chancellor of QAU (1972). Thus came the contract for the small canteen and Majeed’s entry to the campus. Aslam Chohan, brother-in-law of Rizvi sahib, was my classmate in the Physics Department.

In the initial days, the scene was unrealistic. The canteen catered for breakfast, tea and sandwiches. A table setting included tablecloth, napkins, forks and knives. To start with, the younger sister of Aslam helped out at the register while Majeed served. We, Aslam’s friends also helped in setting tables. The demand for breakfast was high and difficult to keep up with. Within a couple of weeks things changed as speed of delivery had to be prioritized over aesthetics. Majeed took charge and a server was hired.

Business was good and profitable as the clientele was ensured. It was not for long though as other events took over. The Students Union elections in 1974 were hotly contested with the Progressive Students Organization (PSO) supported by the administration and the government of the time. My friend Aslam, active among students was upset over manipulation of rules, specifically to admissions in the newly established Department of Pakistan Studies to prop up PSO. He was pressured to fall in line but refused, choosing to participate in a third group, the Socialist Students League (SSL). The Islami Jamiat-e-Talba (IJT) won and pushed to revoke existing canteen contracts. The QAU terminated the contracts and threatened Police action to get the canteen premises occupied by Majeed vacated – killing two birds with one stone!

Majeed was supporting his parents and 5 siblings at the time. Around 20 years of age, he took a bold and courageous step. Confident in his abilities, Majeed took over the hut being run by Haji sahib across the main campus entrance – the one used by the VC driving into the office every day.

Within months, Majeed had bought off the two friends he had partnered with. He brought in his maternal uncle (we all called him “Mama”) who took charge of the “Tandoor” baking those fresh hot Roti served with every concoction Majeed cooked up. Soon the place livened up. Laborers, faculty employees and students walked across to savor Majeed’s cooking.

There were attempts to threaten Majeed with demolition. CDA sent notices and at least crews a few times, the first during the early days of his hut in 1975. However the University community, joined by local journalists who were informed, responded and stood by Majeed’s and other folk’s huts and livelihoods.

In those days, Majeed and his team slept within the hut. As night fell they would set the wooden tables together to make beds. Water was collected via tin cans from a watering outlet on the University side and stored in clay pitchers. At dusk gas lanterns were lit up and business conducted (it was only about two years ago an electric connection was made available and a water line finally reached the hut). As business built up so did a team and the menu. Alumni from those years would recognize names of Ilyas (Gora), Ali, Shabeer, and the late Akbar.

It was however something beyond which made it all click. We knew we could walk in at any time and Majeed would get something ready. The first such dish labeled “emergency” comprised of fresh cut onions and tomatoes fried with a battered egg (if available or desired). Then there was the “cuban” – a kabab wrapped in an omelet. Later came the “buffet pronounced boofa” – rice with a choice of items on the menu – often sold in its half version. It was first served to local journalists who had come to cover the demolition of encroachments. A Pervezi dish named after my teacher and colleague Pervez Hoodbhoy – a regular patron. Primarily it was a mix of Potatoes, ChickPeas, and lentils but further along expanded to include chicken and thus called ‘chicken Pervezi’!

“Crisis” took off in the late 70s when the day’s leftovers were wrapped in an omelet and served to students from the Administrative Sciences late in the day. As Abrar-ul-Haque, a famous alumnus and singer said “it was the only ‘crisis’ in our lives which made us happy and we paid for it”.

A friend from old days, Mohsin Masood, and International Relations alum relates another description of how the dish names came to be. Returning from home after a vacation Mohsin brought back a recipe from his mother so that Majeed could try it out. On the day that Majeed tried out the recipe with Mohsin and his class mate Shafqat Naghmi, they had just gone over the Cuban Missile Crisis of the early 1960's in a class on US Foreign Policy. Shafqat Naghmi named it "Cuban Missile Crisis", primarily for the mix of ingredients it shared with the original crisis.

Apart from the cooking, Majeed was a friend to all. He also served as a ‘no questions asked lender’! I know there must have been others who borrowed from him during the last few days of the month when the scholarship money ran out, or the bank was closed. One could eat on credit and pay later and some did not pay ever after. There were others who were fed irrespective as they could not pay. If one looks at the menu, there are no prices, just what is on offer. It was all part of the game and taken in stride.

The business expanded with the years. Majeed’s enterprise took over the small canteen near the Social Sciences block during the 80s, where folks came for mid-morning steaming samosas. At the turn of the century Majeed also won a contract to run the Cafeteria at the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) University, and ran it successfully together with his base at QAU. They have expanded to catering private gatherings and have a media presence – just try googling “Majeed hut QAU”.

All along Majeed supported his family. Soon after establishing himself in 1976 he had brought over his youngest brother Saeed and sent him through school and college. Saeed now serves as a medical technician at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences. Nazeer, his brother-in-law, took up the helm at the Social Sciences canteen. The 4 sons of Majeed got their Bachelors. Anis manages the hut while Tausif takes charge of the COMSATS enterprise and the eldest Hanif shares the responsibilities with both. The youngest Sajjad, I believe is working outside of the business. One of his two daughters is married.

I close by quoting a narration from a fellow alumnus:

A former student, a CSS officer visited Majeed’s hut with his friends. After having their fill this officer went up to Majeed to pay for the food and asked to clear up the account from his student days. Majeed smiled, refused to accept any payment and said, “Sir, I want the Government of Pakistan to remain indebted to me”.

All of us are in debt to Majeed!

*Studied and served at QAU, Department of Physics during 1973 – 1997.

Published: https://www.thenews.com.pk/tns/detail/841756-majeed-of-qau