Dr. Syed Ehtisham Syed circulated this note among physicians' e-mail lists. He did not name the person but according to our investigation the said person was Dr. Arif Muslim. We have also learnt that Dr. outraged Dr. Ghazala Qazi read Mian Mohammad's verses for him
NeechaN di ashnai kolon faiz kisay nahin paia kikar te angoor chRahia har gucha zakhmaia
(No one can benefit from people with lowly mentality. If the grapes's vine is wrapped on a 'kikkar' tree, every bunch [of grapes] is damaged)
Dr. Syed Ehtisham Syed's note
I had gone to the APPNA NJ meeting to meet friends and come back home to report happy tidings to those who were not there. I had a very unpleasant encounter. I debated with myself for a long time if I should ignore the ravings of a bigot. BUT OVERLOOKING AN EVIL IS AKIN TO PROMOTING IT. I was in a very pleasant conversation with Ghazala Kazi when an establishment figure of APPNA. our conversation, somehow, turned to the question of languages. This person whom I had hitherto taken for a rational person, out of the blue came out with a statement which would embarrass even if a rabid ethnic chauvinist.. According to him URDU was a language and Punjabi a "boli". One could pass that as a crude chauvinistic comment. But the man expanded, "jaisai Ghorae, gadhe, billi aur Kuttae ki boli, waisae hi punjabi boli. We must all condemn this outrageous statement in unequivocal terms. We must demand an unconditional apology. Official APPNA must take a formal notice.
