مېلمستیا MELMASTHIA
The famous and greatest demand of Pakhtunwali is Melmasthia, (melma means a guest) , hospitality and protection to every guest irrespective whether he be an outsider, not in a position to return it, or be his fellow tribesman. A Pathan does not care for colour, race, religion, or qaum in respect to Melmasthia, this is the proof that Pathans are free of any prejudice, juandice and unnecessary ill will. Thier spacious and commodious hujras bear testimony to this fact. A Pathan would keep due regard for his guest styaing in his hujra even if the host happens to be per chance his kidnapper. Prof. Langlands, Principle for the Cadet College, Razmak North Waziistan Agenc (NWFP) , when kidnapped fro mthe permises of Miranshah by Turi khel wazirs on 20-2-1988, when interviewed after recovery, said,
"shutti khan with whom he was staying in karkanwam (the famous abode of outlaws in noth waziristan agency) served me daily with roasted mutton tikkas and half-boiled eggs for breakfast. The man looking after me was an outlaw but he treated me very well indeed".
Melmasthia also demands that he Pathan accords protection to all who claim it from him. In this regard Melmasthia takes precedence over Badal, and even the enemy who comes seeking refuge, must be granted it and defended against his pursuers. This custom was a constant irritant in the Pathan's relaions with the British in old days. The man proclaimed a criminal in Peshawar, could flee to the hills and could not only expect but demand protetion and sanctuary from every house he came to. The practiceis virtually alive even today.
One of the main instruments for implementing melmastia on day to day besis is the hujra (guest_house). This consisit of a room or two where the visitors is quartered and fed. Each village will have one or sometimes two or more hujras containing few charpais, pillows and a cheelum (hubblebubble). Most of the maliks in tribal areas have their own hujras or small baitaks as Khans have settled in districts.
In addition to serving as aheadquarters for transients, the hujras is a kind of cleb for the local inhabitants. The men of the clan gather there to drink tea and discuss the affairs of the day including national and international events and local gossip. The information provided by Radio Pakistan, the BBC the voice of America, as well as by Radio Kabul is digested and commented upon freely which is most often leads to outbursts of humour, laughter and gossip which a Pathan is temperamentally given to. The atmosphere is exclusively male , and frequently the bachelors sleep in the hujras. Melma has specific privillages. In the host's house melma is specifically safe. If anyone tries to harm melma, the korba (the host) must treat the offender in exactly the same way as if he has harmed one of the family member of the host.
one receiving Melma is greatly respected by all knowing him. No matter how great a criminal the Melma is, once he has entered the korba's (host) house, neither the korba nor the Melma's eneimes can harm him. In some tibes, besides receiving and serving the melma, gifts are also given to him.
a British who happened to be the guest of a Pathan once wrote,
"this notorious proclaimed offender is a good friend, a social man of the first order and above all, hospitable. you would fine him ready for any service to his fellow-beings. "
"a Pathan may sleep with an empty stomach, but would provide all possible comforts to his guest".
the following are some of the proverbs that find common usage amongst Pathans of both hills and plains which speaks eloquently of their hospitality.
the guest is the ward of the host.
eating by self, turns into mere excreta while feeding others, turns into flowers.
from the guest, men even refuse not their heads.
a guest is God's blessing.
are you a guest setting at rest!
while confessing the noble and cherished value of hospitality of the Pathans, it at the same time must be confessed that the very trait is more a matter of personal prestige and self-aggrandizement that of charity or brotherly love. Badal springs from pride and retribution rather than from a desire to promote the commn good or the rehabilitation of the offender. yet the least which can be said is that the Pathans are a strong and free people at a tie when it is not easy for those possessed for their nuclear weapons or massive sums of money or to be either.
a Pathan's prodigality in the matter of Melmasthia os also proverbial, and most aften crosses the limits of economics, but it is what they feel proud of. The served as charity by some of the tribes to the guests on the first day of death occurring in their families s also the proof of their hopitality though purely unIslamic.
Until recently the Hujra played a pivotal role in the social life of the Pathans in villages, but with commercialisation of life, the sway of lust for money and other material gains, the insitution of hujra has sadly now come to wane, but the hospitality trait of the Pathans remains alive though not as marked as compared with past times.
