To me
Pakistan as a person is struggling to dig its identity. Is it an Arab? An Indigenous Indus man? Or somebody else?
Many books have been written to explore
Pakistan’s reason d'etat, Barrister Etizaz Ehsan’s book THE INDUS SAGA IN THE MAKING OF PAKISTAN comes in my mind.
Both liberal and right wing historians try to present their own perspective but as an ordinary Pakistani, I always end up with confusion. If Pakistan was created on the basis of Two Nation Theory then who will guarantee the rights to religious minorities in Pakistan. Why “Muslim/Bengali” women were raped and thousands killed in East Pakistan? Whenever I come across Mr. Jinnah’s 11th August speech it creates doubts in my mind regarding the concept of Two Nation Theory & our reason d’etat!!
As Baloch, when we demand for equal rights for our language, people frown and question our patriotism. In school, as kids we are forced to learn basics in URDU ‘an Indo Aryan Indian Language’, verses and characters of alien India or Arabia are forced upon us. Characters such as Mohammad Bin Qasim or Tipu Sultan, all are alien to Baloch kids. At home Baloch kids grow up hearing names & characters such as Chakar & Balach but find them nowhere in history text books in school. Historically colonial powers used to impose history of conquerors and ignore indigenous characters & heroes.
Lately I came across an interesting debate on T.V, vocal Marvi facing right wing Zaid Hamid, she eloquently presented the irrelevance of Two Nation Theory. She also highlighted an interesting fact that Iqbal had role in the making of Pakistan. Iqbal wrote following letter to the editor “The Times, 12th Oct 1931” it clearly shows Iqbal never wanted division of India;
http://pakistanmediawatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Iqbal-letter.jpg
Marvi’s discussion reminds me of an interesting book THE MURDER OF HISTORY written by KK Aziz, it also makes me wonder, can we build nationhood based on the foundation of false history?
