Pakistan Looking Towards Its Nation To Own Her
13 August, 2010
By Faiz Al-Najdi
|
| Pakistan Looking Towards Its Nation To Own Her |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pakistan was not born in a day. Neither its birth was accidental. In fact Pakistan was born out of a necessity that embodied strenuous struggle of its founding leaders. Mohammad Ali Jinnah who was bestowed upon the title of Quaid-e-Azam was at the spirit behind the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the then India.
Why was the necessity of creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of India?
This is the question that has remained at the center of the debate till to-date. Many writers have dwelt upon this subject issue. Many politicians, of the past and the contemporary ones, have also opined on the same. There could be varying opinion, but the reason at the center stage was to ensure that the Muslims of the then India would not be exploited by the Hindu majority once the British rulers had left. It is no secret that Jinnah was the ardent supporter of and proponent of the idea of a united India. For this he was often called as the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity. But Jinnah knew very well that once India was independent, the Muslims population would be overwhelmed by the Hindu majority. It would thus open gates of exploitation, discrimination and hence injustices to the rights of the Muslim minority in this new country. Many open and back door diplomacy to ensure Muslim rights had failed and that is why Jinnah finally was convinced that there was no way out but to plead and fight the case for a separate homeland for the Muslims of the then India. This idea was definitely opposed both by the British and the then Hindu leadership. However Jinnah was determined to reach the goal. This goal was thus not a cake-walk. Millions had to pay through their lives on both sides of the divide to finally get this new homeland for the Muslim.
A new country – Pakistan - thus appeared on the World map on 14th of August 1947. Ever since this new Country is looking for the day when its inhabitants would come forward and own it. Pakistan was created in the Muslim majority areas of the then India – namely, Punjab, East Bengal, Sindh, Balochistan and the North Western Frontier Province. The Pakistan thus formed had the ethnic population of the Punjabis, Bengalis, Sindhis, Balochis and Pathans. A new ethnic dimension was added as a result of the mass migration of the Muslims from the Muslim-minority regions of the then India – they were essentially the refugees or popularly called as the Mohajirs. They spoke Urdu which later became the national language. As a result of this distinct ethnic divisions and the complex situation resulting thereon, the Pakistanis now are everything other than being a Pakistani. The borders between the provinces became holy and Pakistan thus became a federation with distinct, loud and separate identity of the four nations added to it the fifth one of the Urdu speaking migrants from India, who mostly settled in Karachi. Unfortunately this also remained an official line from Islamabad often propagated as such in both print and electronic media.
Then came the religious leaders who began to harp on yet another new dimension. That was of the Muslim identity. They rallied on the idea that we were Muslims first and Pakistanis later.
As a result, we became Muslims first followed with the Punjabis, Bengalis, Sindhis, Balochis, Pathans and Mohajirs. We thus never were allowed to become Pakistanis. Till to-date we remain everything except Pakistanis. Pakistan is desperately waiting since 14th August 1947 to see if its inhabitants come forward and call themselves Pakistanis and thus own their country Pakistan.
In short the apathy is that as of today, Pakistan remains sans Pakistanis. That is, Pakistan is still looking towards its nation to own her.
As a result of this indifference from the very inhabitants of this country one wing – East Pakistan – was lost and the very stability & integrity of the rest of the remaining parts of this wonderful country is threatened.
God protect this beautiful Country of ours!!!!
|
