Of Will Goodwill and Willow Tree: Sid Harth
navanavonmilita
http://cogitoergosum.co.cc/2010/08/15/of-will-goodwill-and-willow-tree-sid-harth/
Of Will Goodwill and Willow Tree: Sid Harth
Let-There-be-Peace
gandhi-jinnah
gandhiji-jinnah-2
PAKISTAN-INDIA-INDEPENDENCE-DAY
Pakistan Rangers Director General, Major General Yaqub presents sweets
to India's BSF Deputy Inspector General Aquil at Wagah
Nehru-Jinnah
NYT-front-India-Pakistan-1947
Pakistan-India-1
Pakistan-India-2
Partition-Margaret-Boorke-White
National Archives tell India’s Independence story
Calcutta News.Net
Sunday 15th August, 2010 (IANS)
On Jan 26, 1930, the Indian National Congress adopted the ‘Poorna
Swaraj’ resolution at its Lahore session – a call that was deemed as
the first step to India’s midnight rendezvous with freedom Aug 15,
1947. All this and more comes alive through typewritten sepia-toned
documents at the National Archives of India here.
An armful of such documents – some fading with age – grainy, black-and-
white photographs and press clippings at the National Archives of
India bear testimony to the events that led to the creation of a free
India 63 years ago and a sovereign republic three years later in 1950.
A two-month exhibition ‘Independence To Republic’ at the National
Archives of India that opened Aug 14 captures India’s journey from
‘Poorna Swaraj’ to a sovereign republic in 1950 with the adoption of
the constitution in an ode to the country’s 64th Independence Day.
‘The exhibition highlights the tortuous career of our Independence and
the remarkable journey to a Republic. It is not so much about
Independence, but about the Republic of India. This is the third
exhibition in two months,’ Mushirul Hasan, director general of the
National Archives of India, told IANS.
‘We are planning a series of exhibitions. The next one will be on
Commonwealth Games. It will exhibit documents related to the Games
held in the Commonwealth nations. The Commonwealth showcase will be
followed by two more exhibitions on Rajendra Prasad and Dadabhai
Naoroji,’ he added.
‘We have just received the Manuben diaries (papers) in Gujarati from a
private collector. They have large number of letters from Gandhiji,’
Hasan said.
Manuben was the wife of Mahatma Gandhi’s grand-nephew Joysukhlal
Gandhi.
The exhibition is a virtual walk through unusual nuggets of India’s
freedom struggle.
‘Some of the exhibits have not been displayed before,’ Hasan said.
For instance, in 1946, the question of seating arrangements in the
Constituent Assembly’s Hall presented some ‘difficulties’. Rajendra
Prasad directed that the seating plan should be arranged in the order
in which the provinces were listed in the Government of India Act,
1935.
The Press Gallery Committee suggested that the foreign correspondents
admitted to the Constituent Assembly should be segregated from the
domestic media. B.C Rao, the constitutional advisor to Rajendra
Prasad, thought that the suggestion was kind of in retaliation to the
discourteous treatment of the Indian press correspondents at certain
foreign conferences.
Rajendra Prasad disapproved of the proposal because ‘it was contrary
to Indian hospitality’. The controversy is documented in a bunch of
frayed missives.
A hand-written letter dated Jan 14, 1950 from Nagpur-based astrologer
N.K. Behera, ‘forwarded the horoscope or ‘janam kundali’ of India to
Rajendra Prasad saying January 26, 1950 was an auspicious day to
declare India a republic under an ascendant Aries in the full moon
period’.
On Jan 23, 1950, then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to
Rajendra Prasad that ‘… we have laid down a formal dress code for our
own ambassadors… The dress is a black ‘achkan (bandhgulla) and
‘churidar payjama (tight pants)’. Personally, I wear it at night and
on other occasions. The practice is growing…’
Among other exhibits are copies of the judgment of Justice Khosla on
the Mahatma Gandhi murder trial and a Jan 30, 1948 FIR on the
assassination of the Father of the Nation.
The highlights also include dogeared copies of the Government of India
Act, 1935, a message of the viceroy dated May 17, 1946 on the proposal
of the Cabinet Mission delegation, a 1947 confidential letter
announcing the swearing-in of Lord Mountbatten, the minutes of the
first Constituent Assembly meeting, a letter from Nehru to Rajendra
Prasad on the promulgation of the Republic and several more.
The exhibition is divided into five sections – Poorna Swaraj,
Foundation of the Constitution, Transitional Turmoil, Independence At
Last and Making of the Republic in a chronological sequence.
MARGARET BOURKE-WHITE/TIMEPIX
ON THE MOVE: Millions took to the road the day the country was
divided
Aug. 15, 1947
Freedom and Calamity
By Howard Chua-Eoan
“At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will
awake to life and freedom.” So declared Jawaharlal Nehru in his speech
on the eve of his nation’s independence from Britain. In New Delhi the
next day, the celebrating crowd was so huge that Nehru, the new Prime
Minister, had to fight his way to the grandstand, at one point
knocking off the turban of a man who had gotten in his way. He was
worried for the safety of his friends, the last British viceroy Lord
Mountbatten, who was a cousin of England’s monarch, and his wife
Edwina, with whom Nehru was secretly enamored. But Mountbatten knew of
another secret that would cause great grief.
Muslims and Hindus were inheriting a divided subcontinent from
Britain, made up of Pakistan and India. Already the legalistic
partition had led to deadly rioting. But one important division had
yet to be announced, that of Punjab, a rich province with a volatile
mix of Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. A decision had been made on Aug. 12,
but Mountbatten had ordered its details unpublished until two days
after India’s independence.
He foresaw chaos and wanted British responsibility for it to be moot
by the time the screaming started over the new borders. No
preparations were therefore made to control the inevitable havoc. The
result was a bloody birthday gift to newborn India and Pakistan as
millions of people were uprooted amid massacres and murder. “I am sick
with horror,” Nehru would write his friend Mountbatten after visiting
one affected area. More horror was to come: refugee camps everywhere
and, eventually, war with Pakistan over Kashmir, an enmity, potent as
nuclear bombs, that lasts to this day. Five months after independence,
the idealism of the struggle for freedom was shattered when a Hindu
fanatic assassinated the movement’s secular saint, Mohandas Gandhi.
Midnight’s Children- Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Posted on August 13, 2006 by rw
This post reflects on the speeches that Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali
Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru made on 11 August 1947 and midnight of
14/15 August 1947 respectively.
Independence Day of Pakistan is on 14 th August, that of India, 15th
August.
Thanks to Adil for his wonderful post at All Things Pakistan, and the
comments there, that led me to read the two speeches in their
entirety.
Independence Day Greetings for India
Posted on August 15, 2010
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Foreign Relations
5 Comments
Total Views: 354
Adil Najam
Today is August 15. India’s Independence Day.
ATP sends all Indians sincere and heartfelt Independence Day greetings
and the very best wishes.
Each year since All Things Pakistan started, we have written a post on
this day with the same headline and the same opening words (here,
here, here, here). Today, for the fifth time, I write the same words
dipped in the same feeling the very same intensity of emotions. Let me
begin, this time, with the prayer I ended last year’s post with: May
the best hopes of both Mr. Jinnah and Mr. Gandhi come true for both
our nations. May all our futures be good futures.
As we wrote last year, these posts have carried a trilogy of imagery
our post in 2006 sought to revisit our imagery of our past (here), in
2007 we highlighted the changing imagery of India-Pakistan relations
in the present (here), and in 2008 we called upon our readers to re-
imagine our visions of the future (here).
But the same imagery has also held a constancy of purpose: An
investment in the hope that relations between these countries will, in
fact, become better and reflect what we believe are the true
aspirations of most Pakistanis as well as most Indians.
This year these hopes have been challenged on both sides. Talks
restarted amidst cautious hopes, but the images coming out of them
have been of tense nerves rather than real relationships. It also does
not bode well that the news today is that the Pakistan government is
still deliberating whether to accept an offer of aid from India to
help its flood victims, or that the Indian Prime Minister is again
vexing hawkish fingers towards Pakistan. Neither should really be news
and one realizes that there are political compulsions on both sides
that could explain these moves. But one wishes that this were not so.
The statesmanship, it seems, is coming not from the leaders on either
side, but, instead, from within the people rather than the political
classes. But maybe that is only to be expected since politicians seems
too entrenched in their own rhetoric. I have long believed, and
continue to believe that if indeed there is going to be headway it
will be pushed by people-to-people processes and the best that we can
expect from leaders of either side is that they will then follow the
aspirations of their own people.
So today, on India’s Independence Day, we the Pakistani people send
the fondest of greetings to the people of India. May all our shared
futures be prosperous and peaceful. May our tomorrows be always better
than our todays. May our tomorrows be marked by friendship, by peace,
by prosperity, by goodwill, and by understanding.
Happy Independence Day, India.
Elsewhere on All Things Pakistan:
Ghosts of Miandam Happy Mother’s Day: Remembering Mother Karachi
Literature Festival: Hope Lives Khalid Abbas Dar: At His Brilliant
Best LinkWithin
5 comments posted
ASAD says:August 15th, 2010 2:34 am I echo the same sentiments. Enough
of this conflict. Let us accept each other for what we are today.
History is history and history is done. All that Pakistanis want is
respect and to get it we must give the same to other.
Happy Independence Day, India.
Zehra says:August 15th, 2010 2:35 am Independence Day Mubarak to all
Indians across the border.
Gardezi says:August 15th, 2010 2:38 am Peace for all of us in Pakistan
and India. Let us not let our politicians scare us of each other. Only
they benefit by that talk, it is the people of the two countries who
have to create ways of co-existence and mutual respect. The
politicians will never do it.
Jaman says:August 15th, 2010 2:53 am Happy Independence day!!!! lets
strive to promote peace and only peace!!!
Heartfelt sympathy for people affected by Floods…We understand your
pain and suffering and pray for ypur well being..
Shiv Gaur says:August 15th, 2010 3:01 am My heartfelt thanks to my
Pakistani brothers for their wishes!
I too wish you all in Pakistan a Happy Independence day!
Let our generation(i’m 40) show greater intelligence and maturity than
the previous ones and let us live together in peace. Khuda hafeez!
Jawahar Lal Nehru and Mohammad Ali Jinnah were delivering the most
important speeches of their lives on the eve of India/Pakistan’s
freedom from British rule.
Both had lead their peoples from the front and carried immense
responsibilties on their shoulders. Both must have been aware that
their speeches were historic not only for them as individuals and
leaders but also in the life of their respective nations.
It is to be presumed, therefore that these were carefully prepared and
sought to both paraphrase the past and look into the future.
As one reads the two speeches, one finds them startingly similar.
Their thrust is similar, the challenges that they foresee for their
nations are nearly the same- in fact, each speech, with very little
changes, could have been delivered in either country- Jawaharlal’s in
Pakistan and Jinnah’s in India.
They differ only in their style and to some extent in their stress on
certain themes.
Jawaharlal’s speech is full of literary, some would say even
rhetorical, flourish while that of Jinnah is more pragmatic and
straightforward.
Both speeches are, trusting that internet versions are faithfully
reproduced, relative short. JLN’s speech is about 1100 words, and
MAJ’s about 1700.
Both the speeches dwell very little on the British and look more into
their own people.
Jawaharlal seeks to place the independence in context of a long, even
mythical, history:
Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes
when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but
very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world
sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which
comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new,
when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long supressed, finds
utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge
of dedication to the service of Inida and her people and to the still
larger cause of humanity.
At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and
trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of
her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she
has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave
her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers
herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an
opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that
await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this
opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?
On the other hand, Jinnah speaks of much more practical issues like
bribery, corruption and nepotism and the role of the State in ensuring
law and order:
The first observation that I would like to make is this: You will no
doubt agree with me that the first duty of a government is to maintain
law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its
subjects are fully protected by the State.
The second thing that occurs to me is this: One of the biggest curses
from which India is suffering – I do not say that other countries are
free from it, but, I think our condition is much worse – is bribery
and corruption. That really is a poison. We must put that down with an
iron hand and I hope that you will take adequate measures as soon as
it is possible for this Assembly to do so.
Black-marketing is another curse. Well, I know that blackmarketeers
are frequently caught and punished. Judicial sentences are passed or
sometimes fines only are imposed. Now you have to tackle this monster,
which today is a colossal crime against society, in our distressed
conditions, when we constantly face shortage of food and other
essential commodities of life. A citizen who does black-marketing
commits, I think, a greater crime than the biggest and most grievous
of crimes. These blackmarketeers are really knowing, intelligent and
ordinarily responsible people, and when they indulge in black-
marketing, I think they ought to be very severely punished, because
the entire system of control and regulation of foodstuffs and
essential commodities, and cause wholesale starvation and want and
even death.
The next thing that strikes me is this: Here again it is a legacy
which has been passed on to us. Along with many other things, good and
bad, has arrived this great evil, the evil of nepotism and jobbery. I
want to make it quite clear that I shall never tolerate any kind of
jobbery, nepotism or any any influence directly of indirectly brought
to bear upon me. Whenever I will find that such a practice is in vogue
or is continuing anywhere, low or high, I shall certainly not
countenance it.
But both underline the need for a secular State in their respective
countries. JLN says:
We are citizens of a great country on the verge of bold advance, and
we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever
religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal
rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or
narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow
in thought or in action.
Jinnah devotes a lot more words than Jawaharlal on this theme and is
much more emphatic:
We should begin to work in that spirit and in course of time all these
angularities of the majority and minority communities, the Hindu
community and the Muslim community, because even as regards Muslims
you have Pathans, Punjabis, Shias, Sunnis and so on, and among the
Hindus you have Brahmins, Vashnavas, Khatris, also Bengalis, Madrasis
and so on, will vanish. Indeed if you ask me, this has been the
biggest hindrance in the way of India to attain the freedom and
independence and but for this we would have been free people long long
ago. No power can hold another nation, and specially a nation of 400
million souls in subjection; nobody could have conquered you, and even
if it had happened, nobody could have continued its hold on you for
any length of time, but for this. Therefore, we must learn a lesson
from this. You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are
free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this
State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed
that has nothing to do with the business of the State. As you know,
history shows that in England, conditions, some time ago, were much
worse than those prevailing in India today. The Roman Catholics and
the Protestants persecuted each other. Even now there are some States
in existence where there are discriminations made and bars imposed
against a particular class. Thank God, we are not starting in those
days. We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no
distinction between one community and another, no discrimination
between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this
fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of
one State. The people of England in course of time had to face the
realities of the situation and had to discharge the responsibilities
and burdens placed upon them by the government of their country and
they went through that fire step by step. Today, you might say with
justice that Roman Catholics and Protestants do not exist; what exists
now is that every man is a citizen, an equal citizen of Great Britain
and they are all members of the Nation.
Now I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you
will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and
Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because
that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political
sense as citizens of the State.
Again, Jinnah spends a lot more words on the justification of the
partition (nearly 400 words):
I know there are people who do not quite agree with the division of
India and the partition of the Punjab and Bengal. Much has been said
against it, but now that it has been accepted, it is the duty of
everyone of us to loyally abide by it and honourably act according to
the agreement which is now final and binding on all. But you must
remember, as I have said, that this mighty revolution that has taken
place is unprecedented. One can quite understand the feeling that
exists between the two communities wherever one community is in
majority and the other is in minority. But the question is, whether it
was possible or practicable to act otherwise than what has been done,
A division had to take place. On both sides, in Hindustan and
Pakistan, there are sections of people who may not agree with it, who
may not like it, but in my judgement there was no other solution and I
am sure future history will record is verdict in favour of it. And
what is more, it will be proved by actual experience as we go on that
was the only solution of India’s constitutional problem. Any idea of a
united India could never have worked and in my judgement it would have
led us to terrific disaster. Maybe that view is correct; maybe it is
not; that remains to be seen. All the same, in this division it was
impossible to avoid the question of minorities being in one Dominion
or the other. Now that was unavoidable. There is no other solution.
Now what shall we do? Now, if we want to make this great State of
Pakistan happy and prosperous, we should wholly and solely concentrate
on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the
poor. If you will work in co-operation, forgetting the past, burying
the hatchet, you are bound to succeed. If you change your past and
work together in a spirit that everyone of you, no matter to what
community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the
past, no matter what is his colour, caste or creed, is first, second
and last a citizen of this State with equal rights, privileges, and
obligations, there will be on end to the progress you will make.
On the other hand, Jawaharlal, speaks more about the need for economic
and distributive justice, while Jinnah spares a sentence on this theme
without, however, using the words “workers and peasants”. Clearly, the
socialist inclinations of JLN contribute to this.
To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants
and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and
disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation,
and to create social, economic and political institutions which will
ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.
However great the stature of the leaders, it would be too much to
expect them to sum up the past and the future aspirations of the
millions of people of the sub- continent with surgical precision.
But one cannot help noticing that between the two of them, they are
pretty much right in the priorities that they set out for their
nations.
The future developments in both the countries have belied the hopes
that their speeches contained. Nearly all the challenges that they
indicate continue to plague the two nations. The speeches are rather
contemporary in that sense.
And it is also here that the similarties between Jinnah and Jawaharlal
end.
Anti- Nehruvians who currently dominate the Indian scene blame
Jawaharlal for the statist model of development that India followed,
his perceived “softness” on Kashmir and for “pampering the
minorities”.
In the same vein, Jinnah may also be held responsible for some of the
faults in Pakistan today- for creating a State based on religion, and
also for not having reared the next line of leadership.
But death deprived Jinnah the time and possibility of leading
Pakistan- something that he shares with Mahatma Gandhi, which is
probably the reason for the adulation that the Quaid e Azam still gets
in Pakistan, like Gandhi gets in India, compared to the rather
beleagured stature of Jawaharlal Nehru in India today.
In Pakistan, the view is that the country did not live upto the ideals
of the Quaid e Azam.
In India, it is Jawaharlal Nehru who is blamed for not living up to
the possibities of India.
Picture Courtesy: The Hindu
Technorati Tags: Pakistan, India, Jinnah, Nehru, Partition, Speech
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
The Indians Just Do It Better Or Its Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Birthday
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah ( Images full collection)
The Revolution within Ourselves
This entry was posted in History, India and tagged Pakistan. Bookmark
the permalink.
← Santa Evita by Tomas Eloy MartinezThe Sadness of Yasunari Kawabata
→LikeBe the first to like this post.
20 Responses to Midnight’s Children- Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohammad Ali
Jinnah
Sohaib | August 13, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Thank you for the fascinating post, especially relevant on these days
to be reminded of what our respected countries set out to achieve and
what they have/haven’t.
Sohaib | August 13, 2006 at 10:25 pm
Respected, and respective.
Renegade Eye | August 14, 2006 at 5:53 am
Interesting post as usual. If only the border lines were not drawn by
British.
<ahref="http://www.geocities.com/ashish_iitm/">Ashish Gupta</a> |
August 14, 2006 at 4:17 pm
Interesting information. I know I may sound like “typical” Indian
(which I am), but I found JLN’s speech definitely better than MAJ.
Former was grand and, as you said, poetic – fitting to majesty of
occasion. Later was practical, but something that could be delivered
on the floor of parliament any day. Pragmatic, yes, but by the same
virtue localized in time since at some time corruption will no longer
be problem of Pakistan. On the other hand, JLN’s speech will hold true
as long as India lives as it is not time specific.
Regarding justification of Pakistan and secularism, less said the
better. Wouldn’t want to make it rambling thread. Happy Independence
Day all.
bhupinder singh | August 15, 2006 at 1:43 am
Sohaib: Thanks for your your comment. And the clarification
Renegade: Your comment reminds me of this poem by Auden.
Ashish: Thanks for your comment.
On a more cynical note, even corruption and nepotism don’t seem to be
time specific either
<a href="http://ayesha.wordpress.com">ayesha</a> | August 15, 2006 at
3:43 pm
00iRate This
A very impartial post! I appericiate that. And I would thoroughly
agree with you on the timelessness of the problems faced by both
countries.
bhupinder singh | August 15, 2006 at 10:35 pm
> A very impartial post!
Thanks, Ayesha. Given the animosity that runs among desis on the
internet, I take that as a big compliment
<a href="http://www.razarumi.wordpress.com">Razarumi</a> | August 18,
2006 at 2:15 am
Dear Bhupinder, this is extremely well written. I agree with Ayesha
that this is impartial notwithstanding the divided ‘selves’ in the
blogosphere. Unfortunately, we are trapped by official ideologies of
our respectve nation states.The truth is that Mr Jinnah accepted the
Cabinet Mission Plan proposals in 1946. This constructed history of
Jinnah as the enemy of a united India is a post 1947 phenomena. In any
case, your post takes a fresh, unbiased view of history and this is
what made it so readable.
bhupinder singh | August 18, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Thanks, Raza…
Southpaw | September 8, 2006 at 3:12 am
I find it interesting that no parties in India (and Pakistan) that I
have seen, call for the reunification of the sub-continent (on an
equal, secular basis).
Although this may seem like ancient history to many, it was a common
theme in for example Bengali films of the 60s and is an obvious
righting of a wrong and against communalism.
Even the communist parties, who should organise on a basis of ‘workers
of the world unite’, talk about a spurious ‘national interest’.
As a visitor to all three countries, I can see how clear the
similarities are.
bhupinder singh | September 8, 2006 at 11:20 pm
Talking of unification would probably open a Pandora’s box !
Each country I guess has developed in a different trajectory after
1947, 1971 in case of Bangladesh. Each has also developed problems
unique to itself.
It would be good if these three countries can start living like good
neighbours first.
Manohar | October 12, 2006 at 12:59 am
“It would be good if these three countries can start living like good
neighbours first.”
Point is that we make a better unified country than good neighbors! I
cant stop dreaming of the behemoth a unified, nuclear India will/can
be on theworld stage.
YLH | March 7, 2007 at 7:29 am | Reply
00iRate This
An interesting comparison indeed. We can see that Nehru the idealist
and Jinnah the realist were both ultimately aiming for the same thing.
readerswords | March 9, 2007 at 2:39 am | Reply
00iRate This
Manohar: Happy dreams.
YLH: Give the acrimony of the last more than half a century, I found
the similarities too striking too.
Pingback: Unsecular Ambiguities of Mohammad Ali Jinnah « a reader’s
words
Pingback: Nehru Lives « a reader’s words
Pingback: Visions Belied « a reader’s words
afzaal khan | September 16, 2008 at 7:30 am
thanks a lot mate for such good post. Its true past 1947 and 1971, it
might not be feasible to reunite the subcontinent. I am Pakistani and
I identify myself as such, but I do wonder if all Mr. Jinnah ever
envisioned was secular Pakistan then a severe injustice was done by
the division. Well we can all argue about that. I truly believe an
open border and open economic with joint military safegaurding ala
Nato could be answer to subcontinent problems.
rw | September 17, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Inshallah!
dilir | October 5, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Unified India is not possible.. and not necessary now. What We need
is: SAARC should turn into something like EU with joint military
command like NATO.In that case Kashmir problem will automatically be
solved. However,how the Taliban issue will be be tackled I can’t
predict.May be if ISI is disbanded then Talibans will die out!
Independence Day Greetings for India
Posted on August 15, 2006
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Foreign Relations, History, People, Photo of
the Day
42 Comments
Total Views: 20769
Share Adil Najam
Today is August 15.
India’s Independence Day.
ATP sends all Indians sincere and heartfelt Independence Day greetings
and the very best wishes.
On this day I want to share with you some thoughts, and also these two
pictures (below) of the Quaid-i-Azam and Gandhi ji together. These are
amongst my all-time favorite pictures of two people for each of whom I
have the utmost respect. (I know, some of you are surprised. Read on…
and, also, the ‘you’ and ‘we’ is all readers – Pakistanis and Indians
– but especially Pakistanis because most ATP readers are from
Pakistan.)
On the question of partition, I agree wholeheartedly with the stand
that one took and disagree with the other. It matters little what I
believe on this question, and what I believe today in 2006, 59 years
after the fact, matters even less becasue it is now irrelevant to the
course that history has taken. But if they were here today to read
this, I am very sure that both would understand. And that is exactly
what this is about: Understanding.
The reason these pictures are so important to me is that here are two
people who disagreed on the India-Pakistan question as much as any two
people possibly could, and at the deepest levels. And, yet, here they
are; able to stand together and genuinely smile. Disagree, but smile.
And ultimately to accept the course that history took; a course, mind
you, that neither was particularly happy with. If they could, then why
can’t we?
As a Pakistani I am in debt of Mr. Gandhi for the stand he took in
trying to halt the horrible carnage that followed partition. Paying
the ultimate price for that stand. My understanding is that the very
first time ever that the Pakistan flag officially flew at half-mast
was at Gandhi ji’s death. All government offices in Paksitan were
closed in mourning of Mr. Gandhi’s death.
Mr. Gandhi probably disliked the idea of Pakistan more than any other
Indian political leader; because he could not bear seeing his beloved
India divided. On that bit, I disagree with him. But, once the deed
was done he also recognized that the death and violence which followed
was too high a price to pay for that disagreement. So much so that he
was willing to put his own life on the line and go on hunger strike to
stop the carnage. For that alone, I will always respect and admire
him.
As did Mr. Jinnah. Here is the uncharacteristically (for Jinnah)
emotional message of condolence he sent:
“I am shocked to learn of the most dastardly attack on the life of Mr.
Gandhi, resulting in his death. There can be no controversy in the
face of death. Whatever our political differences, he was one of the
greatest men produced by the Hindu community, and a leader who
commanded their universal confidence and respect. I wish to express my
deep sorrow, and sincerely sympathize with the great Hindu community
and his family in their bereavement at this momentous, historical and
critical juncture so soon after the birth of freedom and freedom for
Hindustan and Pakistan. The loss to the Dominion of India is
irreparable, and it will be very difficult to fill the vacuum created
by the passing away of such a great man at this moment.”
The language he uses is the language of his time, but the grief in
unmistakable; as is, I believe, the respect Jinnah had for his long-
time adversary. They came to very different conclusions about how to
get there, but both wanted a future which did not have constant
tension, conflict and distrust. Once Pakistan was created, Mr.
Jinnah’s energy and focus was on Pakistan, not India. I have already
written recently about Mr. Jinnah’s vision (here) so I will not repeat
it. But note that it is Pakistan-centric, not India-focussed. But let
me invite you also to revisit the video footage from 1947 that I had
posted earlier (here) and also the analysis Bhupinder had done in
comparing the first speeches of Mr. Jinnah and Mr. Nehru to their
respective countries (here).
I know that I have probably challenged, and violated, the real and
constructed sense of histories that the followers of these great men
have on either side of the border. If so, I apologize. I could be
wrong. I do not wish to rewrite history. They had very real, and very
deep, and very profound, and ultimately irreconcilable differences.
That we know. But that, exactly, is my point. If, despite those great
differences they could come out eventually to accept history as it
happened – even when they did not like it (Gandhi, because India was
divided; Jinnah, because it was not divided right and gave him a ‘moth-
eaten’ Pakistan) … and if they could work towards a vision, each in
his own ways, of a future for their people that was stable, secure and
without conflict; then why can’t we? If they, who were in the midst of
that political moment could actually get past the moment and see
larger realities, ever greater priorities of their own people, why
can’t we? Of this one thing I am certain, especially on this day, they
would have wished us to.
Finally, I know I have probably enflamed the passions of ‘super-
patriots’ on both sides of the border. (Even though, for some, these
passions seem to be always enraged.) I know that many of you are
itching to educate me in all the ways that I am wrong. On how one of
these two men was the hero and the other not. I suspect that for some
readers (guess which ones!) I am being ‘too Pakistani’; for others
(guess again!) ‘not Pakistani enough.’
For all of you, I have only one request. Just for today, please, hold
those passions back.
When I was small, my grandmother told me that just as one does not
speak ill of the dead at their funeral, one also does not go to
someone’s celebrations to rant on them. It is not a South Asian thing
to do. That is not our heritage. We are – all of us – a hospitable
people, a decent people, a loving people. At least that is what we
tell ourselves. So, just for today, let us try to prove it to.
Tomorrow, you can start sending me your hate emails with all those
gaalis that I cannot even understand. Today, join me all – Pakistanis
and Indians – in wishing India and her people a happy Independence Day
and a prosperous future.
Independence Day Greetings for India
Posted on August 15, 2007
Filed Under >Adil Najam, >Owais Mughal, Foreign Relations
41 Comments
Total Views: 33859
Share Owais Mughal and Adil Najam
Today is August 15.
India's Independence Day.
ATP sends all Indians sincere and heartfelt Independence Day greetings
and the very best wishes. We pray for a peaceful and prosperous future
for both countries. May our futures be defined by friendship, mutual
respect, and prosperity.
Last year we had expressed similar sentiments by presenting some
pictures from the past. This time we wish to share some images from
the present. These pictures, we believe, are equally poignant and even
more relevant to our shared futures. The first image is from Lahore,
Pakistan. The second from Ahmedabad, India.
These young and pretty faces are the custodians of our shared dreams.
May they always smile. May they always smile together.
Independence Day Greetings for India
Posted on August 15, 2008
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Foreign Relations
23 Comments
Total Views: 10134
Share Adil Najam
Today is August 15. India’s Independence Day.
As we have done every year (here and here), we send all Indians
sincere and heartfelt Independence Day Greetings and the very best
wishes. We pray for a peaceful and prosperous future for both
countries. May our futures be defined by friendship, mutual respect,
and prosperity.
In 2006 we had expressed similar sentiments by presenting some
pictures from the past. In 2007 we shared images that expressed these
sentiments in the present. Today, our thoughts are focussed on the
future. Rightly so, because the future of India-Pakistan relations
looks more uncertain on this day today than it did on this day in 2006
or 2007.
There are grave reservations on both sides of the border about which
way things are going, and why. All the more reason then to pray for
peace, justice, goodwill, and friendship. All these sentiments become
much more meaningful, and much more difficult to believe in, when
things are bad than when they are not. None of them can ever become
reality unless there is real commitment to them from all sides. And
that is why it is all the more important today to reaffirm that
commitment.
The picture we have used in this post today may not, at first, seem as
poignant as the ones we have used before (here and here). But it is
deeply meaningful. This AP news photo shows Pakistani Brigadier Qaiser
Khan Tareen (L) presenting sweets to Indian Border Security Force
(BSF) Deputy Inspector General Mohammad Aquil (C) and Commander H.S.
Dhillon (R) during a ceremony at the Pakistan-India border at Wagah on
August 14, 2008. At its face this is just a ritual, a tradition, and
no more. Maybe it is. But it is important than even in these tough
times the ritual is not forsaken. Not yet.
The smiles on their faces may not be as large or as sincere as one
might have wanted, but these men in uniforms seem to be saying that
today is not the day to point fingers, it is a day to wish for a
better tomorrow. All we want to say is exactly the same.
Tomorrow matters. And actions on both sides of the border today will
determine what our tomorrows will look like. Our shared goal must be
to create a tomorrow that is peaceful. A tomorrow that is just. A
tomorrow that is friendly. A tomorrow that is prosperous. For both of
us.
23 comments posted
ASAD says:August 15th, 2008 2:39 am Very well said. I think what
people on both sides want is peace, justice, dignity, mutual respect
and prosperity. Today as a Pakistani I send best wishes to India and
hope that people there have the same for me.
Arsalan says:August 15th, 2008 3:58 am Happy Independence Day to
India. May the relations between these two countries improve in the
coming days.
We are group of people from both side of Indo-Pak border, who are
dreaming together for India Pakistan friendship. We started off from
an Orkut community (which has now more than 1 Lac member) and have now
come up with this website http://www.indo-pak.org for usesrs to share
their views. We are planning to launch an NGO as well, if we see
success in our initiatives. And I don’t see any reason, for not
succeeding, given that youth from both countries want to spend their
energy positively, than enmity.
I, on behalf of my team, invite you to join our website, and
contribute with your views/articles on our website. You can also
invite/direct anyone you know working for the cause, to our website.
We will love to have them. We invite even the critics, to air their
opinions.
Looking forward for your cooperation.
Regards,
Arsalan
on behalf of IPFC Team
Mridula says:August 15th, 2008 4:37 am Thanks a lot for the wishes.
Devray says:August 15th, 2008 6:37 am Happy Independence Day to India
and Pakistan..
I feel, its only sports that can minimize the distance between the two
country. We want PEACE only.
PURE PAKISTANI. says:August 15th, 2008 6:50 am
Hi all Indian friends
sincere and heartfelt Independence Day Greetings to all of you .
What ever politics is doing with each other ,we want to be friends .
Dear Mr Adil ,All poor of this sub continent are suffering from
wars.wars are always big money games.I believe if we able to solve
KASHMIR problem ,we both nations would grow very fast.
Nasir Jamal says:August 15th, 2008 8:48 am
I think that peace between Pakistan and India is a prerequisite
requirement for the progress and prosperity of the region. Both the
countries can benefit from each other if peaceful relations are
established between the two countries. Pakistan can have a beneficial
trade with India and can import a lot of things at low cost which we
import from other countries at high cost.
There is a great potential for tourism development between the two
countries. But all these things are a distant reality.
Aamir Ali says:August 15th, 2008 9:26 am
Happy Independence Day to India.
Krishna says:August 15th, 2008 10:20 am
Excellently written and moving sentiments. Independence Day Greetings
to Pakistan also. Thank you for these thoughts. I agree that both of
our countries need to carefully nurture these relations and not let
them go sour again. We must let the past go and look at the future.
Whatever scars both of us have from the past are now in the past and
it is our futures that we should work on to make then peaceful and
friendly. Amen to your wishes and prayers.
Umar Akbar says:August 15th, 2008 10:21 am
‘This AP news photo shows Pakistani Brigadier Qaiser Khan Tareen (L)
presenting sweets to Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Deputy
Inspector General Mohammad Aquil (C) and Commander H.S. Dhillon (R)
during a ceremony at the Pakistan-India border at Wagah on August 14,
2008′.
So, all year round, both nations spend billions of dollars on defence
expenditure to ward off each other’s military might, and then on
Independence Day, they strike poses, exchanging sweets in front of the
cameras. Very impressive!
Himangshu Chopra says:August 15th, 2008 10:25 am
<a href="http://www.peopleforever.org/community.aspx?commun
ityid=64">Celebrating India’s Independence Day</a>
Mike says:August 15th, 2008 12:07 pm Happy Independence Day to India
and Pakistan.
Hope you achieve peace and prosperity.
Akshaye says:August 15th, 2008 1:14 pm
Thanks a lot for the wishes. Happy Independence Day to Pakistan too.
PMA says:August 15th, 2008 1:19 pm
Independence Day Greetings to one of the four neighbors of Pakistan!
What a wonderful idea!!
Could similar gestures be expected from ‘ALL THINGS PAKISTAN’ on the
respective Independence or National Days of the other three neighbors
of Pakistan?
Do we even know what and when are the respective National Days of
China, Iran and Afghanistan?
Ali Dada says:August 15th, 2008 2:39 pm
Happy independence day to India and Indians. I hope you realize you
are controlling our territories of Indian occupied Kashmir and some
other areas. Give us back our areas.
Have a happy independence day Indians.
Salman says:August 15th, 2008 9:46 pm
Happy Independence Day India!
Himangshu Chopra, I visited the link you provided. I found this very
cute:
“Indian Freedom Fighters and Indian Independence Movement”
Now how come you folks have problem with the Kashmiri Freedom
Fighters? How does that quote go:
What is good for the goose is good for the gander? I do hope and pray
that India finds a peaceful solution for the Kashmiri people.
HUSSAIN says:August 15th, 2008 10:14 pm
I join Adil Najam in wishing India a Happy Independence Day. There are
obviously people are on the two sides who are still caught up in teh
old ways of looking at each other with suspicion. But really what both
people want is respect for themselves and teh ability to move on.
Those who wish to reverse teh events of long ago through whatever
means can keep wishing on. But the future is really with the future. I
wish for a good future for Pakistan, for India, for our region and for
the world.
Qudsia says:August 15th, 2008 11:15 pm
I also join my prayers for peace, justice, friendship and mutual
respect in all of South Asia. And for all of humanity. Greetings to
Indian friends on this day.
S.M. Dixit says:August 16th, 2008 2:53 am
Thank you for these wonderful wishes. They are heartfelt and mean a
lot. I am myself very worried about the situation which after being
better for some years is getting worse because of the mess that my
government is making in Kashmir. I hope this land issue will be
resolved satisfactorily soon and things will improve.
Humayun says:August 16th, 2008 11:27 am
My prayers are also for peace and peaceful resolution of differences.
Akshaye says:August 16th, 2008 6:29 pm
@Salman
“Now how come you folks have problem with the Kashmiri Freedom
Fighters?”
The answer is that we have equal problems with Kashmiri, Naxal and
LTTE freedom fighters. Same as China has problems with Tibetian
Buddhist and Xinjiang Muslim freedom fighters and you guys have your
own share of Baloch and NWFP freedom fighters.
Mujtaba says:August 16th, 2008 6:30 pm
I also pray for peace and friendship between India and Pakistan and
also all over the world. When will we learn that violence and conflict
only breeds more violence and conflict.
It is times like these that test our conviction. Everyone talks of
comittment to peace when things are going well, it is those who can
stand by that conviction in bad times too who should be admired. Thank
you Adil Najam for stressing that it is in these pressing times that
our commitment to peace is most important. We can remain commited to
peace without compromising on principles of justice, and that is what
you have done.
Salman says:August 16th, 2008 11:31 pm
@ Akshaye,
Two wrongs do not make it right. As others have stated, lets pray for
peace and better understanding. Dialogue is a start and I have hope.
Zyczenia na urodziny says:November 5th, 2009 8:19 am
My hope is that the Fourth of July becomes a celebration less of the
might of nations, and more of the possibility for freedom and
friendship for which men and women who sacrifice their energy and
sometimes their lives.
Independence Day Greetings for India
Posted on August 15, 2009
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Foreign Relations
41 Comments
Total Views: 19720
Adil Najam
Today is August 15. India’s Independence Day.
ATP sends all Indians sincere and heartfelt Independence Day greetings
and the very best wishes.
Here at All Things Pakistan, we have carried a special post on this
day every year.
Very consciously, the posts we have carried on this day over the last
three years form a trilogy of imagery: our post in 2006 sought to
revisit our imagery of our past (here), in 2007 we highlighted the
changing imagery of India-Pakistan relations in the present (here),
and in 2008 we called upon our readers to re-imagine our visions of
the future (here).
We would urge our readers to please revisit these posts if you have a
few moments before you read on (click on the three images above, or
here, here and here).
In very real ways, it is the image of the past, present and future of
our mutual relations that have always and will always define how we
view each other. Let me, then, simply repeat excerpts from this
trilogy of posts on how I choose to view these images.
Here, then, is just a part of what I wrote three years ago (read full
post here):
“…here are two people who disagreed on the India-Pakistan question as
much as any two people possibly could, and at the deepest levels. And,
yet, here they are; able to stand together and genuinely smile.
Disagree, but smile. And ultimately to accept the course that history
took; a course, mind you, that neither was particularly happy with. If
they could, then why can’t we?
As a Pakistani I am in debt of Mr. Gandhi for the stand he took in
trying to halt the horrible carnage that followed partition. Paying
the ultimate price for that stand. My understanding is that the very
first time ever that the Pakistan flag officially flew at half-mast
was at Gandhi ji’s death. All government offices in Paksitan were
closed in mourning of Mr. Gandhi’s death.
Mr. Gandhi probably disliked the idea of Pakistan more than any other
Indian political leader; because he could not bear seeing his beloved
India divided. On that bit, I disagree with him. But, once the deed
was done he also recognized that the death and violence which followed
was too high a price to pay for that disagreement. So much so that he
was willing to put his own life on the line and go on hunger strike to
stop the carnage. For that alone, I will always respect and admire
him.”
But we can remain in the past for only that long. My post two years
ago revolved around two pictures: young girls with flags of both India
and Pakistan painted on their faces. These faces were images of hope
and aspiration to me. Hope and aspiration that was worth celebrating.
This is part of what I wrote two years ago (read full post here):
“… May our futures be defined by friendship, mutual respect, and
prosperity… These young and pretty faces are the custodians of our
shared dreams. May they always smile. May they always smile together.
May our futures be defined by friendship, mutual respect, and
prosperity.”
My post last year was again based on a particular photograph. Men in
uniform – border guards at that – embracing and exchanging mithai.
Symbolic it may be, bt how poignantly symbolic. I have updated that
picture from the same ceremony at Wagah this year. Here is part of
what I wrote one year ago (read full post here):
“The smiles on their faces may not be as large or as sincere as one
might have wanted, but these men in uniforms seem to be saying that
today is not the day to point fingers, it is a day to wish for a
better tomorrow. All we want to say is exactly the same.
Tomorrow matters. And actions on both sides of the border today will
determine what our tomorrows will look like. Our shared goal must be
to create a tomorrow that is peaceful. A tomorrow that is just. A
tomorrow that is friendly. A tomorrow that is prosperous. For both of
us.”
Today, the fourth time I write this post, my image of the past, by
sense of the present and my aspirations for the future remain what
they were then. Sincerest Independence Day greetings to India today.
May the best hopes of both Mr. Jinnah and Mr. Gandhi come true for
both our nations. May all our futures be good futures
41 comments posted
Gardezi says:August 15th, 2009 1:21 pm
Excellent post. You express these sentiments so well and we share
them. Amazing how you have woven the theme of past, present and future
over three years. To me, the past is past and the future is all that
matters.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, INDIA!
Originative says:August 15th, 2009 1:38 pm
Nice Post !
Riaz Haq says:August 15th, 2009 1:50
pm Both India and Pakistan are paying a heavy price in the millions
lives of lost the poor and hungry every year because of their
misguided pursuit of democracy that has perpetuated the worst possible
governance in South Asia for decades.
Chinese, on the other hand, have saved millions of lives each year
since the revolution that occurred after India and Pakistan became
independent. Other East Asians, particularly ASEAN nations of
Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, have also pulled far ahead of India
and Pakistan.
Malnutrition, hunger and disease claims over 2 million children’s
lives each year in India.
About one-third of the world’s extremely poor people live in India.
More than 450 million Indians exist on less than $1.25 a day,
according to the World Bank. It also has a higher proportion of its
population living on less than $2 per day than even sub-Saharan
Africa. India has about 42% of the population living below the new
international poverty line of $1.25 per day. The number of Indian poor
also constitute 33% of the global poor, which is pegged at 1.4 billion
people, according to a Times of India news report. More than 6 million
of those desperately poor Indians live in Mumbai alone, representing
about half the residents of the nation’s financial capital. They live
in super-sized slums and improvised housing juxtaposed with the
shining new skyscrapers that symbolize India’s resurgence. According
to the World Bank and the UN Development Program (UNDP), 22% of
Pakistan’s population is classified as poor.
According to Asia Children’s Rights report, about 8 million Pakistani
children, or 40 percent of the total population of children under the
age of 5, suffer from malnutrition. About 63 percent of children
between 6 months and 3 years have stunted growth and 42 percent are
anemic or underweight. Poor nutrition leaves these children vulnerable
to diseases. Pakistan, along with India, is among the few countries of
the world where Polio is still endemic. Poor conditions extend to the
education sector as well. Over 23 million children in Pakistan have
never been to school. The International Labor Organization data shows
3.3 million children, between the ages of 5 and 14 years in Pakistan,
are forced to work rather than attend school. A quarter of a million
of them work as domestic servants. The most recent United Nations
Human Development Report indicates that the youth literacy rate in
Pakistan is an abysmal 58 percent, among the lowest in the world.
Sexual abuse is another problem. Homelessness of children is quite
common. Over 10,000 children below the age of 15 live on the streets
and sidewalks of Karachi alone. Many of them are forced to beg for
survival. Most of these children say they left home because of
domestic violence and family financial problems, according to Edhi
Foundation which cares for some of them. According to a report by
Amnesty International, there are more than 4,500 juvenile prisoners in
Pakistani jails and 66 percent of them are being tried. Juvenile
detainees are kept with adults, leaving them vulnerable to sexual and
physical abuse.
I support a strong but benevolent dictator (not a saint, but
relatively honest) in the mold of General Suharto or Mahathir or Lee
Kuan Yu to rule Pakistan with an iron hand for at least 20 years to
bring it out of the morass it is in. During this period, we must
dismantle the feudal system, industrialize the country and create tens
of millions of jobs, rapidly grow the economy, spend heavily on
education and healthcare and prepare the ground for eventual democracy
with a literate, healthy and autonomous electorate.
Where is such a person likely to come from in Pakistan’s context? Most
likely the military. But it could also be civilian like Mahathir who
has the support of the military.
Sarosh A.Farooqi says:August 15th, 2009 1:51 pm
I won’t greet a nation which is continuously spending heavy resources
just to destabilize and disintegrate my motherland…
??????? ???? ??? – ??????? ??????? ???
sam says:August 15th, 2009 2:42
pm if balochistan split from pakistan (god forbid) than wed be the
ghandis of pakistan..
u have to understand why he was against it..
Usman Alvi says:August 15th, 2009 2:52 pm
Excellent writing.
I also wish India best wishes. there are too many people in both our
countries who can only see negative and then make the negative actions
of the others the excuse for their own negativity. Let us rise above
this and make both our countries prosperous.
Happy Independence Day to all India.
Shakeel says:August 15th, 2009 2:54 pm
Happy Independence Day to All Indians Friends.
Have a great day and many more.
Shakeel
Ashish says:August 15th, 2009 3:36 pm
Thank you for these thoughts and wishes.
May we all learn to live in peace and co-existence.
YLH says:August 15th, 2009 3:42 pm
Happy Independence Day India. Love A Pakistani.
PS Dr. Najam thanks for posting that picture of Jinnah and Gandhi.
When walking out in 1944 meeting, Gandhi put his arm around Mr.
Jinnah. By the time they came out Gandhi had taken his arm off. So Mr.
Jinnah turned around and told Mr. Gandhi I’d like to be photographed
with your arm around me.
Hence the picture. It must be remembered that though contemporaries
and rivals, Gandhi was a decade older than the Quaid. Jinnah would
have turned 72 and Gandhi 79 had they both lived through that year in
1948.
Midnight’s Child says:August 15th, 2009 4:55 pm I wish the best of
everything to both India, and Pakistan, and let us not forget
Bangladesh. We are all parts of an ancient whole, with too much shared
history and heritage, and too much shared pain. I hope and pray that
one day our grandchildren if not ourselves, can live together in an
atmosphere of cooperation and harmony as is enjoyed in the Benelux
countries and Scandanavia. The soldiers exchanging mithai and the girl
with the two flags are Inshallah the faces of the future.
Adam Insaan says:August 15th, 2009 6:46 pm
Midnights child@
I do sincerely agree with Your statement, that it can indeed be a
state of tranquility
(-and not only the often cited Utopia),
if we someday, if not our generation, then our children`s generation
can be living amongst and amidst each other, I mean Pakistan,
Bangladesh and India.
-and why not in an interwooven silk-appearence made of organza-silk
(just kidding), in the same manner as Scandinavia.
I myself am living in Scandinavia and I can say this much; where can
you elsewhere in the world , see the primeminister on his bicyclette ,
and top-academics not even have money to buy a descent car ? yes here!
And generally a plummer earns more than a doctor.
But its a process , to be endependent , and set targets for where we
will be aiming with our PROJECT : Pakistan ,
and we have to facilitate this by contributing.
I do have to say to my fellow humans of Indian attachement ;
Congratulations with this day of independence from this adam.
Ehsan says:August 15th, 2009 7:11 pm
Happy Independence Day India.
I am and will remain a proud Pakistani and wish all my neighbors well.
Always.
Greetings, India.
Elem says:August 15th, 2009 7:21 pm
What a stupid post. I rarely read such non sense posts on ATP.
@Adil Najam, what are you trying to do here, you want us to read
three posts before reading this one… perhaps this is a very important
post to you.. but to you only! Before writing, did you forget what did
they do alst year on Mumbai attacks?
Just wake up and live in reality, Gandhi and Indians, they back
stabbed in Jinnah times when they made allainces with Britishers and
the history is full of their hypocrisies. They can NEVER we our
(Muslims ingeneral and Pakistanis in particular) friends. These
indians, these hypocrites!
As you bravely presented your view, let my post be there. It’s just a
response to your “love and sympathy for india”
J.S. Malhotra says:August 15th, 2009 8:35 pm
Thank you for these messages.
Those of us who believe in peace and goodwill have to fight the hawks
and hate mongerers in our own country much more than in the other. But
I am sure things will change and we will come to see as Gandhi and
Jinna saw each other==as people who disagreed but not as enemies.
Happy Independence Day to Pakistanis too.
Owais Mughal says:August 15th, 2009 10:35 pm
Independence day greetings to our friends in India
DARWEESH says:August 15th, 2009 11:22 pm
Happy Independance Day to India,
But would indian political leaders would come out of their inner fears
about Nuclear Pakistan and 1000 year muslim political dominance in
south asia?
As political analyst I feel another encounter may settle the issue by
the end of decade. Both countries would be the loosers and worst would
be for teeming millions.
Haroon says:August 15th, 2009 11:30 pm
Despite the hysteria that the media some times pumps up, the fact is
that relations have actually been improving. Or at least not going
worse. That is good news and voices of sanity in both countries should
continue to do what you are doing by speaking out for better
relations.
Azra says:August 15th, 2009 11:36 pm
Sorry to see the reaction to this post on your Facebook page but glad
that there is still more sanity here.
Until we define ourselves by those who we see as our enemy, nothing
will ever change.
Glad that you are writing this. We need more voices like this.
ASAD says:August 16th, 2009 1:32 am
Had not realized that flags had flown at half mast in Pakistan on
Gandhi’s death. That was quite a gesture given all that was happening
then.
Naeem says:August 16th, 2009 5:04 am
i agree, we need to learn how to respect the opinions of others, i
dont see any point why Indians are our enemies. more than 70 % of
Pakistani population listen Indian songs, watch Indian dramas and
movies, Indian heroes are their heroes, and still they think that they
are our enemies. once we used to live together as slaves, on on lucky
day we got independence, we should accept that and should live as
happy neighbors.
Nava says:August 16th, 2009 6:40 am
Even we all Indians loves pakistan and ppl of pak.
But sometimes not happy with pak’s govt decisions…for eg: d delay in
accepting kasab as a pakistan’s nationalist…
if u were hurt d same as a Mumbaikar then why there wasn’t handshake
in terms of finding d roots of mumbai attack???
Why common ppl of pakistan who got hurt by mumbai attack were nt
standing on roads demanding pak govt to help India in finding roots of
terror.
We know, though kasab if from pakistan that doesn’t mean pakistan was
behind Mumbai attack, but we say d attack was planned inside border of
Pak.
We know how ppl of pakistan loves we Indians.
Attackers/terririst don’t have any religion nor a nation.
But to find roots of terror we have to accept things and work
accordingly.
Midnight’s Child says:August 16th, 2009 6:54 am
What an amazing coincidence, in relation to the post. Anyone who is
really interested in this issue should log onto the link below. ( Even
try to pick up the interview live later today) It is extraordinary
coming from such a prominent Indian and is a total vindication of Mr.
Jinnah and the Muslim League. I mentioned in an earlier post a few
days ago about the desire for a Federal India, and that it was all
about political rights for Muslims and not at all about the
establishment of a theocratic Islamic State. One of the supporters of
this idea was Shaheed Suhrawardy who has also been demonised by many
Indians. Mr. Jinnah’s biggest mistake was not to be, in modern
parlance, “up front” about his state of health. Time was running out
for him, as it was for the Indian Empire, and so we ended up with what
was a huge tragedy for many people. I always knew much of Mr. Jaswant
Singh says, from my parents, but finally the truth will out. It is
also important for Pakistanis to try and understand Mr. Jinnah’s
thinking and motives and not try and and tailor his legacy to suit
what their partial or flawed understanding of what he really wanted.
<a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/99291/jaswant-admires -jinnah-
says-he-was-great.html">http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/99291/jaswant-
admires -jinnah-says-he-was-great.html
</a>
Gardezi says:August 16th, 2009 10:29 am
Glad you brought up the new biography of Jinnah by Jaswant Singh – who
is a BJP leader and writes this very surprising book claiming the
Jinnah was ‘demonized’ by India. There is really a fascinating debate
brewing up on this and may be now enough time has actually passed for
us to begin looking at history more objectively than we have been.
Gardezi says:August 16th, 2009 10:38 am
Here is a news item from an Indian newspaper on teh book:
Mohammed Ali Jinnah did not win Pakistan as Congress leaders
Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel “conceded” Pakistan to
the Quaid-e-Azam with the British acting as an ever helpful midwife,
says senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh.
In his new book “Jinnah – India, Partition, Independence”, which will
hit the stands on August 17, he recalls the events leading to
Partition as well as the “epic journey of Jinnah from being the
ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity, the liberal constitutionalist and
Indian nationalist to the Quaid-e-Azam of Pakistan”.
Singh raises several questions on partition. “…How did you divide a
geographic (also geo-political) unity? Through a ‘surgical operation’,
Mountbatten (the last British viceroy) had said, and tragically Nehru
and Patel and the Congress party had assented, Jinnah, in any event
having demanded adopting to just a recourse,” he writes in the book,
excerpts from which have been reproduced by ‘India Today’ magazine.
“…Jinnah did not win Pakistan, as the Congress leaders – Nehru and
Patel finally conceded Pakistan to Jinnah, with the British acting as
an ever helpful midwife,” Singh says in his 669-page book.
“The cruel truth is that this partitioning of India has actually
resulted in achieving the very reverse of the originally intended
purpose; partition, instead of settling contention between communities
has left us a legacy of markedly enhanced Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or other
such denominational identities, hence differences…,” the book says.
Singh describes the partition of India as the “defining event of the
20th century for this entire subcontinent.
“The searing agony of it torments still, the whys and what-fors of it,
too. We relieve the partition because we persist without attempts to
find answers to the great errors of those years so that we may never,
ever repeat them. Also, perhaps by recounting them we attempt to
assuage some of our pain,” the former External Affairs Minister
writes.
According to Singh both Jinnah and Nehru wanted special status for
Muslims.
“It is ironical that among the great constitutionalists of those
times, Jinnah and Nehru became the principal promoters of ‘special
status for Muslims’; Jinnah directly and Nehru indirectly.
“…The irony of it is galling when sadly, we observe that both of them,
these two great5 Indians of their times were either actually or in
effect competing to become the ‘spokesman of Muslims’ in India.”
adeel says:August 16th, 2009 10:48 am
I, too, was taken aback by the reaction on the facebook page. I’d like
to believe it is mostly people commenting without having read the
actual post and acting on their whims but the deep hatred we have
developed cannot be brushed off easily.
People should learn to disagree without hating. Hating India should
not define our love for our country.
Extending a greeting to India doesn’t make me any less of a Pakistani.
I wish India all the prosperity and hope that we in Pakistan can make
our country a prosperous one too.
Nava says:August 16th, 2009 12:26 pm
adeel
How beautiful will b d indo-pak if all starts thinking like u brother.
Pakistan Zindabad says:August 16th, 2009 2:20 pm
I was also sad to read the comments on this on the Facebook page.
It is both funny and sad, as someone said that, that there are so many
who thinks they are BETTER Pakistanis and more patriotic than even the
Quaid i Azam. Some people on both sides are so soaked in hatred and so
unsure about themselves that they can only define their own patriotism
by making it against someone else. We use words like ‘hate’ and
‘enemy’ too easily and we have to learn how to stop doing that.
I am quite sure that Quaid i Azam and Gandhi did not agree with each
other but they would never say they HATED each other nor would they
evn think of each other as ENEMIES. Unfortuantely too many shallow and
insecure people in both countries now do.
Who said it was right, patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.
Haroon says:August 16th, 2009 2:27 pm
Thank yo for this nice post. Loved reading it. Loved going through all
the three posts in sequence, specially the very first one that you
linked.
By the way, maybe you should have have repeated the para at the end of
the first post about what your grandmother told you
Midnight’s Child says:August 16th, 2009 5:15 pm
Re-reading the posts for 2006 and 2007, I came across Bhupinder’s
comparisons and analysis of the the speeches that Nehru and Jinnah
gave on the occasion of Independence. I read the speeches aloud to an
Arab friend whose first commented on something I just took for
granted……the speeches were both delivered in excellent English !
Waleed Chaudhry says:August 16th, 2009 10:19 pm
I don’t think that wishing Indians on their independence day is not
good…coz am at UK and in my university all my friends(girls) are
indians… and they r easily ready to give anything to Pakistani’s…is
leay aapas mien is baat per na larro yahan per kai logon ka bhala ho
raha hay…hehehehehehe
Nabila says:August 16th, 2009 11:58 pm
Hi,
As a Pakistani, have you ever thought that there is dire need to
apologize for the Bangladesh genocide in 1971?
Do you think it was fair for a whole nation to suffer like that?
If you don’t have an idea about the 1971 genocide, please update
yourself here: http://www.genocidebangladesh.org/
Riaz Haq says:August 17th, 2009 1:02 am
We needed to make a demon of Jinnah… Let’s learn from our mistakes’
Q&A: Jaswant Singh
<a href="http://www.business-standard.com">Business Standard</a> / New
Delhi August 17, 2009, 0:51 IST
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh
Shakeel says:August 17th, 2009 6:53 am
I am not sure what the facebook page is all about but let there be no
doubts that people from both nation enjoy a very good friendship.
Living in Europe, I witness, on daily basis, Indians and Pakistanis
working side by side, living in the same house, paying the rent
together and cooking for each other .. They help each other in any way
they can.
If that was not proof enough, then let us remind ourselves of the 2004
Cricket series between the two countries. There are many many stories
of friendship on that tour alone – Pakistanis Taxis refusing to charge
their Indian clients, hosts not charing to their guests, invitations
to all kinds were offered to Indians fans. The same feeling was
repeated in the 2005/06 Indian tour of Pak team (although, BCCI had
only offered a very small number of tickets to Pak fans) but still,
the friendship was there.
What more proof does one need? I say, enough of falling in the trap of
terrorists, extremists, narrow minded idiots and Politicians. Let’s
tell them all that we are not fools and cant be taken for a ride
anymore.
Adnan Siddiqi says:August 17th, 2009 9:33 am
One sided love and one sided friendship never make any difference.
In past(at partition time) when Molvis “opposed” Pakistan and preached
about United India then they were called traitors and anti-partition
elements but today when so called intellectuals aka liberals talk
about “Kissing up” India then they are called peace lover. How ironic
is that,isn’t it? Now I don’t know “Molana” Abul Kalam Azad is a
“Mullah” who opposed Pakistan or a person who talked about “spreading
love” between Muslims and Hindu.
Umar Shah says:August 17th, 2009 4:47 pm
Adil Sahab, kha-ma-kha ka punga kyoon laitein hain? Abhi woh waqt nahi
aya. Facebook par kiya haal hua is post ka? Ganda hua na Pakistan aik
baar phir. Hamaray log sochtay nahi keh kiya bolna chahyay. Aap to
soch saktay thay.
Hamza says:August 17th, 2009 11:07 pm Adil, you continue to impress me
with your thoughtful posts and the obvious sincerety of your beliefs.
I’m glad you continue to wish India a Happy Independence Day, and I
find that your usage of history and the contemporary to make your
point is particularly effective.
Like some other readers of this blog, I was disappointed and
disillusioned to read some of the earlier posts on facebook.
Disappointed because I didn’t expect members of our wonderful online
community to exhibit such dislike for your neighboring country. The
debate on this blog is passionate and heated, but it rarely devolves
to the simplistic often hate filled nature of the facebook comments.
More seriously, I felt a sense of disillusionment because the
demographic of facebook users is likely to be younger than those
espoused by commentors in this blog, and thus, their antipathy towards
India are likely represent the views of the future of pakistan.
It wasn’t too long ago that I had to study the drivel that was more
formally called “Pakistan Studies”, but I have to wonder: has the
warped Pakistan Studies curriculum really had such a drastic impact on
the mindset of younger pakistanis?
Fellow readers of this blog, what do you think is a reason for the
drastic difference between posts on the facebook and those of the blog
readers?
Watan Aziz says:August 19th, 2009 6:58 am
Indepence Day Greetings From India
From BJP’s Hanuman, I am now its Ravana: Jaswant
TIMESOFINDIA.COM 19 August 2009, 02:38pm IST
NEW DELHI: “The decision to expel me is sad and regrettable”, Jaswant
Singh has said after the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) expelled him from
the party following the Jinnah controversy.
“I am thankful to party for giving me responsibilities earlier. I
would have felt better if L K Advani or Rajnath Singh had told me
personally rather than informing me over phone.” Singh said.
I am being expelled from the party for writing a book, he said, adding
that this trend of politicians not being encouraged to think or write
is sad.
Jaswant Singh also alleged that BJP did not follow procedures in
expelling him. “They should have issued show cause notice”, he said.
Jaswant Singh, who has written a book on Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali
Jinnah, said he got a call at 1 pm from Rajnath Singh.
“If this was the decision, it would have been better if I had been
told in Delhi not to come to Shimla,” he said.
“I have been a member of the BJP since it was formed (in 1980),” he
said.
“I am worried and sad that just one book has led to my expulsion,” he
added, wondering what would happen if “soch, vichar and
chintan” (thinking and introspection) stopped in Indian politics.
adeel says:August 19th, 2009 8:19 am
@Hamza
I am watching this thread with much interest for answer to the
question you posed.
I agree with the ‘younger followership’ notion and the fickle nature
of the facebook photo-comment discussions (people tend to be whimsical
and likely to be commenting in response to headlines alone with little
or no introspection).
But, as you noted, precisely because they are young, educated (not
likely madarasa educated at that) and modern (as in their acceptance
of modern technology; not the usual meaning we assign to it in
Pakistan), this is very scary.
Meanwhile, the greetings from India that Watan Aziz has reported in
the comment below tell that the Indians are really too far behind
(which is hardly a surprize). My reaction to the BJP handling of the
Jaswant Singh affair was: “How very Pakistani!”
adeel says:August 19th, 2009 8:22 am
A correction to my earlier post
*the Indians are NOT really too far behind (which is hardly a
surprize).
Apologies.
ASAD says:August 19th, 2009 10:46 am
I was also despressed to see the crass reaction on the FB page but I
will not take it too seriously. It is not just about ago or education,
it is the way of facebook. Facebook is really not a good medium for
any serious discussion. It encourages slogans and reactions to catch
attention. It is not a place to make an argument or have a discussion.
Also, it was obvious that nearly none of those commenting had actually
read the piece so they were reacting to a headline and maybe a
picture. Plus I also noted that it really was just a few people
repeating one comment after the other. That is why I never post
comments there, it is not worth it. The real serious discussion is
here.
Lutf ul Islam says:August 19th, 2009 7:47 pm
India is growing up. Pakistan is still fighting over why it was
created.
A debate should be held on every 14th of August until we can decide on
what we want Pakistan to be.
Pardee Center Hosts Experts Panel on South Asia 2060
The Boston University Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the
Longer-Range Future hosted a high-level experts panel on ‘South Asia
2060′ bringing leading experts from across South Asia: including from
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Dr. Enamul Haq, Dr. Amitabh Matto, Dr. Adil Najam,
Amb. Nihal Rodrigo and Dipak Gyawali at Pardee Center panel on ‘South
Asia 2060′
The panel was sponsored and hosted by the BU Pardee Center as part of
the 12th Annual Sustainable Development Conference of the Sustainable
Development Policy Institute (SDPI), in Islamabad, Pakistan. Holding
the panel on South Asia’s future in South Asia itself allowed the
Pardee Center access to leading South Asian experts as well as a large
South Asian audience (nearly 200 people attended).
The panel was part of a larger Pardee Center research project by the
same name – South Asia 2060 – which invites leading thought leaders
from South Asia to think ahead to 2060 and what the future of the
region, as a region, might look like. Commentary essays from these
thought leaders would then be compiled in a Pardee Center publication.
This, the first panel convened as part of this project, was moderated
by Pardee Center Director Prof. Adil Najam and included Amb. Nihal
Rodrigo, former Sri Lankan Ambassador and former Secretary General of
the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Dipak
Gyawali, Pragya of the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology,
Prof. A.K. Enamul Haque of the United International University in
Bangladesh, Dr. Ishrat Hussain, former Governor of the State Bank of
Pakistan and Director of the Institute of Business Administration, and
Prof. Amitabh Mattoo of the Jawaharlal Nehru Univeristy, New Delhi,
India.
The far-reaching discussion in the panel focussed on scenarios and
trends for the region as a whole over the next five decades, but
rooted in the steps that could be taken now to move towards a more
positive future for the region. Amb. Rodrigo looked at the SAARC and
highlighted the positive trends of regional cooperation through SAARC.
Dipak Gyawali looked at the issue of water and defined it as a key
indicator of whatever will become of the region. He argued that the
greatest hope lies in ‘Track Zero’ efforts that are people to people
rather than in state to state solutions. Dr. Enamul Haque and Dr.
Ishrat Hussain both highlighted key regional trends, including those
of demography, security, knowledge and poverty as the key elements
which will impact the region’s future. Prof. Mattoo presented three
scenarios, as had Dr. Ishrat Hussain, for the region’s future and
pointed out that the region lies at a tipping point and the decisions
taken in the region over the next five years will determine the
direction that the region will take over the next 50 years.
The presentations from the panel were followed by a lively question
and answer session.
A video of the panel will soon be added to the Pardee Center website’s
multimedia page.
This entry was posted on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 10:42 am.
…and I am Sid Harth
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
•Kasab on Death row: Sid Harth
•National Symbols of India
By navanavonmilita, on 15/08/2010 at 4:25 am, under
News, Views and Reviews. .
No Comments
Post a comment or leave a trackback: Trackback URL. Edit
« DR Seuss Cooked my Goose: Sid Harth