The Citizens Archive of Pakistan, a platform dedicated to documenting oral history, organized a three day event called “Kissa Khwani” in Islamabad, named after the famous Kissa Khwani Bazaar in Peshawar, which was meant to promote the tradition of preserving oral historical accounts and storytelling. On June 20, 2013, the first episode of the three day event, “Partition and Migration” was held. Oscar winning documentary director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who also is the founder of the organization, introduced her cause, organization, work and the significance of the event.
The panelists included Nasreen Cheema, a philanthropist from a political family from Gujrat, Punjab, that affiliated itself to Muslim League before the partition, Khajista Farhat Ghazi, born in Nagpur and an immigrant during the partition, businessman Chaudhary Muhammad Aslam, author Hameed Alvi and renowned poet Kishwer Naheed. Syed Naseem Akbar Naqvi was another speaker at the event, though not originally on the list of panelists. The event was moderated by Ravish Nadeem, poet and Urdu literature professor at the International Islamic University Islamabad.
A sister event was held in Lahore in which the panelists included Brig. (R) Salim Zia, Jamila Zaidi, Zahida Mushtaq and Azra Haq.
Miss Cheema recalled how children joined in with their parents and elders during the independence movement, chanting revolutionary slogans without having the slightest idea about their meaning. Madame Ghazi focused on the horrors and the risk of migration for a newly wed woman and a mother of an infant, and author Hameed Alvi recalled the Sikh riots leader Tara Singh for being at the forefront of the violence.
Cheema and Alvi mentioned that partition riots started in Rawalpindi. Alvi also reflected that economic conditions and fear of life were the primary factors forcing people to migrate. Miss Cheema also mentioned that nobody ever heard the slogan “Pakistan ka matlab kya, la illaha il-Allah”. Express Tribune reported that a similar comment was made in the Lahore event.
Kishwer Naheed recalled how they used to live in harmony with Hindus and that Muslims and Hindus used to take part in each other’s festivals. But despite continual reiterations of how all the people of different faiths have been living in peace in India for centuries, no one really explained why a separate country was needed then. To my question, the only two-word answer I extracted was from Miss Cheema. Vested interest.
Mr. Naqvi, who hailed from Jhang, recalled the fond memories of his college days before the partition and that of his Sikh teacher Kirpal Singh Jolly. He also recalled that the younger brother of Dr. Abdus Salam was his classmate and lamented how the people and the state of Pakistan have stripped his name off the accolade plates at his schools just because of his faith.
Mr. Aslam recalled how his family had arrived penniless in the newly founded Pakistan and how he had to sacrifice his education in order to earn bread for his family. The session concluded on a light note when Mr. Yusuf Koreishi, a retired teacher, narrated a comical story about how he thwarted a Sikh invasion on his village in Sialkot without even firing a bullet.
Sohail Abid, founder of Folk Punjab, pointed out that his family migrated from Eastern Punjab city of Patiala but did not want to, so stories about people forced to migrate should be mentioned as well while voluntary migration is discussed. Playwright Ahmed Salim made the point of focusing on partition stories in which people of different faiths saved each others’ lives and that he has a collection of hundreds of such stories. Screenwriters could really find picking such a story very useful to their cause indeed.
Prominent human rights lawyer Tahira Abdullah emphasized about the importance of considering a holistic picture while approaching the history of the events of the partition. She expressed that her generation would rather consider this historic event as “independence” instead of “partition”. That sounds nice, but I believe the term “partition” sounds more objective.
Since this particular episode of the event dealt with political history, it should be understood that storytelling does not necessarily establish facts or prove a certain point. A much more comprehensive and objective investigation is needed in order to fully understand the complex history of the partition of India, the migration and the ensuing human tragedy. But this by no means undermines the unique experience of the story teller, which certainly had much to offer to the younger generation to learn from.
Few of the participants repeatedly focused on how many of their stories focused on the violence caused by the Sikhs and Hindus and not that of Muslims and that it must be kept in mind that atrocities were committed by both sides. While this is true, it is unfair to expect that kind of correctness from the panelists narrating their story, who, save from one, had no political background whatsoever. To them, their accounts are not political statements, but merely a recollection of what they have actually gone through.
An experience is stronger than any political opinion.
Note: This is not a paid post.
Filed under: Commentary, Report | Tagged: Abdus Salaam, Ahmed Salim, bias, Citizen's Archive of Pakistan, education, eye witness account, Hameed Alvi, History, India, Islamabad, Khajista Farhat Ghazi, Kishwer Naheed, Kuch Khaas, migration, Naseem Akbar Naqvi, oral history, Pakistan, partition, politics, religion, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, storytelling | Leave a comment »
Made for Intolerance
Source: Wikimedia Commons
A lot of people outrage at the thought that there is so much discrimination and intolerance in the Paksitani society.
After all, Pakistani society is made up of such brilliant individuals and forward looking political and social groups. There are intellectuals in this country with ideas and works that are as brilliant as they would have anywhere.
So why is Pakistan stuck with elementary issues, such as religious and social discrimination and intolerance?
Well, Pakistan is not just like any other country in the world. Its creation involved one of the most unique events ever. Arguably, the biggest mass migration in modern, if not recorded, human history.
When you are artificially creating a homogeneous demographic and forcefully rejecting any variation, at least discouraging them to flourish, if not just expelling them out of communities, then you can expect resistance to accept what is different.
This is why Pakistan was always bound to be intolerant as a society, with the demographics not being the only factor for the aggravation of the intolerance.
Arguably the only other country that rivals it in this unique characteristic is Israel.
This is only a subjective opinion, but I have a feeling that it is a scientific fact. The resistance to strange ideas must be stronger in a more homogenous society.
Because over time, the Muslim population has increased exponentially in Pakistan and the non-Muslim population has declined. And as this trend continues, we have only seen lesser tolerance to communities with ideas alien to Pakistani and Islamic nationalism, and more tolerance toward religious rioting.
So why are people complaining? This is what we have always wanted.
Pakistan was made for intolerance.
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Filed under: Commentary | Tagged: 1947, demographics, discrimination, History, intolerance, Islam, Israel, life, migration, nationalism, Pakistan, partition, politics, religion, riots, society, violence, xenophobia | Leave a comment »