The flipside of Pakistan-India relations

To see or not to see… that is the question!

Negativities are undoubtedly projected more than the optimistic aspects because ‘man bites dog’ is far more significant a piece of news than ‘dog bites man’.

The odds in a coin flip are not always 50/50. Such events can exhibit huge bias especially when one side is made partisanly heavier than the other. But the amazing games of politics and media are such that it is mostly the heftier side that shows up.

The emotional, eventful and explosive tale of Pakistan-India relations has been victimised in a similar manner whereby short-term, expedient reporting has permanently filled the pages of our historical accounts.

The whole Pakistani nation celebrated Pakistan Day this Thursday with immense patriotic zeal and enthusiasm. The day commemorates the passing of Lahore Resolution whereby geographically contiguous “Muslim-majority” units were proposed to be demarcated into independent Muslim states. Why I have put the words ‘Muslim’ and ‘majority’ in double quotes is quite obvious, i.e. to emphasise on the need to realise that it is still not too late. Since no province could be completely evacuated by its religious minorities, Pakistan, just like India, had to accept its inherent diversity. However, all balls in the realms of politics and media have by and large been thrown and played on this pitch of differences that exist in religious ideologies.

Our eastern neighbour, with its 77 pc population being the followers of Hinduism, asks us what happened to Pakistani Hindus who constituted its 15-24 pc population at the time of partition but now account for only 1.7 pc. Leaving these questions unanswered was indeed a pratfall as it gave birth to several doubts in the hearts of those with whom we contritely share a bitter past.

The extended vindication of Pakistan’s willingness to respect and protect its minorities was given in the PM’s message at the occasion of Holi

Negativities are undoubtedly projected more than the optimistic aspects because ‘man bites dog’ is far more significant a piece of news than ‘dog bites man’. One should, nonetheless, never show complete disappointment in the medium of disseminating information by hurling at it accusations of wholly concealing a range of distinct facets and perspectives with one because that would be an extremist approach. Let our media houses enjoy the benefit of doubt in that they do not miss out on any news item, but let us all admit that one story might be given more attention and projection than others.

An uncomplicated example of this is the demolition of 16^th-century Babri Masjid and the resulting Ayodhya dispute. This ignited the heavy Muslim majority of Pakistan following which the denizens of two countries further parted. Whether the hill named Ramkot was first entrenched with the foundations of the mosque or had previously been supporting Ram Janmabhoomi, a structure marking the birthplace of Rama, is a never-ending debate as no historical evidence is present to vindicate each of the claims.

All that should be known and remembered is how Sikhs and Hindus of Indian Punjab’s Malla village joined hands for a single Muslim family living with them and renovated a century-old mosque that was shut down in 1947.

Instead of repeatedly quoting such incidents as clash between Muslims and Hindus over a disputed religious site, we should bring into spotlight cases like that in Rui village of Maharashtra’s Latur district whose residents constructed a temple and a mosque for each other’s community to promote tolerance and unity between Hindus and Muslims. The reconstructed Ram temple was spifflicated approximately 275 years ago during a conflict between the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Peshwas, while the Masjid was put down over 60 years ago by some Hindu extremists. The residents of the exemplary village surmounted their spiteful past full of religious intolerance and paved the way for much more tolerant times to come emblazoned with interfaith harmony.

Yet another dimension of solving the problem of the Ayodhya dispute was proposed by a three-member of the Indian Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar whereby an out-of-court settlement was suggested this month.

“An amicable settlement of the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute was a better course than on insisting on judicial pronouncement. The matter involves sentiments on both sides. It should be settled amicably between the disputing parties. The Supreme Court will come in the picture if you can’t settle the dispute outside the court,” the bench had remarked.

Despite all the aforementioned efforts being made from both the sides, another concern kindled among Pakistanis when member of Hindu right-wing fundamentalist Bharatiya Janta Party Yogi Adityanath was appointed as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), a state of India whose 25pc population is that of Muslims. Every news channel in Pakistan and India flashed news regarding his speech wherein he ordered a charged crowd to “take the Muslim women out of their graves and rape them”.

There is more to it. Gorakhpur Janata Durbar, of which Yogi is the sole custodian after the death of his spiritual and political guru Mahant Avaidyanath, receives several visitors, including Muslims, whose problems are indiscriminately solved by him. Perhaps it is because of this and many other reasons that Muslims of UP rejoiced his victory in actuality.

“Some time ago, we had come here seeking resolution of a dispute over some land belonging to a mosque, which was being encroached upon. It was resolved by Maharaj,” a local named Waraq had told an Indian newspaper, the Indian Express.

“Yogi Ji is a very nice and disciplined person who takes care of Muslims of his area and always helps Muslim children and burqa-clad women who visit him at Janata Durbar,” claimed a local of Gorakhpur while giving interview to News World India.

“When a Hindu and a Muslim go to him [Yogi] together, he always listens to and solves the problem of the Muslim first,” professed yet another bearded local.

The saffron-robed Hindu priest was proclaimed as a hardliner. But what lies behind his recent statements is a story of three girls aged nine, 14 and 17, residents of Gorakhpur village, who were allegedly abducted, raped and murdered by some Muslims.

Whether there exists evil in good or good in evil, every individual is innocent until proven guilty. Every person should be given an equal chance to show what he really is, only after which we can reach a conclusion and formulate views and opinions regarding him and his conduct. Yogi Adityanath’s complete speech, from which an excerpt of ‘raping dead Muslim woman’ was extracted and presented before the masses absolutely out of context, is nowhere to be found on electronic media archives and internet. This would only create more confusion and is in direct conflict with the picture in which the same ‘radical Hindu extremist’ can be seen distributing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections among the Muslim populace of his constituency. And from here one can see a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel.

What has Pakistan done for its largest religious minority? The latest landmark gesture was the unanimous adoption of the Hindu Marriage Bill and its promulgation into law whereby Hindu marriages in Pakistan will necessitate Shaadi Parath, a document analogous to Islamic nikahnama, which will facilitate in registering and regulating these marriages.

The law provides Hindu families to solemnise marriages in concordance with the customary rituals and ceremonies and the right of separated couples to remarry, the legitimacy of children born out of void and voidable Hindu marriages, restitution of judicial separation and conjugal rights and entitlement of remarriage by a Hindu widow at her own ill after the stipulated time.

“They [Pakistani Hindus] are as patriotic as any other community and, therefore, it is the responsibility of the state to provide equal protection to them,” Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif said.

The extended vindication of Pakistan’s willingness to respect and protect its minorities was given in the PM’s message at the occasion of Holi.

“God will not ask a ruler what he did for followers of a certain religion. He will ask people such as me: What did we do for God’s creation?” stated PM Nawaz. “No matter what religion or beliefs you follow, or what part of the country you belong to, you must be provided equal access to progress and development.”

Yes, there does exist freedom of expression and speech as a fundamental right in constitutions of both countries, but the purpose of this fundamental right would go in vain if it is not entwined with the obligation of presenting before the masses the truth – all the vantage points that can be viewed at 360 degrees rotation.

The ghosts of our past are as veracious a fact as that of existing side by side. Instead of thinking of undoing the line that demarcates the boundaries of the two countries, people on both sides of the border should essentially focus on drawing new lines of connection with each other. Because peaceful coexistence is incontrovertibly far more venerated and necessary than catastrophic parasitism.