The Historic Task of the Pakistani Bourgeoisie

Every few months some Pakistani Nationalist gets upset with me when I say mean things about their beloved TNT (Two Nation Theory), and wants me to tell them what MY alternative is.. At the same time, some Hindutvvadis will jump in with “see, this is what Pakistan is really about, how can we ever have peace”. The latest was over this speech by the Pakistani army chief:

So here goes another attempt at trying to explain myself..

Background:  This is my article on the ideology of Pakistan from 2013. Please do read it if you want to know more about that.. the main point is that Pakistan was insufficiently imagined prior to birth; and that once it came into being, the mythology favored by its establishment proved to be self-destructive;  and that it must be corrected (surreptitiously if need be, openly if possible) in order to permit the emergence of workable solutions to myriad common post-colonial problems. I also argue that Having adopted Islam and irrational denial of our own Indian-ness as core elements of the state, the ‘modern’ factions of the establishment lack the vocabulary to answer the fanatics. This has allowed a relatively small number of Islamist officers to promote wildly dangerous policies (like training half a million armed Islamic fanatics in the 1990s) without saner elements being able to stop them. This unique “own-goal”, unprecedented in the history of modern states, is impossible to understand without reference to the Islamic and irrationally anti-Indian element in the self-image of the Pakistani state.

So what can be done? I believe it is the historic task of the Pakistani bourg to either make Pakistan a more normal country, or to watch it broken up. i.e. the historic task of the Pakistani bourgeoisie today is to defang the two-nation theory (TNT). Pakistani nation state is based on an intellectually limited and dangerously confrontational theory of nationalism. The charter state of the Pakistani bourgeoisie is the Delhi Sultanate.. the state valorizes turkic colonizers and looks down on the local people they colonized, and this conception lacks sufficient connection with either history or geography. Bangladesh opted out of this inadequate theory within 25 years, though its trouble may not be over yet. West Pakistan, now renamed “Pakistan” to obviate the memory of past losses, is now a geographically and economically viable nation state, but the military has failed to update the TNT and in fact, made a rather determined effort to complete the project using “militant proxies” in the 1990s, and if the Pakistani army chief is to be believed, he takes this commitment to TNT seriously even today. But the ideology in question is not compatible with regional peace or global capitalism and needs to be updated and brought in line with current requirements. This is now the great task of our under-prepared bourgeoisie.

History being nothing if not non-linear, the task will not be carried out in a straight line. Most adjustments will be made unconsciously or on the sly (which is the same thing as far as the outside observer is concerned; who are we to know what is or is not in the heart of man, or woman?). But the end state will be a nation that accepts its current borders and has no international mission beyond the usual buying and selling of onions to India and copper to China. There is a “Somalia alternative”, but one hopes that the middle classes are making too much money to want to reach that level of “low carbon footprint” eco-friendly freedom. Civil war and anarchy are not out of the question, but are hardly desirable. Others suggest that the four (or five, or whatever) constituent “sub nationalities” of Pakistan will go their separate ways. But Pakhtoonkhwah, Punjab and Sindh are too closely integrated and mixed-up for that to be an easy alternative. The Balochis are indeed unhappy and may (with good reason) want to go their own way and sell their own copper and gold to the Chinese, but they are too few and the task of successful separation is too big. It wont be pretty, it wont be direct, it wont even be publicly acknowledged, but the elite will try to stave off disaster and survive. 

The Indian (Hindutvvadi) objection is different. They feel their own liberals are foolish to take Pakistani liberals seriously and “can they not see that every prime minister and army chief has paid homage to TNT and wants to fight (and win) this eternal war”.. My point is that in the real world these Islamist dreams are constrained by the reality of Islamic disunity, underdevelopment and weakness and these ALL get worse the more Islam they try to impose. The so-called “shariah” developed in 8th century Iraq is not a winning ideology in the modern world. Islamists have high asabiya, but only for their own sects, and blasphemy and apostasy laws keep the flock in line, but they also freeze all intellectual debate and development. NO Islamic regime has delivered (or can deliver) a successful modern state. Turkey is the closest, and a lot of its strengths are independent of Islam and may not survive any attempt at “true Islam”. Iran did better (maybe because Iranian culture is a thing), but they are not exactly home free either, and in any case, they are a minority sect in Islam, their model is not workable elsewhere. No one else even has a chance. There is going to be no miracles in Pakistan either. Many people seriously believe in TNT and the eternal war against infidels, but they are not insane, they compromise when they have to. So the claim is this: TNT notwithstanding, Pakistanis are actually less willing to fight it out than the official rhetoric and public displays indicate. The Lutyens version of co-existence (we are one people, were always one people, have no problems but were manipulated by the British, and if hindoo extremists are shut down, we can all live happily ever after) is obviously fake and ridiculous, but so are most politician’s narratives.. the trick is for the elite not to take them too seriously.. and most countries in the world manage that feat. Trust but verify.

If China and Taiwan can trade and travel so much while being officially enemies, it can definitely be done in the Indian subcontinent. What is allowed and what is carefully watched is a matter of details. There is no great mystery about it. Trade is beneficial for everyone. Transit trade will help the economy in NW India as well as Pakistan. Tourism will have to be carefully watched because of terrorism issues, but a lot more can  be done. Meanwhile Sikh and Hindu religious tourism to West Punjab will be a game changer in Punjab and will undermine 75 years of attempts are religious purification.  Nothing is perfect, but much can be done.

Man up, do what needs to be done for peace, progress and development, including making deals with Pakistan with eyes open (and vice versa). 

It can be done. The alternative is much worse.

Postscript: Comments and discussion on twitter etc revealed the usual objections:

1. Indian Nationalists asking how it is possible to make peace with this mindset? The answer is, not easily. And not any time soon. But the whole point is that the Islamic jihadist model is not workable, and half the super-elite know this, but wont say it publicly. So it will be a long and winding road, but they do NOT want to die in war (which is why they have not attacked Israel yet, and make sure no one else goes and does it free lance either), so when things go further south, they will find ways (mostly surreptitious ones) to avoid that glorious final destination. And it helps if the Indian state has people who understand this and know how to take advantage of it when the moment is ripe (which it may not be in my lifetime, but time is long, things change.. ” “Wir müssen wissen, wir werden wissen!“
2. Pakistani Nationalists saying this sounds like surrender. I am afraid it does.  We are not getting kashmir and we wont win some grand war against Hindoos to reconquer hindustan. We can find a new dream 🙂