Brown Pundits Archive · July 8, 2015 · Comments Off on India: “Secular”? “Hindu”? or Both?
I had a longish exchange on twitter with a Hindutvadi friend and then just ordered all the tweets by time into this storify story. It’s crude, but you get the drift. I am posting it here so that people can comment on it if they wish.
This is twitter, so one can only say so much in 140 characters. And much is assumed or taken for granted in the background. Please go easy 🙂
And of course, it is a discussion with some more or less Hindutvadi Indians. A discussion with postmarxist Indians would look very different.
The discussion started with reading this article , in which the writer tries to define Hinduism for a young man who is confused (and lives in South India, with it’s peculiar history of this question). He classifies Hinduism as an “aggregate religion”, hence my first tweet asking if “aggregate” will prevail or Christianity will?
Just in case you are wondering why the discussion starts with me asking whether Hinduism or Christianity will prevail (and not metioning Islam), I think the likely Abrahamic faith for most Hindus to convert to (if they convert) in this day and age is Christianity, not Islam. If you think differently, please comment.
And of course, Hindu and Secular are both in scare quotes, so all arguments about what IS Hinduism and what IS secularism are included in those quotes 🙂
Last but not the least, my comment about “those with superior asabiya and means will prevail” if the current system is wrecked is, of course, meant to hint that it’s collapse will not necessarily (or even likely) lead to Ram-Rajya. Muslim and Sikh Asabiya and means will dominate the Northwest (at least). Something like that.
Brown Pundits Archive · June 18, 2015 · Comments Off on Charleston: A terrorist attack in America
There was a horrendous terrorist attack in Charleston last night. A White-supremacist terrorist walked into a historic Black church and shot 9 people in cold blood: Of course it was a terrorist attack. That seems an easy call.
Now I don’t see much American news directly on the media (meaning I don’t watch CNN or FOX or whatever, i get my news from Twitter and Facebook and from links put there by people) so I don’t know if it is being described as such by them. Maybe not. Several friends on Twitter and FB have certainly complained that it is not being portrayed as a terrorist attack and only Muslim attacks get portrayed that way and why and so on. Well, I had an “off the cuff” response on FB to one such complaint and I am just posting it here so that I can link to this when it comes up again:
I get my news via twitter and FB and on twitter and FB I see many people (many of them conservative Americans..I follow a lot of educated conservatives) calling him a terrorist. In fact, whenever the issue has been raised, I have not seen a single person on my timeline trying to argue that he is not a terrorist. It seems an easy call in this case. And SOME media seems to be calling him a terrorist:
At the same time, I dont agree with the notion that ALL mass casualty attacks should be labelled terrorism. I think the ones carried out for a cause, i.e. by people acting as members or free-lance supporters of specific political causes, should be called terrorism…some such attacks (or even many such attacks) are true nutcases and loner psychopaths whose cause, if any, is entirely in their head. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar… If a deranged Muslim attacks a school based on some psychotic (as in clinical psychosis) delusion and not as part of the (very real) international Jihadist cause, he too should not be labeled a terrorist and should be called a lone psychopath, etc.
On the other hand, If, (as in most attacks by Muslims in the West) the Muslim concerned is actually reasonably sane and is acting (no matter how foolishly) on behalf of international Jihad, then his actions can be called terrorism. Why not?
But as I said, I dont think of the name as being the biggest issue, though it is certainly an issue. In fact, it is one of my beefs with the postmarxist Western Left (defined very loosely) that they have been led (partly by people like Edward Said, partly because this sort of thing is just a feature of modern intellectual life, i.e. “a feature, not a bug” kind of situation; with the “left” having an unhealthy proportion of academics to real politicians, it was sort of bound to happen, etc etc..what came first, chicken or egg? endless arguments possible) into this blind alley where what is mostly fluff (what words were used, what tone was used, what was said in some novel by Jane Austen) is the biggest issue in society and much bigger and more substantive questions (specific historical background, organization, popular mobilization, TECHNOLOGY, correspondence of your theory of the world with historical, psychological, social or economic reality) are pushed down the list… It is a self-defeating strategy. In fact, it is so self-defeating that one can imagine a scenario (not literally true, but the imaginary scenario illustrates a point) where Mossad or the CIA decide that the best way to destroy their opponents is to get them to take every real issue (for example, racism) to some absurd and unreal level, so out of touch with reality that real fissures in your opponents camp and real historic opportunities are missed and the “activist” lives his life inside some bubble, with endless loops of arguments about semiotics and microaggressions and other bullshit…all the while, the real world and its far more consequential oppressions and injustices can carry on unconcerned. Probably no one planned it that way (intelligence agencies are rarely that intelligent) but something like that has happened (see this old post of mine to see what I mean in a slightly different context).
By the way, I do recognize that today is probably the worst day for me to say this sort of thing. With even a stuck clock being right once a day, this day happens to be the time when the stuck clock of the SJW brigade is (almost) right.
Something like that.
PS: Anil Das on twitter raised the point that the designation is imporant in terms of what funds are available to combat that sort of crime. Terrorism gets more money than hate-crime. That may well be true, but that is NOT the point my friends were raising. IF they raised that point, they would be saying something of practical significance. My whole point is that too much of the time, it is NOT a practical issue (and even when it is, the practical aspect is not what triggered the social media concern).
The early FB post that triggered this discussion (this was before he had been identified)
Reports that three sisters from Bradford and their nine children are on their way to Syria show that British Muslims inspired to make the journey potentially to join the Islamic State are no longer unusual or unique individuals. Likewise, the response to the reports shows how bewildered and confused many now are when confronted with the so-called radicalisation of fellow members of society. The very language used to discuss the sisters’ preference for life in Syria over life in Britain betrays a complete lack of comprehension of the social and cultural dynamics at work. Bradford West MP Naz Shah, who spoke with the families of the sisters, stated, ‘I asked them if there was any indication [as to what the sisters were planning to do], and they said, absolutely not – it was a shock to them, it came out of the blue’. That it always comes ‘out of the blue’ is testimony to a failure to understand the cultural chasm that separates the world of many young Muslims from mainstream society. Others report that the women came from a ‘hardworking’ and ‘respectable’ family. Yet young people going to Syria invariably come from normal families. The fact that the parents’ respectability is remarked upon at all shows that commentators are fixated on a non-existent pathology…
..What Clarke identified was a symptom of a far more profound and difficult problem. Young people do not turn into suicide bombers overnight or ‘out of the blue’, unless they can draw on cultural and political resources that affirm their decision. They draw support for their conviction that theirs is a cause worth fighting for from their everyday experience.
..The myth of grooming Anglo-American societies have become so obsessed with child protection that they often interpret a variety of social problems through the prism of paedophilia. The idea of online grooming, for instance, has mutated into a fantasy used to explain every disturbing example of homegrown jihadism. The model of perfidious groomers seducing otherwise innocent young Muslims turns what is a struggle of ideas, a battle between ways of life, into a malevolent act of deception. No doubt there are some clever online jihadists who are good at attracting the attention of would-be supporters. However, no one is forcing people to go online or to enter chatrooms or visit jihadist websites. Most of the time, it is the so-called vulnerable youth who, in the process of searching for answers, actively look for the ‘groomers’.
…In reality, the term radicalisation captures only part of the story. The sentiments and behaviours associated with radicalisation are more accurately expressed through terms like ‘alienation’ and ‘estrangement’. The sense of estrangement from, and resentment towards, society is logically prior to the radicalising message internalised by individuals. In Europe, the embrace of a radical Islamist ideology is preceded by a rejection of society’s Western culture. Invariably, such a rejection on the part of young jihadists also reflects a generational reaction against the behaviour and way of life of their parents. This double alienation – from parent and society – is not unconnected to normal forms of generational estrangement. What we see here is a variant form of the generational gap, except that, in this instance, it has unusual and potentially very destructive consequences.
The embrace of radical Islam is underpinned by a twofold process: an attraction to new ideas and alternative ways of life, and a rejection of the status quo. The radicalisation thesis, however, one-sidedly emphasises the so-called groomers’ powers of attraction…
My own comment: They are not rejecting their parent’s values completely. They are embracing their “formal values”, while rejecting their “lived values”. The Islam their parents taught them almost certainly included Jihadist and anti-infidel elements that, taken literally and taken to their “logical conclusion”, lead to Jihad in Syria, if not in Britain itself. Their parents failed to teach them how they selectively follow this “ideal” and compromise with reality. And I do believe that Western education is also to blame in the sense that Western cultures emphasize authenticity and honesty and “being true to yourself” while rejecting the notion of saying one thing while doing another as undesirable. Sure, there are hypocrites in the West just as there are in the East, but some kids will take their education more seriously than others…this is a failure of hypocrisy … a crisis of hypocrisy is upon us.
Brown Pundits Archive · June 11, 2015 · 2 comments
This is Ajmal Kamal‘s brilliant review of Mumtaz Mufti’s autobiography “alakh nagri”. It was published in Adabi Duniya but I think it deserves publication in as many places as possible. Unfortunately, those who cannot read Urdu will not be able to enjoy it, but those who can should not miss it. The second half is even better than the first, so don’t stop halfway 🙂
for those who don’t know Urdu, it is impossible for me to translate this, but a little of what it is about and the background to the book:
Qudratullah Shahab was a senior Pakistani bureaucrat who also dabbled in literature (and in the management of literary figures on behalf of the Martial Law regime of Field Marshal Ayub Khan). He later wrote a self-serving and intensely “Paknationalist” autobiography that remains a bestseller in Pakistan until today (the last time I was at Karachi Airport, it was near the top of the list of books the airport bookstall guy mentioned as “current bestsellers”). He cultivated (or was cultivated by) a group of “mystical-Islamist-Paknationalist” writers including Ashfaq Ahmed, Bano Qudsia and Mumtaz Mufti and over time these people all wrote books and articles that hinted (or outright claimed) that the other members of the cabal were spiritually enlightened and possessed some mysterious knowledge about the inner (real) workings of the universe…workings in which the creation of Pakistan and its rise as an Islamic power were the central issue of the age. The workings of this particular brand of Paknationalism are briefly reviewed here. For more, see here and here….. and some positive and “inside” views as well as a few skeptical reviews here. (the skeptical reviews are rather far down the page).
Anyway, Alakh Nagri has a lot of stories about Qudratullah (and his disciples) and how they are moving the cause of Islam forward. Even when they act so strangely that observers claim “the bastard is dead drunk”. They are not drunk, they are being visited..
btw, a less toxic and more pragmatic version of this “mystical babas of Pakistan” tradition is now in the hands of Professor Rafique Akhtar, who is, among other things, the spiritual mentor of General Kiyani and the hero of best-selling columnist Javed Choudhry. Professor Rafique is not as completely bananas as the Qudratullah Shahab party but even a relatively sane person has his quirks…he reportedly claimed to Javed Choudhry that he had the key that unlocks the 12 hard drives of the Quran and therefore had access to ALL spiritual AND temporal knowledge, from astrophysics to astral projection. I am not kidding..it’s in Javed Ch’s book.
دنیاداری کی مابعدالطیعیات
ممتاز مفتی کی ’’الکھ نگری‘‘ بلاشبہ ایک نہایت غیرمعمولی کتاب ہے ۔۔ کم و بیش اتنی ہی غیرمعمولی جتنا اس کا مصنف ہے یا اس کا موضوع۔ اسے ممتاز مفتی کی خودنوشت سوانح حیات کے دوسرے حصے کے طور پر شائع کیا گیا ہے۔ اس سوانح حیات کی پہلی جلد، جسے ’’علی پور کا ایلی‘‘ کا عنوان دیا گیا تھا،۱۹۶۰ء کے عشرے میں شائع ہوئی تھی۔ ’’ایلی‘‘ کو بڑی عجلت میں شائع کیا گیا تھا تاکہ یہ کتاب اس سال کے آدم جی ایوارڈ کی حقدار ہو سکے۔ سرورق پر ’’آدم جی انعام یافتہ‘‘ کی سرخی کے ساتھ اسے ناول کا باریک نقاب اُڑھایا گیا تھا کیونکہ نوبیل انعام کے اس مقامی نعم البدل کو غالباً خودنوشت سوانح عمریوں کی کوئی خاص پروا نہیں تھی۔ یہ الگ قصہ ہے کہ آخرکار جمیلہ ہاشمی کے ناول ’’تلاش بہاراں‘‘ کو اس اعزاز کا زیادہ مستحق سمجھا گیا۔ دونوں کتابوں کے درمیان مقابلہ نہایت ولولہ انگیز رہا ہو گا، کیونکہ ادبی معیارکے لحاظ سے دونوں ایک دوسرے کی ٹکر کی تھیں۔ کچھ بھی ہو، موقع ممتاز مفتی کے ہاتھ سے نکل گیا اور ’’ایلی‘‘ کو ایک ایسے ناول کے طور پر شہرت حاصل ہوئی جسے، بقول ابن انشا، آدم جی انعام نہیں ملا۔ اس کے باوجود ممتاز مفتی کو ان نک چڑھے نقادوں کی رائے سے متفق ہونے میں تیس برس کا عرصہ لگا جن کا خیال تھا کہ ’’ایلی‘‘ ناول نگاری کے تقاضے پورے نہیں کرتا۔ ۱۹۹۱ء میں شائع ہونے والے ایڈیشن میں آخرکار یہ انکشاف کیا گیا کہ دراصل ’’ایلی‘‘ ممتاز مفتی کی خودنوشت سوانح عمری کا پہلا حصہ تھا۔
سوانح عمری کے زیرتبصرہ دوسرے حصے پر نظر ڈالتے ہی معصوم پڑھنے والا حیرت سے دوچار ہو جاتا ہے، کیونکہ عموماً ایسا دیکھنے میں نہیں آتا کہ کسی شخص کی خودنوشت سوانح عمری کے سرورق پر کسی اور شخص کی تصویر کو زیبائش کے لیے استعمال کیا گیا ہو۔ لیکن ممتاز مفتی کے بقول ان کی کتاب کے سرورق پر قدرت اللہ شہاب کی ریٹائرڈ نورانی صورت کا جلوہ گر ہونا ہی عین مناسب ہے۔ دیباچے میں انکشاف کیا گیا ہے کہ ممتاز مفتی نے اپنی زندگی کے پہلے نصف میں عورت کو دریافت کیا، جبکہ دوسرے نصف میں ان کی دریافت قدرت ﷲ شہاب کی ذات تھی۔
عام لوگوں کے ذہن میں شہاب کا تصور ایک کہنہ مشق بیوروکریٹ کا ہے جس نے چاپلوسی کے فنِ لطیف میں اپنی مہارت کی ابتدائی منزلیں غلام محمد اور اسکندرمرزا کے شفیق سائے میں طے کیں، اس سے پیشتر کہ انھیں جنرل (بعد میں فیلڈمارشل) کی سرکاری کٹلری میں ایک اعلیٰ مقام حاصل ہو سکے۔ پبلک شہاب کو پروگریسو پیپرز لمیٹڈ کے زیراہتمام شائع ہونے والے اخباروں (پاکستان ٹائمز، امروز اور ہفتہ وار لیل و نہار) پر سرکاری قبضے اور پاکستان کی ادبی تاریخ کے عجوبے یعنی رائٹرز گلڈ کے قیام جیسی نادر ترکیبوں کے اصل خالق کے طور پر جانتی ہے، اور اس میدان میں شہاب کی ذہانت کا مقابلہ ایک ایسے ہی عجیب الخلقت ادارے نیشنل پریس ٹرسٹ کے خالق یعنی الطاف گوہر سے ہو سکتا ہے۔ مفتی کا بہرحال یہ کہنا ہے کہ پبلک کو کچھ پتا نہیں۔
’’الکھ نگری‘‘ کے مطالعے سے یہ انکشاف ہوتا ہے کہ شہاب دراصل ان معدودے چند رازوں میں سے ایک تھے جو کائنات میں روزِ ازل سے آج تک وجود میں آئے ہیں۔ شہاب نے جو کام کیے، یا جن کاموں کی انجام دہی میں کلیدی کردار ادا کیا، احمق پبلک اپنی ناقص عقل کے ساتھ ان کی گرد کو بھی نہیں پہنچ سکتی۔ مثال کے طور پر، پڑھنے والا سانس روک کر پڑھتا ہے کہ ہمارے پاک وطن کے دارالحکومت کو کراچی سے پاک وطن کے قلب کے نزدیک ۔۔ یعنی شمال کی جانب اسلام آباد ۔۔ منتقل کرنا شہاب کا کارنامہ تھا۔ یہ فیصلہ بھی تن تنہا شہاب نے کیا تھا کہ اس ملک کو اسلامی جمہوریہ کہا جائے گا، اور اس سلسلے میں فیلڈمارشل کی خودساختہ کابینہ کے تمام ارکان کی مخالفت کو پرِکاہ سے زیادہ اہمیت نہ دی تھی۔ شہاب ہی نے فیلڈمارشل کو اقبال کا خودی کا تصور سمجھایا، اور بےچارے کو پُھسلا کر اس مسیحا کا روپ اختیار کرنے پر آمادہ کیا جس کی اس بدقسمت اسلامی جمہوریہ کو اس قدر شدید ضرورت تھی۔ شہاب ہی نے، آئین سازی کے چند سانڈنی سوار روحانی ماہرین کی مشاورت سے، ۱۹۶۲ء کا حسین آئین تیار کیا تھا۔ شہاب نے اس بات کا نہایت خوبی سے بندوبست کیا کہ فیلڈمارشل کو بابوں، درویشوں، بےروزگار وکیلوں اور اسی قسم کے دوسرے روحانی عاملوں کے
ذریعے آسمانی رہنمائی اور حفاظت متواتر حاصل رہے۔
چونکہ شہاب کو خود بھی ’’نائنٹی‘‘ جیسی پراسرار ہستیوں کی طرف سے آسمانی رہنمائی حاصل رہتی تھی (اس کی تفصیل کے لیے ’’شہاب نامہ‘‘ سے رجوع کیجیے جو ایک اور نادرروزگار خودنوشت سوانح عمری ہے) اس لیے انھوں نے وسیع تر قومی مفاد میں اور بہت سے کارنامے انجام دیے ہوں گے جن کی بابت شاید میں اور آپ کبھی نہ جان سکیں۔ لیکن ان کا سب سے بڑا کارنامہ اس وقت ظہورپذیر ہوا جب انھوں نے بھیس بدل کر، اوورکوٹ میں ملفوف، پیشانی پر جھکا ہوا فیلٹ ہیٹ پہنے، اپنے سگار لائٹر میں ایک ننھا سا کیمرا چھپائے، بقول ممتاز مفتی ’’ﷲ کے زیرو زیرو سیون‘‘ کی حیثیت سے، اسرائیل کا دورہ کیا۔ اگرچہ شہاب نے اپنا یہ سفر، جو براہ راست آئن فلیمنگ یا ابن صفی کی نگارشات سے ماخوذ معلوم ہوتا ہے، بظاہر اس مقصد سے اختیار کیا تھا کہ دنیا کو بتایا جا سکے کہ مقبوضہ علاقوں کے اسکولوں میں پڑھنے والے فلسطینی بچوں کی تعلیم کے لیے اسرائیلی حکام یونیسکو کی منظورکردہ درسی کتابیں استعمال نہیں کر رہے ہیں، لیکن ’’الکھ نگری‘‘ سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ یہ مشن محض اصل بات کے پردے کی حیثیت رکھتا تھا۔ شہاب کا اصل مقصد دراصل مسجدِ اقصیٰ میں ایک رات بسر کرنا تھا، اور ظاہر ہے کہ انھوں نے اپنا یہ مقصد اسرائیل کے پورے سکیورٹی کے نظام کو ناکام بنا کر پورا کر لیا۔ لیکن آخر وہ مسجدِ اقصیٰ میں رات بھر قیام کیوں کرنا چاہتے تھے؟ ممتاز مفتی نے بالاًخر یہ راز فاش کر دیا ہے۔ شہاب کو ایک پراسرار اور irreversible مابعدالطبیعیاتی عمل شروع کرنا تھا۔ شہاب نے اس عمل کی ابتدا باقاعدہ ایک عمل پڑھنے کے ذریعے کر دی ہے جو ایک نہ ایک دن ریاست اسرائیل کو نیست و نابود کر ڈالے گا۔ چنانچہ جب یہ مبارک دن آئے تو آپ کو یاد رکھنا چاہیے کہ اس کا سہرا اسی کے سر پر باندھیں جو اس کا مستحق ہو۔ اسرائیل کے نیست و نابود ہونے کا پی ایل او، فلسطینی جدوجہد اور انتفاضہ جیسی معمولی چیزوں سے کوئی تعلق نہیں ہو گا۔
مجھ جیسے یا آپ جیسے عام پڑھنے والے کے لیے یہ سب کچھ قبول کرنا شاید دشوار ہو، جس کی وجہ ظاہر ہے یہ ہے کہ ہمیں اس غیرمعمولی کتاب سے نبردآزما ہونے کی مطلوبہ تیاری میسر نہیں۔ ’’الکھ نگری‘‘ پر ہاتھ ڈالنے سے پہلے ہمیں کچھ ابتدائی مطالعہ کرنا ہو گا۔ قدرت اﷲ شہاب کا ’’شہاب نامہ‘‘، ممتازمفتی کی ’’لبیک‘‘، بےمثال ادیب اشفاق احمد کی ’’ذکرِ شہاب‘‘ اور ’’سفردرسفر‘‘ اور Ashfaq Ahmed
کی بیگم اور اتنی ہی بےمثال ادیبہ بانو قدسیہ کی ’’مردِ ابریشم‘‘ اس سلسلے میں لازمی مطالعے کا درجہ رکھتی ہیں۔ اگر آپ ان عظیم میاں بیوی کے متصوفانہ ٹی وی کھیلوں سے جاں بر ہونے کا حوصلہ اور صبر رکھتے ہیں تو آپ کو بلاشبہ کائنات کے اس عظیم راز کا سامنا کرنے کی، جس کا نام قدرت ﷲ شہاب ہے، زیادہ بہتر صلاحیت حاصل ہے۔ لیکن سب سے بڑھ کر’’الکھ نگری‘‘ کے مطالعے کی تیاری کے لیے ہمیں وہ سب کچھ اَن سیکھا کرنا ہو گا جو مغرب کے سائنسی اور سماجی علوم کے ذریعے ہمارے ذہنوں کو آلودہ کرتا رہا ہے۔ بےشک یہ ایک دشوار کام ہو گا، لیکن اگر آدمی کوئی کام کرنے کی ٹھان لے تو کوئی چیز ناممکن نہیں۔ مثال کے طور پر تاریخ کو لیجیے۔
اکثر لوگ اس عام غلط فہمی کا شکار معلوم ہوتے ہیں کہ قرارداد پاکستان ۱۹۴۰ء میں لاہور میں منعقد ہونے والے آل انڈیا مسلم لیگ کے اجلاس میں منظور کی گئی تھی اور پاکستان کا قیام قائداعظم کی قیادت میں ہندوستانی مسلمانوں کی سیاسی جدوجہد کا نتیجہ تھا۔ اس سے زیادہ بعیدازحقیقت بات کوئی اور نہیں ہو سکتی۔ پاکستان کے قیام کا فیصلہ اس سے بہت پہلے اس وقت ہو چکا تھا جب مسلم لیگ کو اس کا خیال تک نہ آیا تھا، اور یہ فیصلہ غالباً آسمان اور زمین کے درمیان واقع کسی مقام پر ایک ایسے اجلاس میں ہوا تھا جس میں بابے، قطب، درویش اور فقیر شریک ہوے تھے، اور اس اجلاس کی صدارت ’’سرکار قبلہ‘‘ نامی ایک بزرگ نے کی تھی جن کی روحانی صلاحیتیں خاصی قابل لحاظ ہیں اور جن کا مزار (تعجب کا موقع نہیں) موجودہ اسلام آباد کے قریب واقع ہے۔ اسی طرح ممتاز مفتی نے ریڈکلف اور نہرو کے گٹھ جوڑ کو گورداسپور کی مشرقی پنجاب میں بظاہر غیرمنصفانہ شمولیت اور کشمیر پر بھارت کے بزور قبضے کی ذمہ داری سے آزاد کر دیا ہے۔ یہ دونوں فیصلے، مفتی کے مطابق، خدائی دانش نے کیے تھے۔ تو پھر اس میں حیرت کی کیا بات ہے کہ پچاس برس گزرنے کے باوجود کشمیر کے مسئلے کے حل ہونے کے کوئی آثار دکھائی نہیں دیتے۔ جن لوگوں کو کشمیری مجاہدین کہا جاتا ہے وہ ممتاز مفتی کے خیال کی رو سے ایک ہاری ہوئی جنگ لڑ رہے ہیں۔ آخر خدائی دانش کے کیے ہوے فیصلے کو کون بدل سکتا ہے؟ اسی طرح ۱۹۴۷ء کے فرقہ وارانہ فسادات میں مسلمانوں کا قتل عام کرنے والے جنونی ہندو اور سکھ نہیں تھے۔ یہ بھی اسی خدائی دانش کا کیا ہوا فیصلہ تھا جس کا مقصد یہ تھا کہ مسلمانوں کی ایک خاصی بڑی تعداد کو شہیدوں میں تبدیل کر دیا جائے تاکہ وہ ایک روحانی فوج کے طور پر واگہ کی سرحد کی حفاظت کے فرائض سنبھال سکے۔ ممتاز مفتی نے، جو خود اس روحانی فوج میں بھرتی ہونے سے بال بال بچ گئے، یہ راز فاش نہیں کیا کہ یہ بھرتی جبری تھی یا اختیاری۔
مذموم مغربی تعلیم نے ہمارے ذہنوں کو اس حد تک پراگندہ کر دیا ہے کہ ہم عجیب و غریب خیالات کو قبول کرنے پر آمادہ ہو گئے ہیں۔ مثلاً بہت سے لوگ یہ سمجھنے لگے ہیں کہ اپنے قیام کے بعد سے ہمارا پاک وطن سیاسی، اقتصادی، تاریخی، جغرافیائی اور دیگر انسانی عوامل کے زیراثر رہا ہے! ایسا سوچنے والے بلاشبہ پرلے درجے کے احمق ہیں۔ پاکستان کو درحقیقت اس ماسٹرپلان کے تحت چلایا جا رہا ہے جسے سرکار قبلہ نے نہایت عرق ریزی کے ساتھ تیار کیا تھا اور جس کی تیاری میں ان کو کائنات کی ان پراسرار قوتوں کی عملی اعانت حاصل تھی جن کا تصور کرنا عام فانی انسانوں کے بس کی بات نہیں۔ ہم فانیوں کے دماغوں میں سب کچھ اس ناقابل بیان حد تک گڈمڈ ہو چکا ہے کہ بعض لوگ یہ تک خیال کرنے لگے ہیں کہ ۱۹۶۵ء کی جنگ لڑنے (اور جیساکہ اس وقت کے کمانڈرانچیف جنرل موسیٰ خان نے نہایت سادہ ذہنی سے بتایا ہے) قریب قریب ہارنے والے پاکستان کے عوام اور افواج ہیں۔ ممتاز مفتی کے دماغ میں یہ سب کچھ آئینے کی طرح صاف ہے، کیونکہ ان کی معلومات کا ذریعہ عبدالغفور ایڈووکیٹ ہیں، یعنی امورِ دفاع کے وہ عظیم ترین ماہر جنھیں دنیا نے جانا (یا شاید نہیں جانا)۔ ’’الکھ نگری‘‘ میں صفحہ ۹۴۷ پر ایڈووکیٹ صاحب کے اس خط کا عکس دیا گیا ہے جس میں انھوں نے انکشاف کیا ہے کہ ۱۹۶۵ء کی جنگ پاکستان نے درویشوں کی ایک فوج کی قیادت میں لڑی (اور ظاہر ہے جیتی) تھی جن کو روحانی ایٹمی طاقت حاصل تھی۔ اس انکشاف کی روشنی میں یہ بات عیاں ہو جاتی ہے کہ نشان حیدر اور دوسرے اعزازات یقیناً غلط افراد کو دیے گئے تھے۔
سوال پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ کائنات کی پراسرار قوتوں کو آخر اس بدقسمت ملک کے معاملات سے اس قدر دلچسپی کیوں رہی ہے؟ اس سوال کا نہایت قریبی تعلق بیوروکریٹ کے طور پر قدرت ﷲ شہاب کی زندگی کے عروج و زوال اور ان کے قرابت داروں کی دنیاوی اور روحانی ترقی کے معاملات سے ہے۔ ان مقربین میں اشفاق احمد، بانو قدسیہ (اور ان کی اولادیں)، ابن انشا، احمد بشیر (مع متعلقین)، جمیل الدین عالی، اور شہاب کے حلقے کے دیگر نامور اور کم نامور افراد شامل ہیں۔ یہ کہنا یقیناً غیرضروری ہے کہ ممتاز مفتی اور ان کے گھروالوں کو خدا کے ان منتخب بندوں میں سب سے نمایاں مقام حاصل ہے، اگرچہ اشفاق اور قدسیہ کا اس رائے سے متفق ہونا ضروری نہیں۔
تاہم یہ مسلّمہ امر ہے کہ ہم کائنات کی ان پراسرار قوتوں کے طریقِ عمل کو سمجھنے کی جانب اس وقت تک پہلا قدم بھی نہیں اٹھا سکتے جب تک ہم اس کھیل کے پہلے قاعدے سے پوری طرح واقف نہ ہو جائیں۔ اور وہ پہلا قاعدہ یہ ہے کہ ظاہر محض گمراہ کن نہیں ہوتا بلکہ بالکل غلط ہوتا ہے۔ مثلاً ہو سکتا ہے کہ ہمیں یہ بات بڑی تعجب خیز معلوم ہو کہ ۱۹۵۰ء کے عشرے میں کائنات کی ان پراسرار قوتوں کو صرف دو چیزوں سے دلچسپی تھی: اسلامی تہذیب کا احیا، اور ممتاز مفتی کی پے فِکسیشن (pay fixation)۔ بھولے بھالے پڑھنے والے کو کچھ اور واقعات بھی حیران کن معلوم ہوں گے، مثلاً کس طرح چار ایک بابے ممتاز مفتی کو نقل مکانی کر کے پنڈی جا بسنے اور شہاب کی ماتحتی میں ایک ایسی ملازمت اختیار کرنے پر آمادہ کرتے ہیں جسے صرف ممتاز مفتی کو کھپانے کے لیے اختراع کیا گیا ہے۔ کس طرح ایک سہانی صبح ایک نہایت موقعے کا پلاٹ خودبخود ممتازمفتی کی جھولی میں آ گرتا ہے، اور بعد میں، سرکاری ملازمت کے بہت سے درجات طے کر لینے کے بعد، جب وہ اس پر ایک مکان تعمیر کرنے کا ارادہ کرتے ہیں (جبکہ ان کے بینک اکاؤنٹ میں کلہم چودہ ہزار روپے ہیں)، کس طرح شہاب کا بہنوئی اس بات کا ذمہ لے لیتا ہے کہ مفتی اور ان کے لواحقین کو ایک مناسب، پُرآسائش مکان میسر آ جائے۔ ’’ایسے کاموں میں غیبی امداد ہو جاتی ہے۔ شہاب نے سچ کہاتھا۔ پتہ نہیں کہاں کہاں سے رقمیں آتی گئیں، انجانے وسیلے پیدا ہوتے گئے، انجانی جگہوں سے رقمیں آتی گئیں‘‘(صفحہ۷۵۵) اور دیکھتے ہی دیکھتے مفتی کا مکان تیار ہو گیا۔
اسی طرح جب احمد بشیر اس کشف سے دوچار ہوتے ہیں کہ ان کے دنیا میں آنے کا واحد مقصد فلم سازی کی دنیا میں انقلاب برپا کرنا تھا، تو اچانک کہیں سے ایک فیلوشپ اڑن کھٹولے کی طرح نمودارہوتی ہے اور بشیر کو آن کی آن میں اڑا کر امریکہ لے جاتی ہے تاکہ وہ فلمی دنیا میں انقلاب برپا کرنے کی مبادیات سیکھ سکیں (صفحہ۴۹۵)۔ اس آسمانی وظیفے اور اعلیٰ تربیت کے نتیجے میں ’’نیلا پربت‘‘ نامی فلم تیار ہوئی جو دنیا میں متحرک کیمرے کی ایجاد سے آج تک کی عظیم ترین فلم کا درجہ رکھتی ہے۔ جب ابن انشا کو کتابوں کی دنیا سے مستقل طور پر منسلک ہونے کی خواہش محسوس ہوئی تو کائنات کی پراسرار قوتیں نیشنل بک کاؤنسل آف پاکستان کو وجود میں لے آئیں اور انشا نے خود کو اس ادارے کے ڈائرکٹر کے معمولی عہدے پر متمکن پایا۔ یہ درست ہے کہ ابن انشا کو اپنے کام کی تمام دشواریوں کا سامنا کرنا پڑا جن میں ملک ملک کی خاک پھانکنا اور مختلف کتابی موضوعات پر دنیا کے عجیب وغریب مقامات پر ہونے والے بوریت آمیز سیمیناروں میں شرکت کرنا بھی شامل تھا، لیکن کیا کیا جائے، یہ ان کی خواہش ہی کا شاخسانہ تھا۔ شاید کائنات کی انہی پراسرار قوتوں نے ہمارے سب سے زیادہ باصلاحیت ادیب اشفاق احمد کو ایک اتنے ہی علمی ادارے مرکزی اردو بورڈ کی بادشاہی پر فائز کیا۔ اشفاق نے اپنی فطری بذلہ سنجی سے کام لیتے ہوے بعد میں اس ادارے کا نام بدلوا کر اردو سائنس بورڈ رکھوا دیا۔ وہ اپنے معزول کیے جانے تک بورڈ کے تاحیات سربراہ تھے اور اس کے لیے خاص طور پر تعمیر کی ہوئی دومنزلہ عمارت کی زمینی منزل پر وقت گزارتے تھے، جبکہ اس عمارت کی بالائی منزل پر بانوقدسیہ، اس بات سے صوفیانہ طور پر بےنیاز کہ وہ سرکاری طور پر اردو سائنس بورڈ کے عملے کی رکن نہیں ہیں، بیٹھی اپنے بےمثال ٹی وی ڈرامے، ناول اور افسانے تحریر کیا کرتی تھیں جو اردو اور سائنس دونوں میدانوں میں حیرت انگیز اضافوں کا درجہ رکھتے ہیں۔ خدا کے ان تمام منتخب افراد کی اتنی ہی باصلاحیت اور منتخب اولادوں کا بھی کائنات کی پراسرارقوتوں نے خاص خیال رکھا۔ اس سلسلے میں صرف ابوالاثر حفیظ جالندھری کو مایوسی کا سامنا کرنا پڑا، حالانکہ وہ ان دنیاوی فوائد کی درخواست کرنے بنفس نفیس، اپنی ننھی بیٹی کو کاندھے پر بٹھائے، ایک سے زیادہ بار شہاب کے دربار میں حاضر ہوے تھے اور کہا تھا، ’’دیکھ شہاب، میرے لیے بےشک کچھ نہ کر، لیکن اس بچی پر ترس کھا، ورنہ یہ معصوم بچی جوان ہو کر پیشہ کرنے پر مجبور ہو گی‘‘ (صفحہ۴۱۲)۔ چونکہ درویشوں کے رنگ نرالے ہوتے ہیں، شہاب نے اس پر محض اتنا تبصرہ کیا: ’’عجیب آدمی ہیں حفیظ صاحب، خوب آدمی ہیں،‘‘ اور اس کے بعد یہ وطیرہ اختیار کر لیا کہ جب ابوالاثر کو سڑک کے کنارے کھڑے دیکھتے تو گاڑی روکنے کے بجاے اور تیز کر لیتے۔
یاد رکھیے، ظاہر ہمیشہ دھوکا دیتا ہے۔ اگر آپ شہاب کو کبھی ایسی کیفیت میں پائیں جو الکحل کے اثرات سے نہایت قریبی مماثلت رکھتی ہو اور دیکھنے والے صاف صاف کہہ رہے ہوں کہ ’’دی باسٹرڈ اِز ڈیڈ ڈرَنک!‘‘ تو یہ ہرگز مت بھولیے کہ اس نظارے کی ایک چوتھی سمت بھی ہے۔ عین ممکن ہے وہ اس وقت کسی کربناک روحانی واردات (’’چَھلکن‘‘) سے گزر رہے ہوں یا ہالینڈ میں کچھ مدت گزارنے کے باعث ان کے ’’وجدان میں شدت پیدا ہو گئی ہو‘‘ (صفحہ۷۱۶)۔ اگر انھیں ایسی خواتین کو خوش آمدید کہتے دیکھا جائے جو اپنے اخلاقی معیارات کے بارے میں بظاہر زیادہ پُرتکلف یا سخت گیر رویہ نہ رکھتی ہوں اور کسی دفتری مشکل کا حل ڈھونڈنے کے لیے شہاب کے پاس آئی ہوں، تو آپ کو چاہیے کہ خود کو متواتر یہ یاد دلاتے رہیں کہ یہ دراصل ’’چمگادڑیں‘‘ ہیں جنھیں کائنات کی پراسرار (مگر شرانگیز) قوتوں نے اس لیے بھیجا ہے کہ وہ شہاب کو سیدھے راستے سے بھٹکانے کی اپنی سی کوشش کر سکیں (صفحہ۴۔۵۷۰ا)۔ اگر شہاب ان عورتوں کو ایک ہی جانماز پر اپنے ’’پہلو بہ پہلو‘‘ کھڑا کر کے اپنے ساتھ نماز پڑھاتے ہوے دیکھے جائیں (صفحہ۵۸۴) تو یہ مت سمجھیے کہ وہ حدود آرڈیننس کی خلاف ورزی کے مرتکب ہو رہے ہیں یا کسی قسم کی کجروی کا شکار ہیں۔ وہ تو دراصل ان بےچاری بھٹکی ہوئی عورتوں کو روحانیت کی دنیا سے متعارف کرا رہے ہیں۔ اگر آپ مفتی کو اسلام آباد کے بعض زندہ درویشوں کی مدد سے ایک ضرورت مند خاتون سے شہاب کی پوشیدہ ملاقات کا بندوبست کراتے ہوے دیکھیں (صفحہ۶۔۵۸۵) تو یاد رکھیے کہ ان کا مقصد محض مذکورہ خاتون کی روحانی نشوونما کا خیال رکھنا ہے، اور ساتھ ہی شہاب کی اور ان کی باعفت بیگم کی نشوونما کا بھی۔
اور ایک لمحے کے لیے بھی یہ خیال نہ کیجیے کہ یہ سب قصے بیان کرنے سے مفتی کا مقصد ان دنیاوی فوائد کے لیے شہاب کے حق میں اظہارِ تشکر کرنا ہے جو ان کو اپنی خدمات کے عوض حاصل ہوے۔ مفتی کی اس تمام قصہ گوئی کا مقصد دراصل شہاب کی اس مرکزی حیثیت کا انکشاف کرنا ہے جو ان کو کائنات میں حاصل ہے۔ بالکل اسی طرح شہاب اگر فیلڈمارشل کے اس قدر دل دادہ تھے، اور ان کی موجودگی میں یوں باادب کھڑے رہتےتھے جیسے ’’پرائمری اسکول کا بچہ مولوی صاحب کے سامنے کھڑا ہو جاتا ہے‘‘ (صفحہ۵۱۰) تو اس لیے نہیں کہ وہ صدر پاکستان کے عہدے پر فائز تھے، بلکہ وہ درحقیقت ایوب خان کی زیرکی اور بےپناہ ذہنی صلاحیتوں سے متاثر تھے، اور اس میں کسی کو کیا شبہ ہو سکتا ہے کہ فیلڈمارشل جیسے عظیم دانشور دنیا میں خال خال ہی پیدا ہوتے ہیں۔ آخر سربراہانِ مملکت کو بھی اپنی چوتھی سمت رکھنے کا حق ہے، یا نہیں؟ شہاب کی زندگی میں صرف دو ہی دیرینہ خوہشیں تھیں: ایک، ’’رسالتمآب کی حیاتِ طیبہ پر کل وقتی کام کرنا‘‘ (صفحہ۶۰۴) اور دوسرے، مناسب وقت آنے پر سول سروس سے ریٹائر ہو کر فیلڈمارشل کے ’’افکار کو پھیلانے اور عام کرنے کے لیے کتابیں لکھنا اور لیکچر دینا‘‘ (صفحہ۶۰۵)۔ شہاب نے اپنے ممدوح کے سامنے کلمۂ حق پیش کرنے میں ذرا بھی جھجھک کا مظاہرہ نہ کیا اور صاف صاف کہہ دیا کہ ’’دراصل میرا مشن ہی جنابِ صدر کے افکار اور فلسفے کی تشریح ہو گا۔‘‘ (صفحہ۶۰۵)۔ شہاب کی گوناگوں روحانی مشغولیات نے انھیں مہلت نہ دی کہ وہ اپنی پہلی خواہش پر عمل کر سکتے، البتہ انھوں نے دل لگا کر’’شہاب نامہ‘‘ کی تصنیف کا کام مکمل کر لیا جو فیلڈمارشل کی ذات اور ان کی اپنی ذات دونوں کے حق میں ایک خراجِ عقیدت کے طور پر رہتی دنیا تک باقی رہے گا۔ اس شاہکار کو تخلیق کر کے شہاب نے نہ صرف ادبیاتِ عالم کی دنیا میں لازوال مقام حاصل کر لیا ہے بلکہ اپنے مداح ناقدین کے خیالات کو بھی حق بجانب ثابت کر دیا ہے، جن میں بےمثال نقاد محمد حسن عسکری بھی شامل تھے جنھوں نے شہاب کی ابتدائی تحریروں ہی سے ان کی بےپناہ صلاحیتوں کو بھانپ لیا تھا۔
اوپر جو کچھ بیان کیا گیا ہے اسے سنجیدگی سے لینے پر خواہ ہم خود کو آمادہ کر سکیں یا نہ کر سکیں، صہیونی لابی نے اسے یقیناً بےحد سنجیدگی سے لیا۔ صہیونیوں کو جوں ہی پتا چلا کہ ’’کوئی شخص مسجد اقصیٰ میں ایسا عمل کر گیا ہے جو اسرائیل کے لیے تباہی کا باعث ہو گا‘‘ (صفحہ۷۷۶) تو انھوں نے جذبۂ انتقام سے مجبور ہو کر اپنی تاریک شیطانی قوتوں کو شہاب اور ان کے مقربین کی تباہی پر لگا دیا۔ ’’اسرائیلی جادو قدرت اللہ کے خلاف حرکت میں آ گیا۔‘‘ ایک روز جب شہاب پیرس کی ایک سڑک کے کنارے کھڑے ٹیکسی کے منتظر تھے، ایک سیاہ لیموزین ان کے سامنے رکی اور انھیں لفٹ کی پیشکش کی گئی۔ چونکہ ’’اللہ کا زیرو زیرو سیون‘‘ ہونے کے باوجود اس قسم کی کسی ترغیب کی مزاحمت کرنا شہاب کے لیے دشوارتھا، وہ گاڑی میں سوار ہو گئے اور پچھلی سیٹ پر بیٹھے ہوے صہیونی جادوگر کو اپنا کام دکھانے کا موقع مل گیا۔ مفتی ہمیں بتاتے ہیں کہ یہودیوں کے کیے ہوے کالے جادو کے زیراثر شہاب ایک ’’بدبودار گوشت کے لوتھڑے ‘‘ میں تبدیل ہو گئے (صفحہ۷۷۱)۔ شہاب کے مخالفین، جن کی نگاہیں ظاہر کے دوسری طرف دیکھنے سے افسوسناک طور پر قاصر ہیں، کہیں گے کہ وہ یہودیوں کی مداخلت سے پہلے بھی ایسے ہی تھے، لیکن آپ کو چاہیے کہ ان گستاخ لوگوں کی بات کو نظرانداز کر دیں۔ ’’اورجب وہ وطن واپس لوٹا تو وہ آدھا آدمی تھا۔‘‘ یہی نہیں، ’’اسرائیلی جادو کی وجہ سے ڈاکٹر عفت فوت ہوئیں‘‘ (صفحہ۷۷)۔ خود ممتاز مفتی الرجی میں مبتلا ہو گئے۔ شہاب کے کچھ اورعقیدت مندوں کو قسم قسم کے جِلدی امراض نے گھیر لیا۔
اپنے عالیشان دنیاوی کریئر سے ریٹائر ہونے کے بعد شہاب نے اسلام آباد میں ضرورت مندوں کو تعویذ گنڈے تقسیم کرنے کا کام سنبھال لیا، اور مفتی نے اس کام میں اپنی مخصوص مستعدی سے اعانت کرتے ہوے ضرورت مندوں کو گھیر گھیر کر ان کے پاس لانا شروع کر دیا (صفحہ۸۹۸)۔ اس سے جو وقت باقی بچتا اس میں شہاب اپنا شاہکار ’’شہاب نامہ‘‘ لکھتے اور مناسب گریڈ کے شرکا پر مشتمل ادبی نشستوں میں اس کے منتخب حصے پڑھ کر سناتے۔ انھوں نے اسی شہر میں آخری سانس لیا جو ان کی کوشش سے اسلامی جمہوریہ کا دارالحکومت بنا تھا، اور اپنے پیچھے اپنے مقربین کے حلقے کے ارکان کو سوگوار چھوڑا جو اب ان سے صرف خوابوں، روحانی کشفوں اور بابوں کی خفیہ میٹنگوں ہی میں ملاقات کر سکتے ہیں۔ لیکن، مفتی کو پورا یقین ہے، ایک دن آئے گا، اور پانچ سات برس کے اندر آئے گا، جب دنیا پر’’یہ بھید کھلے گا کہ قدرت اللہ شہاب کون تھا اور وہ کس کام کو سرانجام دینے آیا تھا‘‘ (صفحہ۹۳۴)۔
آئیے ہم سب اس مبارک دن کا انتظار کریں، اور انتظار کے اس وقفے کے دوران اللہ تعالیٰ سے دعا کریں کہ وہ نوبیل انعام کے ججوں کو اتنی سوجھ بوجھ عطا کرے کہ وہ مفتی کی ادیبانہ عظمت کا احساس کر سکیں۔ اگر آدم جی ایوارڈ کے منصفین کی طرح وہ بھی خودنوشت سوانح عمریوں کے شائق نہیں ثابت ہوے، خواہ وہ کتنے ہی پُرتخیل انداز میں لکھی گئی ہوں، تو ہم خود کوایک اور خیال سے تسکین دے سکتے ہیں۔ ’’الکھ نگری‘‘ نے کسی شک و شبے کے بغیر یہ ثابت کر دیا ہے کہ ہمیں، جو اسلامی جمہوریہ کے شہری ہیں، اظہار کی مطلق اور مکمل آزادی حاصل ہے۔ یہ اسی ملک میں ممکن ہے، دنیا میں کہیں اور نہیں، کہ آپ کسی بھی درجے کی کتاب کے بےباکی سے لکھے جانے، بلاروک ٹوک شائع ہونے اور راتوں رات بیسٹ سیلربن جانے کے عمل کا مشاہدہ کر سکتے ہیں۔
Yet policy makers and the media are doing no favors either to the public or the transgendered by treating their confusions as a right in need of defending rather than as a mental disorder that deserves understanding, treatment and prevention. This intensely felt sense of being transgendered constitutes a mental disorder in two respects. The first is that the idea of sex misalignment is simply mistaken—it does not correspond with physical reality. The second is that it can lead to grim psychological outcomes. The transgendered suffer a disorder of “assumption” like those in other disorders familiar to psychiatrists. With the transgendered, the disordered assumption is that the individual differs from what seems given in nature—namely one’s maleness or femaleness. Other kinds of disordered assumptions are held by those who suffer from anorexia and bulimia nervosa, where the assumption that departs from physical reality is the belief by the dangerously thin that they are overweight.
… At the heart of the problem is confusion over the nature of the transgendered. “Sex change” is biologically impossible. People who undergo sex-reassignment surgery do not change from men to women or vice versa. Rather, they become feminized men or masculinized women. Claiming that this is civil-rights matter and encouraging surgical intervention is in reality to collaborate with and promote a mental disorder.
Dr. McHugh, former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, is the author of “Try to Remember: Psychiatry’s Clash Over Meaning, Memory, and Mind” (Dana Press, 2008).
What do you think?
I think some, very few, people have such severe gender dysphoria that they really should change their own gender identification to the opposite sex. i.e., I think there are (and have seen, though not managed) patients who, as children, are completely and totally unhappy about their gender. There are young boys who endlessly dream of being a girl and young girls who desperately want to be boys. I assume some of the same carries over into adult life. If gender dysphoria is powerful and persistent, why not allow them to live as the opposite gender?
But I also think any surgery is cosmetic and is not a medical necessity and should not be done to children. I realize that this is a bit of a muddled position. It’s a muddled topic. I am wary of surgery because it is so hard to reverse and is such a “physical” treatment for what is, after all, a psychological issue… a problem that the patient may think will be helped by surgery, but that the data (and the surgical procedures themselves) suggest is not cured by surgery in the sense of “no more problem”.
The SJW community is fully committed to this cause and it has mainstream liberal support. But I am not sure the SJW community has thought it through. Just as an example, the same community is committed to the belief that sex roles are social constructs, not biological. That leads to obvious difficulties with this topic.
Anyway, I think civil rights for people who do opt to live like the opposite gender is not a bad cause (everyone should be free to live as they please as long as they dont hurt others, etc), but surgery for children may be a step too far.
I am open to being converted, one way or the other 🙂
Brown Pundits Archive · May 13, 2015 · Comments Off on Ismaili Shias Massacred in Karachi. Iron Hand Promised
Many Ismaili families from Gujrat moved to Karachi after partition. They became part of a prosperous, hard-working community. They kept a low profile. As in any community, everyone could not be rich enough to buy large houses next to the Bhuttos and Zardaris in Clifton. Some of them therefore bought land on the outskirts of town, where it was cheap, and built a housing society there and called it Al-Azhar Gardens.
People moved in 8 years ago and as is the tradition in this particular community, they maintained their colony exceptionally well. Almost everything was available right there. Proud residents boasted about the well designed housing, the community facilities, the cleanliness, the security.
But you still have to get to town to work and go to school and so on. So they ran a shuttle bus service.
Today, the shuttle left Al-Azhar Gardens with 60 or so people on board. Someone else got on at Safoora Chowrangi. Armed men stopped the bus and using 9 mm pistols, systematically shot dead women and children, one by one, at close range. It is said that a few children were spared, or survived by hiding. Or something. The dead include women and the elderly.
Imagine the scene in the bus. The mind boggles, does it not?
Who did it? Jundullah (and/or the Islamic State, they are one and the same in any case and these days the name IS will sell better), a well known anti-shia group with a long history in Karachi (including a history of getting people out of police custody in mysteriously easy escapes) has claimed responsibility.
Not to be left behind, Mubasher Lucman, Pakistan’s most popular “paknationalist” anchor has blamed the Indian “Relatives and Wives Wing” (otherwise known as RAW) for the attack.
Most people seem to take Jundullah/IS at face value, with their history of dragging Shias off buses and shooting them in the head. But there are those who blame MQM (supposedly operating on the instructions of RAW and Mossad). But whoever did it (I tend to go with Jundullah, but cannot claim to know for sure, so we will leave it at that), someone stopped a bus at a major crossing, calmly shot 60 people (43 of them now dead) and walked away without getting caught (and without any fear of getting caught). That does not look good. Not good at all.
We may soon hear that this is Pakistan’s 9-11. Unlike Amrika, Pakistan is rich in 9-11s. It depends on how you count. Using the standard formula of 1 Sunni Punjabi=3 Shias= 5 FATA Pakhtoons there have been at least nineteen 9-11s till now (more if you start counting poor people as humans, but that would be just too much). Unfortunately, I am afraid there may be more in the days to come.
The Prime minister has condemned it. He has also “ordered the police to arrest the culprits”. I am not kidding. He actually ordered the police to arrest the culprits!
More to the point, the army chief has called up the Aga Khan and said he will use his iron hand at the earliest opportunity. Coalitions support funds may have been mentioned. Life goes on.
Before I am accused of cynicism, let me paint two (fictional) scenarios. Which one is more likely?
1. General X has figured out that Pakistan’s policy of nurtuting Jihadist terrorists as force-multipliers against India has blown up in its face. He wants to change things root and branch. Not just the Kashmir Jihad and strategic depth (a direct consequence of that jihad), but the whole shebang. Mufti Naeem and his ilk will be terminated with maximum prejudice. All training camps will be shut down. All militants will be reformed or terminated (with the same maximum prejudice). India will be offered a deal: Lets both stop using this kind of terrorism for any reason and settle all future disputes via negotiation or all out war, like civilized countries. No more shooting of random people sleeping on the platform at Chatrapati Shivaji Railway terminus. But General X realizes that 50 years of Islamic-Paknationalist education has prepared a generation of morons who cannot be told the whole truth without having their heads explode. So General X is going to lie, deceive, dissimulate and detour his way to a future TNT-free Pakistan. Sometimes his public actions will appear contradictory. Sometimes he will have to make up all sorts of bullshit about RAW and Mossad to get his way. He will do what has to be done. But in the end, we will have a defanged Pakistan where every poor man’s son (or daughter) has the chance to become a toll-collector on the Pak-China-Economic-Corridor. Then, our problems will be no different from those of Thailand or Phillipines (both of whom have some Islamist terrorists, but the government are not in bed with them). And so on…
2. General Y has figured out nothing but even he can see that something has to be done. Ismailis have been killed in cold blood and the Aga Khan is on the phone. Next the damn American ambassador will call and before night falls he will even have to pretend to have a meeting with the prime minister. He is pissed off. He promises to deal with everyone with an iron hand. He sends general Z to see the big boss in the Pentagon and General Z reports that the Pentagon is pretty pissed off too. Block E/F F-16s will not be free. Loans will have to arranged and then paid back at 27% compound interest by fleecing the patriotic people of Pakistan. But all is not lost. Brigadier April Glaspie does seem to have hinted that a transfer of mujahideen into IOK would probably be OK with the US. Or at least, that is what General Z gathered from the conversation. He also met the Chinese ambassador, who served the best halal dimsum in Islamabad and nodded and smiled through most of the dinner. General Z reports that all seemed higher than Himalayas and deeper than the Indian ocean, though his excellency Sun Weidong did become a little stern after that last shot of Mai Tai and said something like “we hope the fraternal people of Pakistan will do whatever is necessary to establish good public order”. But mostly he smiled. Not for lack of language skills. The man speaks perfect English and Urdu (and our man in the embassy reports, also some Punjabi) but most of the time, he just doesn’t speak. One hopes for the best.
All the corpse commanders nod their heads at these words of wisdom from General Z. The bearer brings in the tea and Peak Freans biscuits. Iron hands are waved around. All will be well.
Which (fictional) scenario sounds more plausible?
It started with the Kashmir Jihad (which started back in 1947, so Zia is not the only culprit). That jihad is the gift that keeps on giving. Everytime one of the foot soldiers in these massacres is caught (sometimes, they are. In fact, we even had Malik Ishaq in custody for a while), it turns out that they either went to a Kashmir Jihad training camp or were trained by people who got their start in the glorious Kashmir Jihad. Strategic depth. Where would we be without it?
btw, here is something I wrote four years ago. See the halva story at the end to understand what the PPP government in Sindh is doing. In fact, since people don’t like to click through, I will paste that four year old article here too. Try to figure out what has changed and what has not.
Pakistan: The End Of The Affair (June 11 2011)
We have been here before, but it is being said that the unhappy marriage between the Pentagon and GHQ has deteriorated further and once again, those watching this soap opera are wondering if this union can last. Writing in Al-Arabiya, GHQ’s own Brigadier Shaukat Qadir says that the US appears to be “gunning for Pakistan’s top generals”, who are said to be bravely resisting this latest perfidious American plot against General Kiyani.
And why is the US trying to undermine the good General?
Because at a meeting with President Obama he made clear “that this soft-spoken, laid-back, easy-going general, far from being overawed by the privilege of meeting President Obama, would still give back better than he got.”
This interesting article (I highly recommend reading it twice to get the full flavour) can be read in a number of ways, all of which are worrisome.
One is to assume that Brigadier sahib means exactly what he is saying. That there is some core Pakistani interest that General Kiyani bravely insisted on defending, and for that sin, he is now being systematically undermined.
Note that Pakistan’s elected government did not decide what this core interest is supposed to be, nor was it consulted before General Kiyani decided to defend this core interest against US imperialism. In fact, Brigadier sahib hints that the elected regime may include “powerful individuals who have no loyalty to this country and its people”. No, this core interest, for which Kiyani sahib is supposedly willing to risk a clash with the United States (and by extension, NATO, Japan, etc) is defined by GHQ, as it has been for decades.
For the sake of this strategic depth, we kept the Taliban alive and made sure the new American-installed regime in Afghanistan would not stabilize. And when the Americans leave (something that everyone in GHQ seems convinced is happening very soon), we will restart a civil war in Afghanistan, with “our side” led by the Haqqanis and Mullah Omar. This war we expect to win in very short order, after which we will move on to our Central Asian Nirvana.
Having antagonized all the hardore jihadis by siding at least partially with the US, we are now to antagonize the US and its allies by sticking by the Taliban. This is known as GHQ’s “Sau Gunndey tey Sau CHittar strategy”. [1]
The problems with this approach are manifold and include:
“The imperialists” are unlikely to leave as soon as imagined. This alone puts the whole strategy in question because as in Kargil, there seems to be no plan for the possibility that the “enemy” may not do what we expect it to do.
“Our side” is unlikely to win all of Afghanistan even if the Western imperialists leave according to our timetable. Given the opposing interests of many regional powers, that struggle is likely to be even more prolonged and bloody than the last attempt to fill the Afghan vacuum.
“Blowback” from this war will be worse than the blowback from the current confused operation. The Taliban refused to cooperate with us against anti-Shia terrorists even in the good old days of the nineties. This time around, they will be much more difficult to control. We cannot even control the current (relatively small) Islamic Emirate of Waziristan. To imagine that we will control the much larger and more fractious Islamic emirate of the future seems to be a pipe dream.
Any exit of the imperialists and return of the Taliban will inevitably be followed by a house-cleaning of Western “fellow travellers” in Pakistan. That cleansing may not be on the army’s immediate agenda, but pressure to Islamize Pakistan will be hard to resist once the Islamists are winning. The establishment may then find it expedient to try and get rid of the ANP, Pakistani liberals and other riff-raff that the army has tolerated in the Sulah e Hudaybia phase. Naturally the Americans will respond with retaliatory measures of their own and a liberal efflux will have some modest but detectable negative impact on the economy and the state; the final outcome, in a weak and fractious state, may not even be up to North Korean standard.
But that is only one interpretation of Brigadier sahib’s views. There is another: it may well be that cooperation with the United States is set to continue, but the haze of lies that surrounds the relationship now needs to be raised to new heights. Pakistan’s deep state is highly “Westernized” in very practical ways and has always been a willing and even eager partner of the CIA and the Pentagon in the region. But both the state and its American minders have been operating with the view that those who matter will calculate profit and loss, and everyone else can be kept suitably entertained with our own peculiar version of Jihadi kool-aid (a uniquely Pakistani mix of Islam, militarism and the “two nation theory”).
In one of the more spectacular “own goals” in history, this convenient and previously useful propaganda has now created a large constituency within the rank and file of the armed forces and the semi-educated middle class. How now to tell them the truth, smack dab in the middle of a crisis? Better to just update the kool-aid, pray to Allah, and keep going while hoping for a miracle. In this version, no breach with America is intended or desired, but the natives are restless and the Jihadi/Pak nationalist credentials of the supreme commander must be burnished to prevent any unplesantness, hence the article and others like it. The problem with this version is that it means the state will continue its policy of trying to appease both the Islamists and the Americans and this only postpones the day we fall between two stools, it does not alleviate that risk.
Yet another version holds that this is simply more of the “controlled burn” strategy, the aim being to get the Americans to cough up more money by raising the threat of a “rogue” nuclear state (a strategy with which we have long years of practice by now). The problem with this version is the one pointed out by Mr. Lincoln a long time ago; you cannot fool all the people all the time. What happens if someone decides to call our bluff?
It is hard to say which of these theories is correct. If I had to pick, I would pick the last one because I am a cynical person, but there is little objective evidence based on which an outside observer can decide between these theories.
It is even possible that all three (and others I have failed to imagine) are ALL simultaneously true.
Pakistan’s biggest curse and the army’s most treacherous gift to the nation is its culture of secrecy and double-dealing. Domestically, the army (and particularly its intelligence agencies) have thoroughly undermined the credibility and effectiveness of politicians, civil bureaucrats and the media by decades of behind the scenes manipulation. They have done the same thing abroad by keeping foreign policy under their opaque control. This is fertile ground for conspiracy theories of every stripe (including the three I have managed to outline above) and the truth is impossible to know for sure (“loose change” aficionados will no doubt feel it’s the same in the United States, but the murkiness in Pakistan is an order of magnitude above anything an American can imagine).
And the same opacity and confusion may now extend to the supreme command; it is possible that not only are we unable to discern what is going on, the corps commanders who meet every month are equally clueless and confused. Not being the best and the brightest, and acutely conscious of their intellectual shortcomings but determined to stay in charge no matter what, they may be flying blind too….this final irony raises the disturbing possibility that the past may not be an adequate guide to the future and very nasty black swans may be swimming just beyond the next bend in the river.
Perhaps India should prepare for an influx of Pakistanis seeking refuge from chaos that even the worst enemies of Pakistan may not have imagined. Being our cousins, and with a bureaucracy not known for its boldness and vision, one doubts that India will have a policy adequate to the needs of this mother of all black swans. The rest of the world may be equally unprepared. The Chinese, supposedly used to thinking one hundred years ahead, may be our only hope.
[1] “Sau Gunndey tey Sau CHittar strategy”: Literally, one hundred onions and one hundred lashes. A man was to be punished and was given the choice of eating a hundred onions or getting a hundred lashes. He opted for the onions but after 3-4 onions, he thought this is too hard and switched to lashes. But after 5 of those the pain was too much, so he switched again to onions..he ended up with a hundred of both. GHQ runs the risk of being punished by both sides to the full extent of the law. Picking one poison might have been a more rational choice.
Post Script: Sufi masters in upstate New York have sent a sufi teaching story that they claim has some relevance to why the hapless civilian regime is having so little success in Pakistan; It is not known if these are true sufis or impostors, so the story may or may not apply. Halva strategy: The Mongols were coming and the capital was in a state of panic. A holy man showed up and his followers claimed he had magical powers and could stop the Mongols. He was invited to take over and do his thing. He took over command and ordered the ministers to prepare the finest halva. They did so, he ate and let others eat as well. Next day, they said the Mongols are only 100 miles away, what now? He asked for more halva. It was done. This went on for days, every day the Mongols got closer and he asked for more of the best halva. Finally the Mongols arrived at the gate. He packed up his sleeping bag and said “I am off, do what you can to save yourself”. Everyone screamed “but what about the your magic”? He said “dudes, I came for the halva and I had lots of it and it was indeed good. The Mongols are your problem. Good bye.”
As expected, there is also vocal opposition (more so in India than in Pakistan).
It may not happen. I have no idea how likely or unlikely it is at this time. But after seeing some of the heated tweets from Indian nationalists on Twitter, I wanted to put a few thoughts out here so that I have a post I can refer to when needed. So here goes..
1. Extreme Hindutvadis (like all such terms, it is considered unfair etc by many, but we need a label, you can pick your favorite…you know what I mean) are looking for a Hindu subcontinent, cleansed of Anglo-Saxon and Islamicate influences. Their position obviously brooks no compromise or even co-existence, much less cricket. This is not about them.
2. Extreme Jihadis (ditto about term, etc, plus no equivalence is implied by use of the term extremist in two consecutive paragraphs 🙂 ) are also very clear about what they want and may have a better shot at getting somewhere within a thousand miles of their target. Their position includes no cricket. This is not about them.
3. Indian Nationalists. This is the largest group of Indian objectors (anecdotal…I have no data to back up this claim). Their case seems to be that Pakistan sponsors terrorists who attack India. More specifically, Pakistan shelters (and fails to arrest or convict) terrorists who attacked Mumbai in 2008. To play cricket while this goes on would be to “send the wrong signal”; Pakistan should be punished, not rewarded, and cricket is a reward.
This post is about them. (there is a fourth group of objectors: Pakistani nationalists who think contact with India will defile the two-nation-theory. Anyway, if GHQ bothers to become “clearly opposed”, then discussion is moot. No series will happen in that case. In Pakistan, the lines of authority are clear 🙂 ).
Is it true that a cricket boycott by India punishes Pakistan? and is cricket (at this time) a reward for Pakistan (as opposed to the Pakistani board, who obviously get to make money)? The short answer to both is NO.
America boycotted the Moscow Olympics. etc etc. That is not an apt comparison. Each case is different. In this case, not playing cricket with India is punishment for the board officials (less money), somewhat bad for Pakistani cricket (less international cricket, attention, practice, etc etc), but not at all bad for the Jihadis or their bosses. Not..at.. all. This just makes their case stronger.
Cricket (like trade, tourism and cultural exchange) between India and Pakistan does not strengthen the anti-Indian lobby in Pakistan. It does exactly the opposite. The people in Pakistan who do NOT want a jihadi invasion of India are the ones who are strengthened by these exchanges. This is just an empirical fact. The thing to keep in mind is that Pakistan is in many ways a more competent (pound for pound) adversary than India because the two-nation-theory provides stronger (negative) asabiya than the idea of India (this is not about which idea is stronger or “better”. I think India is the stronger idea in the long run, but it’s short term battle asabiya is weaker). Trade, travel and cultural exchange with India weakens the two-nation-theory and therefore weakens the one area in which Pakistan is actually stronger than India.
You have to think about this before you get it 😉
By the way, right now, beyond the money angle, it may not be much of a reward for Pakistani cricket either. Defeat on the ground, even humiliation, may be the more likely outcome at this time. Or do Indians lack confidence in their overpaid team?
Brown Pundits Archive · May 12, 2015 · Comments Off on Killing Atheists. A Wedge Issue in Bangladesh
Yet another Bangladeshi blogger has been hacked to death. This is the third time in just the last two months that someone has been hacked to death in BD for being an “atheist blogger”.
The victims:
1. Ananta Bijoy Das
2. Avijit Roy
3. Washiqur Rahman
Two born Hindu, one Muslim, all three known to be associated with Bangladeshi rationalism and “freethought” and in particular with the freethought blog “Mukto-Mona”.
Someone with more local knowledge can comment about them and add their tributes. I wanted to focus on a more general issue: Why kill these bloggers? As Bond noted, the first time is happenstance, the second time coincidence, but the third time, it’s enemy action. This is not just some random Muslim fanatic getting riled up and going to earn his virgins. This is a systematic campaign…and it makes a lot of sense. These killings are a near-perfect “wedge issue” for Bangladeshi Islamists. How does that work?
1. Bangladesh is a relatively liberal Islamic country. There is a significant Hindu minority (though it shrank somewhat at partition and then again, drastically, during the anti-Hindu genocide of 1971) and thanks to strong traditions of secular Bengali nationalism and old-fashioned (i.e. not Post-Marxist Western elite and University imported) Left wing activism, there is a significant Muslim Bengali secular tradition. Another factor is the fact that when the Awami League led the Bangladesh liberation movement against West Pakistan, the West Pakistani army was supported by the main Islamist party and its cadres provided the volunteers who were their eyes and ears (and in many cases, their eager executioners).
After independence, as a “right-wing” Bangladeshi political grouping developed with military (and Pakistani, Saudi and possibly CIA) assistance, it was provided crucial support by the Islamists and in return their successive regimes provided assistance to the Islamists and protected them against prosecution for war crimes. At the height of the honeymoon between Islamists, the Pakistani intelligence agencies, Saudi Arabia and the CIA, this right-of-center alternative (first as military rule, then as the BNP) established itself firmly as one half (and for much of that time, the dominant half) of Bangladeshi politics. Since then, things have changed. Saudi Arabia is now somewhat conflicted about the Islamists and at a minimum, distinguishes between “good Islamists” (who behave themselves and support the royal family) and “bad Islamists” (who prefer to go the whole hog and aim to replace the royal family with a more authentic Islamist alternative). Pakistan and the CIA are no longer BFFs (though wary cooperation and buying and selling continues). And Western powers are not entirely happy with Islamism. As a result, the playing field in BD seems to have tilted towards the Awami League and towards relatively secular Bangladeshi nationalism. In the nature of things, the BNP or some such will still be needed to provide the other half of a stable two-party electoral system, but their Islamist allies are under some pressure. There is even the possibility that the BNP will have to carry on without hardcore Islamist cadres being sheltered under its umbrella and will have to (perhaps as an “India-skeptic” critic), go along to some extent with a new “India-friendly” regional order.
2. But there is another alternative. Is there some way the Islamists can recover and even win new heights they did not possess even under BNP regimes in the past?
3. Some of them, and perhaps some of their backers in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (in Saudia, more in the private sector than in the government? who knows) seem to think so. And they are using these killings as a wedge issue.
4. By going after atheist bloggers (many or most of them Hindus), they have found a near perfect wedge issue. The Hasina government is not happy with these blasphemers being killed, and unlike in Pakistan, the regime seems to have made some arrests. But if they take a very public stand against these killings and aggressively protect the rights of these free-thinkers, then they stand with atheists and blasphemers and risk losing the support of “moderate Muslims” who don’t go in for machete-wielding execution, but whose core beliefs include the belief that atheism and apostasy cannot be tolerated….But if the Hasina government lets this go on, then they permit the Islamists to grab the initiative and drive away atheists, secularists and Hindus…all of whom are more or less her voters and supporters (and whose friends and supporters are also the “intellectuals” of the Awami League regime). At a minimum, it is an uncomfortable position for the regime.
5. Moderate Muslims may condemn free-lance executions, but such executions also bring to light the existence of atheists, Hindus and blasphemers in what is, after all, a Muslim majority country. For the moderate Muslim the best thing would be for this conversation to just go away. The longer it goes on, the more they have to commit to options they don’t like: should they come down in favor of Hindus, atheists and blasphemers (not necessarily in that order, but all these items are uncomfortably connected in mukto-mona)? Or, when push comes to machete-shove, do they stay silent and “understand” that the blasphemers have sorely provoked their Muslim executioners? whatever they decide, the discomfort is a net plus for the Islamists. They are betting on the fact that by making this an “Islam versus atheism/Hinduism” issue they make it hard for moderate Muslims to chose atheism and Hinduism over Islam.
6. With the penetration of bullshit-postmarxism into the Bengali elite increasing as their access to expensive Western education increases, the “high-end secularists” can be split too. “Black and White” division of the world between Islamists and anti-Islamists is anathema to postmodern-postmarxism. They too would prefer to opt out of this “complex and nuanced” issue. Their discomfort is an added bonus to the Islamist cause (of relatively little practical importance, but these people have some visibility in high-end intellectual circles, so their discomfort doesn’t hurt either).
Can Bangladeshi secularism (meaning in practice, the Awami League regime, there being no other secular alternative on the horizon) defeat this rather well-chosen point of attack? Maybe they can (in which case the Islamists will have gambled and lost and the secular cause will emerge stronger than before). But it is a big if…If they lose, Bangladesh is in play again as a possible Islamist base in Eastern India. The Islamists know what they are up to…
“The world is full of Great Projects – tall buildings, long bridges, vast highway networks – but very seldom does a single project alter the geography of the world. The Suez Canal and the Panama Canal did this spectacularly, and now another great change in the connectivity of the world is beginning to take shape in Pakistan. The question is whether it will connect more or less than it will disconnect. “
My own first thought is that the logic of “economic geography” may reassert itself in the long run, but in the short term, many “obvious” beneficial connections can be lost in the face of ideological clashes (partition comes to mind), warfare and/or the breakdown of law and order. The “Silk Road” made sense as an economic project, but was intermittently shut down by wars and the collapse of order along it’s route. (Its loss of competitiveness to seaborne trade is a separate issue and does not explain various interruptions or the prolonged inability of “Silk Road” countries to take fuller advantage of railways as a way to compete with the sea at least to some extent, until recently). So the crucial question is to what extent the ruling elite in Pakistan (and in other regional hubs) prioritize economics over other things they also hold dear. Just to take two aspects as examples to illustrate what I mean:
1. Assume the Pakistani ruling elite has sufficient control WITHIN Pakistan. They could still risk the corridor because of adventurism abroad. For example, the project of taking Kashmir from India is a project that seems unlikely to succeed without triggering a “corridor-shattering” war; or the urge to dominate Afghanistan may not lead to Pax-Pakistania. What if it just means a violent quagmire with no end in sight. Can the corridor escape that distraction? ..I am not saying it is one or the other. But how much one gets pushed versus the other can still be an issue. The geniuses have been known to get it wrong before. …will they get it all correct this time (forget the moral issues, human rights etc. , I just mean “can they keep the peace”?) … I don’t think the answer is totally clear yet.
2. The basis on which nation-states are to be stabilized in the region West of the Radcliffe line is still up in the air. Islam? Ethnic solidarity? The mandate of heaven based on better trains and washing machines for all? I don’t think the matter is settled (except maybe in Iran, where Persian identity may have roots deep enough to stay upright through storms…but I notice that my pro-Israeli friends seem to have a very real (and very irrational?) animus towards Iran for some reason. Those are powerful enemies to have…so maybe even Iran is not home free. But you see what I mean: with identity so seriously contested (as opposed to non-seriously contested as in Texas versus the US Federal Govt) things may not settle down. Shit may hit fans. That sort of thing.
Ram Prasad (Brahmin) to Manik Chand (c/o Sikander Ali, Bamba Debi Bazar, Marwari Water Tank, Bombay)
[Hindi]
Kitchener’s Indian Hospital, Brighton
2nd September 1915
And send me fourteen or fifteen tolas of charas, and understand that you must send it so that no one may know. First fill a round tin box full of pickles and then in the middle of that put a smaller round box carefully closed, so that no trace of the pickles can enter. And send a letter to me four days before you send the parcel off. [Letter withheld]
Ser Gul (Pathan, 129th Baluchis) to Barber Machu Khan (57th Rifles, serving at the front)
[Urdu]
Indian Hospital, Rouen
13th September 1915
I have no need of anything, but I have a great longing for a flute to play. What can I do? I have no flute. Can you get me one from somewhere? If you can, please do, and send it to me. Take this much trouble for me. For I have a great desire to play upon the flute, since great dejection is fallen upon me. You must, you simply must, get one from somewhere. I have no need of anything else. But this you must manage as soon as you can. Make a small wooden box, put a little cotton wool in it, and put a flute to play on in the middle of the cotton wool. Then put a little cloth over it. Get Umar Din to write the address in English and it will reach me all right. Pack it so that the flute will not shake about. I shall be very grateful. I have no need of anything else … You must arrange this as quickly as possible. [Letter passed]
Balwant Singh (Sikh) to Pandit Chet Ram (Amritsar, Punjab)
[Gurmukhi cipher]
FPO.39 [France?]
24th October 1915
The ladies are very nice and bestow their favours upon us freely. But contrary to the custom in our country they do not put their legs over the shoulders when they go with a man. [Deleted]
Maula Dad Khan (Punjabi Muslim) to his father (India)
[Urdu]
Brigade Office, Sialkot Cavalry Brigade, France
24th October 1915
Muhammad Khan’s letter dated the 27th September reached me on the 22nd October. When I read it, every hair on my body stood on end. Before that I was happy, but after I had read it I was very vexed. It is true that I wrote to Allah Lok Khan for a pair of [women’s] shoes. The fact is, father, that a young Frenchman of my acquaintance asked me to send for something from India. He asked me to get him some shoes which would fit his wife. I wrote that. Of what do you suspect me? My father, I swear in the name of God and His Prophet and declare that there is no [ground for suspicion]. Am I such a wretch and such a blackguard as to leave my noble wife and child and behave thus? … There are very strict orders against such action on the part of our people. I came from home to earn money and renown, not to put such shame upon you. [Letter passed]
Sepoy Baldar (Afridi) to Sepoy Minadar Khan (57th Rifles, France)
[Urdu]
Frontier Constabulary, NWFP, India
10th November 1915
I have married Jabar’s wife and paid him Rs. 560. I have sold my sister to Yar Baz for Rs. 560. My other wife I have sold to my father for Rs. 640. Do not be anxious. When you come back, I will find you a wife. [Letter passed]
Bir Singh (Sikh) to Jowala Singh (Ambala District, Punjab)
[Urdu]
6th Cavalry or 19th Lancers, France
28th January 1916
You say that the parcel came back from Bombay. What sort of parcel was it? If you wrote ‘opium’ on it, do not do so again, but put ‘sweets’ or ‘dainties’ on it, and send off the opium. Have no fear; parcels are not opened on the way and cannot be lost. So keep on sending the drugs. Let Indar Kaur be the sender. [Letter passed]
[Urdu]
20th Deccan Horse, France
4th November 1917
My idea is that, since it is now four years since I went to my home, my wife should, if she wishes it, be allowed to have connection according to Vedic rites with some other man, in order that children may be born to my house. If this is not done, then the family dignity will suffer. Indeed, this practice should now be followed in the case of all wives whose husbands have been absent for four years or more. It is permitted by Vedic rites, if the wives are willing. Everyone knows that that article, the consumption of which is increased while the production is stopped, will in time cease to exist. If any article is allowed to decrease through ignorance, no one is to blame; but when every one knows that an article is being consumed to extinction, while at the same time they are aware of the steps available to supplement production, they are greatly to blame if they hesitate to take those steps.
Kala Khan (Punjabi Muslim) to Iltaf Hussain (Bhatinda, Patiala, Punjab States)
[Urdu]
Indian Labour Corps, France
27th December 1917
You enquire about the cold? I will tell you plainly what the cold in France is like when I meet you. At present I can only say that the earth is white, the sky is white, the trees are white, the stones are white, the mud is white, the water is white, one’s spittle freezes into a solid white lump, the water is as hard as stones or bricks, [and] the water in the rivers and canals and on the roads is like thick plate glass. What more am I to say? Our kind-hearted Sirkar has done everything possible for us to protect us from the cold. We are each provided with two pairs of strong, expensive boots. We have whale oil to rub in our feet, and for food we are provided with live Spanish sheep. In short, the Sirkar has accumulated many good and wonderful things for our use.
Khalil Ullah (Hindustani Muslim) to Ganiullah (Muttra District, UP)
[Urdu]
2nd Lancers, France
3rd March 1918
I am sending you a picture of an American lady aviator, I want you to study it and see what the women of Europe and America are doing. I want you to contrast them with our womenfolk, and to think what sort of education they can give to our children when they themselves are lacking in knowledge and training. I am hopeful that, if you pay careful attention to what I have written, you will be able to effect some improvement. The advancement of India lies in the hands of the women; until they act, India can never awake from her hare’s dream. Forgive me if I have spoken too strongly.
Extracts from Indian Voices of the Great War: Soldiers’ Letters, 1914-18, edited by David Omissi. Reproduced with the permission of Penguin Books India.
– See more at: http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/what-indian-soldiers-first-world-war-wrote-home-about#sthash.VpsBK6SR.eq4m9bXn.dpuf
