I want to briefly explain my decision to delete all my posts and leave BP–at least as an active author. I reserve the right to defend myself if my name is taken or personal attacks are made.
First, I want to thank XTM for giving me the opportunity to be an author on this forum. What I am about to say is not a reflection on him or on what I believe are his good faith efforts to encourage a spirit of dialogue among South Asians.
I have been active on this particular iteration of BP since last May (during “Operation Sindoor”). I was active some years ago until I was banned by Razib–who did not like me for reasons of his own which don’t really need to be gone into here. Suffice it to say that he thought I was too “woke”.
The period since “Operation Sindoor” has perhaps been one of the worst periods of India-Pakistan relations in recent years, which goes some way to explain the hostility I have faced. Naturally, a forum dominated by Indians is going to be hostile to someone who is a Pakistani nationalist (albeit a center-left one). I don’t expect anyone here to love Pakistan but only to respect the fact I am a patriotic Pakistani. Attacks on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan are deeply triggering for me as equivalent attacks on India are for Indian nationalists. As someone whose relatives have served in the Pakistan Army–particularly on the Punjabi side of my lineage– I also find anti-army rhetoric extremely offensive.
I have written on my Substack about why I feel BP has a “soft Hindutva” bias. I am not going to rehash that argument here. I just want to note that every forum has a bias and that is perfectly fine. It is preferable that websites own their bias so people understand clearly what the rules are and what is considered acceptable or not. It is clear that the Admin of BP has a leaning towards India (which is again perfectly fine) and thus “anti-India” comments are treated more harshly than “anti-Pakistan” ones.
I will note that the Pakistani authors I brought on BP have stopped participating. I don’t want to attempt to speak for them as to their reasoning but perhaps one element of it is that they felt BP is generally hostile to Pakistani perspectives.
The personal bullying has become intolerable. I have been subjected to transphobia, homophobia, Islamophobia etc. I have repeatedly asked for these issues to be addressed but they have not been done so to my satisfaction. The last straw for me was the elevation of one the culprits to “author” status–essentially making the two of us equivalent on this forum.
Lastly, I want to briefly address the complaint that I’m inordinately focused on India. I am an intellectual and I don’t think anyone has the right to tell an intellectual what he or she should or should not focus on. My academic specialty is Ethnomusicology. My research is on Hindustani classical music. Outside of that specialty, I mostly review fiction (oftentimes by South Asian writers). I don’t think any of this is particularly objectionable.
I will also note that lately there has been what I feel is an inordinate focus on Pakistan. BP authors are of course free to post about whatever they want. However, in that case the complaint that I focus on India’s internal issues comes across as a bit hypocritical.
I wish XTM well in his mission to make BP a “broad church” and an open forum. Moderation is a thankless task. I will note that anyone who takes on the role of editor should ideally be neither Indian nor Pakistani but a neutral party.
I will continue to write on my Substack (“Thoughts of a Bibliophile”) and on The Peshawar Review–a new literary magazine with which I am associated. Those who are interested can find me at those places.