1.

Creation of Pakistan: a myth or reality

• Two-nation theory has been given undue inportance in history

• Creation of Pakistan solely on the basis of religion is a myth that has been propagated from time to
time

• Demographics and economy were the two big catalysts for partitioning of the subcontinent

• In the undivided subcontinent, Muslim uraban bourgeoisie class was economically well off. However,
its political future was uncertain. Muslims were a minority in undivided India. They needed autonomy
which Indian nationalists were unwilling to grant. Therefore, this bourgeoisie class opted for partition

• Muslims as a whole were a laggard community in undivided subcontiment

• Cultural and religious factors alone cannot explain the partion of subcontinent and creation of Pakistan

• Creation of Pakistan on the basis of religious and cultural difference is a big myth that is yet to be
debunked. The creation on account of economic deprivation and demographic stress is a reality that is
hard to challenge

• In history, it is largely economic motivations, not religion, that derive it. Economy is a key driver of
history and historical developments

• The founding fathers of Pakistan demanded autonomy first. And till 1946, autonomy was their main
slogan. When their demand was paid no heed, partition became inevitable

2. NATION-BUILDING: A FAILED PROJECT IN PAKISTAN

• Pakistan is a post-colonial society. At the end of the second world war, there were only 51 autonomous
and severeign states. But suddenly, the number of newly created states rose significantly. One of the
marked characteristics of post colonial societies during much of the twentieth century was prevalence of
war, conflict, violence, chaos, turbulence and upheavals. Pakistan could not escape this trend

• Owing to tumultuous experience of partition, the project of nation building was paid almost no heed.

• Pakistan was born with a hole in its heart. The country was direly mired in several issues which made it
very difficult for the nascent state to build conhesiveness among its masses

• Nation-building becomes a distant dream if economic aspirations are not fulfilled

• Unlike Turkey and Israel, Pakistan has miserably failed to use education as a tool to indoctrinate its
masses. Education has failed to bind people together. Parallel education systems operate in the country,
which are poles apart. Curriculum is almost unregulated and underregulated. Private institutions largely
promote secular version of the state, whereas Madaressahs are hell bent on establishing a theocratic
state.

• Pakistan is the Austrio-Hungarian empire of the the nineteenth century and the Yugoslavia of the
twentieth century. It is a multi-national, multi-ethinic and multi-cultural society. If one community is
served well and while others deprived of basic necessities of a civilised life, can there be civic
nationalism in a country?

• Migration of a large number of refugees from India assaulted the civic nationalism of Pakistani people.
Migration has so far resulted in conflicts in major urban centres. There is no one Karachi in Pakistan.
There are many Karachis within Karachi. It hosts many colonies and areas divided on ethinic lines.
Different ethinic communities have established their monopoly in their respective areas. MIGRATION has
indirecly affected nation-building in Pakistan. It brought on slaughtering of millions of people on both
side of the border. As a consequence, Pakistan and India developed huge trust deficit. Pakistan became a
security state. All its policies till today are Indo-centric. The becoming of Pakistan as a security state
means the state could not utilise meagre revenues for the betterment of people. When living standards
of people is a least priority, feelings of alienation and resentment develop quickly. Pakistani peole resent
against the state, for the state has failed to create egalitarian setup.

• Economically, all federating units of Pakistan are diconnected and disintegrated. Can this be called
nation-building?

• Different people in Pakistan derive inspiration from different countries. Baloch people especially those
hailing from areas bordering Iran have huge leaning towards Iranian culture. Likewise, those bordering
Afghanistan idealise Jamaluddin Afghani. People in Karachi, especially from Muhajir community,
remember heroes of Lucknow. And those belonging to interior part of Sindh present Raja Dahir as
epitome of virtue. Not all people have some common source of nationalist aspirations

• Pakistan has so far been an ideological experimental laboratory for successive military and civilian
rulers alike. In 1960s, Ayoub Khan wanted to secularise Pakistan. He even went for removing the name of
Islam from the country's name officially. But he could not do so. During 1970s, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto tried to
establish a socialist state. Then came Zia who introduced debilitating, devastating and dangerous set of
policies to Islamise the country. It made Pakistan split into religious factions. Today, Pakistan is more a
Sunni country than a Muslim country. Things did not stop here. General Musharaf airlifted the concept of
enlightened moderation in 2001. The frequent ideological meedling with Pakistani society and
ideological reinterpreation of society have done more harm than good. Pakistan, at present, seems to
have lost its identity. In the words of Dr. Mubarak Ali, "Pakistan is in the identity crisis". Pakistan, today, is
a nation without nationalism, where nation-building is an absent phenomenon. At present, there are
many Sindhis, Balochs, Punjabis and Pathans, but there very few Pakistanis

• The ingredients of nationalism in Pakistan are different for different people. Some consider religion a
binding force, whereas others prefer cultural affiliations a national glue
• Nation-building cannot take place if polices are not inclusive, people of all communities are not
considered and resources are not distributed fairly and equitably