| January 24, 2003 | Friday | Ziqa’ad 20, 1423 |
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Minorities in Pakistan
Pakistan’s squad for World Cup
Lecturers’ grievance
Quaid’s birthplace
MMA: a gift from Musharraf
What about senior citizens?
Legal Framework Order
IT paper
Administrative wisdom
‘Politics of language’
INS issue and Pakistani expatriates
WITH reference to your editorial, ‘Saffronizing history’ (Jan 10), and the write-up by Mr Sher (Jan 15), I would like to make some observations.
The BJP says that it is championing ‘Hindutva’, a purposely-vague concept of the Hindu culture that literally means ‘Hinduness’. After the Babri mosque was desecrated in 1992 by mobs led by the Sangh Parivar, with the supporters of the RSS and the VHP, communal riots broke out across India, with most of the victims being Muslims.
Revivalism in India has taken the form of the BJP ideologues demanding the cultural promotion of Hindutva. This would have re-cast India as the Hindu holy land in which other religious communities would have little room to retain or assert their own identities. Although fiercely working for an ‘India built by Indians’, RSS storm troopers deny they are opposed to other religious faiths.
Liberal and left-wing intellectuals, activists, students and teachers of Delhi’s three universities recently demonstrated outside the office of the Indian Council of Historical Research in New Delhi against the “saffronization” (the Hindu colour) of academic institutions.
Sunanda K. Datta-Ray, a famous writer, has observed that the avowed goal of BJP’s ideological mentor, the RSS, is to restore “uncontaminated Hindu culture without Islamic and Christian influences.”
India’s increasingly nationalistic government is rewriting school textbooks to depict Muslims and Christians as alien villains.
Murli Manohar Joshi, India’s human resources development minister with responsibility for education, has called for textbooks to be overhauled and “enthused with the national spirit,” and has attacked “myopic Western mindsets” in the Indian education system. Stephen Bates cites an examination question in the state of Uttar Pradesh, i.e., “If it takes four Savaks (Hindu religious workers) to demolish one mosque, how many does it take to demolish 20?”
Commenting on the decision of Murli Manohar Joshi, Kuldip Nayar has observed that the government does not have to mutilate history to dilute the ethos of the independence struggle: a secular polity. The BJP has its own goal, i.e. the Hindu Rashtriya. The RSS has inducted sadhus into the political scene to fundamentalize the atmosphere.
Hindu fundamentalism has cast a shadow over the ideals of religious secularism promised in the constitution. Mahatma Gandhi wrote that he did not expect India to develop one religion, which was “wholly Hindu, wholly Christian or wholly Mussalman, but I want it to be wholly tolerant.”
On the contrary, intolerance whether cultural or religious is increasingly becoming the hallmark of the largest working democracy in the world.
The party slogan of the BJP, ‘One nation, one people, one culture’, runs counter to what Mahatma Gandhi emphasized, appeals to the Hindu identity and has emboldened the radicals.
PROF (DR) P. NASIR
Gujrat, Punjab
THE terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in America were followed by assaults on religious places of minorities in Pakistan.
The questions arise:
1. Is it prudent to pursue terrorism in our own county in retaliation to the American attack on Afghanistan?
2. Will acts of terrorism promote fraternity between the Muslims and the non-Muslims in Pakistan?.
3. Will the terrorist attacks and killing of Christians at Shanti Nagar Church of Bahawalpur, Mission Hospital at Taxila Church, the Christian School at Murree and the offices of administration and justice in Karachi harm America?
The fact is that such acts will cause disruption in our own country and create hatred between America and Pakistan. Not only are precious human lives lost as a result of such terrorist activities, the flow of foreign investment is cut down drastically and economy suffers.
The minorities preferred to stay in Pakistan. Their leaders like Chandoo Lal and S. P. Singha stood by the Quaid-i-Azam and played a positive role securing our independent state. The Constitution of Pakistan lays down equal rights for the minorities. But what rights the minorities have is an open secret.
How many Christians have been elected ‘Nazim’ in the local councils elections? How many members of the minority community are selected against administrative parts of DCOs and DPOs or made justices of courts or generals in the army is anybody’s guess.
The Christians have always cooperated with the government and the Muslim majority and worked for the welfare, security and upliftment of Pakistan. Still they are kept subjugated and oppressed.
In view of the prevalent situation, Muslim religious leaders should guide the majority and preach true Islam, which gives the message of love, tolerance and compassion.
Only a few extremists are creating a law and order situation in the country, which is being defamed internationally for the unwise and ruthless acts of such extremists and fanatics.
KHALID MAHMOOD
Karachi
THIS refers to the comments (Jan 17) made by Brig (Retd) Salahuddin on Pakistan’s squad for the Cricket World Cup 2003, beginning next month.
I would like to suggest, and Mr Salahuddin would probably agree, that the below par performance of Pakistan’s team in the recently-concluded series in South Africa does not really reflect the actual potential of the national side, and we should by no means count them out of contention for the title next month.
As far as the presence of senior players in the team is concerned, let’s not forget that most World Cup wining sides in the past had enormous experience, and it was the performance by senior players that helped them achieve
wining results.
To name a few, Javed Miandad and Imran Khan were instrumental in Pakistan’s only World Cup win in 1992. Similarly, Aravinda DeSilva and Sanath Jayasuria of Sri Lanka, and Steve Waugh and Shane Warne of Australia played the same role in 1996 and 1999, respectively.
If Pakistan are to win the title this year, it can only be through performances from senior players, mainly Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saeed Anwar.
I believe that if the team is able to play with full strength and without injuries, Pakistan has a very good chance of winning the title.
To be honest, on paper Pakistan’s is one of the best teams to play the World Cup.
KAMRAN A. SHAH
Karachi
THIS refers to Brig (Retd) Salahuddin’s letter about the Pakistan’s squad for the World Cup.
On the one hand he says many players in the squad are old and experienced, but on the other, he is also worried about youngsters who, he thinks, will not be able to bear the pressure.
If the writer does not want both the experienced players and the youngsters, will he let us know as to who should play then?
MIR ZAIN KHAWAR
Peshawar
I WOULD like to draw the attention of the chief minister of the NWFP to a matter of crucial importance.
I am one of the 444 lecturers appointed in 2002 by the provincial public service commission. Some of us are teaching at various colleges while others are waiting for the notification from the director, colleges, ministry of education. We have been facing an anomalous situation since our appointment.
Previously, appointments were usually made on an ad hoc basis by the department concerned, and appointed persons had to face the commission for regularization. In our case the basic purpose of the commission has been defeated.
The question is: whom will we face and how shall we be regularized? One of the promises of the MMA government is to abolish the contract policy in the province. Will the chief minister honour this promise?
RIAZ AMIN
Peshawar
THIS refers to Muhammad Umar Chand’s letter, ‘Quaid’s birthplace’ (Jan 3).
He says the Quaid’s birthplace is Jhirk, a small place in the Thatta district of lower Sindh. Incidentally, most school textbooks and other works in English or Urdu still maintain Karachi as his birthplace.
Some years back, this controversy appeared in your paper, but it was brought to an end by the intervention of some senior persons, who had the privilege of working with the Quaid. They concluded that Karachi was his actual birthplace and not Jhirk.
Yet, it would be worthwhile if the Quaid-i-Azam Academy threw light on this important issue, which has been raised again by Mr Chand. This issue must officially be resolved once and for all.
M. SHAFIQUE AHMED
Karachi
THIS refers to a piece by A. B. S. Jafri in your Sunday issue (Jan 19).
Mr Jafri begins with a strong criticism of the MMA and ends by declaring the MMA victory as a gift from Washington. I think the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has been elected through a clean process and they are a gift of the participatory politics, not the politics of the ISI or the CIA. They have won mostly from the NWFP, because we know what has happened there during the war against the Taliban.
Mr Jafri hasn’t seen Afghan children sitting in the open during the winter crying for food, nor has he had a glimpse of the innocent Afghan people by the roadside in Peshawar, facing the biting cold. All this was the result of the US carpet bombing of Afghanistan on the pretext of fighting Osama bin Laden.
The MMA emerged victorious in the wake of Musharraf’s policies. He aided and abetted the US attack on Afghanistan without the consent of the people of Pakistan. And the people gave their verdict in the form of the MMA victory.
We want an environment in which we can order our lives according to the injunctions of Islam. This was the basis of the creation of Pakistan and it is part of the Objectives Resolution.
KHURAM SALEEM
Lahore
I AM distressed to read a news item in your daily that only pensioners will get additional profit at the rate of 11 per cent on a savings scheme, recently announced by the government.
The pensioners are not even 20 per cent of the population of senior citizens in Pakistan. Thus, this savings scheme will amount to an injustice to the remaining senior citizens, who paid all government taxes while working in various private sectors, including trade, export, industry, construction and farming.
The Jamali government claims that all decisions are made on merit. Evidently, this decision to benefit only the retired government employees was proposed by bureaucrats, who hurriedly got it approved by the cabinet. This step-motherly treatment of a majority of the senior citizens is highly objectionable.
Throughout the world all senior citizens are treated equally. The government employees are rewarded after retirement with handsome pensions, contribution to the provident fund and free medical facilities, whereas the people in the private sector have to prove their worth every day for survival. Instead of getting the benefit on merit, now they are being ignored.
I would request the authorities concerned to launch a general pension scheme for all the senior citizens.
TOQEER KHALID QURESHI
Lahore
THROUGH the controversial Legal Framework Order, President Pervez Musharraf has included 11 laws, promulgated during the last three years of the military rule, in the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of 1973. These include important laws such as the Police Order 2002, the State Bank of Pakistan Act 1956, the NAB Ordinance 1999 and the laws pertaining to local governments.
It should be noted that, under Article 268(2) of the Constitution, the laws specified in the Sixth Schedule cannot be repealed or amended without prior sanction of the president.
In other words, the elected legislature has been rendered ineffective in relation to these laws. Their amendments will depend exclusively on the sweet will of the president, who has not been elected in accordance with the procedure laid down in the constitution.
The president has stated that he wants to make these laws irreversible by placing them in the Sixth Schedule. Before the enactment of the LFO, this schedule contained 24 laws. Now through the LFO, the number has gone up to 35.
One view is that the Sixth Schedule was specifically designed to give protection to the 24 laws at the time of the promulgation of the 1973 Constitution and not to those laws to be enacted subsequently.
Laws can be deleted from the schedule and not added to it. This argument is reinforced by the fact that, during the last 30 years, no law had been added to the Sixth Schedule prior to the inclusion of the 11 laws by the president.
R. R. ALVI
Lahore
I AM a commerce student and I want to convey a message to the higher authorities concerned, including the chairman of the intermediate board of education, about the IT (information technology) paper.
In 2000 IT was made a compulsory subject in the intermediate syllabus but, after a few months, we were informed that this paper had been cancelled. The students have paid Rs1,500 for the IT subject, but many colleges are unable to hire computer teachers and arrange proper computer labs.
The intermediate board has not yet announced any definite information about the IT paper while the annual examinations are starting on April 22. The students are really worried about it. I would request the higher authorities to announce their decision as soon as possible, so that the students may prepare for their examinations.
SIRAJ DEEN
Karachi
FIROZ Faridi’s article on law and order (Jan 20) has focused on the need to re-evaluate the working of the newly-introduced administrative reforms, which have consigned the well-tried and time-honoured system of district administration to the dustbin of history.
The old may not always be gold, but the new gems of administrative wisdom spawned by the NRB are premature and not suited to our present state of socio-economic development, particularly in the rural areas, which constitute over 75 per cent of the country, and where the old district magistrate system is still required for many more
years.
Even in the larger cities like Karachi or Lahore, it is the police commissionerate system that can work but not the present one with divided responsibility even at the station house level.
Just as the old traditions of pride in regimental colours have been carried on by the Pakistan army, our administrative services require, if not a revival of the old CSP/PSP, cadres, certainly the spirit of belonging to the time-honoured tradition of “service before self”.
S. ASIF MAJEED
Karachi
IN your report about the Simurgh Conference on “Politics of Language” (Jan 19), it has been mentioned that I charged in my paper that Pemra (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) was a “new tool of censorship” and all programmes by private channels were being censored since the new information minister had taken charge.
In fact, I made no such claims in my paper on “Language of Censorship”. However, some comments to this effect were made by some participants during the discussion on my paper.
SHAHID NADEEM
Lahore
MUCH controversy is being generated in Pakistan over the INS registration process in the US. Our leaders are blowing hot and cold about the issue, and the matter is being pursued at the highest quarters. But in our hearts we all know that the visit to the US by Foreign Minister Mian Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, negotiations by Ambassador Qazi Ashraf Jahangir, and letters by Chaudhry Shujaat to President Bush are nothing more than cover-ups designed to appease the electorate.
Perhaps, it is not really the meek Pakistani nationals in the US that are bugging the US government. Pakistanis have never been involved in acts of terrorism in the US, except in one which was more a personal vendetta than an act of terrorism.
It is the softness of Pakistan’s bureaucracy and the lax enforcement of laws in Pakistan that make Pakistanis in the US a bugbear for the US government. As a result they are spending sleepless nights worrying when the next international terrorist in the garb of a Pakistani national will launch a weapon of mass destruction in a US city.
In my opinion, the honour and security of Pakistani nationals abroad lies right here in Pakistan. It is no secret that the present Pakistan is more or less an extension of the tribal area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Foreigners of any nationality can just walk into Pakistan, obtain a passport, purchase property, get registered with Nadra and travel all over the country without let or hindrance.
Our law and order machinery, specially in Karachi, is in a state of paralysis, and is mainly concerned with protection of VIPs. Moreover, individuals with criminal cases registered against them are sitting in the federal cabinet.
Giving the devil his due, I am grateful to the FBI for at least keeping a close vigil at our exit points, thus restricting the movement of illegal travelers.
As for the Americans, I think their security lies in turning their country into ‘Fortress America’. They should make genuine US citizens work in their sweatshops, run their fast food restaurants and stores, clean their streets, remove their garbage and do their own housekeeping. They should not allow foreign workers to enter the country, overstay their visas, roam freely through the length and breadth of the US under protection of their civil liberty laws, and then fly planes into their buildings. If this means registration and fingerprinting and racial profiling, then so be it.
Simply put, America’s protection lies in homeland security, not in attacking other countries, which just cannot pose a threat to the US. As for us in Pakistan, frankly speaking, we do not need the US and the US does not need us. Both countries can live quite comfortably without bothering each other.
KHALID HYDER
Islamabad
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