KARACHI: Speakers at the launch of a book discussing the effects of religion and secularism in making of Pakistan on Sunday said it raised certain basic questions involving the country carved out of the British India 70 years ago and the state that was still fluid to answer those critical issues.

“This book has raised the core questions about Pakistan and its state, which are yet to be answered,” said Dr Riaz Shaikh, who compiled Hamza Alavi’s five essays On religion and secularism: in making of Pakistan and translated them into Urdu.

The Urdu translation Tashkeel-i-Pakistan, mazhab aur secularism was launched at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi.

Organisers said Marxist historian and sociologist Hamza Alavi had written those articles between 1974 and 2002 in which he discussed some crucial aspects of the country and its state with his own philosophical perspective.

Dr Shaikh said it was the fifth compilation of late Alavi’s essays in Urdu since 2002 and third after his death.

“He wrote extensively in esteemed publications across the world, and wanted to get them translated into Urdu for long,” said Dr Shaikh, reputed social scientist on his own merits.

He quoted Hamza Alavi’s various theories and essays and said to understand why feudalism in Pakistan could not be over and done with one should look back into the very Pakistan movement.

“The Muslim League had little roots in the Muslim majority provinces of India while it was strong in the minority provinces; thus, it was a compromise between the League and the feudal lords of the Muslim majority provinces that led to creation of this country,” said Dr Shaikh quoting the Leftist scholar.

He said over the past 70 years the state had not decided what should be its medium of instruction, its system of governance and whether it was an ideological state or a national one.

“Such confusion persists,” he said.

He said it was secularism that helped the Ottoman Empire to survive for 600 years while at the same time anti-secularist Europe was in its dark ages.

Eminent historian Dr Mubarak Ali spoke from Lahore through telephone in which he said the issue of ethnicity was among the core issues of Pakistan as variety of languages and cultures were there through centuries and much older than Pakistan which came into being seven decades ago.

He said the state’s narrative in the name of ending so-called ‘provincial bias’ championing for a single country and single language was being propagated through textbooks, while, the alternative narrative was being despised at the state level.

“The alternative narrative should be strong enough, which would make this country more pluralistic, secular and peaceful.”

He said he worked with Hamza Alavi for translating his works

in Urdu. He said the late philosopher had huge contribution through his writings on colonialism, peasants’ movements, working class, etc.

Dr Haroon Ahmed said questions were still being asked whether Pakistan was a national state or a religious one. He said the government was partial and sided with the anti-secularists.

Dr Tariq Sohail said the militants of Jeay Sindh had protected Altaf Hussain during a meeting in 1986. He added in 1988 when Benazir Bhutto’s PPP emerged as the largest parliamentarian group, President Ghulam Ishaq Khan did not invite her to form the government for two weeks. He said Ms Bhutto first sent PK Shahani to the MQM [then Muhajir Qaumi Movement] for a pact who returned empty handed and then he [Dr Sohail] was sent to the MQM leadership.

“A 52-points pact was agreed upon which included the release of MQM’s 98 activists in the prison. Then chief minister, Qaim Ali Shah, did not release them.”

He quoted late Alavi as saying that if that declaration [pact] was implemented as it was agreed upon the tussle in Sindh would have been ended.

However, Dr Ayoub Shaikh criticised the same in his speech.

“His paper ‘social basis of ethnicity’ is highly praised but at one point the reader does not find him as a Marxist thinker when he insists an alliance between the narrow-minded and chauvinist Sindh nationalists and Gen Ziaul Haq’s follower and fascist MQM would be a good omen. It was logically not in favour of the Urdu-speaking and Sindhi-speaking people of Sindh and was solely designed on the agenda to divide the two communities,” claimed Dr Shaikh.

Anees Haroon said the situation would have been different if the Bengali language issue was better settled in 1952.

Mehnaz Rehman said alignment between the two dominant communities of Sindh was vital.

Dr Tauseef Ahmed Khan moderated the proceedings.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2017

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