(EDITORIAL) One of the smart questions put at the viva-voce stage when candidates are selected by committees for recruitment in army and civilian jobs refers to Pakistan. Young aspirants for employment are suddenly confronted with the question whether they would like to have Pakistan, and the examiners report that youth is against Pakistan. Nearly two years ago Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, the versatile Vice-Chancellor of the Patna University, had accepted a place on the Public Services Commission and he pursued the research into the acceptability of Pakistan almost as a pastime.

The candidates were observed by him to agree with his own opinion that Pakistan was no good, and in the course of a jubilant article in his own magazine, The Hindustan Review, Dr. Sinha gave his findings in favour of the Hindus as if a Gallup Poll had been scientifically conducted. When pupils are examined by word of mouth, they are tremulously on the defensive. .. We maintain that the question is unfairly phrased and that if these inquirers seek information, they should put the case in two parts, for the reason that a mere query using the term Pakistan for the pleasing of prejudiced minds cannot be of any use in gauging the capacity of young Muslims….”

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2018

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