Adil Najam
Today is August 15.
India’s Independence Day.
ATP sends all Indians sincere and heartfelt Independence Day greetings and the very best wishes.
On this day I want to share with you some thoughts, and also these two pictures (below) of the Quaid-i-Azam and Gandhi ji together. These are amongst my all-time favorite pictures of two people for each of whom I have the utmost respect. (I know, some of you are surprised. Read on… and, also, the ‘you’ and ‘we’ is all readers – Pakistanis and Indians – but especially Pakistanis because most ATP readers are from Pakistan.)
On the question of partition, I agree wholeheartedly with the stand that one took and disagree with the other. It matters little what I believe on this question, and what I believe today in 2006, 59 years after the fact, matters 
even less becasue it is now irrelevant to the course that history has taken. But if they were here today to read this, I am very sure that both would understand. And that is exactly what this is about: Understanding.
The reason these pictures are so important to me is that here are two people who disagreed on the India-Pakistan question as much as any two people possibly could, and at the deepest levels. And, yet, here they are; able to stand together and genuinely smile. Disagree, but smile. And ultimately to accept the course that history took; a course, mind you, that neither was particularly happy with. If they could, then why can’t we?
As a Pakistani I am in debt of Mr. Gandhi for the stand he took in trying to halt the horrible carnage that followed partition. Paying the ultimate price for that stand. My understanding is that the very first time ever that the Pakistan flag officially flew at half-mast was at Gandhi ji’s death. All government offices in Paksitan were closed in mourning of Mr. Gandhi’s death.
Mr. Gandhi probably disliked the idea of Pakistan more than any other Indian political leader; because he could not bear seeing his beloved India divided. On that bit, I disagree with him. But, once the deed was done he also recognized that the death and violence which followed was too high a price to pay for that disagreement. So much so that he was willing to put his own life on the line and go on hunger strike to stop the carnage. For that alone, I will always respect and admire him.
As did Mr. Jinnah. Here is the uncharacteristically (for Jinnah) emotional message of condolence he sent:
“I am shocked to learn of the most dastardly attack on the life of Mr. Gandhi, resulting in his death. There can be no controversy in the face of death. Whatever our political differences, he was one of the greatest men produced by the Hindu community, and a leader who commanded their universal confidence and respect. I wish to express my deep sorrow, and sincerely sympathize with the great Hindu community and his family in their bereavement at this momentous, historical and critical juncture so soon after the birth of freedom and freedom for Hindustan and Pakistan. The loss to the Dominion of India is irreparable, and it will be very difficult to fill the vacuum created by the passing away of such a great man at this moment.”
The language he uses is the language of his time, but the grief in unmistakable; as is, I believe, the respect Jinnah had for his long-time adversary. They came to very different conclusions about how to get there, but both wanted a future which did not have constant tension, conflict and distrust. Once Pakistan was created, Mr. Jinnah’s energy and focus was on Pakistan, not India. I have already written recently about Mr. Jinnah’s vision (here) so I will not repeat it. But note that it is Pakistan-centric, not India-focussed. But let me invite you also to revisit the video footage from 1947 that I had posted earlier (here) and also the analysis Bhupinder had done in comparing the first speeches of Mr. Jinnah and Mr. Nehru to their respective countries (here).
I know that I have probably challenged, and violated, the real and constructed sense of histories that the followers of these great men have on either side of the border. If so, I apologize. I could be wrong. I do not wish to rewrite history. They had very real, and very deep, and very profound, and ultimately irreconcilable differences. That we know. But that, exactly, is my point. If, despite those great differences they could come out eventually to accept history as it happened – even when they did not like it (Gandhi, because India was divided; Jinnah, because it was not divided right and gave him a ‘moth-eaten’ Pakistan) … and if they could work towards a vision, each in his own ways, of a future for their people that was stable, secure and without conflict; then why can’t we? If they, who were in the midst of that political moment could actually get past the moment and see larger realities, ever greater priorities of their own people, why can’t we? Of this one thing I am certain, especially on this day, they would have wished us to.
Finally, I know I have probably enflamed the passions of ‘super-patriots’ on both sides of the border. (Even though, for some, these passions seem to be always enraged.) I know that many of you are itching to educate me in all the ways that I am wrong. On how one of these two men was the hero and the other not. I suspect that for some readers (guess which ones!) I am being ‘too Pakistani’; for others (guess again!) ‘not Pakistani enough.’
For all of you, I have only one request. Just for today, please, hold those passions back.
When I was small, my grandmother told me that just as one does not speak ill of the dead at their funeral, one also does not go to someone’s celebrations to rant on them. It is not a South Asian thing to do. That is not our heritage. We are – all of us – a hospitable people, a decent people, a loving people. At least that is what we tell ourselves. So, just for today, let us try to prove it to.
Tomorrow, you can start sending me your hate emails with all those gaalis that I cannot even understand. Today, join me all – Pakistanis and Indians – in wishing India and her people a happy Independence Day and a prosperous future.
Dear Arjun!
Indeed Adil’s words would have hurt you but think that how adil came up with this statment?Its not only Adil Najam.I myself encountered indians who think Pakistan was a mistake and as I repeatedly say that your own bollywood movies give such impression.But again,indians like you should discourage such looney elements in your society.Pakistan is not part of India anymore and any indian should never dream about confedration(the dream of advani).Noone here like to hate you people either but yes carrying on unpleasent hopes about this land is not really welcomed either.Its absurd that INdians and Pakistan can work together ONLY if land is reunited.How many of EU contries merged the boundaries to comeup with a single currency.Physical boundaries doesnt matter.We shouldnot create boundaries in our heart and this is something which is very uncomfortable for people of both countries
hi Adil,
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on the pictures. About your reply to Ritu, why would you ever think that her comments could even remotely imply that Indians think Pakistan was a mistake. I think thats a wrong perspective and I am terribly pained to hear such words from a Pakistani. My perspective is that the division of Hindustan was a bad idea and I am sad that the British were so unconcerned about the future of the subcontinent after it left their hands. In my mind, they were the true dushman. Though it is unlikely we’ll ever become one again and how much ever we abuse each other we still know we are brothers on the inside. The time shall come soon when we’ll reinforce that bond and march forward like never before.
Adil, your point is well taken, history is a good teacher and we need to go back to learn, and not undo the past. Indians have to learn to accept Pakistan as a fact, and not nostalgia, which is why people to people interaction is important.
Shivam: I can understand your point about independence meaning little to many Indians. It was the same with the left wing intelligentsia in 1947- see the nazms by Faiz that is oft quoted, and also similar ones by Sahir and the progressives. The nation is a space to be contested, and not given up only to be appropriated by right wing “nationalists”.
The debate on Pakistaniat on part of the liberal Pakistani intelligentsia, as to some extent demonstrated in the comments in this blog, has also to be seen in the context of the happenings on the West of Pakistan and the need to locate their identity in context of a wider debate on Islam in the modern world.
In case of Pakistan, in my view, the problem is compounded by years of military rule, and specially during General Zia’s rule, the legitimization of Islamic fundamentalism.
In India, however, the debate has moved away from nationalism to other spaces- to the question of caste, for example. There is little room to debate on Indian nationalism except in academic arguments. For all practical purposes, in the last two decades, the nationalist space has been appropriated by the Hindutva bandwagon.
It doesn’t mean that all discourse on nationalism has to be jingoist. Nor does it mean that the space has to be relinquished. It is a space to be struggled for, and constantly redefined.
And I thought Adil’s initiative in this regard was appropriate on the anniversary of the independence of the two countries- like the twins in Rushdie’s novel, the two are separate but related.
Aur iske baad yeh poochein ki kaun dushman hai?
Or is it ‘kaun dushman hai’?
Anyway, thank you for this post. For me, as for many Indians, Independence and Republic Days mean little. Pop patriotism is so passe, though reading this blog, it is clearly in vogue in Pakistan.
Riitu, thank you for the greetings and the kind words about ATP.
On your second point, I fear this discussion could go in all sorts of directions, some of which I hope it does not.
Over the years as I have interacted with Indians colleagues across the world, including in India over half a dozen trips there, I have realized that the very best-intentioned and the most peace-loving of my colleagues express such the wish out of the very best of intentions. I am assuming you are doing so too. There is a minority that makes the same argument out of less honorable intentions. I think the latter group recognizes but the first dies not just how very deeply hurtful this idea can be to a Pakistani. Especially to Pakistanis like me who have never been anything except a Pakistani, nor want to be. It questions our very being, our existence, our reason to exist. Saying to someone ‘you are a mistake’, ‘you should never have been.’ I can come up with analogies of what this feels like at a personal and a national level, but let me not because I am confident that this was NOT your intention.
It is amazing to me that every-time I speak of India-Pakistan peace I am confronted with someone suggesting this and assuming that I would, of course, agree because I want peace. This may be where the power off the different interpretations of history we have been taught (officially and unofficially) comes in. For those who view my country and me as mere ‘errors of history’ it may sound simply obvious; to me it is insulting. [My gut sense is that it is a similar type of hurt that many of my Indian friends feel when Pakistanis habitually, and without thinking, call India a ‘Hindu country’; when it is clearly not that and has a deep secular identity and a plethora of religious communities, including as many or more Muslims than Pakistan].
I understand (assume) that your intention was none of the above. And yet, that is the impact of the idea on most Pakistanis. I explain this at length not to attack your idea, but because over the years I have realized that our reaction to this idea and why that reaction is so strong may not be apparent to our friends across the border because the frameworks are very different.
But, more practically, the fact of the matter is that Pakistan IS. Let’s start the discussion from there rather than going back to a bridge under which too much water has passed or stare at a clock that cannot be turned back. To suggest that we should eventually become one (as in one country) is like suggesting that now that Britain and the US are so very close and chummy, maybe they should merge again and erase the whole 1776 things because they share a language, history, culture, etc. etc. etc… Or maybe Canada or the US should merge… Neither of that is happening, neither is a realistic or desirable proposition, and not is the idea of India and Pakistan becoming one country …. besides [take this as a joke, everyone, please], don’t you already have enough problems in India already that you also want to add 150 million of us to the mix ;-)… also, having two great cricket teams from the subcontinent beats having just one ;-)
But seriously, my point is that we need to look forward, not back. I look forward to a future where the two countries (actually all countries in the region, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal) can live in harmony, in trust, not interfering in each others affairs, having enough confidence in themselves and in each other to deal with issues through dialogue, allowing for easy and free exchange of travel and trade and ideas and discourse… this is not a world where they will never disagree.. disagreements happen (that’s part of being neighbors), but not every disagreement (even on minor things like billboards and visas for artists) should end up becoming a hate-swap-fest on internet discussion boards, galli matches in the blogsphere, smear campaigns across the web, political finger-pointing and threats, and the inevitable tensions on the border.
That, I think, can happen. And that will make you feel welcome in the land of your forefathers. My Indian friends who came over to watch the cricket match in Lahore some years ago, certainly did…. and I have too on my many trips to Delhi. In each case, not by all. But by enough not to loose hope.
Again, I hope you do not feel liek I have attacked your message, or offended you. That was not the intent; if so, I apologize.