by B. R. GOWANI
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan (left) and his Indian counterpart Home Minister Rajnath Singh PHOTO/News Pakistan
Gandhi used “Ram Rajya” slogan with two aims:
to sideline secularist politicians and
to become leader of the Hindus, the majority
(Ram Rajya means rule of Lord Ram, a religious utopia)
Jinnah, a secularist and a non-practicing Muslim,
was in the forefront to gain independence from Britain
since Gandhi and Nehru were in no mood to share power
Jinnah was forced to used Islam as a tool
and India became India and Pakistan
Gandhi was shot dead by a Hindu fanatic
illness killed Jinnah not too long after
within a few years, the military grabbed power in Pakistan
today there are three governments ruling there
Sunni terrorists, military, and the elected government
India was lucky as Nehru was a secularist
and kept Hindu fanatics at bay
but after his death in 1964
they gradually entered the power corridors
and are slowly but steadily carrying out their agenda
through terrorizing minorities and Dalits
besides migrations, refugees, and killings
the Partition also left a volcanic problem
India seized the Muslim majority state of Kashmir
which should have gone to Pakistan
according to the logic of division:
(which it self was, of course, very irrational)
Muslim majority areas for Pakistan
Hindu majority areas for India
Nehru cried: he wanted Kashmir
he got Kashmir
but uptil today, Kashmiris are suffering and crying
Nehru had also promised again and again:
to solve the Kashmir issue according to
the “wishes of [the Kashmiri] people”
in 1964, there was some hope for a solution
but Nehru couldn’t extend his existence
every now and then Kashmiris revolt
but the Indian governments crush them
and the present Premier Modi, as usual,
doesn’t even acknowledge the recent killings of Kashmiris
by the Indian troops
relations between both countries never took off
as it should among close neighbors
it’s always a step forward and two steps backward
gone to war thrice
excluding a small Kargil war
it’s 69 years since the Partition
artists do work in each others’ countries
doctors do treat each others’ patients
a little trade is carried on too
but not much progress has been made
in creating closeness between the leaders
forget the missionary embrace
they don’t even go for a 69 embrace
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com