by B. R. GOWANI
Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa (left); ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif PHOTO/Reuters/The Wire
Right-wing Hindu Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) with Uttar Pradesh’s Hindu extremist Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath PHOTO/NDTV
India’s Hindu right
an atheist Hindu cultural supremacist
Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
issues a command during Second World War:
“Hinduize all Politics and Militarize Hindudom“
but how was this possible?
as India was composed of several religious groups
each with many sub-sects and sub-castes
and there were untouchable Hindus – the Dalits
but, one person one vote democracy could make this possible
that’s why Jinnah was apprehensive of the Hindu majority
he said that although Gandhi called him his “‘brother'”
but the problem with that statement:
“The only difference is this that
brother Gandhi has three votes
and I have only one vote.”
Savarkar also saw great advantage in the Hindu majority
but true democracy can only flourish
in a secular and non-racist non-biased environment
in 1923, Savarkar had proposed his two-nation theory:
India was made up of two nations – Hindus and Muslims
but they would live in one country
where the majority would rule
that is, the Hindu rule
India’s independence/partition/carnage
didn’t grant power to Savarkar
power went to the secular Congress
but his dream is being realized gradually/posthumously
his photo was unveiled in 2003
in the Central Hall of Parliament and
since May 2014,
India has been speedily turning into a Hindudom
or one could say Modidom
because it’s the cult of Modi and his silence
which has unleashed Hindu zealots on minorities
Pakistan’s military
Jinnah dreamt of Pakistan as a secular democracy
but he died within 13 months after creation of Pakistan
but the army, members of the “martial races,”
were waiting in the wings to take over power
total power was usurped by the military in 1958
11 years after Pakistan came into existence
since then, it has been the central power base in Pakistan
sometimes ousting corrupt politicians and taking over power
other times pulling the strings from behind the scene
the power hungry corrupt army hates the barracks
and considers the civilian rule blasphemous
on July 28, 2017, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
became the former prime minister
even though he still had ten months yet to go
this was the third time Sharif was ousted from power
none of the premiers in Pakistan has served full term
on August 14th Pakistan will celebrate and
on August 15th India will celebrate
70th anniversary of their freedom from the British
majority of the populations in both countries
are in in dire straits economically, socially and politically
so, is this real freedom?
Pakistan is in the hands of the military
India is in the hands of the Hindu zealots
the quest for freedom envisioned by the prople
is a long long way off, nowhere in sight
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com