Islamabad: Pakistan came into
being on August 14, 1947; and probably fourth generation celebrating its
independence now. During the struggle for an independent country, the history
is witness that Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis and Jews that lived in Muslim
dominated regions of undivided India supported Jinnah’s vision and worked hard
for a separate homeland, Pakistan. A prominent Christian politician Dewan Bhader
S P Singha voted for Pakistan and thus this country can emerge on the map of
the world. The most notable and influential Hindu figure in the Pakistan
Movement was Jogendra Nath Mandal from Bengal. Jagannath Azad was from the Urdu
speaking belt. Mandal represented the Hindu contingent calling for an
independent Pakistan, and was one of the founding fathers of Pakistan. Leading
Indian Christian like Pothan Joseph had rendered valuable services as
journalists and propagandists of the Muslim League. That means that all
communities have played its role for a dreamland. But unfortunately the dreams
didn’t come true for minorities of Pakistan.
During early days of founder of
the nation Mohammad Ali Jinnah, every citizen had enjoyed equal rights but
gradually things have been changed. Jinnah had repeatedly promised all citizens
of Pakistan complete equality of citizenship, but this promise was not kept by
his successors. After the independence, Mandal was given ministries of Law,
Justice, and work-force by Jinnah in Liaqat Ali Khan’s government. He, however,
realized his folly in 1950, when some lower caste Hindus were killed in clashes
in East Bengal, generating a wave of refugees to India. He himself fled to
India and submitted his resignation to Liaquat Ali Khan, the then Prime
Minister of Pakistan.
Since then minorities of the
country has been considered as strangers and bureaucracy and administration
treated them as second class citizen of Pakistan. By time to time, legislators,
bureaucracy and Mulliasm proved through their acts that they do not own
minorities. Series of unforgettable attacks on minorities and discriminatory attitude
pushed many of them to re-settle abroad.
During the past seven decades nobody
ever realized to bring them on mainstream. Rather keep on persecuting
physically and mentally. For example, making educational calendars has become
quite a difficult job in Pakistan. One has to give careful consideration especially
on religious occasions like Eids, Ashura, in addition to weather conditions and
public holidays. Usually no such activities like examinations (semester, term
or annual) are scheduled in these days.
Unfortunately no such courtesy is
extended to minorities. Throughout the life of Pakistan minorities have to
battle with school authorities for ignoring their festivals. At times minorities’
children had to miss term papers or monthly tests in order to attend their
occasions. A sizable number of minority students appear in these tests and many
of them represent from the remote areas. Most students especially girls, are
accompanied by their family members while travelling to main cities. People who
have travelled on Eid can understand painful is to travel on such festive days.
Christmas, Eastor, Diwali, and other events of minorities are ignored since independence.
The authorities concerned should make a better plan to help those who suffer on
these counts.
Mandal’s support for Muslim
League, his sacrifices for Pakistan, and his love for Muslims cannot be
discredited. His ill-treatment at the hands of a bureaucrat is a dark chapter
in our history. In Pakistan, there still exist many Jogendras who exhausted
their energies in vain to prove that they as patriotic as everyone else.
In the present situation, I
should say, it is not only unsatisfactory but absolutely hopeless and that the
future seems completely dark and dismal. Confidence of the minorities in
Pakistan has not been restored in the least.
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