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SPEECH
NATIONALIST IDENTITY vs. UNIONIST
STATE
by Ms. Humaira Rahman, Director
WSI (Canada)
April 6 & 7, 2007
Seminar organized by Tufts and Harvard Universities
This is to inform you that Ms. Humaira Rahman, Director WSI
(Canada) represented The World Sindhi Institute at a seminar
organized by Tufts and Harvard Universities, USA on the subject
of: “Contested Spaces, Competing Narratives: Towards
Human Rights and Democracy in Pakistan” on April 06 and
07, 2007. She participated in the seminar as a speaker.
The main focus of the event was on current events in Pakistan
, with reference to the struggle for human rights and democracy.
The Seminar brought together diverse perspectives on the struggle
for democratic spaces in the face of increasing militarization
and militancy. The deliberations also covered topics such
as the role of media in supporting democratic struggle and
in countering ‘disappearances’, air strikes and
attacks on journalists, gender violence and increase in religious
extremism; the broader implications of these trends for Pakistan,
South Asia and beyond; the role and impact of US foreign policy,
and the positive trends and how can they be strengthened.
Although the issues mentioned in the concept note by organizers
did not mention the absence of genuine federalism as the overarching
problem in Pakistan, WSI's Humaira Rahman whilst giving a
multi media presentation, showed a map of Pakistan, which
highlighted its multinational status , population charts by
mother tongue and a video clip of Mahmood Khan Achakzai, current
chairperson of PONM speaking in the National Assembly of Pakistan
on the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, wherein he spoke of the
legitimate demand of nationalities for self determination.
As conclusion to her presentation, Humaira Rahman presented
slide show of individual names and details of disappeared
Sindhi and Baloch persons.
Following is her speech at the seminar:
NATIONALIST IDENTITY vs. UNIONIST STATE
The regression of the idea of Pakistan as a mosaic of autonomous
and sovereign states into the degenerated centralist dictatorial
state is the root cause of all chaos and instability we are
experiencing today. Grave injustice committed by the state
toward the peoples of the land was to deny them their historic
heritage and identity.
[Achakzai speech – 46 secs] Mehmood Khan Achakzai, member
of National Assembly, leader of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party
and president of PONM (Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement).
I believe the emergence of Pakistan as an Islamic-Military
model state is the logical outcome of an ideology based on
fear and hate rather than a sense of historic justice and
compassion. The seeds of discord and instability in the region
were sown with the division of the sub-continent based on
religion. Historic nations of Punjab and Bengal were cut in
half; Sindh lost its developed middle classes to forced migration,
creating a cultural gap in the urban centers; the independent
state of Balochistan was forcefully annexed without the consent
of its people; and the Durand Line became a permanent border
dividing the Pakhtoon nation from their historic Afghanistan
. All in the name of Islam.
The problem of national identity and religious extremism in
Pakistan are deeply rooted in its ideology. By denying the
history and cultural identity of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan,
Pakhtoonistan, and Siraiki people; Pakistan is at a loss to
define its own identity other than Islam. The nature of conflict
between the Bengalis and the rulers of Pakistan was cultural
identity and right to Bengali as their national language rather
than Urdu. Instead of opening a political and cultural dialogue
on the subject of granting rights to the indigenous peoples
of Pakistan , the military rulers sort the road to disaster
driven by the ideology of Two-Nation Theory.
Unfortunately lessons from history were soon forgotten, and
1973 saw yet another military operation, the dissolution of
a democratically elected provincial government in Balochistan
and the banning of National Awami Party, representative of
the oppressed nationalities of Pakistan . Ironically 1973
is also the year when the constitution was signed by elected
representatives from all four provinces, granting them provincial
autonomy. Four years later , this dream of recognition of
the fundamental human and nationalities rights in Pakistan
came to an end and the 1973 constitution was suspended following
the military coup led by General Zia-ul-Haq.
The nationalities question has always been the core subject
of all political movements in the entire history of Pakistani
dictators from General Ayub Khan to General Musharraf. In
fact any civil unrest in the smaller provinces for democratic
rights against the center has always been treated by the establishment
as a threat to the ideological borders of Pakistan and Islam.
And the natural reaction from the center toward such civil
movement was brutal military action with trumpets blowing
and tanks rolling, creating an atmosphere of a patriotic army
at war with the enemies of the state. Sindh in 1983 went through
such a phase when MRD launched its anti-Zia campaign to restore
democracy in Pakistan . This political movement started peacefully
with street rallies and voluntary arrests presented by leaders
of various organizations. As it started gaining momentum,
spreading across Sindh to small towns and villages; it attracted
a significant section of the society from students to peasants
and successfully brought the Sindhi women into the fold of
struggle - awakening the rural masses as it grew rapidly like
a monsoon storm. Support for MRD and solidarity with the Sindhi
people kept growing in other provinces, especially Punjab
. And in order to stop it from becoming a country wide people’s
opposition to military rule, army was sent in to crush the
civil unrest in Sindh by declaring it to be a conspiracy against
Pakistan and Islam. Sindh’s democratic struggle to end
military rule in Pakistan was portrayed in the government
controlled media as a movement for separation of Sindh. Of
course that made the job for the army much easier in dealing
with the atrocities taking place in the towns and remote villages
of Sindh.
The aftermath of this bloody encounter was a general sense
of deprivation and a growing awareness of a Sindhi nationalist
identity in conflict with Pakistan state ideology. In all
its battles against nationalities, Pakistan state is the biggest
loser, especially when the army is used as a brutal force
to crush people’s democratic aspirations. And the sad
part of this story is that Pakistan army, an instrument of
repression, is perceived by the smaller nationalities as representative
of Punjab .
The ongoing military operation in Balochistan is another bloody
chapter in the history of smaller nationalities striving for
their rights to land, natural resources and political power.
Sadly but true, Balochistan can be called the land of military
operations, since 1948 this is the 5th time army was sent
to massacre and humiliate a people who lay claim to 43 percent
of Pakistan’s land mass.
Now is the time to open up our minds and hearts to the realities
of past and present. Do we have a future based on a past ideology
– the Two Nation Theory? The year 1971 was a wakeup call
for the remaining parts of Pakistan and its diverse cultures.
The state of Pakistan is fast approaching what is being increasingly
referred to as a failed idea because of its rigid attachment
to an ideology unable to comprehend the historic realities
of the region. The smaller nationalities have played their
role in history and shall keep on striving for more political,
economic and cultural freedom. It’s about time that Punjab
stood up for its historic and cultural identity and pave the
way for a peaceful transformation of Pakistan from a centralist,
militaristic state to a truly democratic multinational country
respecting the idea of unity in diversity.
After all what good is a national language if not spoken by
the majority of the people of Pakistan ? Why can’t we
have 4 or 5 national languages like any other civilized country
in the world? Urdu has been accepted by all nationalities
in Pakistan as the language of communication, a bridge, linking
the country’s diverse cultures. Urdu was chosen by the
establishment as a tool of cultural repression to block the
progress of indigenous development and harmony among the peoples
of Pakistan .
Let us save Urdu from being exploited as a weapon and give
it its due place in a multicultural society as a source of
learning and communication.
Through political, economic and cultural reforms we can build
a society in Pakistan worthy to play a positive role in the
region and in world affairs. The present political structure
in Pakistan is an outdated setup from the colonial days and
completely unfit to serve justice and equality to the smaller
provinces. Without the equal share and participation of the
smaller provinces in the federation, the democratic process
cannot move ahead. Decentralization of the power structures
is the key to put a stop to military generals taking control
of the civil society.
The Two-Nation Theory has failed to safeguard Pakistan ’s
integrity and shall remain a source of religious extremism
and military adventurism disrupting peace and stability in
the region. Pakistan needs a new identity reflective of its
constituent nationalities and cultures.
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