It was not Khan who killed the Mahatma!
|| Dhirendra Sharma ||
Conservatives of all colours forget that all of us are born of aHuman Mother. There is no exclusive blood group which divide us asMarathi and Bihari, Christian, Hindu, Muslims, or Shias andSunnies, Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri, Baloch or Sindhi, Aasamese andBangalis, Tamils and Sinhalas, Dalits and non-Dalits. Once a younggirl asked Dr. Abdul Kalam, “Are you a muslim, Indian, Tamil,scientist, or the President of India?” “I am a human being and that covers all others”, replied the sage scientist Kalam.
Notwithstanding the jingoist fanatics Thakres, we are proud of Khansand hosts of Muslim saints, writers, actors, music maestros,leaders, ministers, scientists, professors and universityvice-chancellors who are our most popular celebrate in India. Oursis the only country in the world that had built segregated “ Haji AirTerminus” for Muslims Only (sic. Whites Only). And New Delhigovernment has not granted resident Visa to Ms. Taslima Nasreen.Human Rights campaigner, Ms. Asma Jahangir has rightly complainedthat Indian polity encourages (pampers) Muslim conservatism.
But the jingoist Thakres are not far behind. They should bereminded of Khans who suffered for our unity and Independence.Thousands of followers of Badshah Khan had joined MahatmaGandhi’s Quit India Movement (1942). Yet, Free India did not grant“Freedom Fighter” status to the Red Guards Pakhtoons of the NorthWest Frontier. At the time of partition the Frontier Gandhi had cried “ Congress (India) had abandoned us to the wolfs.” During theBritish Raj, Abdul Ghafar Khan had suffered 8 years imprisonmentyet, he spent his last 18 years inside the Islamic prisons ofPakistan. His worthy son Dr. Wali Khan too suffered longimprisonment under the Pakistani regime.
The Frontier Gandhi Badshah Khan refused to be buried on the soil ofPakistan. His majaar is outside the Pak territory, beyond KhyberPass, inside the Afghani soil. The Khans’ home at the outskirts ofPeshawar is a Museum of Indian Freedom Struggle.
There is total absence of Marx and Gandhi in Muslim world. Duringmy visits to Pakistan I met many “Kashmiri Feedom fighters” andacademics who failed to recognize historical weakness ofreligious-political paradigm. They sincerely feel frustrated “atIndian obduracy in Kashmir”. For instance, I asked Prof. PervezHoodbhoy of Islamabad University to hold a seminar on Philosophy ofGandhi. He expressed inability “it would be misconstrued here”, hesaid.
In a recent article ( in the Hindu/Dawn) Dr. Hoodbhoy wrote that ifIndia wanted a rapprochement with Pakistan that “has nothing to dowith feelings of friendship or goodwill, (but) it has to do withsurvival of India.” He further insisted that without peace in Kashmir the forces of cross-border jihad, andits hate-filled holy warriors, would continue to receive the state,and people’s support against India. And the “Indian soldiers (will)continue to needlessly die –and oppress and kill Kashmiri innocents,” wrote Prof. of Physics atIslamabad University. He seems unaware that Kashmir conflict andTaliban were creation of the cold-war strategy which had nowbackfired.
During my visits to Kashmir, I saw burning of Indian flags. Hoistingthe Pakistani flags, they were shouting “Hans-ke liya hai Pakistan,lad-ke lenge Hindustan.”All this was in front of armed Indian soldiers who did not open fireon unarmed citizens. I wondered if such could happen in reverse inPakistan occupied Kashmir. Nonetheless, the Talibans and theThakres must realize that fighting for exclusive regional orreligious identities has no place in 21st century world order. Inorder to become a Developed South Asian community we must give upfighting for narrow chauvinistic ideologies. We must prepare aroadmap for Peaceful- Prosperous Democratic South Asian Union basedon traditional feeling of friendship and goodwill for all humanity.
Once while traveling between Lahore and Peshawar ( Texlia), Istopped by a road side to chat with truck drivers. They offered metea and asked: “ Bhaijaan, eak saval poonchu? Aap (Indians) hamse quen ladte hain?( Dear brother, Why do you Indians fight with us).
“That is the very question I wanted to ask you my Pakistani brethren. Why doyou fight with us?” I retorted.
“Alright then, settle the matter: give us Madhuri Dikshit, and takeKashmir,…” All of us clapped. And all this friendly exchange tookplace in Hindustani, not in Marathi.
The Torch of Unity and friendship left behind by Badshah Khan hasnow picked up by the3 Idiot Khans. Once again the Khans are carrying the Cross for which the Mahatma was killed by a Marathi manus.
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the writer quite conveniently forgot to mention the mass graves of kashmiris recently discovered, murder of thousands of kashmiri youth and rape of countless daughters of that land by indian security forces with the approval of “secular and democratic” indian governments, and tries the pretence of innocnece. “All this was in front of armed Indian soldiers who did not open fire on unarmed citizens.”
surely ammnesty international isnt a propoganda tool of pakistan or kashmir. just look at their reports and you ll find out about the ethnic cleansing the indian occupying forces have been undertaking with the so called free media of india,s total silence.
the desire of freedom has always proven to be much greater than the desire of occupiers to occupy.