History is a most neglected and forgotten subject in Pakistan.
KARACHI: This is with reference to Salman Rashid’s article titled, “Alexander in Multan” ( July 23). History is an extremely interesting subject for those who want to know about the past of the region and of the world where they live. It also helps to plan for the future. It promotes the wish to travel and learn many things which you can’t, while sitting in one place.
In that context, I would like to thank the writer for his very interesting historical piece of writing — not least because history is a most neglected and forgotten subject in Pakistan. Most of us are unaware about our backgrounds and the historical importance of the land we live in. I believe the majority of Pakistanis do not know anything about the history of the Indus civilisation and Moenjodaro, or the ancient histories of cities like Peshawar and Lahore or many other small towns which are nevertheless, of significant historical and cultural importance.
In contemporary Pakistan, talk of history has been relegated, and what we now hear is people going on and on about what kind of new lifestyle they want to lead, where they want to go out to eat, which mall is good for shopping and so on. We are all too conscious about our status in society and don’t really care about our past and where we have come from.
This is all reinforced by the portrayal, or rather complete lack thereof, of history in our mainstream media. Then there is the issue of portrayal of — even recent — history by the state and its academic structures in a manner that tends to favour certain vested interests and creates imagined enemies.
I would ask the writer to carry on writing in the same vein as this article so that ordinary Pakistanis can get to know some real things about their past. At the same time I would also request the media to record interviews of those people who saw the movement of Independence and were deeply involved with the creation of Pakistan, so that their first-hand knowledge of the event can be disseminated to the general public.
Irshad Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2011.
