Travels through Pakistan: the minorities
From Badshahpur, we went to visit the site of the battle of Chillianwala of January 1849, one of the critical battles during the Second Anglo-Sikh War. Walking around the two monuments, one commemorating the Sikh fallen and the other the British, I wondered how many people in Punjab, let alone Pakistan, knew about this battle and its effects on the subcontinent. Very few of my students had even heard about this battle, making me realise how disconnected, uninformed and perhaps, disinterested we are even with our own history — at least the ‘non-Muslim’ parts of it. It is as if ‘history’ in Pakistan is synonymous with ‘Muslim’ history and nothing extra merits consideration.
From Chillianwala, we travelled further north to Murree and then onwards to Nathiagali, Kaghan, Naran and Batakundi. There is a lot to write about this amazing trip but let me highlight just two more events/incidents.
In Nathiagali, we went to see the Governor’s House of the Khyber-Pakhtunkawa government — a beautiful building which housed the frontier governor during the summer in the British and early Pakistani period. While we could not enter the house, due to security considerations (even though no one was there), I thought of showing my students the nearby St Mathew’s Anglican Church, a completely wooden structure which was built in 1914 and mainly used for worship by the governors and his entourage. However, when we went to see the church, the attendant, who was a Muslim incidentally, flatly refused to show the church to us. I tried to reason with him and showed him my FC College identification but he refused to unlock even one door to let us in. In the end, I had to ring the Parish Priest in Abbottabad so that he could convince the caretaker. Eventually, we got to see the beautiful little church.
On our way back, as we crossed Hassan Abdal, I thought of showing the students Gurdwara Panja Sahib, one of the holiest shrines in Sikhism. However, when we tried to enter the gurdwara, we were thwarted by the doorkeeper, who again happened to be Muslim and simply and quite rudely refused to let us enter. We pleaded with the person that we had come all the way from Lahore and wanted to see the ‘Punja’ for educational purposes but he would not listen and crudely sent us away. In the end, thanks to the SHO of the local police station we got access to the gurdwara, just enough to see the hand mark of Guru Nanak sahib.
My intention in highlighting the above two incidents is to argue against such restrictions on visiting the holy places of minorities in Pakistan. How can we engender interfaith harmony and understanding in Pakistan when we cannot even visit their holy places? The physical experience of a Sikh gurdwara or a Christian Church is very different from simply reading about them. I understand that there are security considerations but why can’t the doorkeepers thoroughly check the incoming public and then allow them entry? At both the church and gurdwara, we were not searched at all and I wondered what all the fuss was about then, if not security? We simply need to tear down these barriers so that interfaith understanding and tolerance can develop in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 10th, 2012.
COMMENTS (29)
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@kaalchakra: I accidentally gave you a like there. IN this case you do not come across as a satarist to me. Ishtiaq had a concern which needed empathy not satire. Had those comments of yours not been a reply to Ishtiaq and stood on their own, I would have treated them as excellent satire. I am a Hindu, fyi.
Ishtiaq
How many legal codes does Pakistan need?! Doesn't the government have any other problem to solve? Whatever we may think of their religion, good Hindu Pakistanis should have places of worship commensurate with their needs. For example, one temple of fixed area and height could be preserved for every 100,000 Hindu families so there is no nuisance to others and Hindus get to do whatever they call their worship.
It is a humble effort of writer that he highlighted such issues and his recommendations can be implemented in order to bring harmony among different religious fellows. However, I am just worrying about the condition of prayers places of minorities (especially that have been abandoned after partition). In my village, Badshahpur which has been discussed at the start of article, people are trying to confiscate a Hindu Temple's land. We need a new and strict legal code and formation of an authority that can handle such issues directly so we can preserve these places as symbols of integration and a mutual history.
@Brajesh: I think @Tahmina got confused between National song and National anthem...India's national song "Vande Mataram" was in a bit of controversy when some leader in muslim organization issued a fatwa telling that its against Islam as it talks about bowing to mother... Later,many muslim organizations condemned the fatwa...
I think @Tahmina should realize that there is nothing communal in worshipping our mother who gave us life..
I have visited many HIndu, Sikh, Christian and other religious places all over Pakistan and India without any trouble. I often visit Nankana Sahib, which is very close to my home town.. Sacred places which are administered and looked after by their respective followers are well maintained, secured and all visitors are respected there with no discrimination. Those places which are abandoned or under government control are poorly maintained and often chowkidars there impose restrictions to make some money. Their presence has nothing to do with prevalent security situation of the country. They are there since ages and no such place has ever been protected by them. If you really want to visit and knows no one, then give them what they want.
The author is very lucky to visit panja sahib gurudwara . I envy him.
@Brajesh: Pakistan is not a secular country and the purpose of creation was to create a homeland for muslims, the vision of Quaid was very different from what we have today. Unfortuantely the word tolerance does not exist in todays Pakistan and it is not just the minorities who are sufferening but people who are in majority are also going through the tough times.
You cannot live in the past and build your future at the same time. I think it is a commendable effort on the part of the author to educate his students about other faiths as he has himself said that history in Pakistan is only taught from the perspective of Islamic history of India and the rest is brushed aside. Throughout my schooling in Pakistan, the only religion that I was made familier of was Islam and not even a single subject on other beliefs so that if I ever meet a person from another faith, what sensitivities should I care about while interacting with them.
Therefore, lets take a moment from our squabbles and appreciate him for at least making an effort.
Irrespective of what faiths believe about superiority or longevity, the fact is that today we live in a multi-faith world which is becoming increasingly interconnected. If we do not learn to deal with people as people rather than Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs or Christians, we will remain isolated, a position Pakistan is increasingly finding itself in. Also, once we are successful of purging the Hindus, Sikhs and Christians from amongst us, who will be turn to next, Shias, and after than, Deobandis, Barelvis. Where does it end.
Well said Brajesh- Have nailed it.
@Ejaaz
Great post. Strange that people are just stuck with that one speech of Qaid on 11th Aug' 47, while so many other gems like one you quoted are there for all to study and cherish.
It seems awkward when we look for or intend to engender interfaith harmony. It was distrust, intolerance and bigotry which is foundation of Pakistan. Religious intolerance is now deeply seeded in our national conscience and we can not get rid of our very foundation. Compared to Pushtoons, Sindhis, Baluchis this obsession far more prevalent in Punjab, It will good for us never to aspire for interfaith harmony and pay attention to our own history which means history of our own land, and remain confused with the past which was neither our past nor we can claim to be its heirs.
@Ejaaz: " ... Is it surprising that they were called half hindus in 1970 and butchered? ... "
An acquaintance of mine, of Pakistani extraction, summed up the relation between India and Pakistan as follows: " You feel betrayed because we became Muslim and we hate you because you did not convert to Islam. "
@Tahmina: "...however you need to just read your national anthem and its communal language..." Excuse me? "Communal language" in the Indian national anthem, Jana Gana Mana? What are you talking about? Have you even read Jana Gana Mana? Cite me one "communal" verse from it, please. There should be limits to saying blatant falsehoods.
Khan sab: as a friend of religious monitory group i appreciate your efforts that you and your group visited worship places and problem which you faced highlight. its really encouraging that Pakistan has enough people that wanted religious harmony in society. On the other hand its happy that friends from other religions are caring of different worships places but the issue of security is required immediate intention from state and leaders of religious groups despite to refusing the people. Because God for all vis a vis worship places for all.
@Tahmina: " ... I agree with the comments you made, however you need to just read your national anthem and its communal language ... "
Which part did you find communal ?
@Babloo: Your concern why the caretakers are Muslim is valid but i think its a good show of religious harmony that the people of other religions are caring. the issue which pointed-out Khan Sab is required great intention from state and leaders of minorities groups that they establish proper security system despite to refuse the people to visit worship place.
@Ejaaz:
Great comment. Jinnah was a lawyer, used the words to mould people's opinion. He did it beautifully in that quote.
That is the problem too. Some quotes of his have been used by the Islamists. Its Jinnah's fault for being so vague.
@Brajesh: I agree with the comments you made, however you need to just read your national anthem and its communal language to understand that what happened in the past is still haunting the region and we are refusing to move on and find solutions to heal the divide and accept that the wrong of the pasts need to be acknowledged. Whether we like it or not, the dividing lines in 1947 and 1971 needs to be accepted and learn to live as neighbors. Comments made here suggest that still people have failed to move on.
Please try and understand the reluctance of the watchman or caretaker to open the doors of the shrine. Most of those wanting entry would want to burn the place down or indulge in arson, which fact is known to the caretaker. Without understanding the context it would not be fair to simply criticize someone who is doing their job diligently.
On March 21, 1948 Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah stated in Dhaka:
"As long as you do not throw off this poison [of provincialism] in our body politic, you will never be able to weld yourself, mould yourself, galvanize yourself into a real true nation. What we want is not to talk about Bengali, Punjabi, Sindhi, Baluchi, Pathan and so on. They are of course units. But I ask you: have you forgotten the lesson that was taught to us thirteen hundred years ago? [i.e., Islam] If I may point out, you are all outsiders here. Who were the original inhabitants of Bengal—not those who are now living. So what is the use of saying "we are Bengalis, or Sindhis, or Pathans, or Punjabis". No we are Muslims."
At that point over one out of every four Bengali listening to him was a minority. What was the message of the Father of our Nation to the minorities in that speech? They were not part of the discussion at all. As a matter of fact they were held responsible for rejecting Urdu and rejecting the arabic script for Bengali. Is it surprising that they were called half hindus in 1970 and butchered? So what do you expect their status to be in the heart of Pakistan now?
Well it seems quite absurd that in today's security crisis and rampant terrorism you just fail to understand why you were not simply allowed to go inside the minorities' places of worship. although lack of awareness might be a byproduct of these security measures but the fact remains that such measures are a basic requirement in the pakistan we live in.
Just like non muslims are not allowed to enter the holy cities of Makkah and Medina.
@Ali wali potohari, that doesnot happend all over the pakistan Next to our village called Derband around therty to fourty families of Hindu faith lived and and they did not left to india not even wanna go to india they speak Hindko lang have shops in market and no body bothers them.
Prepartition our village used to have a Gurudawara, Mandar, Dharamsal, Shia Imambargah and two Shia mosques, unfortunately today there is no sign of Gurudawar, Mandar or Dharamsal, but we have seven Shia mosques and three Imambargahs, which is not very diverse, because our village has a population of just 15000 people. The only change in our area is unprecedented increase in Shia population, which is result of anti Shia compaign run by local Sunni fundos, talk about thesis and anti thesis. During partition Shia gave refuge to all none Muslim families, but alas they could not save their properties from attackers who came from other villages.
@ET: his column belongs to Blogs section. This is supposed to be a serious read not a diary of a school boy.
It's good that you're discussing visiting religious places, but people matter even more than places. I find it hard to imagine how it must feel to be a Pakistani Hindu. What does that even mean? The country's whole nationalism and patriotism can be summed up as: Islam, Islam and more Islam. We see it at the Wagah border. "Pakistan ka matlab kya? La Ilaha..." -- translated as: "What is the meaning of Pakistan? There is no God except Allah". When you see the 14th August or other Pakistani national days special programs/tributes on GEO, Dunya TV, Samaa TV, etc., what language do they use? "Hindu Zeheniyat"... "Hinduon ki Sazish" "Hindu Leadership" are demonized in opposition to the glorification of the League and Qaid-e-Azam. Pakistani Hindus are legally, officially, constitutionally banned from even being eligible to be the Pakistani President or Prime Minister. Can you imagine what it must feel like to be a young Pakistani Hindu boy? I wish there was some way India could perhaps offer refugee status to all Pakistani religious minorities. After all, where would you rather bring up your family as an Ahmadiyya? Pakistan or India?
Protecting religious places ??? Today not even 1% of Hindu religious places remain in Pakistan. When Hindus themselves have been eliminated of what use is their religious places, a few dilapidated structured that stand ?
In contrast, there are more mosques in India than under Mughal times, than under British India, than in 1947. Many many times more.
Sri after reading your traveling atricle i think my india friends not gonna have words for pakistan because the way we are protecting there reliegous places and u deny entry in those places is because of security situation in the area.