Critical review : Whats wrong with Pakistan
both published and editted reviews r there. read and enjoy
published one is there at
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/12/15/dna-magazine/dna-issue-2/
What’s
wrong with Machiavellian
Scholarship?
Aamir
Riaz
The difference
between rhetoric and scholarship is creativity but these days we often brazen
out with books full of rhetoric & oratory. True scholarship is neither a
chronology of incidents nor a memory test for the readers yet it coerces
readers to consider ‘out of the box’ elucidations. That is why it is always
said that originality is essence while creativity is soul for a scholarship.
Comprehending a process from mere results or ends is an old Machiavellian way in which conclusions are always
used to explain the past. Keeping in view some admired popular books with
catching titles published in last 5 to 8 years under influence of post 9/11
scenario, penned by media men, ambassadors, new born professors etc one can
easily differentiate between rhetoric and scholarship. Some years back, a
Pakistani born Swedish scholar met me and he was doing his investigation on a
project relating to the partition of the subcontinent. He wanted to interview
people who had witnessed the partition. Through a mutual friend I positioned
two old people, one, a Hakim by profession had association with Ahrar& Congress,
while the second one who worked in DC office Gurdaspur at the time of
partition, had an inclination towards the Muslim League. An assortment of
questions revealed the anger as well as preconceived ideas of the professor.
Biased and affronted inquires for the supporter of ML while half volleys for the
pro congress person were visible and strange. After some time, his book was
published and is an example of Machiavellian scholarship. The issue is not
opinion but its conduct. Linking the rise of Taliban or religious extremism
with creation of Pakistan is an old fashion joke and from Mr. Kanji Dawarkads
(Ten years to freedom.Pub.1966, Bombay) till Jaswant Singh (Jinnah:
India, Partition, Independence Pub.2010) many Congress leaders and Indians have
themselves deconstructed that saga elegantly. I will not refer Patrick French,
Peter Clark, A. G. Noorani,H. M. Seervai, AyshaJallal& Ian
Talboat here as readers have access to their writings well. But
in Pakistan we still have followers of that myth and the book “What’s Wrong
with Pakistan” by Babar Ayaz (pub. Hay House India, 2013) is the best example
to understand it. No doubt, the author used new references in this work yet in
many cases he missed important foot notes too. He quoted at page 216, about a
severe pressure from the owner to down play success story of the Geneva Accord
(1988) on an Editorial of a leading Pakistani English newspaper. While
commenting on the past, the author often did not bother to give any reference
in support for his argument which is very strange. At page 108, author claimed
that in 1951, out of total 95 federal government bureaucrats 40 were from
Punjab. At that time the total population share of Punjab was 27.7%. On the
other hand, out of a total of the 95 bureaucrats, 33 were Mohajirs (Urdu
speaking) who represented merely 3% Pakistanis. Although there is not any
reference of this claim in this book yet even these reduced & twisted
figures showed Mohajir domination in early years. Those officers had no love
for Urdu or Urdu speakers but they used those identities quite smartly for a
strong centre. There is not any comparison between the two where 3% had 33
seats but the author is reluctant to mention them. However, he has the liberty
to call it Punjabi domination. This is the mindset which needs your attention.
Similarly at the same page, he says that till 1959, among top military elite,
35% were Punjabis and 40% were Pukhtoons. At this point, the author refers Dr.
Tariq Rehman, but fails to mention any reference from his book or paper. He extensively used statements issued in the
form of specific political propaganda from Mollana Abdul Kalam Azad till Altaf
Hussein of MQM against the creation of Pakistan in support of his thesis. Even in acknowledgements he shared his mindset as “My
diagnosis is that Pakistan has a genetic defect.” Just imagine, in such a way, consciously or
unconsciously that liberal progressive author is supporting Taliban’s thesis.
Interestingly such scholarship suited jihadi scholars very much. That is why
both refer each other in their respective literature, articles and books
extensively. Recently grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Raj Mohan Gandhi too followed
that technique in his latest book “Punjab: A history from Aurangzeb to
Mountbatten” (Published by ALPEH, new Delli, 2013). Ironically, both groups did
not want to mention Cabinet mission plan (May 1946) because that metamorphosis
expose these concocted stories. Abdul kalam Azad, self claimed real author of
the plan (India wins freedom) had no courage to show his balls at that
important juncture of history. Had he joined Jinnah (the supporter) things
would be very different. It was a momentous flash in which Azad had an
opportunity to demonstrate his opinionated expediency yet he awfully failed.
After the Cabinet mission proposals one can neither blame British government
who gave CMP in mid 1946 nor to Jinnah who accepted the plan which was against
strong centre & partition. It was the first plan in favor of provincial
autonomy (three ministries for centre and rest for provinces) yet leaders like
G M Syed, GhousBakshBazenjo and Khan Abdul Ghaffar khan did not joined Jinnah
at that time but followed the fate of AZAD. So the author, like jihadies and nationalists
remained reluctant to address CMP extensively in the book.
364 pages book is divided in six parts and 34 chapters
which is an interesting study itself. The book and its praise published in the
press is another study for student of history, sociology & anthropology.
From Pakistan movement, objective resolution, till Zia and post zia times,
author tries to cover 65 years yet his emphasis remains there to establish the
“defect”. But in this operation he is selective enough and tried to save some special
people as usual. At page 145, regarding Objective resolution he said “They
(Islamists) pushed the weak Liaquat Ali Khan government in accepting the
objective resolution”. So he smartly not only pin pointing Islamists but also
saving Liaqat& Co and ICS officers who used that hammer for centralization
in their specific institutional interest. It was finance Minister Ghulam
Muhammad of Mochi gate Lahore who opposed that move timely yet Liaqat Ali Khan,
MoulviTammezudin Khan (Speaker), Ch Muhammad Ali, Mollana Shabir Ahmad Usmani,
Sir Zufrullah Khan, Abdur RabNishtar were its staunch supporters and did
speeches too at that moment in the assembly. In the house of 75 members, only
31 participated in the historic voting, 10 against and 21 in favor. In his interview,
Ch Nazier, Minister for industries of Liaqat criticized openly Ghulam Muhammad
for opposing Objective resolution by tooth and nail. The interview is included
in a book “Quaid e Azamkayrufqa say mulaqateen” penned by Syed Zulqarnain Zaidi
under the instructions of K.K Aziz during mid 1970s and published by National
Institute of history and Culture Islamabad in 1989. Even the powerful editor
Dawn, Altaf Husain and Mollana Maudodi were among the non State supporters of
objective resolution.
Nourishment of Jihadi mindset is another theme which
got author’s attention very much but instead of checking it in post 1965
Pak-India cold war, he as usual love to find it somewhere else. He criticized
secular NAP for abstaining at 2nd amendment but did not raise
question regarding Islamic laws imposed in N.W.F.P by NAP’s handpick CM of JUI
in 1972. In Fact, from Indian defeat of
1961 by China till breakage of Pakistan in 1971, Pakistan and India shared a
decade of defeatist nationalisms (1961-1971) which jeopardize both States from
within and strengthen their reliance on non state actors. Indian left leader
Mrs Shabnam Hashmi accepted that fact in 2004 when she visited Lahore and
krishan kumhar mentioned rise of defeatist nationalism & anti peace mindset
during early 1960s in his famous book
“Pride & Prejudice: school histories of the freedom struggle in India and
Pakistan” Published in 2002 by penguin.
But writer has no interest in such facts because it
restricted his thesis of ‘genetic defect’. On the one hand author is against
military dictatorship and criticized General Zia but in the same book instead
of criticizing general Musharaf, another military dictator, Karachi based
author is drawing similarities between Jinnah, the founder and dictator
Musharaf. The book written & published in haste so have many errors,
incomplete sentences and even wrong foot notes. Like Hussein Haqqani, the
author himself buys the thesis of islamists. Timing of the publication is very
important so one should read this book in order to understand the mindset.
Book What’s wrong with Pakistan
Author Babar Ayaz
Publisher Hay House India
Pages 364
Date of publication May 2013
Price 1295
Sole distributors in Pakistan READINGS Lahore
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