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Lessons from Pakistan

Sri Sri Ravishankar

January 18, 2008

 

When we retrace our steps in history perhaps we can

learn some lessons from the unfortunate situation

Pakistan is in today.

 

After partition Pakistan’s population had 15 percent

Hindus and 2 percent Christians. If Pakistan had

promoted diversity then, the next generation would

have grown up in a multi-cultural, multi-religious

society and exercised more tolerance.

 

General Zia-ul-Haq during his tenure as President

systematically erased this multi-cultural heritage

replacing it by radical ‘Islamicisation’ of civil

society and the army. The rich Hindu, Buddhist and

Sikh legacy that was common between Pakistan and India

was forgotten.

 

Had they recognised that their ancestors were also

part of these traditions, they would have imbibed and

kept alive some of those values and that perhaps would

have made them more tolerant and less violent. When

people dispose of their own heritage it makes them

intolerant and fanatical.

 

Pakistan, a land where many an ancient university

existed and Ayurveda texts were written, where

Hinduism and other religions flourished, has today

seemingly forgotten its tradition with little respect

for these religions. Unlike India, where the

contribution of the Mughal empire is recognised and

honoured, in Pakistan, honouring its diverse

traditions and culture has been ignored.

 

The result of this has been a mono-cultural,

mono-religious education that has made them radical.

Lack of exposure to her own heritage has cost Pakistan

dearly.

 

When I visited Pakistan a few years ago, I met with

several journalists and interacted with thousands of

people. To my amazement they seemed to know very

little about India’s freedom movement or Mahatma

Gandhi [images] and his principles.

 

The young people that I met there had very little

knowledge of either ayurveda, yoga or our rich

Sanskrit and Vedic heritage that is common to both

countries. Tolerance and appreciation of other

cultures have to be developed from a very young age.

Children in Pakistan know nothing about the Bhakti

movement, the spiritual renaissance which the

continent once witnessed.

 

Their knowledge of Mahatma Gandhi is limited to the

fact that he was a Hindu saint and a freedom fighter

and not much beyond that. And they lack knowledge of

many other saints and Sikh gurus who have traveled to

and lived in Pakistan; even of people like Chanakya

who wrote the Artha Shastra, and lived most of his

life in a university in Taxila.

 

By tampering with history books educationists have

done great damage to the society. The soft power they

appear to wield ultimately brings out a hardened

attitude in the people.

 

Extremist groups, who, by and large, comprise people

not educated in the broad spectrum of knowledge, tend

to be very insular. Unfortunately today, even in

India, seeds of these tendencies can be seen in

protests about “Vande Materam” being sung in schools

and colleges or a fatwa issued to an actor for

visiting a Ganesh festival or objections about

Valentine’s Day celebrations.

 

This should be unequivocally condemned by society as a

whole. A composite society will always promote harmony

and peace and put a check on extremism. It is clear

that people who espouse violence today such as

Naxalites and religious extremists in India and across

borders have little respect for Gandhi.

 

Since partition, the growth of the minority population

in India has been manifold while Pakistan’s minority

population has dwindled from 15 percent to just 1

percent. The biggest mistake that Pakistan made was in

not supporting its minority communities. Fifteen

percent Hindus would have turned the country into a

more democratic, liberal society. But when this 15

percent was annihilated, converted or sent out of

Pakistan and were replaced by mono-religious zealots

and it has weighed heavily on Pakistan, leading to

total chaos and fundamentalism.

 

Though India also has seen communal tensions, by and

large the society is tolerant. Extremism in one

religion does not remain contained in one. Its shadow

spills over to others as well which is evident in

Buddhist monks taking to the streets in Thailand,

Malaysia and Myanmar.

 

Honouring the Hindu minority would not have been a

threat to its Islamic identity, particularly because

in Hinduism there is nothing such as proselytizing or

conversion.

 

The two countries born to freedom sixty years ago

clearly took different paths.

 

Sri Sri Ravishankar is the founder of the Art of

Living Foundation.

 

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/jan/18guest1.htm

 

 

 

 

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Moderator's note: Have not read the article. The official history of Pakistan starts with the advent of Babur. They talk in glowing terms about Babur who was infact an imperialist. He conquered a small part of India. You have to read Guru Nanak to know the atrocities committed by him on the Indian people.

Akbar, the imperialist, inherited a small kingdon and he waged his imperialist wars against the Native kings. he met with fierce resistance. Women sacrificed their lives but did not surrender before the Mughal marauders.

He defeated Gujarat and built Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri to rub salt into the wounds of the Gujaratis. He made Kashmir a part of the Mughal empire by force and fraud. Pakistan followed Akbar's policy of force and fraud to grab Kashmir. Their soldiers disguised as tribals invaded Kashmir and made it a problem by snatching away its freedom. India responded to the situation when Kashmir became a part of the Indian union by signing the instrument of accession.

Kashmir had been bought by the Dogra Chief just as Alaska was bought by the USA from the Czar of Russia. If the people of Alaska become Muslims and want to be a part of Saudi Arabia will the US allow it?Pakistan always talked of plebscite in Kashmir but did not talk of plebscite in Chittagong Hill Tracts. The people of CHT areas had unfurled the Indian flag and wanted to be a part of India at the time of independence in 1947. But Pakistan systematically decimated the Buddhist population of CHT areas and brought in settlers from the plains to outnumber the local Buddhists. This is ethnic imperialism. But they do not look at themselves before saying anything to others.

It is these shortsighted policies which are responsible for the present state of affairs in Pakistan.

Democracy rests upon the concept of mutual respect for the views of others. But their system does not allow a plurality of ideas. It is a fascist way of life.

They have to rethink on their whole system.

Rajat Dhir

for Blumoon Books--- On Sun, 20/1/08, WebXpurt <webxpurt wrote:

WebXpurt <webxpurt LESSONS FROM PAKISTAN -- http://indiaview.wordpress.com/To: WebxpurtDate: Sunday, 20 January, 2008, 11:32 PM

 

 

http://indiaview. wordpress. com/Lessons from PakistanSri Sri RavishankarJanuary 18, 2008When we retrace our steps in history perhaps we canlearn some lessons from the unfortunate situationPakistan is in today.After partition Pakistan’s population had 15 percentHindus and 2 percent Christians. If Pakistan hadpromoted diversity then, the next generation wouldhave grown up in a multi-cultural, multi-religioussociety and exercised more tolerance.General Zia-ul-Haq during his tenure as Presidentsystematically erased this multi-cultural heritagereplacing it by radical ‘Islamicisation’ of civilsociety and the army. The rich Hindu, Buddhist andSikh legacy that was common between Pakistan and Indiawas forgotten. Had they recognised that their ancestors were alsopart of these traditions, they

would have imbibed andkept alive some of those values and that perhaps wouldhave made them more tolerant and less violent. Whenpeople dispose of their own heritage it makes themintolerant and fanatical.Pakistan, a land where many an ancient universityexisted and Ayurveda texts were written, whereHinduism and other religions flourished, has todayseemingly forgotten its tradition with little respectfor these religions. Unlike India, where thecontribution of the Mughal empire is recognised andhonoured, in Pakistan, honouring its diversetraditions and culture has been ignored. The result of this has been a mono-cultural,mono-religious education that has made them radical.Lack of exposure to her own heritage has cost Pakistandearly.When I visited Pakistan a few years ago, I met withseveral journalists and interacted with thousands ofpeople. To my amazement they seemed to

know verylittle about India’s freedom movement or MahatmaGandhi [images] and his principles.The young people that I met there had very littleknowledge of either ayurveda, yoga or our richSanskrit and Vedic heritage that is common to bothcountries. Tolerance and appreciation of othercultures have to be developed from a very young age.Children in Pakistan know nothing about the Bhaktimovement, the spiritual renaissance which thecontinent once witnessed.Their knowledge of Mahatma Gandhi is limited to thefact that he was a Hindu saint and a freedom fighterand not much beyond that. And they lack knowledge ofmany other saints and Sikh gurus who have traveled toand lived in Pakistan; even of people like Chanakyawho wrote the Artha Shastra, and lived most of hislife in a university in Taxila.By tampering with history books educationists havedone great damage to the

society. The soft power theyappear to wield ultimately brings out a hardenedattitude in the people.Extremist groups, who, by and large, comprise peoplenot educated in the broad spectrum of knowledge, tendto be very insular. Unfortunately today, even inIndia, seeds of these tendencies can be seen inprotests about “Vande Materam†being sung in schoolsand colleges or a fatwa issued to an actor forvisiting a Ganesh festival or objections aboutValentine’s Day celebrations.This should be unequivocally condemned by society as awhole. A composite society will always promote harmonyand peace and put a check on extremism. It is clearthat people who espouse violence today such asNaxalites and religious extremists in India and acrossborders have little respect for Gandhi.Since partition, the growth of the minority populationin India has been manifold while Pakistan’s

minoritypopulation has dwindled from 15 percent to just 1percent. The biggest mistake that Pakistan made was innot supporting its minority communities. Fifteenpercent Hindus would have turned the country into amore democratic, liberal society. But when this 15percent was annihilated, converted or sent out ofPakistan and were replaced by mono-religious zealotsand it has weighed heavily on Pakistan, leading tototal chaos and fundamentalism.Though India also has seen communal tensions, by andlarge the society is tolerant. Extremism in onereligion does not remain contained in one. Its shadowspills over to others as well which is evident inBuddhist monks taking to the streets in Thailand,Malaysia and Myanmar.Honouring the Hindu minority would not have been athreat to its Islamic identity, particularly becausein Hinduism there is nothing such as proselytizing orconversion.

The two countries born to freedom sixty years agoclearly took different paths.Sri Sri Ravishankar is the founder of the Art ofLiving Foundation.http://www.rediff. com/news/ 2008/jan/ 18guest1. htm____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile. / ;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR 8HDtDypao8Wcj9tA cJ

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