On Pakistan’s Independence Day

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Today, August 14, Pakistan marks the anniversary of its independence. Over the weekend the Pakistani diaspora celebrated, although this report from Devon Street in Chicago suggests the party was a muted and anguished one.

This morning, I took a tour of the Pakistani blogosphere and found it, as usual, disappointing. A few bloggers offered bombastic statements of national pride. Others commented on the party preparations, or lack thereof. There don’t seem to be that many Pakistani bloggers to begin with, nor Pakistani-American bloggers for that matter (a fact that we deplore here at the Mutiny), so I wasn’t really expecting anything in particular; even so, the paucity of offerings, in both quantity and quality, struck me as symptomatic of, well, something.

We get a lot of anti-Pakistan mudslinging here on the comment threads, and though we try to keep up with and get rid of the most egregious and bigoted statements, the best way Pakistan’s image could improve would be through a flood of free, contentious, provocative, educative speech by Pakistanis and their friends. The Web is only one venue, of course, and it is obviously biased toward those with access to computers and the Internet, but to not make better use of such a ready resource is really a shame.

So it’s with pleasure that I introduce you, on this Pakistan Independence Day, to Watandost, the weblog of Hassan Abbas, a Pakistani former government official and writer who now lives in Boston. It’s a one-stop shop for news stories and web links that will be of interest to anyone who wishes for a democratic and peaceful Pakistan within a democratic and peaceful South Asia.

Abbas doesn’t write original content at his blog: he posts useful stories and lets them do the talking. However, he is the author of a book that I wish I’d heard of earlier. It’s called PakistanÂ’s Drift Into Extremism: Allah, the Army, and AmericaÂ’s War on Terror, and here is part of the review in the Boston Globe by Farah Stockman:

Although it is a political history, parts of Hassan Abbas’s new book, “Pakistan’s Drift Into Extremism,” reads like someone whispering family secrets. Instead of the crazy old aunt or the secret adoption, Abbas speaks intimately about the dizzying array of generals deposing presidents and presidents plotting against prime ministers that have whirled through the country’s 57-year existence. …

But this 267-page history is also part psychological profile of the larger-than-life personalities of the Pakistani army and their convenient love affair with extremist religious elements who gave birth to the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. …

Abbas’s book is unique in that he is speaking as a Pakistani to his own people. In its most important form, the book is a truth-telling, undressing heroes, myths, and psychologies that school textbooks in Pakistan lionize. …

Abbas shows how, hours after its tumultuous birth as a nation separate from the largely Hindu India, Pakistan faced an identity crisis that has plagued it to this day. He shows how the two great tug-of-wars — between being Muslim or secular, being a democracy or a dictatorship — intertwined.

This, one senses, is the point of all the drama and history that Abbas regales his readers with, across the decades and fiascoes of Pakistan’s often back-stabbing, and occasionally virtuous, political and military leaders. …

The last chapter reads like a doctor writing a prescription. If Pakistan is to be saved from intolerant mullahs, it must make peace with India on Kashmir and reduce the role of the military in politics, despite the strong US support for Musharraf, a key ally in the war on terror.

“The people of Pakistan yearn for true democracy,” Abbas writes. “For this dream to become a reality, Pakistan’s military establishment has to take a back seat.”

If you are genuinely interested in the path to peace in South Asia, I recommend you bookmark Abbas’s page. I would love to know if readers have other resources to share. I would obviously love to hear from Pakistani-Americans reading this post. And if you have read Abbas’s book, I’d love to know what you thought of it.

Pakistan is a country in tough shape, for reasons that don’t need much repeating here. To the Pakistani political and military elite, I can’t wish much of anything good. To ordinary Pakistanis and the Pakistani diaspora, I wish a happy independence day and much fortitude.

Peace.

124 thoughts on “On Pakistan’s Independence Day”

  1. To ordinary Pakistanis and the Pakistani diaspora, I wish a happy independence day and much fortitude.

    Hear, Hear! Happy Independence Day to our Pakistani brothaz and sistaz.

    ghurbat men hon agar ham, rahta hai dil vatan men samjho vahīn hamen bhī, dil hain jahān hamārā

    — MI

  2. In the words of famous Urdu poet from India “Sahir Ludhiyanvi” – who incidentally chose to stay in India, while his lover migrated to today’s Pakistan during the partition of HINUSTAN back in 1947- Tu Hindoo banega Naa Musalman banega Insaan ki Aulaad Hai Insaan benega ! Happy independence day!

  4. Cabal-ists!

    I am taking note of the names, messages, and IP addresses of all traitors who wish the enemy a happy Independence Day, especially the ones of Abrahamic variety and those with obvious commie and homosexualar links. Carry on, cut your own throats, you have been warned.

    Hail Mogambo!

  6. I have to admit, I’m ambivalent. Pakistan has fallen short in its goal of being a homeland where Muslims can flourish. In its place, it’s military leadership has continually sought to identify the nation in terms of its conflict with India. I just finished reading Hussain Haqqani’s Pakistan – Between Mosque and Military, an excellent book that shows how the military did not come to power due to civilian corruption or fear of Islamic fundamentalism – it’s been calling the shots since independence.

    I’m sure many of the American-based Indian readers of this blog have a number of Pakistani friends, and wonder to themselves why can’t the government in Islamabad display the friendliness and hospitality of these friends. But we should not mistake our friendship for individual Pakistanis to be extended to a terrorist-sponosring regime. And as a Bengali, I cannot just sweep the events of 1971 away.

  8. And I in turn will have the IP addresses of those who cynically deride the true beacon of peace and brotherhood in the world. They have suffered an inordinate amount of undue accusation ranging from complicity to outright participation in horrible world events. The word “Enough” is really only fit to describe two things in this world:

    1. Criticism against the “Land of the Pure”
    2. A poorly made Jennifer Lopez movie.

    Hail SalWARZ! SalPEACE!

  9. Yo Dad….simple words, yet profound in meaning. Most difficult and beautiful thing to be in this world..”Insaan”…a moment to reflect on shared cultural/religious/social aspects across the borders.

    Thanks for sharing it!

  10. A gracious gesture on the part of the Mutiny – thanks Siddhartha. And happy Independence Day to all.

  11. Lets recall Patanjali, the desi-brown author of the very ancient Yoga sutra, which is strikingly relevant, cos there are 20 million plus American yogi wannabes:

    “A Yogi gains moral and emotional strength by perfecting friendliness (maitri) and compassion (karuna) to all.”

    Happy Independence Day

  12. Traitors, homosexualists, commies, and cabals.

    Your messages are being monitored. They swell the balls of the patriots with saffron anger. Stop adding to our lists of grievances, including California Kindergarten Education Board, they are legitimate grievances for which we grieve.

    Wishing Pakistanis good wishes as a masquerade for your leftist-cabal of genocide of assertive nation has been identified and noted as a crafty tactic by Abrahamics, Marxists, Khalistanis, Women, and lefto-fascists that comprise this site, as dictated to you by your masters, Wendy Doniger in league with MF Husain.

    It is OK to buy things from Pakistani shops and even to allow them to shine our shoes in New Jersey or the Bay Area. It is another to wish them a peaceful India-dependent Day. Don’t do it. Or I will be angry. And full of grievance. Legitimate ones.

    Hail Mogambo!

  13. tell me if you find any good women ones.

    I even found a 20 something Saudi woman blogger, but had no luck with Pak.

    There used to be Chai and Apple Pie – a American woman who spent some time in her husband’s country but not she is back in the US and so it is not interesting to me anymore

  14. “The people of Pakistan yearn for true democracy,” Abbas writes. “For this dream to become a reality, Pakistan’s military establishment has to take a back seat.”

    Let us all hope this happens in the near future and both Pakistan and India will be good neighbors.

    Happy Independence day .

  18. Best wishes to all! Thanks for the post and comments! Let’s hope we figure out some of what you mentioned, Siddhartha.

  19. And to the fundamentalists, fanatics and hyper-border definers amongst you:

    Your veiled insults in the guise of “Happy Independence Day” are being duly noted, but you’re lucky they’re a peace loving nation and take your malicious diatribe in stride. Oh how lucky you are. And so what if the border is in dispute? India will always still be India! If a few peace mongers happen to say their country ends HERE instead of HERE (with the second here being more south than the first here), what do we gain by resisting more peace and benefaction? Hmm? To throw peace away is almost as ridiculous as throwing peas away. almost.

    Hail SalWARZ! SalPEACE!

  21. Pakistan’s failed on many fronts, it has never lived up to its potential, while conversely it has survived all the nay sayers and doomsday predictions. So in one breath it both saddens and inspires people. Thats what makes it so unique..happy indepenence day Pakistan.

  22. before there were blogs, i would turn to dawn.com for some very well written opinion pieces. i especially enjoyed cowasjee.

  23. I am a Pakistani-American blogger! And an old one, at that (since 2001). Most of you probably know me from Nirali Magazine, but I have been running the text obscured for a while. My site is undergoing some transition now, but it will be fully updated soon enough. Perhaps we Paki-Americans don’t identify ourselves as much on our weblogs…I mean, I have an ambivalence toward the subcontinent’s politics as a whole. I consider myself an American first, though I have blogged about my Pakistani roots, trips to the subcontinent, etc. I have especially written about Pakistan’s laws against Ahmadi Muslims and my personal experiences with them (including the murder of my uncle for his religion). For some reason, this type of writing doesn’t get as much attention as it should among our South Asian American communities. I have also noticed that Indian-American bloggers proclaim their affiliation much more strongly. Not sure why that is. Anyway, my point is, the Pakistani-American bloggers are out there. You just have to look.

  24. PakistanÂ’s Drift Into Extremism: Allah, the Army, and AmericaÂ’s War on Terror Where can I get a copy of this book?

    Thanks PS: The review in the Boston Globe was very good.

  25. Happy Independence to both Indians and Pakistanis. Full marks for a very creative and insightful blog. I am writing to appreciate your honoring a Pakistani patriot on this august day. I have indeed read the book by Hassan Abbas – infact twice. Its a moving narrative – full of passion – unravelling the negative tendencies but celebrating those who stood up for a cause in Pakistan. For anyone interested in reading excerpts of the book, visit: http://www.Pakistandrift.blogspot.com (for Chris Prabhu, the blog contains links from where the book can be acquired in India, Pakistan or the US/UK) In addition, I would recommend the following books for interested readers: 1. Eqbal Ahmad; edited by Carollee Bengelsdorf, Margaret Cerullo, and Yogesh Chandrani Foreword by Noam Chomsky: Columbia University Press, August 2006 – it contains excellent writings of Eqbal Ahmed 2. Alive and Well in Pakistan: A Human Journey in a Dangerous Time by Ethan Casey 3. Self and Sovereignty by Ayesha Jalal

    And for this blog, I wish you the best of luck to carry on the mutiny!

  26. Congratulations ! Mubarakein ! Bahdayee ! on the occassion of Yaum e Azadi, to all the pakistani people, especially those struggling for a more open and democratic society.

    In the spirit of this column, let me point to Khaled Ahmed as one of the paki journalism greats whose writing I have admired. Though somewhat younger than our Khushwant-ji, his work has a similar tone but with its own quite distinct flavor.

    Wikipedia entry for Khaled Ahmed

    He writes a wonderful column for the Daily Times and is also involved in the Friday Times. His analysis of the Urdu press “Nuggets from the Urdu Press” is outstanding, as also is writings on south asian linguistics and culture.

  28. Sidhatarh!

    your post is a bit surprising that SM is actually greeting to Pakistanis.Let me come to my point.

    PakistanÂ’s Drift Into Extremism: Allah, the Army, and AmericaÂ’s War on Terror

    While agreed with last two factors,I wonder what made Hasan to equate beliving in God with extremism.

    Would you like to elaborate what actually were you expecting from Pakistani bloggers on 14th of August?I think that getting emotional is quiete natural

  29. When I say that BCSikh youth is not entirely wrong, I mean it in the sense that I think what he is saying applies (in varying degrees) to the majority of India’s citizens, not just Sikhs.

    Did you guys check out the freaky link I gave in #28 above? It makes me want to visit Lahore like RIGHT NOW.

  30. Been lurking here for sometime…Was born in Pakistan and live on the wrong coast now… Absolutely love the site and will comment on this thread a little later.

    Thanks.

  31. I see that the sikh version of SpoorLam has arrived on the site. There is a dreary predictability about all of these efforts, whether initiated by Narendra Modi or Bhinderanwale.

  33. The way the minority is treated speaks loads about the country’s morality. I dont understand how you can congratulate a country where minority human rights are brutally violated everyday. While the Indian muslim population has grown from 10% in 1951 to 16.5% in 1991, the Pakistani hindu population has declined drastically from 15% in 1947 to present day 1.5%. It can be a kodak moment where all pakistanis and all Indians will live happily ever after but only when each one of you will embrace islam.

  35. “The way the minority is treated speaks loads about the country’s morality. I dont understand how you can congratulate a country where minority human rights are brutally violated everyday. While the Indian muslim population has grown from 10% in 1951 to 16.5% in 1991, the Pakistani hindu population has declined drastically from 15% in 1947 to present day 1.5%.”

    -Tomcat

    I am certainly not starting of on a good note here.

    Tomcat, Many in Pakistan donÂ’t feel comfortable with the laws that demean minorities and women. It is a sad fact that things have happened in Pakistan that should not have happened. Sometimes countries fall in to a bad rut and it takes time and effort to bring the whole thing back together. People in Pakistan are trying hard despite many seemingly insurmountable problems.

    However, the numbers that you have quoted are completely inaccurate. The Hindu and other minority population in Pakistan is around 3%.

    You are relying on numbers that are from pre-partition census and I hope you know that a huge migration took place after the independence in 1947 from both countries. Many Muslims were uprooted from East Punjab and a couple of million hindu/sikhs left west Punjab too in 1947. I think the total number was approx 4 million on both sides. While only a few hundred thousand Hindu left from Sindh in Pakistan, abt three to four million Muslims arrived in Sindh, Pakistan. So, there were many changes in demographics that are reflected in the declining percentages.

    Lastly, your 1951 numbers include former East Pakistan and in 1991, it was not part of Pakistan. Most of the Hindu population was concentrated in East Pakistan and once it was gone, the population percentages went down.

    I can assure you that nothing untoward has happened to Hindus and other minoritiesÂ’ in Pakistan. Though losing some of the civil rights is surely a cause of concern.

    I hope you will do a research yourself to see that the information you posted here is inaccurate.

  38. ssshhh, Topcat. who cares about the truth . what matters is that we do not flout the PC rules – no matter that the dreaded hudood ordinance is still applicable. no matter that honor killings and “revenge” rapes are still in vogue. no matter that the good general who was solely responsible for invading his neighbour in 99, almost bringing the region to the brink of nuclear holocaust is still running the land of pure. no matter that baloch and are being systematically killed by the good general and his coterie.

  39. The Hindu and other minority population in Pakistan is around 3%.

    Hoss The fact is that the hindus are a dwindling 1%-1.5% along with the other unfortunate minorities. Just check this: The total muslim population of Pakistan is currently 97% and 3% total of Hindus, Sikhs and Christians included. This means that even if you distribute them equally you get around 1% of each ethinic minority.

    Kritic If you look at the statistics, the post-partition ethnic cleansing in Pakistan has been far more effective than the nuclear holocaust General Mushy would have planned.

  40. The trouble with Pakistan is… read “The Trouble with Islam.” It is the only honest book I have read on a subject that should rank as the biggest problem facing mankind at the moment.

  41. Oh by the way, I could not but observe the contrast. On one hand, we have news about Indra Nooyi being elevated to CEO of Pepsi and on the other hand, we have news about arrests of 17 suspects in Pakistan and 21 in UK for plotting to blow up planes. Either way, the tricolor will unfurl a few hours from now at Red Fort; as it did at the dawn of 15th August, 60 years ago. May I add that this very place which was stormed by terrorists a few years ago.

  44. Mubarak to all Pakistani Brothers and Sisters on Independence Day!!! My views are that, almost everyone knows what is missing from Pakistan today. Basically a vibrant Democracy and a diminishing role of the Army and Mullahs. Those of us in the west should try in the direction of bringing true Democracy to Pakistan and let it fulfill its true promise.

    People have quoted things about minorities in Pakistan, although I hate the fact that Pakistan is rushing towards more extremism, but today on the I-day I want to link a positive story about “A Sikh gets commision in Pakistan Army“

  45. To Pakistanis, Pakistani expats, and Pakistani Diaspora,

    Happy Independence Day.

    May Bollywood movies, and of course cricket be the common friendship bond. One question: Are you going to let Feroze Khan visit Pakistan again?

    Bollywood would welcome some of your talent too.

    Who has the better bowling lineup these days?

  46. RC, this is indeed very good news.

    Only Mohajirs (Urdu Speaking Pakistani migrated from India) also gets same treatment then Pakistan would be something else. I’ve a pal from Pakistan and their family is victimised by Pakistani Army so many times (which is predominately Punjabi) that all male members lost moral and even one of their son commited suicide.

  47. Adnan,

    your post is a bit surprising that SM is actually greeting to Pakistanis.

    hopefully in the future it will feel less surprising. thank you for replying.

    Would you like to elaborate what actually were you expecting from Pakistani bloggers on 14th of August?I think that getting emotional is quiete natural

    i wasn’t expecting anything in particular. i was simply curious to see what thoughts pakistani bloggers had to share on the occasion of the national holiday. as i mentioned in the post, i’ve thought for some time that pakistan is under-represented in the blog world.

    without a doubt, pakistan is very much in the world news these days and almost none of it for pleasant reasons. i think there is a considerable curiosity about pakistan in the world that bloggers could help to satisfy. i’m glad for any chance to hear more perspectives from and about pakistan than the ones i get in the international news, or from pakistani government publicity, or from the echo chamber of people who are more interested in ranting about how pakistan is evil, etc. etc., than in building a conversation between human beings.

    anyway, i am glad to hear from you and from the others who have suggested sites of interest about pakistan.

    Kritic, Topcat, Prope11er,

    when i say “the echo chamber of people who are more interested in ranting about how pakistan is evil, etc. etc., than in building a conversation between human beings” i am talking about what we’ve heard so far in this thread from you guys. guess what? we all know that pakistan’s government has been pretty atrocious over the years and still is. WE KNOW. ok? now, take a deep breath and imagine that we are going to have a conversation nevertheless with brothers and sisters who happen to be pakistani. can you get that concept into your heads?

    i refer you to KXB’s comment above. none shall suspect KXB of being a sympathizer of the pakistani government. the brother is as india-nationalist as the most nationalist of you. YET he is able to say:

    I’m sure many of the American-based Indian readers of this blog have a number of Pakistani friends, and wonder to themselves why can’t the government in Islamabad display the friendliness and hospitality of these friends. But we should not mistake our friendship for individual Pakistanis to be extended to a terrorist-sponosring regime.

    KXB: hates the pakistani government, doesn’t hate pakistanis. if the rest of you can’t meet this standard, there is no hope for you. the rest of us here are trying to build some human understanding at a time when it is sorely lacking. you guys are not.

    i am leaving your comments up as, even though they were completely unproductive to this conversation, they aren’t the sort of thing i see a need to delete. but if you reply to this, i trust it will be something else than a rant and rave about gen. musharraf or jinnah or partition or whatever it is. the intelligence of the rest of us deserves that basic respect.

    To the person who posted an opinion piece apparently from the financial times — feel free to re-post it, but this time WITH a link to the original. also, it belongs more properly on our News page.

    Finally, I would like to echo Bina Habib:

    Happy Independence to both Indians and Pakistanis.

    Word up. Happy Independence to you too, sister!

  48. Dear Pakistan:

    While I view your birth as inauspicious, I do hope that you evolve into a secular democratic country. Let’s write off your first 60 yrs as par for the course “terrible twos” tantrums. I personally view those Indians who identify themselves as “South Asian” ridiculous, but perhaps 50 years from now our grandkids will look across the border to find in each other some basis for a reunified subcontinent: a) A shared love of garlic naan b) An inclination towards choreographing garish/over the top musicals c) A strong drive to encase all of our valuables in plastic

    XXX000XXXX Louiecypher

  50. we all know that pakistan’s government has been pretty atrocious over the years and still is. WE KNOW. ok?

    I guess we do. But we also all know some americans have pretty atrocious notions about muslims. But that doesn’t stop us from calling a bigot a bigot.

    KXB: hates the pakistani government, doesn’t hate pakistanis. if the rest of you can’t meet this standard, there is no hope for you.

    everyone on this thread has met this standard. There’s a lot of straw in that comment, man.

    But I’m glad Siddhartha has invited Pakistanis into the convo; should make things interesting. as for Kritic, Topcat & Prope11er, thanks for your participation…you’ve brought to our attention a lot of inconvenient truths that would otherwise be brushed under the rug.