PAKISTAN faces serious existential dangers because of the evil designs of Modi’s Hindutva inspired mindset, which are frequently expressed by them. For this, we as a nation need to put our house in order, focus on economic revival, boost exports, revive agricultural production, keep a check on population explosion and invest in development of human resources through investment in education and technological development. Austerity must start from the top and the tax-net widened. We can learn lessons from Iran, which for decades faced sanctions, but has turned adversity to their benefit. Modi’s recent sarcastic remarks alluding that their neighbor is on verge of bankruptcy, begging for wheat etc., should be enough to revitalize our self-respect which seems to be in a state of hibernation. The least that can be done is a ban on conversion of green agricultural lands, fruit orchards etc., into concrete real estate projects. Shrinking of agricultural acreage with an uncontrolled population explosion, poses a lethal threat to national security from within. Nothing can justify this. It is a recipe for chaos, political unrest and instability.
Two countries, Israel and India, one ruled by Zionists, the other by BJP’s Modi have resorted to ethnic cleansing and expansion. Modi is inspired by Hindu Supremacist, Savarkar. He is obsessed with territorial expansionist ambitions based on the RSS version of history, irrespective of existing ground realities, just like the Zionists blind pursuit of expansion, supported by the West. We are witnessing in Gaza, the worst genocide in recent history. Mass graves of several hundreds have been found, in the vicinity of hospitals under siege by the IDF. Statistics by independent agencies have confirmed that during the two years Ukraine-Russia war, the total number of Ukrainian civilian fatalities is 10,500 which includes 587 children. As compared to this, in just over 6 months of so-called war in occupied Gaza, over 34,600 Palestinians have been killed which includes almost 24,000 women and children. This does not include thousands missing, lying under tons of debris of bombed civilian houses, hospitals, schools, refugee camps, mosques and churches. Over 200 media workers have been killed by IDF in Gaza, as compared to just one casualty in Ukraine. In the Gaza genocide, over 180 international relief workers, including those from UN and International Central Kitchen etc., have been killed. This is the barbarity that hate inspires.
On 28 May 2023, which happens to be the birthday of the late Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, architect of Hindutva ideology, and a proponent of Akhand Bharat, India’s PM Modi inaugurated the new parliament. A mural was also prominently displayed which depicted on the north, parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, BD and Nepal on East, Sri Lanka on south and Bhutan on the north, as part of Akhand Bharat. BJP’s ruling political party is inspired by RSS and considers Vinayak Damodar Savarkar as their ideologue, who died in 1966 at the age of 82 years. He had a criminal record accused, for abetment of murder and was arrested on 13 March 1910 in London. He spread venom against Muslims, Christians, Dalits etc. While addressing a session of All India Muslim League on 22 March 1940, MAJ reminded them of a letter written in 1924 by a Hindu nationalist Lala Lajpat Rai from Punjab to CR Das, a Bengali Hindu nationalist, that Hindus and Muslims were two separate nations and cannot coexist. RSS was formally created in 1925. It was Mahatma Gandhi who believed that India should be a secular democracy. The Indian National Congress Party adopted GandhiJi’s philosophy. However, the seeds of hatred, sown by RSS seem to have prevailed in India under Modi. Gandhiji was murdered by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, inspired by Savarkar, on 30 January 1948. Earlier two unsuccessful attempts were made by Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte in 1944 to kill Gandhiji. The BJP considers Nathuram Godse as a hero. He is revered by BJP and Hindu nationalists. BJP leader from Andhra Pradesh saluted Godse and called him “A true and one of the greatest patriots ever born in Bharat Bhoomi”. Numerous BJP leaders pay homage to Godse. The question arises that if BJP considers Godse a hero, what do they consider Gandhiji as? In his 2024 election campaign, Modi has launched a vicious venomous campaign against Muslims and refers to them as “Arabian infiltrators”.
There is no doubt that Pakistan must have cordial relations with all neighbors. Trade relations, with hostile countries like India, ruled by Hindu nationalists like Modi, should be restricted to a bare minimum and strictly monitored. However, we must strengthen ourselves economically, so as to have the capability to defend ourselves from publicly declared evil designs by India’s Hindu nationalist government. One only hopes that instead of hate, sanity prevails amongst the Indian political leadership at helm of affairs. This country must remain indebted to ZAB who realized that we lack conventional capability, given the 1971 debacle, and embarked on his mission to acquire Nuclear Deterrence Capability. This Mutually Assured Destruction capability guarantees survival and existence of Pakistan. However, lack of economic security continues to haunt Pakistan.
It is very important that we achieve economic self-sustenance so that Jinnah’s vision of a modern democratic welfare state becomes a reality. With all his weaknesses, ZAB will always be remembered for his legacy of 1973 Constitution and Nuclear Deterrence. Pakistan should cherish and strengthen its relations with China, Turkey and Iran that are our friendly neighbours in the region, while maintaining best of relation with the US etc. We should refrain from being involved in proxy wars and superpower rivalry, such as our involvement in the Afghan war. It is a reality that in 1953, the political process which was the basis for creation of Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of MAJ, was disrupted by Bonaparte ambitions of the likes of Iskandar Mirza. A Foreign Service Dispatch dated 13 February 1953 from American Consul General, Raleigh A Gibson, which has been declassified is testimony, if any is needed of their involvement in derailing Jinnah’s vision.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
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