Testifying to the Two-Nation Theory
By Dr Basheer Ahmed Khan
Garden grove, CA
The remarks attributed to Justice Munir of Punjab Boundary Commission by Khan Sahib Mahmood Ahmad Faruqui in your article “Testifying to the Two-Nation Theory” (Pakistan Link, August 17), must be true. How it matters to colonial masters where the boundaries of countries are fixed and what are its consequences. Definitely, Nehru’s India had more influence on Lord Mountbatten and Sir Cyril Radcliff than Jinnah’s Pakistan . As I pen down my observations the software on which I am writing this letter recognizes Nehru’s India but does not recognize Jinnah’s Pakistan and asks me to correct it even though it recognizes Jinnah as an individual!
In the most advanced democracy of today with well-established rule of law when the congressmen and senators complain about additional language and even alteration to appropriations after the bills are passed, changing the awards of a commission by a British official after having agreed to it was not a big thing in those days of no media attention in a country ruled not by constitution but by tradition.
The price of democracy and freedom is eternal vigilance. Frank Moreas, the then Editor of Indian Express, in his article on Dr. Ambedkar had written and I am paraphrasing it: Dr. Ambedkar slept very little in the night. When someone asked him as to why he was spending sleepless nights when Nehru and Jinnah were leading normal lives, Dr Ambedkar replied: Nehru and Jinnah could afford to sleep in the night because their communities are awake. As I am leading a community which is sleeping therefore I have to be awake. I think Dr. Ambedkar was wrong about his assumption about the Muslim community as events have later proved.
