Modi and Pakistani Liberals
By Syed Kamran Hashmi
Westfield, IN
Clearly, Indian Prime Minister Narindra Modi has brushed aside the initiative taken by Mian Nawaz Sharif, who had yearned for a cordial and trustworthy relationship with India and counted on peace as the only option to bring about long-term and sustainable economic recovery in the region. By doing that, the controversial right-wing leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) must have earned some points from the nationalists and Hindu extremists that support him. However, the anti-war activists and liberals in both India and Pakistan are disenchanted by his attitude. But why should they be? Have they forgotten the anti-Pakistan rhetoric of Mr Modi during the election campaign or his role in the Gujarat massacre?
I believe that the liberals (myself included) are disappointed because they envisioned a more mature and pragmatic response from India after the pressure of the election campaign was over. They are also disappointed because they know that Mian Nawaz Sharif, long before he assumed the office of the Prime Minister, had shared his vision about bringing the old rivals closer, even though he realized that it would put his political credibility at stake and antagonize his relationship with the security establishment. It might have been a golden opportunity for both the countries, they believe, had his warm gesture been reciprocated. Instead, they see their hopes going down the drain each day, as the two nations exchange inflammatory remarks that are bound to make the bad situation worse. If this situation continues to escalate, it could, the liberals believe, bring the two nuclear-armed countries either to the verge of a war or to a complete shutdown of diplomatic channels — a situation that can still be averted if better sense prevails.
India’s stance notwithstanding, what is more disappointing to me is the role of Pakistani liberals. Most of the time, I have to admit, they do get it right. Whether it is about the war against terrorism or the religious persecution of minorities, they are able to look beyond the horizon and forewarn us of the potential hazards of such policies. By swimming against the tide however, they have to endure a series of well-planned, well-funded and well-researched character assassination attacks. Besides being vocal about separating religion from politics, they have also censured the role of Pakistan’s security establishment for its India-centric foreign policy and the use of non-state actors in furthering national interests — another thorn in the side of those who do not like criticism.
Today too, they would have hounded Pakistan for weeks if not months, if we had been dragging our feet. You would have noticed newspaper articles every day, denouncing our role as irresponsible and immature. I do not mind that. If one feels strongly about something and its progress is sabotaged for no obvious reason, then why should one keep quiet? However, the liberals have a point. Our role in maintaining peace and building confidence has always fallen short in the past, to say the least. Even after the Mumbai attacks, when the Indians were as badly wounded as we were after the Peshawar massacre, the steps that we should have taken as a nation to show our solidarity with our grieving neighbor were either denied or deliberately delayed. To add fuel to the fire, our national attitude towards their tragedy stayed unsympathetic and to some extent cruel, as if we were supporting the crime or even worse: we were rejoicing in it. Can you imagine if the Indians had celebrated the deaths of our children in Peshawar? Considering our indifference, I think it is fair that liberals rail against Pakistan’s role on such issues.
But what if the responsibility of making things worse does not fall on us? Should the activists keep quiet then? For the past year or more, both India’s media and its current administration have not shown any interest in requiting the initiative taken by Mian Nawaz Sharif. Do the liberals not know that? Why are they avoiding the subject as if it does not exist at all? I do not see them expressing themselves on television, nor do I read their long lectures full of instructions in the newspapers castigating the Indian attitude.
It is like ‘desi’ parents reacting to the pain of their children. No matter what happens, they find the problem in their kids, even when it is not their fault.
A child falls down from the chair, for example, and they say: “Why did you not pay attention?” If the child is bullied at school, they inquire: “Why did you talk to him to begin with? Why did you sit next to him?”
Just like that, ‘desi liberals’ question the motives behind our actions, even when we have done everything right. I am not suggesting that they should also start playing to the gallery and try to appease the right wing, war-mongering lunatics. However, it is important that we call a spade a spade, and condemn others as strongly as we would condemn ourselves, no less and no more. That is the virtue of being intellectually honest that we should cherish the most.
(The writer can be reached at skamranhashmi@gmail.com)
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