Joint Indo-Pak School History Textbook on the Web

Tahmed

Thank you tahmed. I would like to start by giving estimated demographics of the city:15-20% Muslims,20% uppercastes, 25-35% backwards,2-3% Christians, and the rest are lower castes or miscellaneous. Muslims are concentrated in the some specific parts of the city, namely Chamanganj, and Jajmau. The population is overwhelmingly middle class. Kanpur was once known for its textile mills. Now it is considered an industrial region with numerous small scale industries thriving by Panaki region. Muslims mainly own tannaries and slaughter houses and other leather works. A lot others are involved in tailoring and other buisness.

Kanpur was known as a strong bastion of Congress till 1988. Situations started taking a turn when the then Govt of Rajiv Gandhi upturned a decision issued by Supreme Court in Shahbano case to pander to the extremist Mullahas in around 1986. Actually Supreme Court had ruled that the husband will have to provide some fixed alimony to the wife even after talaq and it was denounced by most of the Mullas as an interference with Shariat. BJP took advantage of this situation to put forward a concept of Uniform Civil code which was applauded by the Hindu masses and some Muslim sections who felt Govt is going all the way to appease some extremist Muslim leaders. In 1989 elections, a Communist Muslim leader Subhashini Ali won from Kanpur pushing Congress to third place while BJP surprisingly stood second. This was because before elections Rajiv ordered open the gates of disputed structure in Ayodhya to appease some extremist Hindu leaders which angered Muslims. So while upper castes+backwards turned to BJP, Muslims also shunned Congress and large sections of both Hindus and Muslims instead joined JD+Communist. After demolition of disputed structure in 1992, there were riots everywhere in Kanpur. While scores of Hindus were killed in Chamanganj, many Muslims were butchered in the other areas of Kanpur. After this event, Hindus fled from Chamanganj, and Muslims were even more concentrated in Chamanganj and Jajmau. RSS people did help Hindu families afflicted by riots while Govt was apathetic. This created a sympathy for BJP and there was a polarisation of the communities based on religion. The selective touring of Subhashini Ali to the Muslim areas further angered Hindus who felt cheated. The result was that BJP won by an overwhelming majority in the next elections. BJP fanned Hindu feelings by saying about thousands of temples sacked by Muslim invaders. They also called Subhashini Ali a traitor. I was only 15 then. In my opinion what made Hindus believe BJP was something else. It is a truth that I have been seeing many Muslims who celebrated the victory of Pakistan against India in Cricket, Hockey and other such events. There was a feeling that Muslims dont consider it as their own country. Note I am only talking about the general emotions that ran at that time. Also not all Muslims did such things but a sizeable portion did. Also Muslims tended to vote en masse against BJP heeding to the fatwas of their religious leaders. BJP used it to polarise Hindus. However after the emotions subsided the lead of BJP diminished as they failed to improve the infrastructure of the city and I hear that in the last parliamentary elections a Congress leader who lost to assembly elections earlier, won surprisingly defeating BJP.

In retrospection, I think while Hindu communities are guilty of getting carried away, some Muslims are no less guilty of openly showing their loyalties to the other countries. In Chamanganj, there is lawlessness these days. People do not pay for the electicity and water bills and no officer dares to enter and demand the same lest he should be dragged into the narrow gullies and killed. Many rich and respected peace loving Muslims especially Shias have migrated from that area to settle in Hindu-Muslim colonies of Jajmau which are more peaceful. Enough said, I have attempted to sketch an outline of the main reasons that made BJP readily accepted among Hindus. But sustaining this support will depend upon the performance of BJP. At the central level it has performed admirably and so it won support. But it also suffered heavy losses in the state of UP where it did not deliver in the last elections.

Cheers

Re: Ferozk

``You are right, but will our countries accept our help?``

Only if it doesn`t cost local leaders their bribes or require them to lift a finger. I know in India a couple of wealthy NRIs are building free hospitals and schools with no assistance from the government...in fact they were asked for bribes to get permits. In any case, efforts like that are a drop in the otherwise empty bucket.

``The problem is not a lack of help, but convincing the powers be that they need help!``

Very true. We are too busy celebrating our silly cricket victories and 10 IT billionaires while over half the population in each country rots due to illiteracy and lack of electricity, drinking water, and healthcare.

The world laughs at us and we bask in baseless self-flattery. Countries are made by its people and we have conveniently pointed fingers at our governments. Who elects those governments? Who allows them to stay in power?

Japan, Germany, and Singpaore build themselves back up from nothing but we failed miserably, showing to the world how incapable we are of dragging ourselves out of the middle-ages.

krashid,

At last you appear to be doing something good, the cadavar story is from dawn, letters, please do inform everyone about this.

Then again,a plastic one could be expensive, whay not assign a few jihadists for this. A few pak soldiers can dress up like the indians, shoot the jihadists on way to kashmir and give the cadavars to the college asking for it. Jihadists are happy, they have reached heaven, soldiers have their blood lust quenched, and the poor students have the cadavars. With a little bit of lateral thinking, even jihad can have useful outcomes.

Re: RSaxena # 71

You are right, but will our countries accept our help?

The problem is not a lack of help, but convincing the powers be that they need help!

Ciao!

Rsaxena#71:

I completely agree with you.

I am sure some of us donate atleast our money (...and the intellectual effort for a joint history book can go into building respective countries instead.)

I totally disagree with the budget figures. You are absolutely positively selling yourself short if United Nations or WTO is funding this effort. They wont even look at the purposal unless you multiply the numbers with atleast 50.

All you great intellectuals lecturing from atop your temples and mosques about politics and socieconomics in your countries can better spend your time donating it to build sewage systems, schools, power plants, and clean water supply in your countries. Not to mention promoting birth control.

Jay #67.

You are still living in 70`s.

Who studies anatomy on cadaver when plastic bodies are available.

Sent via email


the following are responses by foqia sadiq khan.

I seem to concur with the view that rise of BJP is a failure of Congress in providing leadership and corruption in it.

I don`t think the social effect of BJP will be much on Pakistan except fanning a little fundamentalism.

But long term effect on a multi ethnic, multi religious and multi caste country can be devastating.

And even if we take Kashmir aside, there are obvious signs in other regions and communities.

It is not only bad for India, but also neighbouring countries.

If Tamil question was affecting Sri-Lanka. Assam and WB question affects Bangladesh and Kashmir question Pakistan.

Also, I don`t realize the short-sightedness of spending money on defense, where hard earned money can be used for better purpose. Opportunity comes in a life-time once and if wasted is regretted later.

NEEDS OF A COUNTRY,

Pakistan is in need of many things, a revised history, a new identity based on 3NT, and the following which any of the chowk pakistanis can readily provide. One can be helpful to fellow pakistanis in death, if not in life. From dawn of today,

No cadaver in medical college

I wish to draw the Health Minister`s attention to the fact that the cadaver for dissection has not been available to the students of Chandka Medical College for over two years. Due to this reason, near about 200 students have failed in Anatomy (B.27).

The question is that if students studying medicine don`t get to practice on cadaver, how can they be expected to qualify as doctors? Therefore CMC must be provided with cadaver.

IRSHAD NOONARI

Jacobabad

///what a country, what an education, what a public, what a letter to the editor, what a request to the minister. Some one said pakistan is not a nation, it is a mob, let me add, it is a joke. The above request should get priority over the history project.

Pankaj #65 you write ``I will present a detailed analysis (of the rise of BJP) based on my firsthand experience of a city in Northern India, Kanpur.``

I look forward to this analysis.

Hope you had a good tennis game.

I congratulate Foqia Khan and Dr Daudpota for writing on the issue of lies told in our history. It is trajedy for both Indian and Pakistani masses to be fed by prejudices and biases in education against each other. It seems our rulers are promoting hatred and concept of an enemy state just to keep unity in the country.

As far as ideology is concerned, its naive to think that Two Nation Theory will address future problems. It may have helped create a country 53 years ago but it cant address future problems. Politics of future will be concerned with exploitation of resources of impoverished South by rich North. There is a need for unity amongst third world countries to fight for their common cause.

Truly,

Manzoor

Umair has raised a very good question about the rise of BJP, formerly Jansangh which never got more than 5-6% vote since independence(except in 1977). What many of my friends answered was how BJP sustained its public support after it came to power and not why did it rise so rapidly in the first place. No doubt BJP is seen as successful on the economic front and foreign policy. I said foreign policy since it effectively utilised the Kargil misadventure of Pakistan to its best advantage. Also within two years of nuke explosion, when the whole world got against India, they were not only successful in reversing the tide in their favor but also court USA successfully, thanks to Pakistani misadventure at Kargil. Currently BJp has a very capable list of secondline leaders like Yashwant Sinha, Jaswant Singh, Pramod Mahajan, Arun Jetley etc. Thus the image of BJP govt in India at this time is very positive, and with a person of stature of A.B Vajpayee who is venerated even by the opposition, there seems to be currently no competitor for BJP.

However if we want to study the factors that contributed to its rise,we will have to go back to 1985 when BJP had only 2 MPs and was struggling for its existence. I will present a detailed analysis based on my firsthand experience of a city in Northern India, Kanpur. In my opinion, this city is an excellent experimental laboratory that brings out the complex interplay of various socio-psychological factors that led to the rise of BJP. Hell, my friends are calling me for a game of tennis and I have to go. So I postpone this analysis for some other day. If anybody cares to answer my question please go ahead.

Cheers

#55 Isa Daudpota

``anamika

First off, let me say that the authors are probably well meaning.

They seem

to believe that a symmetry exists when it comes to teaching

history in India

and Pakistan; that both are distorted and that an objective version

exists

that probably will fall somewhere in the middle of the two.

THANKS FOR THE PATRONISING FIRST SENTENCE. YOU

MAY WELL BE RIGHT IN THE

REST, BUT SINCE WE ARE NOT HISTORIANS, IT IS BEST

THAT THE HISTORIANS WHO

WORK ON THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATE WHAT YOU SAY.``

Sorry I came across as patronizing. What I meant was that (even though) you could be well meaning but I disagree with you.

If you want a project to be funded, you don`t say it may well be (insert your conjecture here) but let us put in some money and find out IF that`s true. In the absence of any compelling reasons and obvious rationale, you`d find it hard to get the work funded.

There I go again (probably) with my condescending tone..

Without a doubt this is a long overdue idea to produce a neutral, balanced, bias-free, ideology-free history of the subcontinent.

But the real question is will it be used where it is needed the most--in schools. As the authors pointed on in a reply, yes, there is a bias even in India when it comes to presentation of facts, even though it may pale to others.

For it to succeed, it is going to take some marquee names involved in some sort of an overseeing advisory committee. Perhaps, known historians, sociologists and intellectuals. It is a pie in the sky now, so I`ll suggest some Indian names that may add credibility. I`m not too aware of Pakistani intellectuals so I`ll leave it to others:

Since these individuals are busy with their existing activities, they might however, agree to serve in an advisory board that does not have to meet physically. It`s worth a shot.

Fareed Zakaria, editor of Foreign Affairs [based in NY]

Khushwant Singh, the eminence grise of Indian journalism

Dom Moraes, Indian Writer

VS Naipaul [Hey, his wife is a pakistani]

Amartya Sen, the economist

Good luck with your efforts.