Towards Greater Tolerance

Kashmir`s real rulers are its people. If the people of Kashmir are in favor of opting for Pakistan, no power on earth can stop them from doing so. They should feel free to decide for themselves.

As far as I am concerned.

Good stuff, Yasser!
Liked this very much:
``What makes the imagined geographical unity of South Asian subcontinent more special than the other two? What makes it the right size anyway? By no means are the doors of History closed to further redrawing of borders whether here in South Asia or in the world. All effective cases for political autonomy should be entertained. The unity of the world lies in constant decentralization of authority, till effective governance and equality is finally achieved, and true meaning of liberty is realized.``

Well said. I have never understood what makes SOME people so terrified of the idea of multi-nation theory and political autonomy. Could it be the awareness of innate insecurity in their nationalistic premise? I wonder if the Jay`s and Sadna`s are half as vehemently opposed to the Quebecois` call for partition as they are of any suggestion of a subcontinental TNT. I suppose it just isn`t as fashionable to define nationhood in terms of basic beliefs and lifestyles as to demarcate boundaries by language!

Good to see you back! You know my email addy. WRITE!

Yasser ne farmaya:
{And yet the exchange of populations happened and then came the terrible communal holocaust on both sides. Some 5.5 Million Muslims were ethnically cleansed from East Punjab and areas neighboring Pakistan, and some 3.5 million Hindus from West Punjab and Sindh then packed up and left for India....}

I agree with both dullabhatti, and Manjit on this issue. Regardless of whether ethnic cleansing means killing or not (and believe me, beta, in this case it most certainly did) Yasser, you need to check yourself, not books or figures on what you`ve said here. Have you read Urvashi Butalia`s `The Other Side of Silence`? Read it...it may increase your knowledge. Anyway, what you seem to be implying here (intended or not) is that Muslims were forced out of East Punjab, whereas Hindus just packed up and left. Could there be any greater fiction than this? And please let us not forget our Sikh brothers and sisters. What happened in Punjab in terms of `ethnic cleansing` includes killing on both sides and forcible removals of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs (which you fail to mention) who did NOT just pack up their bags and leave...so many of them didn`t even get to do that. Your phrases reek of bias, intentional or not, and they insult the memories of those who know better. Forget about checking figures Yasser, just check yourself!
ana

Umer:

Indian Law is based on Common Law as well as legislative action. Common Law is derived from British times and there do exist soome similarities in India and England. I assume it is the same for Pakistan.

Dullah Bhatti:

LOL!!! I didn`t notice that the first time around. I will ask my father how many coolies they hired when they were packing up and leaving with the clothes on their backs.

Harimau #38,

Ha ha. Gotta give it to you. I had that coming but you were being very predictable. I knew some Indian fella was going to do that.

But you know what I mean. And PS. Any opinions on the fact why Christianity should be the only religion in UK where one can do you in for blasphemy (no referance to Pakistan please)? I believe Hindus, Sikhs, Jains etc etc are classified as races as opposed to religion whereas Islam and Judaism (I think - not sure) are classified as religions.

Veeresh, Please No. Now`s really not the time to make me jealous.

Umer M

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YLH complains about other`s comrehension and answers to Manjit:

``Manjit...

I think you are making the same mistake...

Ethnic cleansing DOES not mean KILLING (though Even fridaytimes miscontrued my article as such)..

The figures are very clear... 5.5 Million Muslims moved from East Punjab and neighboring areas of India to Pakistan at the time of Partition... you can check the reports of the time, as well the The Times London of those dates for the facts....
``

I don`t think Manjit was talking about authencity of numbers but the some catchy phrases you attached to them. Let me read it back to you:

````Some 5.5 Million Muslims were ethnically cleansed from East Punjab and areas neighboring Pakistan, and some 3.5 million Hindus from West Punjab and Sindh then packed up and left for India.``

That is the level of tolerance and neutrality you have on the issue. Muslims were brutally and forceably ethnically cleansed but Hindu then all of a sudden packed their stuff and moved quietly. Bravo!

Ref YLH2 #34

[Sri Prikasa, India`s first High Commissioner to Pakistan, spelt his name Sri Prikasa... ]

Since Mr Sri Prakasa was from a state neighboring my own, may I point out that that is how his name is spelt?

All of you Northies: just remember that there is a sound in between `sh` and `s` in Sanskrit. You guys choose to spell it `sh` and the South Indians prefer to spell it `s`.

This is a guy who defends pakistani treatment of minorities but who gets cold feet when asked to present a SINGLE HINDU Pakistani interactor on Chowk. Then suddenly every interlocutor belongs to the RSS! Talk about getting caught with your pants down.

If Pakistani minorities are doing so well, why can`t you produce a single hindu from your well-educated and influential circle? You don`t even have a friend`s friend`s friend who is a hindu? Huh? Where are all these influential hindus who are doing so well?

And you have the cheek to lecture us on minority rights in Pakistan? A few hundred thousand cowering hindus in Sindh are all that is left from the historic and ancient hindu/buddhist civilization of N-W India, and without shame or reflection, you dare to compliment yourself on the treatment of minorities in Pakistan.

What is next? Joerg Haider explaining that the 500 jews left in Vienna reflect Austrian broad mindedness? That is exactly the level and quality of your article and your self-serving sophsitry.

Ref veeresh #27

[The only solace I find lately is from some ground-level discussions in a semi-rural train earlier this morning . . . ``when they get beaten by the Americans then they will realise who their friends were all these decades``.]

Let me give them a clue.

It is not the Chinese.

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``Flying falooda``. That is a good one. Thank you Umer.

The best falooda in Bombay was made and sold by this chotte mian guy in the space between the mosque and National Restaurant outside Bandra (West) Station, to the right as you exit. Symbolic, the co-existence of saag-mutton & bright coloured add-ons to the falooda.

Last week I went there to have falooda, and found about ten ``ye olde genuine bade miya falooda`` carts.

That must have been a fly by wire flying falooda?

+++

Yasser, would you consider a career in humour?

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YLH2 #33
Before you start teaching English comprehension, tell us how reliable is this great reference. I have already shown you discrepancy in that reference.
How Bakim Chaterjee could support the notion coined in 1923 by Savarkar?
Before applying your mind, you just ran and quoted Kushwant Singh. Can this error indicate that Kushwant Singh is not infallible? And perhpas your research is incomplete.

For your entertainment, I will quote you something interesting from Wolpert in a short while. Stay tuned.