Where did Pakistan go wrong?

I(we) have no choice but to agree with Lalit Mohan. Mr. Jinnah was not a great leader, the proof is that by creating allegedly a SEPARATE COUNTRY FOR MOSLEMS, he, with a stroke of a pen ends the Moslem claim over India, as the home for Millions of Moslems. Now if you are Moslem go to pakistan, and all that was made by Great Moslems Emperors, is gone down the drain and remain only stories of glory of yester years. Secondly, why all of a sdden the call was given that as soon as the British will leave India, the Moslems will loose their Identity and Hindus will By-pass them. For me this glorifies fear and ignorance, andon the other hand it also explains that Moslems were rulers only with the help of British and as soon as they leave, the future of Moslems will be doomed. No man of extra-ordinary senses and perception can walk upon this water of perception. K.L. Gauba writes in his book FRIENDS AND FOES, that on a matter of Shaheed Gunj Mosque, I asked Mr. Jinnah to come to the Mosque and address Moslems, first thing Mr. Jinnah said, Gauba I have never been to a Mosque, next he showed up in three piece suit immaculately pressed. So the Moslems of this region are lost sheeps without land, education and system

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The minority issue

Mohammad A. Zaman, M.D. writes from Raleigh, NC, USA.

A COMMENT: I grew up in a small village in Sylhet, half of which was Hindu. I played with them. I grew up with them. I made friends with them. As I went to college, some of my best friends were Hindus. Durga and Saraswati Puja was just like any other festival to me. But the recent events in Bangladesh as reported by The Daily Star and other newspapers is profoundly disturbing. It is even more disturbing to see the reluctance of our elected government to accept the problem as it exists. Smart solution requires identification of the problem and understanding its intricacies. Without the willingness to accept the problem as a problem, establishing a high profile government commission is nothing but a futile venture. To meet the criteria for general acceptance, the investigation has to be independent ( of government) and transparent.

A FEW THOUGHTS: Even though we share a common cultural heritage, bonded tightly by a common language, a dichotomy got rooted with the introduction of Islam in Bengal. Probably most of the conversion in Islam occurred in the downtrodden and oppressed ``have-nots`` in the lower strata of Hindu society ( I bet my forefather was one of them). As they converted, they reaped the advantage of royal favors at the expense of their previous masters of higher strata. So a deep sense of untoward feeling between the two groups was there to begin with. And it is natural. Then came the British-Raj. With the loss of royal patronage, the Muslim society as a whole remained estranged, while the Hindu intelligentia embraced English. It was a complete reversal of the dice. Economically prosperous, culturally advanced Hindu Babus looked down at the Muslim Mians. Thus, despite a very strong bondage, a deep-seated resentment permeated the Muslim psyche. In Bengal, this possibly got worsened during the Bango-Bhango movement. The point, I am alluding to is simple: `` When economic and social parity supervenes, religion usually becomes a back-burner. The apparent ill feeling between the two groups of the same people, originated largely because of socio-economic reason. If the Hindu society was homogeneous to begin with, my forefather, most likely, would have retained his Sanatan faith. And my name would have been predictably different.`` This deep-seated strain is not going to go away anytime soon. In fact, this dichotomy of our very culture, led to the evolution of two different tributaries of a great cultural might. It is like a twin, though not monozygotic. We have two different names. We look different like two fraternal brothers and/or sisters. But our Mother is the same.

If we consider this basic proposition as an established fact, a lot of apparent difference and inconsistencies can be explained without any misgivings. Being Arabic in origin, my name does not betray my cultural heritage. It only affirms the fact that I am flowing from a different tributary.

AN AFTERTHOUGHT: As I mentioned earlier, akin to a tectonic fault line, there is a natural strain in our national psyche. And some unscrupulous politicians are magnifying this strain with resultant atrocities of volcanic proportion against our own fraternal brothers and sisters. It is time to raise a rational voice that reverberates in every rational soul.

http://server35.hypermart.net/thefridaytimes/news21.htm

The Friday Times

Shandana Minhas

What is it like being a Hindu in Pakistan, you wonder. I find the answer in various things. First, a letter from a Hindu friend dated October 1999. She wrote from college in the States: ``When I first got here, I was already looking forward to the winter break so I could come back to Karachi and see my friends and family. The next break I was a little less excited, the next even less so. And now, I find myself looking for ways to prolong my stay here. Not because I`ve met a man better than someone I might have found in Karachi, but because here I don`t have to wonder how long it is before he plays the religion card and says hey we had a great time I love you madly, but I just don`t think my family... I remember how I felt at realizing that to my friends, though they were my friends, I would always in some way be an outsider. Don`t they realize how cruel that is? Why can`t they see me for who I am and not my religion. I`m not even a particularly religious person!``



The 1991 census estimated the number of religious minorities in Pakistan (assuming Shia+Sunni=Muslim) at around five per cent, out of which 1.51 per cent were Hindu. Representatives of minority groups disagreed at the time and said they were ``underrepresented``. The latest estimates put the number of Hindus in Pakistan at just under three million. The fact that a large percentage of this community resides in rural Sindh where borders are porous, life transitory, and government efficiency a fairy tale ensures an ``estimate`` will remain just that.



A report by lawyer and activist Hina Jillani states that the Hindu tribal communities of Kohlis and Behls ``constitute more than half of the agricultural labour force of Sindh, and are amongst the most oppressed of all haris.`` Their lands have been forcibly occupied by influential landlords, their daughters abducted, forcibly converted and then married off to complete strangers from an alien community. Their economic and religious status conspire to make their lives a favourite repast for the vultures of official apathy and societal intolerance.



What is it like to be a Hindu in Pakistan? The answers come as hints rather than full replies. P.K. Shahani is a prominent Sindhi lawyer. His brother Narayan Shahani has recently been appointed to the security exchange commission of Pakistan. The other Hindu names you hear are Naveen Perwani (snooker player) and Deepak Perwani (self-proclaimed fashion designer). Actually, most people aren`t sure if these people are Hindu or just sound Hindu. There are Hindus in music, Hindus in journalism (especially Sindh), Hindu women walking to work in the streets in their graceful saris. There are middle class Hindus with small homes and Japanese cars. There are Hindu businessmen with recently acquired respectability whose fortunes are based on converting contacts made through intelligent and friendly bootlegging into contracts made in heaven. There are Hindu brat packers, scions of wealthy families who do nothing but party hard. There are banyas in interior Sindh, traders and shopkeepers. There are middle class Hindu Generation X`s. There is a Hindu drummer in the local band Brain Masalla. Hindus are in every strata of society, but somehow they seem to be nowhere at all.



The writer of the letter has since started a process that will allow her to be an American citizen. Had she returned here she would have been a Pakistani biochemist.



Hindus believe a soul should be free to leave this realm of existence unburdened by the weight of its mortality. Some rivers are sacred to the Hindus (the Ganges is said to be like the rippling waves in the hair of a God), water is considered a purifier. The pyre on the banks of a river also emphasise the ephemeral nature of life to those attending it. Samskara, the rite of passage, bids the departed farewell and helps give the bereaved a sense of closure.



The body is prepared by the application of holy ash on the forehead and the recitation of mantras, more orthodox Hindus follow a longer and more rigorous preparation procedure. The procession carrying the body to the pyre is led by the son. As it is laid on its pyre draped with flowers garlands, all observe in silence. When it is burnt down the priest recites prayers over it, the ashes are collected. Ideally, they will be poured into a holy river. After a designated period of mourning during which austerity is practiced in dress, food and behaviour, a ceremony called shraddah is carried out in which prayers are said for the departed and offering made to the poor.



The Hindus believe a soul is born into a body, and when the body dies, the soul passes into a higher or lower being (a man or a rat) according to the karma he has earned. When a soul reaches a state of enlightenment it breaks the cycle of reincarnation and passes back into Brahma, the spirit that runs through the universe.



Once a year there is an unusual number of bangs in the city. People look at each other and nod, ``It must be divali.`` There is a also trend amongst fiery big-mouthed 90s women to include a rang amongst their wedding ceremonies. Everyone runs around throwing colour on each other and squealing. In the leading papers` yearly ``round-up of architecture Karachi should be proud of`` the Hindu Gymkhana and Swami Narayan Mandir are pointed out, freshly photographed. The twisted implementation of the blasphemy law and the rabidity of zealots ensure that the Hindu community maintains a low profile. The many festivals in their religious calendar are celebrated softly.



Divali is the festival of lights, celebrated at the end of the Hindu old year to usher in the new year, through tribute to the goddess Lakshmi, who brings blessing and prosperity to her worshippers. It coincides with the return of Rama after 14 years in exile. The word itself comes from ``dipwali`` or ``row of lights``. The lamps are placed at windows and doors to drive away the night and shed light into darkness, symbolizing the victory of good over evil and the beauty of life despite the imminence of death. It is celebrated in October or November.



The Holi festival comes at the end of winter and the advent of spring. Colour and powder fly through the end and out the end of water guns. It can be seen as symbolic of the blooming of flowers after the desert of winter. Holi comes from Holika, a fire demon summoned by her evil tyrant brother Hiranya to kill his seemingly indestructible son. The son is sustained by his faith in Vishnu, the demons are destroyed. Holi is about adding colour to life through truth and faith in the goodness of it all.



There is Dassehra or ``the tenth``, which comes at the end of nine nights of hymns to the goddess Durga. Falling between September and October, the ritual is considered important for brides and engaged women.



Falling around July and August is Raksha Bandhan where women tie strings around the wrists of men they are related to for their protection.



Hindu festivals are rich and diverse, as is their contribution to the roots of Pakistani culture. The Indus valley civilization threw up statues of goddess and animals, the influence of Hinduism was prevalent in Harappa and Taxila too. There are many sites In Pakistan that are near sacred to Hindus, including Manora Island which some feel is ``only several hundred kilometers`` away from what used to be the kingdom of an avatar of the god Vishnu.



There must have been a time when the borders of co-existing religions were porous too. The colour, festivity and scent of many Muslim wedding ceremonies find their roots in Hindu festivals.



The Hindu wedding ceremony, as seen on TV or in an Indian movie, is even more colourful than its Pakistani counterpart. There are numerous festivals involving music, dancing and colour. The ceremony itself is conducted in Sanskrit. It starts out with a prayer, followed by identification of the two to be wed, then the ``evocation of virtue`` in which anyone who feels this marriage cannot proceed is given a chance to step forward. Next the two stand facing each other as blessing and rice, are showered upon them. The priest offers tribute to the fire, which is considered the manifestation of God, the couple exchange vows. Then they circle the divine fire seven times, tied together as companions on the path of life. A modern Karachi Hindu wedding often incorporates a reception at another venue where guests can greet the newly married couple.



The homepage of the Pakistani Hindu Association states: ``Traditionally, Pakistani Hindus have not referred to the name of their religion as `Hinduism`. This was a name given by foreigners to identify those people living in the vicinity of the Sindhu River. Pakistani Hindus have always referred to their religion as Vedic Dharm. Sometimes, Vedic Dharm is also referred to as the Aryan religion.``



What is it like to be Hindu in an Islamic republic? Since others are always defining you, you try your best to provide the definitions yourself.



Hinduism is a religion that is vast in scope in terms of its rituals, and the sheer volume of deities associated with it. Ultimately, the source of all its ritual and myth lies in the concept of Brahma, the spirit that runs through the universe. ``Impersonal and indestructible``, it was, is and always will be, the philosophy goes. It is seen as creator, preserver and destroyer. And hence the three main Hindu Deities are Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer. Vasihnavism has the most followers at 80 per cent while Shivaism (devotees of Shiva the destroyer) is popular in Tamil South India. Hinduism also recognizes avatars, incarnations of one of the three Gods. Two of the avatars of the god Vishnu, Rama and Krishna, are very important figures in Hindu mythology. Hindus also hold animals sacred, as some of them are considered avatars of important gods. Especially popular are Ganesha the elephant headed and Hanuman the monkey headed god.



A belief in Hinduism does not stipulate loyalty to any one of these Gods, it is understood that everyone has a personal deity. Puja, or worship, can be done in any place. It simply involves offerings of kum kum, rice, fruit, flowers, incense or light to an image of the deity and a recitation of sacred texts. Any place where puja is offered is a shrine. A temple on the other hand is the house of a deity.



What is it like?



There are two brothers, Jagdeep and Mukesh. Mukesh is intelligent and articulate and always in the top three at his school, one of the leading boys school in Karachi. His brother Jagdeep is one year younger and in the same school. He has been plagued with discipline problems. The administration keeps calling his parents and telling them to do something about it or they will be forced to take strong action. The parents say he gets into fights because he is constantly provoked with taunts of ``Hindu %#%`` and ``Hindu &&

kgeorge

Since in your previous reply, you said that that saying Altaf Murdamad in Lalukhet you don`t understand, I presumed, you are not from Karachi or Pakistan Moreover remembering Lalukhet and Tin Hatti whose airport was famously bombarded by India in 1965 war, does not at all convince me. How about Nagan Chowrangi and Kala pul.

Although your presumption is right. You can say, I am coward rather than by necessity. If you are from Karachi you know the famous saying ``Ya Shaikh apni apni dekh``.

So my friend, you either go with horde, like MQM, loot and do the killing. Or starve or die.

You are coward, if you are alone and not doing anything. I have done enough, in my prime. Even at the time of Altaf when he was busy killing Punjabis and Sindhis, I was a vocal opponent of him endangering my life.

To whom is my first responsibility. I think, it is family and then people, in that order.

For most people who are faking to be involved in politics are basically taking care of their family. All the family members and near relatives with political connection have found some form of relief in Pakistan or abroad.

My conscience is clear in what I am doing, and my advise for the common man would be. Don`t sell your conscience for little amount and learn to survive with all pressures.

krashid; reply #95

NIMBY?

Jun-21-00 3:47:37 EST Reply #: 95

[by]krashid

[Re:] kgeorge#92

``First of all, I would like to ask you which country do you belong. Because you initially faked as Pakistani.

[In this context, even apropos of nothing that follows, read Ms. Ayesha Haroon`s write-up on the Chowk elsewhere].

[You will be comitting the ``genetic fallacy`` if you evaluate my arguments on the basis of my origin. How do ``Goli Mar`` and ``Teen Hatti`` sound to you? Which country are YOU in, now? U.S.A?]

``Second, your arguments appear sound on paper.

[They //are// sound because true. Period]

``... . who have emigrated abroad ... .

[should not include workers in the UAE who kill themselves in slavery conditions to earn and remit money to Pakistan. See `Doosra Aasman`, A Pakistaani play about them, or most of them anyway].

``... doing a good job for the economy of Pakistan ...

[as Americans, the Brits, the Australians, the Canadians and Europeans are //not//{doing a good job for their countries` economies), by not migrating OUT of their countries. Right?].

``While in Pakistan they might have been a burden on exchequer,... .

[even as an office boy or a peon, you had no intention of working honestly?]

``... or be a part and parcel in bribe and looting which is a culture in Pakistan.

[cleaning up the culture, are you by emigrating?].

``Third, as I said if country is demanding something from me, i.e my labor. It has to provide me with something also.

[Provide sense of shame. On both counts?]

``That something is job, in which I can live in a house, teach my children and don`t go hungry. Do you have some magic by which you can do something for the people, so that they don`t emigrate.

[Q: Should the country have all these things in place before you are born? I mean, before one is born].

[ No, I do not have a magic. Even God doesn`t have a solution to greed, selfishness AND lack of shame].

``Why should a person leave his culture, his people, his friends, his surroundings except by necessity.``

[See above. Besides, such people have no `friends`, `people` and `culture`. You do have an unassailable sense of humour, though!].

``As far as your suggestion of seeing a neuro-surgeon. Can you kindly tell me what kind of disease you are suspecting to refer me to a neuro-surgeon.``

[I am not `suspecting` anything; simply `suggesting`. Read ``One flew Over the Cukoo`s Nest``, or, see movie of the same title (I can`t vouch for the movie since I haven`t seen it) for a good understanding].

Best wishes to you krashid.

Creation of Pakistan on the basis of `Two-Nation theory` (TNT) was wrong.

http://www.dawn.com/2000/06/22/top15.htm

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain has said that the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 proves that the Two-Nation Theory of Pakistan`s founders was a ``farce`` and ``it was the biggest fraud played with the Muslims of India.``

``Events after the creation of Pakistan have proved that it was a wrong theory,`` he said, adding that if the theory was correct, he would be convinced only when the government agreed to open borders and allow Indian Muslims to settle in Pakistan and repatriated stranded Pakistanis living in Bangladeshi camps.

Talking to a delegation of intellectuals and professors from the Sub-continent, which visited the MQM International Secretariat, Mr Hussain claimed that history had proved that the Two-Nation Theory was wrong.

No name of the delegation members, or from which city they had come, was mentioned in a press release issued on Wednesday from the MQM International Secretariat.

Saying that there was no future of Pakistan, which was disintegrated in 1971 and whose remaining part is ``on the verge of catastrophe,`` the MQM chief said that East Bengal was the first to support the creation of Pakistan based on the Two-Nation Theory.

But the same part rectified its mistake by separating itself in 1971 thus ``proving that the theory was a farce``.

He said the supporters of the theory were now asking the stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh to opt for Bangladeshi citizenship or settle in any Muslim country instead of inviting them back to Pakistan.

``On what ideological basis are you offering such an advice to the stranded Pakistanis? Does this advice relate to the concept of the Two-Nation Theory or does it negate the very concept?,`` he asked.

He said that if we analyse the history of the Pakistan Movement, it emerged that virtually all Muslim majority provinces of the present-day Pakistan had opposed the creation of Pakistan. He said only the Sindh Assembly had supported the creation of Pakistan and that too with a majority of only one vote.

Mr Hussain said that all those who had supported the concept of the Two-Nation Theory and Pakistan, including Mr GM Syed, had been labelled as ``traitors`` in Pakistan.

``Mr Fazl-i-Haq, the Lion of Bengal, who had presented the Pakistan Resolution, was labelled as a ``traitor,`` the Sindhis were labelled as ``traitors``, the Balochs were labelled as ``traitors``; and now the Mohajirs have also been labelled as ``traitors,`` he said.

The MQM chief said that the Pakistan army had forced the people of East Pakistan to separate by carrying out their massacre in 1970 and raping their women. Similarly, he said, the army had marched against Balochs and Sindhis and now it had been targeting Mohajirs for last eight years.

``The army operation against Mohajirs, which commenced on June 19, 1992, was also a negation of the Two-Nation Theory,`` he said.

Mr Hussain also said that the formation of a nation on the basis of religion was fundamentally wrong because if the religion was the basis for nationhood then more than 45 independent and sovereign Muslim states would not have been the members of the United Nations as separate and independent states.

He said though it was claimed that Pakistan was being created for 100 million Muslims of India, it became the homeland of Muslims of the Muslim majority provinces only.

``Today, if we compare the population of Muslims living in Pakistan with that of the Muslims living in India then we see that the population of Muslims in India is much more than the total Muslim population of Pakistan.

It means that the Two-Nation Theory has failed to provide protection and security to the majority of Muslims of the Sub-continent because the number of Muslims living in India is greater than the total Muslims of Pakistan,`` he said. ``If the Muslims of India were to remain under the Hindu majority then why were they taught the doctrine of the Pakistan Movement and the Two-Nation Theory,?`` he asked.

kgeorge#92

First of all, I would like to ask you which country do you belong. Because you initially faked as Pakistani.

Second, your arguments appear sound on paper. The reason is simple. These Saands of yours, meaning Pakistanis who have emigrated abroad are doing a good job for the economy of Pakistan. While in Pakistan they might have been a burden on exchequer, or be a part and parcel in bribe and looting which is a culture in Pakistan.

Third, as I said if country is demanding something from me, i.e my labor. It has to provide me with something also. That something is job, in which I can live in a house, teach my children and don`t go hungry. Do you have some magic by which you can do something for the people, so that they don`t emigrate.

Why should a person leave his culture, his people, his friends, his surroundings except by necessity.

As far as your suggestion of seeing a neuro-surgeon. Can you kindly tell me what kind of disease you are suspecting to refer me to a neuro-surgeon.

krashid #92

kr, believe me I have always wished you well.

I read your post #92. Please consult a counselor or a neurologist. I say this honestly and with concern, because I know you make sense in many of your posts. But in this one? It is possible that you are on antihistamins for pollen allergy. You see, you talk about I going to Lalukhet and say something about somebody, Mushtaq Hussain, and get killed. What is this apropos of? In the first instance why would I say anything about anybody anyway? Particularly when I don`t know the gentleman.

No matter how illiterate or untrained you are, no matter how much a skilled or an unskilled of a worker you are, when you go to live in the adopted country of your choice you have absorbed 1/2 million dollars in your upbringing upto let`s say age 28. This include your consumption of food, clothing, general amenities eg., provision of roads, street lights, police, national defence, supply-of-water, of-electricity to-the-house, provision of public entertainment e.g., radio, television etc. The list goes on and on. And on.

So, you see, you are already worth half a million dollars when you arrive in your countries of immigration choice. That is the minimum price one can put on you in dollar terms. The pain to your parents, the tribulations of your mother in particular, and the pain of losing you to the Pardes is incalculable. But enough said.

Two things still need to be said: that one half of a million is a GIFT to the receiving nation, in which, and where, you arrive palley plaaye, like a Saand. Your country has spent that on you. If your host country were to raise a similar Saand, it would be in no way less than the amount I have calculated. In this way all of you who go to those countries represent net AID to those countries. They gave aid, grants and loans to your country so that the task of raising Saands, the cattle, is carried out by the poorer countries.

In the end those countries get their capital back in terms of you. AND leave the next generations in your country of birth to pay off the funds that went into raising you.

You do appreciate the fact that despite all this glib talk these days of individuals having looted 300 crores and 500 crores (if true, because I boubt it) was not looted all during your life when you were here in Pakistan.

The second thing that I should like everybody to remember is that even though you may be worth half a million dollars (or, for that matter, whatever) you have not paid back to your country what it spent on you and the loss it incurred due to you turning coats.

What the frung do you ask me to say something in Lalukhet and see whether I come back alive or not. krashid, see a neurosurgeon or else write posts that, we pedestrians, can understand.

Temples dying in Pakistan

http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/00june06/edit.htm#4

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed

Few people are aware that Pakistan has Vedic temples prima au pareil (unparallel) languishing for want of care and dying a dusty death. Umpteen temples have vanished from the skyline of the prominent cities of Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sindh and Islamabad. The clue as to how briskly they have disappeared is provided by the fact that at the time of Independence, some 424 Hindu temples dotted the landscape of Karachi alongwith a synagogue, several gurudwaras and a number of churches. Over the years, however, the temples have disappeared one by one, leaving alone only a handful of places where the city`s Hindu residents may worship.

According to Saquib Malik, the features editor of Karachi`s ‘Herald’ monthly, in the year immediately following partition, a majority of Karachi`s temples were converted into Government schools while some were turned into private residences. The rest of the temples remained more or less undisturbed. What is most unfortunate, according to the noted columnist of Karachi`s ‘Dawn’ English daily, Nahid Riyaz, is that the few remaining temples have always been under threat from the city`s notorious land mafia. In many cases, the courtyards and grounds surrounding these structures, have already been encroached. But more shocking is the fact that the custodians of the temples themselves joined hands with the land grabbers. While the administration turns a blind eye to the plunder, a vital part of the city`s cultural heritage is fast disappearing.

From the Pakistani capital Islamabad to Lahore, the motorway is not only very comfortable but also makes a memorable journey owing to the fact that there are many Hindu and Islamic monuments of importance and one such is the historic Katasraj Mandir associated with the Mahabharata legend. Legend has it that here the famous dialogue between Yudhishthira and Yaksha took place. The story goes that here the Pandava brothers went to quench their thirst at the Katasraj Mandir pond, Yaksha, the protector of the pond, allowed them to drink water on the condition they answered their questions. While the four of the Pandavas failed to answer his questions, they were rendered lifeless by him. Yudhisththira finally answered all the questions and had his brothers revived by the Yaksha.

Vijay Goel, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP, visited this temple in Pakistan and lamented that it was in a pathetic state in spite of the fact that it has a tremendous following and the cases for its uplift and restoration are in the Lahore High Court. Goel suggested that the Heads of the two countries come together and form a Joint Committee for involving the historians, social activists, planners and media persons for restoration of places of religious importance both in India and Pakistan. He made this suggestion to former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto while on his visit to Lahore for the historic Delhi-Lahore bus journey representing the Indian Parliamentary delegation.

Goel was dazed to know that at the social level, the people of Pakistan wanted to be close to India as much and that there are no walls and political borders. Their craze for Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla, Karishma, Kajol and Manisha Koirala was more than the Indians, Goel felt. After talking to the members of the Pakistani Hindu Mahasabha, Goel found that more temples in that country were destroyed after December 6, 1992 in the bloody Babri Masjid aftermath than in the half century after the vivisection of the sub-continent. They told Goel that religious fundamentalism is extremely dangerous, especially for the minorities.

In the days that followed the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition by the frenzied mob in Faizabad, the Hindu temples all across Pakistan came under attack from rioting crowds. The temples that were destroyed in Karachi and Peshawar in those days of unbridled hate, were never rebuilt. Rather, the land on which they were constructed, was quietly sold off to real estate developers. Some temples have been rebuilt but they are few.

The very entrance to Katasraj Mandir is a pathetic one. There`s nothing that can be termed as Mandir except the ruins. In fact, the presence of an old board only indicated that the site is that of the famous Katasraj Mandir where a guard is also placed. There is a plaque by the Archaeological Survey of Pakistan that quotes the history of this temple. ``Katas: Kohistan Mountains, Central Chakwal --- according to the legend of the Mahabharata, when Lord Shiva lost his wife Parvati, he felt so upset that the ponds at the eastern and western ends of the temple got filled by his tears. In Sanskrit it is also known as ‘Katak Sheel’ which means flow of tears. Later on the name got twisted to ‘Katas’. The place is of great significance for the Brahmins.``

Even Al-Bairuni wrote an interesting history of the temple in his ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’ where he depicts that he learnt Sanskrit and science at Katas. Not only this, quite interestingly, he even learnt many Vedic traditions. Renowned historian Panikkar states that ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’ brings a very honest and first-hand account of history at that time. It is also mentioned in Bairuni`s book that Katas happened to be the most revered Mandir after Punjab`s Jwalamukhi Mandir. This fact is also confirmed by Liaqat Ali Khan Niyazi, the Deputy Commissioner of Chakwal. Al-Bairuni also mentioned about other Pakistani temples like Panch Mukhi ka Hanuman Mandir, Nagnath Baba Mandir and Darya Lal Mandir.

The grounds of the famous Nagnath Bawa Mandir in Karachi have been occupied by a businessman housing a soap factory. Though the owner claims to have brought it legally from the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA), Hindu residents of the area dispute the claim. The historic importance of this temple is that once Lord Shankar wanted to lead peaceful existence for some time and he came here. He took the permission of Anant Vasudevji, who gladly agreed and desired that the deity visited this place regularly even later on. It was managed by a local trust of the Hindu community that has no influence in the area. Not very distant is the Preedy Police Station adjacent to which is the Preedy Mandir at Sadar. It was occupied by the dreaded land mafia in that area. The trustees of the temple said that it was owing to a nexus between the land grabbers, police and politicians.

Similarly, there is Narayan Mandir, situated at MA Jinnah Road, just opposite the head office of the Karachi Municipal Corporation. Presently, it has been managed by the All-Pakistan Hindu Panchayat Committee and community leaders. It is known for colourful festivals. The shopkeepers on the road have not only encroached upon its premises but also started storing their merchandise in the temple compound. Raja Dharampal Varma, an office bearer, states that initially the shopkeepers said that they were sitting there only to avoid the heat during the summer. But, slowly they started using the premises as a warehouse. That`s why they sealed the rear gate of the temple for fear of an attack by the fanatics.

Narinder Jogi, a former trustee of the temple told that they complained to the authorities but to no avail. They have been pleading their case since Benazir Bhutto was the Prime Minister during her first-term but in vain. ``The corrupt have no fear, for they know even if they are entrapped and an enquiry held and they are found to be guilty and suspended, they will soon walk back or walk to an even better job. It is indeed difficult to fight and win``, rues a disgruntled Jogi.

Darya Lal Mandir in the vicinity of the Customs House got its name as it is situated just on the edge of the Arabian sea. The story goes that the Hindus living in the areas around this temple sought the blessing of the deity in the sanctum sanctorum before launching their boats in the sea. It is believed that those who sought the blessings, were safe and sound no matter whatever the fury of the tempest used to be. Apart from that they also got the best variety of fish. Basically most of them came from Mohalla Mahigir (fishermen`s locality). Today, they prefer to make their journey without Darya Lal`s blessings, perhaps because a large part of the temple as well as the surrounding area has been encroached upon by the Karachi Hazara Goods Company, transporters and a tea canteen. The company owner and his employees harass visitors to Darya Lal, especially the women.

In Karachi`s famous Hingora Lane, Lyari, the famous Jagdish Mandir was completely destroyed in the aftermath of Babri Masjid debacle. The Pujari, Sant Ram Bhatia, lamented the fact that prior to the Babri Masjid disaster, there was little love lost between the Hindus and Pathans and Balochis living in the neighbourhood. Rather, in the absence of the Pujari, the immediate neighbour Shamsher Khan Diwan took care of the temple premises and opened it if some visitor wanted to see it. Twice Bhatia visited India and each time he left the keys in the possession of Diwan who fully guaranteed its safety. But, after the sad Ram Mandir imbroglio, the very same neighbours accuse the Indian ilks of Pujari to be non-secular and fascist and anti-Muslim. A portion of the Mandir was taken by a madrasa and the remaining part was converted into a warehouse by the Managing Committee of the temple. Today, there is no trace of Jagdish Mandir, where the famous Saint Rishi Gautam used to reside here and even Ganga once appeared here in the form of Gautmi alongwith Shiva Trayambkeshwara Jyotirlinga. Now all this is a legend.

Lyari`s largest Hindu temple was the Panjrapur Mandir. A portion of the temple`s ground has been taken over by an adjacent building after some understanding by the trustees of the temple. After that another portion of the courtyard of the temple was bought by another person for commercial purposes. The construction is still on with the help of Khatu Mal, Member, Pakistani Assembly. Others who sold off the temple premises include the self-proclaimed Mahanta Babu Lal and temple caretaker Kishan Meghwar. Only 6x8 feet portion remains of what is now that Mandir that was spread over 3,000 sq yds. Not very far away from Panjrapur Mandir is the once famous Bhagnari Mandir near Tea Market that was constructed by the Balochi Hindus and was visited by the members of one Lassi tribe. More than half of the temple premises has been occupied by a transporter and a courier company, Al-Rifah.

Laxmi Narayan Panghat Mandir, situated beside the Native Jetty, (Neti-Jeti in the vernacular) once held a special significance for Hindu women, who came here for performing the ritual purification bath. Goddess Laxmi and Lord Narain also appeared here. It was originally here that out of reverence for this pious place that some tears fell from the eyes of Lord Narayan and Bindu Sarovar, a fresh water pound came into being immediately after that. Over the last few decades the devotees numbers have decreased owing to encroachment upon the premises by some politicians and other influential people. The aesthetic beauty of the temple has been marred owing to the construction of the Jinnah Over Bridge Extension. Besides, the women devotees hesitate to visit the site because of late the area has become a hunting ground for lecherous young men, especially during the festivals of Rakhi, Ganpati, Karwa Chauth, Holi and Diwali. Some distance away from this temple used to be the Hanuman Mandir at Frere Market Road that was abandoned after Babri Masjid debacle. Today, a cryptic sign reading KESC-208 is painted on the door.

In a recent judgement, the Chief Justice of Sindh, Kamal Mansoor Alam, realising the lack of confidence in the Pakistani Courts and the frustration of the minorities of that city who have filed umpteen number of petitions against the illegal and forced occupation of the temples, has appointed a ‘Temple Bench’ comprising two fearless judges, Justice Rana Bhagwandas and Sabihuddin Ahmed. He has also ordered it to sit on one day each week to hear cases involving encroachment on temples. This bench has successfully and expeditiously dispensed justice.

Salman Rashid, a freelance Karachi journalist, states that such unauthorised temple occupations are not raised overnight in a manner that would escape the notice of the officials, nor they can remain concealed. Such illegal activity bears testimony to the indifference of the authorities. At the same time, he maintains that the question of the illegal occupation of temples in Pakistan and mosques in India is a very sensitive one. The two countries` administrators must bear this in mind that if a temple is burnt in Pakistan, the ones to suffer will be the innocnt Indian Muslims and their mosques and if a similar incident takes place in India where a mosque is harmed, the innocent Pakistani Hindus have to bear the brunt.

Rashid maintains that this is very unfortunate and with the presence of custodians of law, the law of the jungle must not prevail. The two governments must respect the places of worship of all the communities. Rashid quoted the Karachi Governor Moinuddin Haider saying that one single most heinous crime in the religious realm of the sub-continent was the destruction of Babri Masjid. Let`s hope sanity and better sense prevails and the religious places of all the communities remain safe, not only in the sub-continent but elsewhere even - for they are the harbingers of harmony for those who are attached to them in the heart and mind.

kheorge #91

In your post you said esentially that people are in very bad shape. There is no disagreement.

Then you said people like me sucked it dry.

As long as I was in Pakistan, I have taken a very good care of people and politics there.

When I am here, I still keep in touch, with the events there.

I don`t get your point of sucking it dry.

Did I looted banks? Did I took bribes? Since I could not do this and I did not want my family to eat ``Haram``, I have to work hard.

I am still doing that.

Can you do something.

If you have some courage and determination go in Lalukhet in Karachi and say Altaf has made Mohajir into paupers. You will not return alive.

There is no one way street. If I am for Pakistan. Pakistan is for me also.

``And leave all this big talk of Nationalism and sucking of nation.``

krashid #90

krashid: This is not a comedy fest and the one-liners won`t do. You do realize that #88 is not answered by your one line above.

The question had an import for Pakistanis as much as for Indians. Perhaps one of them would like to address it.

kgeorge#88 peeping #89

If you have worked in different communities, then you would not be saying this.

As far as your assertion of betraying the people of Pakistan.

I don`t know who is betraying. One who says everything is good because they have gone to give ``Sadaka``.

If you have seen the poor through Sadaka. You have seen nothing.

And leave all this big talk of Nationalism and sucking of nation.

Talk about people.

Give your credentials.

I will give mine.

krashid reply# 87

* Are you talking about the same Pakistan where I * lived or is it another country.

Yes. I am talking about the same country that you are so afraid to live in. For me its the most beautiful country in the world. Yes there are slums in Karachi and other citites but let me make one thing clear. I have been to these slums to offer sadqah from my parents side. They do get to meet their ends and some of them even refused to accept sadqah saying it was meant for even poorer people. Crime and exploitation does occur here. But where does it not happen. I sincerely feel that its no reason to talk against the identity and cause of your country. If this be the case then India needs to have the most worries about the purpose of its conception. Despite the expenditure on nuclear arms and technical advancement India still needs to offer protection to countless homeless people.

And as for Reply # 88

I am not sure if I was also guilty of the this ``badtameezi`` that Kgeorge has mentioned. If I am guilty then all due apologies.

I cannot help agree with you. Everything about the country of destination to the country of origin has been well said. All I can add is that your country is the way you look at it. Being ungrateful is very easy. Try thinking to yourself how you have sucked your countries resources. How it has given you the basic education and the technical computer education on the base of which you are in the country of destination. Ask what your country has given you and the answer would be endless. Ask what you have given your country and I am afraid the answer would be ``nothing.``