Many people asked me why I have been writing so much about Pakistan, and not so much about India. So let me explain.
The struggle for human rights in India is really going on in Pakistan. In india we do not see any people’s struggles. What we have seen here is victory of Congress in Karnataka, strife between Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur, wrestlers’ protests in Delhi, oppression of minorities, etc. But these are not people’s struggles.
On the other hand, in Pakistan a secular united people’s struggle is going on by the democratic forces led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan against the fascist forces which are trampling the human rights of the people, arresting thousands under the pretext of the 9th May incident ( which appears to be stage managed and scripted like the Reichstag fire in Germany in February 1933, which was done by the Nazis ), dragging people from their houses after breaking into them, making people disappear like the eminent journalist Imran Riaz Khan, largely muzzling the media, setting up military tribunals to dispense kangaroo justice, blatantly violating the Constitution by refusing to hold elections as required by Article 224(2) despite the Supreme Court verdict, etc.
In India what we witness from time to time are clashes between religious, caste or tribal groups, but not a united, secular people’s struggle against repressive forces which polarise society for their vested interests, and for economic emancipation.
On the other hand, in Pakistan what we are witnessing is a secular, united people’s struggle of democratic forces, which though presently at an incipient stage and facing fearful odds and tyranny, is bound to grow stronger as time passes.
This is bound to inspire the people of India too, who too must launch such a united people’s struggle, transcending religious, caste, lingual and racial barriers, for their emancipation against the curses of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, lack of proper healthcare and good education, casteism, communalism, etc which have plagued us for long.
Today I saw on Twitter that Pakistani Americans have gathered outside the UN building in New York to raise their voice against the violation of human rights by the regime in Pakistan, and similar protests have been held, and are being held, by Pakistani expatriates all over America, UK and other countries.
I have appealed to Indian NRIs everywhere to join them and form a united front with them against tyranny and fascist forces. The problems of India and Pakistan are basically the same, so we must join hands to solve them, instead of regarding each other as enemies…
