‘Let me share a personal experience with you. I used to think on same lines as yours, almost started believing in my Urdu Speaking heritage and started hating Punjabiat around in my city. But then came the great Earthquake, I was in Karachi at that time and started doing my bit in relief work. I was deeply influenced the way teenagers of Karachi gathered at PAF museum and started working like a machine in a very organized way, that kind of work and spirit, Karachi has never seen before. That one day changed my point of view on Pakistan or may I call it ‘PAKISTANIAT’. Call me crazy, call me day dreamer, but I believe that was one day, when all of the youth of Karachi, no matter which ethnic background they share, became one, aiming at one mission working like a machine, showing the true spirit of Pakistan.’

I agree. I saw that happen and am really influenced myself by that show of solidarity.

anyway, as I said, bygones by bygones….and everyone should live in harmony in Pakistan, and Pakistan and India should be firends not enemy.

Also, barristerakc, I found it amazing, and I never knew this before, that people actually lived in Fatehpur sikri. Amazing.

As far as your comments on Punjabiat and Pashtooniat is concerned, am least bothered about these kind of sentiments. The people who think on ethnic lines not on nationalist lines will keep whining like this but this wont effect the spirit of Pakistan.

Let me share a personal experience with you. I used to think on same lines as yours, almost started believing in my Urdu Speaking heritage and started hating Punjabiat around in my city. But then came the great Earthquake, I was in Karachi at that time and started doing my bit in relief work. I was deeply influenced the way teenagers of Karachi gathered at PAF museum and started working like a machine in a very organized way, that kind of work and spirit, Karachi has never seen before. That one day changed my point of view on Pakistan or may I call it ‘PAKISTANIAT’. Call me crazy, call me day dreamer, but I believe that was one day, when all of the youth of Karachi, no matter which ethnic background they share, became one, aiming at one mission working like a machine, showing the true spirit of Pakistan.

Believe me or not, PAKISTANIAT is there and whole lot of people share it.

Unfortunately the idea, ideology and the fortitude of Pakistan & ‘Pakistaniat’, the idea of Pakistan is: D-E-A-D! It died the day when MAJ gave his infamous speech at Dhaka University causing language riots; it died when Ayub systematically sacked ‘Urdu Speaking’ civil servants; it died when Bangladesh parted, it died when Bhutto’s Fascist ideas targeted us (Urdu/Gujrati Speakers); it died when Bihari(s) were refused entry into Pakistan; etc, etc…

There(s) no Pakistan, unfortunately – we better need to understand this or in the name of Pakistaniat which is actually/unfortunately Punjabiat, Pashtooniat – they will bury us.

It’s sad but a bitter reality!!!
Regards,
Barrister Ali K.Chishti

@ balma : In my opinion, one does not need to be born in Pakistan to be a Pakistani. Pakistaniat is vision / ideology / dream shared by many people, who call themselves Pakistani. Its not necessary that they have to be citizens of Pakistan. If you have travelled to India & Bangladesh you will still find a sizeable population (not necessary muslims) who support Pakistan. Well, I work and stay in Dubai for last 6 years and most of my colleagues are from India, most of them still support idea of Pakistan (though with some reservations). Now, coming to the point, it doesn’t matter what you think of MAJ’s educational / professional qualification, but it will remain the fact that MAJ was asked to take the membership of Lincoln Inn and was the youngest Indian to have that honour. I would advise you to check MAJ profile on Wikipedia, maybe it will clear the doubts you have in your mind. MAJ never supported the idea of separate muslim state till the time he was so disheartened by the Indian Muslims’ behavior towards him that he went back to London and returned in 1934 after years. I would advise you to check the facts before commenting on a public figure on a public blog…… we all have responsibilities towards the society, don’t we?

@balma: According the records, during the time of partition Fatehpur Sikri housed more then 5879 people (37% of them Muslims; 1945 Population Census). Muslims, of course were the bully’s ; ruling the roost!!!

Communal tensions did increase during early 1947, where lot of Sikhs moved into interior UP side to kill Muslims.

In fact a couple of my grand-father cousins who studied in Aligarh were poised in Delhi by a Hindu hotelier in February, 1947 apart from other instances in Mid/South India. All this contributed to partition and forced MAJ to call for ‘direct action’ and eventually to separate.

A million dollar question is: did we ‘the migrant(s)’ prospered? The fact of the matter is: that the people who migrated from India (especially from Bihar / UP / MP / AP ) were either upper middle class educated ones or the rich ones – unfortunately, the poor(s) stayed behind because of monetary and logistical problems / hurdles. I personally, think that MAJ too never wanted Pakistan (check out his properties left behind in India) and that Pakistan, ‘happened’.

People like us – who(s) forefathers migrated eventually lost because no-matter how much we want too be ; the son of soil(s) would always treat us like: aliens.
Regards,
Barrister Ali K.Chishti

Tzaidi: I will stick to my claim that Jinnah didn’t have formal education beyond matricualtion (if that). Lincoln Inn was not a college or school or a university. It was a place to do internship if one wanted to pass bar exam. Also, he didn’t belong to the ashraf of old India. He had no regards to the joint Muslim-Hindu civilzation of India, got carried away with his Pakistan plan and got check-mated by fanatic Hindus.

Indian court system: I am not here to defend all the wrongs that are with India. Still their court system hasn’t allowed any mandir to be built in Ayodyah (and this problem is a historic problem first started at the instigation of British during the rule of Vajid Ali Shah, basially to find excuse to annex Awadh (of which Lucknow was the capital).

Narindara Bhai Modi is a criminal who messes arund with Indian court system just like our Zardari types do. I think Moodi had a major role in Ahmedabad riots few years ago. But, saalaa taqreerai’n bohut achhee kartaa hae. I heard him speak once, the bastard was quoting Iqbal and other Urdu poetry (most Pakistanis will find it hard to believe). I hope he will meet justice one day.

There have been many Muslims in Indian justice system at the highest palces. I guess Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was one of them. He later became the president of Inida.

Look, things are not perfect for Muslims in India, but they are not as horrible as Muslims have done to themselves in Pakistan. Luckily, I noticed that most educated young people have moved on in India. On the surface at least, no one cares if one is Muslim or a Hindu. Reality is obviously different. But, we have to let bygones be bygones….unless your are RSS type….Muslims are busy educating their next generation and I believe Muslims have a much brighter future in India than their recent past.

Muslim leaders (esp the Mullah types) are as fucked up in India as they are in PK. The plight of Jamia Masjid and Nizamuddin dargah needs to be taken care of. It was funny to read a notice by the dumb fuck imam of Jama Masjid posted at the masjid on how he has the fucking right to be the imam because Shahjahan invited his ancestor from Bukhara to be the imam!
AGain, Muslims in India are getting educated like hell. If they can’t get admissions in govt universities, they are forming their own private universities…e.g. Integral Univ in Lucknow and Jahagirabad Inst of Techonoloy near Lucknow….and of course several shaandaar institutions started by Muslims in Hyderabad in last few decades. Due to high quota for the scheduled castes at the government run universities in colleges and universities in India, Muslims are at a disadvantage…but they are taking care of the problem.

And, don’t you worry about my origin:-) I was born in Karachi.

My grandfather, along with his commerdae brought many trains to Pakistan through Khokrapar border, since he and his friends were carrying arms and had connections in high places due to military affiliation and Aligarh Muslim Alumni. My grandfather confirmed that killing was at both sides. Hindus / Sikhs killed because of craeation of Pakistan and Muslim killed in revenge. And pleas, all of you, accept that it was one of the major migration / partition in mordern times and it was bound to happen.

Few more corrections:
@BALMA: I dont know you origin, but let me clarify that M. A. Jinnah was Bar at Law (from lincoln bar – London – UK) He was one of the youngest barristers in Bombay Court and guess what he was very expensive too. Further, whatever yoy say on the plight of Mazzar and Masjids, let me tell you no government in Inida will resolve issues related to Muslims, they will only encash their votes on muslim sentiments, be it roits of Bombay, riots of Gujrat or Ayoudiha mosque masaccre, nothing ever happend in Inidan court of law, all investigations / commission reports were never made public. Do you have any answer on this !!!!!

@barristerakc : I fully agree with you – whatever you have mentioned above. You looked like a learned person :)

Our family migrated from Fatehpur Sikri to Karachi in July,1947. They tell me that they boarded a ship from Bombay to Karachi. They also tell me that during there stay in Bombay, rioting started and it was the ‘Bohri’ community which helped the muslims who wanted to migrate to Pakistan a lot by making shelters, providing logistics and security to everyone.