I hate the culture of hatred mirrored in the form of racial, ethnic or religious discrimination and terrorism.  I endorse the views of Mr. Sajjad  Shaukat that in India some political and religious groups have been killing the Christians, the Muslims and the Sikhs. It is very tragic. India is not a secular country. It is a pure Hindu state. Had it been a democratic and secular state it would have granted the right of self determination to the Kashmiris as promised by Mr. Nehru. The Muslims and others are dodged in the name of secularism in India. The other day I was reading the book of Sheikh Mohammad  Abdullah titled Aatish-e- Chinar. In this book he has depicted the story of his struggle for the freedom of Kashmiris from the yoke of Maharaja Harri Singh. Sheikh Abdullah left Muslim Conference and made National Conference. He abandoned Mr. Jinnah and joined the camp of Mr. Nehru. In 1947, he joined India and opposed Pakistan. He became the exponent of secularism. He preached the norms of Mahatma Gandhi and Mr. Jawahar Lal Nehru. But as he claimed to be the follower of the Quran and  admirer of Allama Iqbal, his loyalties were doubted by the Hindu leadership in India. He was never trusted. In 1953 he was jailed for ten years. Again he was jailed for three years. So in the love of Nehru and Indian secularism he spent thirteen years in Jail. His friend Mr. Nehru never came to his rescue. It is a lesson to be learnt. His alliance with India was unwanted and un natural. Had he joined hands with Pakistan, the Kashmiris would have seen the dawn of freedom. It was the negative ego of Sheikh Abdullah which drifted the Kashmiris in to the deep sea of miseries. Till his last breath, he clung to India as he had no choice after committing the blunder of supporting India. Undoubtedly  he was a towering personality and was a committed nationalist who introduced radical social reforms but his tilt to Indian secularism shook him totally. He was dodged and deluded by the Hindu hardliners.

Mr. Sajjad Shaukat, in his column has presented the data of the  Muslim and Christian victims who were massacred by the Hindu extremists since the partition of the Sub-continent. In my opinion there are moderate and good Hindus as well. In all religions we find a handful band of extremists who mar the human culture. We must appreciate the moderate sections of all faiths. But it must be noted that India has bleak and dismal track record as for as secularism is concerned. It is a Hindu state mirroring Secular Terrorism.

 

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Maqsood Jafri

New York

January 29, 2010