> > > To paraphrase Swami Chinmayananda, There are two kinds of Hindus in India, > those who are Hindus and those who were Hindus..(at least partly!!) > Not entirely true though!!! > >> >> >> Dealing With Demons From The Past.... >> >> Author: Irfan Hussain >> >> Publication : Daily Times >> >> In a tranquil place like St Andrews, there are not many distractions, so >> I have been reading lots of history and trying to reflect on its lessons. >> For some time now, I have been interested in the dynamics of Hindu-Muslim >> relations, and the impact of ancient enmities and grievances on current >> Indo-Pak relations. >> >> We have forgotten much of our past, but it nonetheless affects our daily >> lives. For instance, when we now think of the Afghan city of Kandahar, we >> equate it with the Taliban. But its original name was Gandhara, and it was a >> part of the ancient Buddhist civilisation with its capital city in Taxila. >> Swat, Peshawar and the Kabul Valley were all included in this thriving, >> peaceful community that had absorbed Mediterranean culture brought to the >> subcontinent by Alexander, and before him, by Greek mercenaries and traders. >> >> While it was no utopia, it was a stable, prosperous civilisation that >> threatened none of its neighbours, and has bequeathed us a wealth of >> artefacts that attest to its high level of cultural development. >> >> The reason I mention this period of history is to try and understand the >> bitterness that must exist in many Hindu minds over the Muslim conquest of >> their country. In his "Story of Civilisation", Will Durant writes: “The >> Mohammedan conquest of India is probably the bloodiest in history”. While >> historical events should be judged in the context of their times, it cannot >> be denied that even in that bloody period of history, no mercy was shown to >> the Hindus unfortunate enough to be in the path of either the Arab >> conquerors of Sindh and south Punjab, or the Central Asians who swept in >> from Afghanistan. >> >> The Muslim heroes who figure larger than life in our history books >> committed some dreadful crimes. Mahmud of Ghazni, Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, Balban, >> Mohammed bin Qasim, and Sultan Mohammad Tughlak, all have blood-stained >> hands that the passage of years has not cleansed. Indeed, the presence of >> Muslim historians on their various campaigns has ensured that the memory of >> their deeds will live long after they were buried. >> >> Seen through Hindu eyes, the Muslim invasion of their homeland was an >> unmitigated disaster. Their temples were razed, their idols smashed, their >> women raped, their men killed or taken slaves. When Mahmud of Ghazni entered >> Somnath on one of his annual raids, he slaughtered all 50,000 inhabitants. >> Aibak killed and enslaved hundreds of thousands. >> >> The list of horrors is long and painful. >> >> These conquerors justified their deeds by claiming it was their religious >> duty to smite non-believers. Cloaking themselves in the banner of Islam, >> they claimed they were fighting for their faith when, in reality, they were >> indulging in straightforward slaughter and pillage. When these warriors >> settled in India, they ruled as absolute despots over a cowed Hindu >> populace. For generations, their descendants took their martial superiority >> over their subjects for granted. When the British exposed the decadence of >> the Moghuls and seized power, the Muslims — especially the aristocracy — >> tried to cut deals with the new rulers to ensure that they would be treated >> differently from the Hindus. >> >> It has been argued by some historians that Pakistan was really created to >> ensure that the Muslim ruling class would not be subject to Hindu rule in an >> undivided India. But having created Pakistan, the ruling elites promptly >> started lording it over the Bengalis of East Pakistan. What, after all, is >> the point of being descendants of Tughlak, Aibak and Mahmud if there is no >> under-class to persecute and exploit? >> >> This, then, is the Hindu perspective of the Muslim invasion of their >> country. After centuries of first Muslim and then British rule, they are >> finally in charge of their destiny. For the first time in modern history, >> Indians feel that they can play a role on the world stage in keeping with >> their numbers and the size of their country. Pakistan, especially its >> establishment and military, is smarting from successive military defeats and >> the steady diminishing of its international image. Due to their long >> domination of much of India, the Muslim elite in Pakistan feels it has some >> kind of divine right to be treated on a par with India. >> >> With this psychological and historical baggage, both sides are unable to >> engage constructively with each other. Many Hindus feel they have centuries >> of humiliation to avenge. And a substantial number of Pakistani Muslims are >> secretly convinced that they are inherently superior to the Hindus. >> >> One irony, of course, is that contrary to their wishful thinking, the vast >> majority of Muslims in the subcontinent have more Hindu blood in their veins >> than there is Arab, Afghan, Turkish or Persian blood. Many of the invaders >> took Hindu wives and concubines. And many Hindus converted to Islam to >> further their military or civil service careers. As a result of this >> intermingling, despite proud boasts of pure bloodlines, most Pakistanis have >> many Hindu ancestors. >> >> This reality makes the Hindu-Muslim divide all the more bitter, for it >> pits brother against brother. And as students of Moghul history are aware, >> this is perhaps the bloodiest kind of conflict. By ties of consanguinity, >> culture, geography, and history, there is far more that unites than divides >> Indian Hindus and Muslims. But the politics of self-interest, too often >> garbed in the banner of faith, has pushed them far apart. >> >> Why resurrect these ghosts from history? Because until we have confronted >> the demons from our past, we cannot understand the dynamics of contemporary >> events. As India and Pakistan go through the intricate steps of peace talks, >> each side needs to know what makes the other tick. >> >> Whether we like it or not, neither geography nor history can be changed. >> While both countries have engaged in rewriting the past to suit their >> respective agendas, the facts cannot be erased. Both Muslims and Hindus have >> to live together as neighbours, and in India, as citizens. >> >> A study and understanding of the past will promote better understanding >> between the two communities. It is important that Hindus grasp the central >> fact that their Muslim neighbours cannot now be held responsible for the >> persecution of their ancestors, and Muslims must face the fact that they are >> not the political heirs of the emperors Babar and Akbar. >> >> Time is a great leveller; it is also a great healer. >> >> Please delete all details of previous senders before forwarding this mail. >> The information contained in this message does not reflect the sender's >> personal opinions and should not be construed as such. The sender does not >> accept liability or guarantee authenticity for any of the statements made or >> any of the information contained herein. >> > > > > > >
