[Reader-list] Reg: Indo-Pak Peace Process : A Mirage??

[cashmeeri]

Two important points have been made by Anil Athale.
 
Of his goodwill mission visit to Pakistan in 2006, he says:
 
"Let me hasten to add that we met a lot of people of goodwill and peace in
Pakistan. But most of them were part of the elite. There is no doubt about
their sincerity as well. But there is a total disconnect between the elite
and the masses. The biggest problem in the case of Pakistan is that civil
society has very little influence over either the masses or the government."
 
He finds one of the reasons for the Pakistanis' hate for India in their Textbooks:
 
" To cut a story short -- the books had created an image of 'Hindu
India' forever scheming the downfall of Islam and Pakistan.

This is the staple hate diet on which the post Zia-ul Haq generation has been brought up. Curiously, the fictional history takes the existence of Pakistan* *to the pre-Christ period and omits even Alexander's raid and Porus's heroic resistance. It dismisses a period of 2,000 years between the Mohenjodaro civilisation of 3500 BC and Mohammad bin Qasim's invasion of Sindh as 'myths and legends'. This was Zia's gift to Pakistan. It must be
remembered that we are not talking of madrasas -- this is in regular government-run schools!

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In any case, even if thecurriculum reform takes place now, the results will be visible only after 20 years. But what is the world to do now with Zia's fanatic children?

I do feel vindicated that I raised this issue of effects of this indoctrination with the director (near east and South Asia) at the US National Security Council, Sandy Charles, on July 17, 1991. I had carried a copy of my 1988 article and pleaded with her that in another 20 years time as this generation comes of age, it will threaten not just India but the US as well.

The reason to elaborate on all this history is to drive home the point that fanaticism in Pakistan is widespread and deep-rooted. There is no organised effort to counter the ideology of hate.

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Many well-meaning Indians talk of peace based on a shared culture and history. Does the average Pakistani accept this? Pakistan has assiduously constructed a wholly Islamist view of history, culture and even ethnicity over the last 60 years. Do the people dreaming of *'Aman Ki Asha'*  even realise this?"
 
It could be said that to some extent and in some form in India also there is a disconnect between the elite and the masses in the attitude towards Pakistan. The Indian viewpoint on History also would be at variance with the Pakistani viewpoint. However, as Athale has said "in India, there are no textbooks that denigrate Islam"
 
Unless this similarity of problematic attitudes on both sides changes it would seem that the "Aman Ki Asha" is a "Foolish Aasha"
 
................ aalok aima