Analysing the systemic hate for Pakistan or ‘Pakophobia’ that often goes beyond logic or reason and has been indoctrinated to the people.
Is saying ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ anti-national? While this question is a complex one to untangle, this slogan is perhaps the fastest way to get onto a prime-time debate with India’s most well-known journalist. Nothing guarantees that you will actually be given the opportunity to speak, before being yelled at by a panel of fifteen, and written off as an anti-national, but perhaps we can talk about it here.
It is no secret that most Indian view Pakistan negatively. However, if asked why, not many have an actual explanation for this view. So then, am I Pakistan sympathiser for calling out the irrational hate for Pakistan, who wishes to fragment India into pieces?
There are reasons why people have some form of hatred towards Pakistan. There are issues that stem from the partition, back in a time where the nation was born out of a religious divide and people were forced to migrate, leaving behind their homes and possessions while facing violence and persecution.
My generation will possibly never fully comprehend this pain and there is reason for discontent, however, a larger part of this hatred is more systematic and unfounded, backed by fear–mongering and communal undertones.
Walk the streets of India and ask anyone what they think of Pakistan, and you will hear explanations that range from absurd to confused to Islamophobic. There is this general notion of Pakistan being the ‘enemy’ which is inculcated and imprinted on the minds of people which is only reinforced by T.V. shows, movies, news and politicians. An anti-India of sorts, that must be denounced, degraded and disavowed to prove your allegiance to India. Another source of this hatred is Islamophobia, with communal violence becoming troublingly rampant as we see disturbing similarities between the Gujrat violence in 2002 and the pogrom in Delhi today, it has become obvious that certain polarizing forces, the real ‘tukde-tukde’ gang, have managed to divide the population.
These same forces would have you believe Pakistan is some dystopian Islamic land of hate that exists only to tarnish India’s glory. Then comes terrorism, and it is true that Pakistan has carried out violence against India and is accused of state–sponsored terrorism, this does not justify the hatred towards the common man in Pakistan, going about their daily lives. Not to be forgotten are the ‘woke’ members of society who flaunt their Political Science degrees or their vast ‘MUN experience’ to critically analyses the human rights violations in Pakistan and express their disapproval towards the way the country is governed.
A girl was recently booked for sedition and her home vandalized after she raised slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad ” at an anti-CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act) rally and while the media and pro-CAA camp pounced on her, they ignored the rest of her message. Immediately after, she raised slogans of “Hindustan Zindabad ” and while her speech was cut short, a Facebook post she made earlier throws light on what her actual message may have been. The post begins with a “Zindabad ” to all countries, expressing that people are the ones who make a country should receive basic protections and privileges and that “Zindabad ” is for whoever serves the people. This still does not wholly justify her actions, but perhaps helps us understand her sentiment better.
With social media and awareness, our generation learning to be more accepting while forming their own opinions. While Pakistan is by no means perfect and has many issues of its own. You can save your “Go to Pakistan” slogans for those who seek to strip India of its secular values because I stand by my country and its spirit, enshrined in the Constitution. While it may be hard to say if India and Pakistan will see eye to eye anytime soon, I am hopeful that the irrational hate for an entire population, very similar to ours, will end soon. All I wish for is harmony and reason, but apparently, that is too much to ask.
Feature Image Credits: Deccan Chronicle
Tashi Dorjay Sherpa
