Author: Khuzaima Fatima Haque
Publication: Dawn the Internet Edition
Date: May 7, 2006
URL: http://dawn.com/weekly/books/archive/060507/books6.htm
Fifty-Nine years down the road and the story
of partition is still a political ideological dilemma for many. Numerous views
abound when westerners, Indians or even Pakistanis write about this political
event. Objectivity stands to be an 11 letter word guarded by nationalistic
endeavour. In this environment of political disdain, a historian, Kamran Shahid,
who is rather young for the title, manages to create a niche for his individualistic
thinking.
Shahid claims, "In order to get white,
one needs to explore black." Thus, in order to know about Pakistan's
independence one must first try to understand the Indians. Shahid's maiden
venture into book writing, Gandhi and the Partition of India, is a scorecard
of who actually was responsible for the partition of the subcontinent. In
this research paper which first culminated in a thesis and now a book, the
author discusses the rather obscure nature of this event with much fervour.
Shahid's contention is, "Many people thought either Hindus or Jinnah
or Congress to be solely responsible. Others hold the divide and rule policy
of Britain to be the key factor. However, the fact is that Gandhi was a thorough
caste-oriented Hindu who wanted that after the departure of the British, only
the high caste Hindus should rule all. Gandhi offered only moral friendship
to the Muslims but the Muslims were shrewd and demanded political power too."
Truly so, since Gandhi was asking for the
support of ninety million Muslims who had been living with the Hindus for
centuries. Thus, the Muslims demanded a clear-cut political agenda from Gandhi.
With democracy as the watchword for independent thought and political freedom,
the Muslims could see themselves turning into a minority as soon as the British
left.
"Muslims were the body of converts and
were treated no less better than the untouchables," says Shahid. Thus
Gandhi's calling Muslims his brothers was sincerely doubted. Shahid has taken
a rather new look at the partition power play and to support his novel theory
the author says, "I believe that Gandhi's role as a political force was
overlooked by many historians. Had Gandhi sincerely exercised his absolute
moral and political authority, which he held about millions of Indians, the
Congres and the Hindus, India might not have tasted the realities of partition."
Shahid reinforces his thought that "Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi was not just the name of a person. It was a movement, a
philosophy, an ideology, a law in itself, which alone represented the nationalism
of millions of Hindus." This points to the fact that the separation of
Muslims was "a direct reactive measure taken in response to the 20 years
of metaphysical and caste dominated leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, which touched
its practical and maximum zenith during the Congress's 'one party' rule of
India."
An academician to the core, Kamran Shahid
says, "I did not write this book as a Pakistani nor as an enemy to India.
I wanted to publish whatever my conviction was on the partition." It
must be tough to keep one's emotions aloof while writing about one's motherland.
However, Shahid has successfully done so.
Interestingly, Kamran Shahid is the son of
Pakistani film star Shahid. "My father did put pressure on me to join
the film industry after my Master's but the prime thing that stopped me from
entering the industry was my affiliation with the Government College University,"
says Shahid. His mother's constant encouragement throughout his academic life,
his father's strict discipline regarding his studies and his mentor, Khalid
Aftab's unflinching trust in his abilities has made him a true academician,
an author and a much loved son.
The publication of his book is testimony to
his quest for objective knowledge, which he is keen to uphold, notwithstanding
any personal ideologies. "Whatever comes in the way must be compromised
for the truth. This way one is bound to discover fact," says Shahid.
And yet one wonders what about the controversy the publication is bound to
give rise to? "Synthesis is a contribution to knowledge. It will and
should spark a controversy in India because when one indulges in controversy,
only knowledge will come out of it," he says emphatically.
The book also ponders on the question of Jinnah
being a staunch nationalist till 1946 and puts the onus solely on Gandhi to
lead Mohammad Ali Jinnah into becoming a separatist. "This would be admired
in Pakistan," Shahid admits, but "would get mixed reactions in India.
Most non-Hindus would like it since the book has a soft corner for minorities."
However, the author proposes to find an audience among the students and intellectuals
of tomorrow. "I would like to see an academic revolution evolve in the
minds of the people," says Shahid. This can only happen if one rises
above the national ideology and goes deep into the root of the matter. Rereading
the history of the subcontinent means opening a Pandora's box but sometimes
one must indulge in such endeavours for the good of mankind. At the moment,
this might seem like a tall claim but then saner minds have always kept their
thoughts unpolluted from common thinking.
Keeping up his academic pursuits, Shahid is
currently teaching International Relations to M.Phil students at the Government
College University, Lahore. Proud to be associated with his alma mater in
a capacity he admired in the college days, he also plans to go for a doctorate
in his subject. He did his Master's in International Research and Contemporary
Political Theory from the University of Westminster, London.
Historians have a heavy agenda to fulfill
and Kamran Shahid's journey into this realm is to be appreciated for the sincerity
he has shown so far. Bon voyage to a Pakistani ready to ride the waves of
history.
