Re: Musharraf proposes to name NWFP as ‘Khyber’
Some here believe that majority should impose their will over minority living in NWFP (and they even consider that as their democratic right). Do these people have brain? I am sure they have, so why they do not think?
Democracy does not mean imposing will or desire of majority over minority but it means majority respecting the desires and need of minority. It is a concept of society where all living there feel as equal part of the society and their desire or need is not rejected by the society (regardless of them being from majority or minority). In civilized democratic society, majority and minority do not matter as much as right, justice and equality, where majority safeguard that for all.
What is happening regarding name for NWFP is that majority of Pakistanis are respecting and safeguarding the rights of minorities (non-Pashtun) living in NWFP in the same way this majority respect and safeguard the rights of ethnic minority (Pashtun) living in Pakistan.
Note: If non-Pashtun living in NWFP makes a third of NWFP population (1 in 3) then one should also realize that total population of NWFP in Pakistan, that includes Pashtun and non-Pashtun population of NWFP, only makes a seventh of Pakistani population (that is 1 in 7).
So, please do not talk about majority imposing the will over minorities. We should live and let the other live without imposing of will by anyone over the others. That means there should not be a name for NWFP that seems as imposing the desire of one ethnic population over others or reflecting one ethnic community living in NWFP, whatever their number.
I am sure that Pashtuns and many others would not like the name of Pakistan changed to ‘Punjab’ or ‘Punjabistan’ just because majority of Pakistanis are Punjabi. If Punjabis start proposing a new name like ‘Punjabistan’ for Pakistan, demanding that on the basis that they are majority, then probably many non-Punjabi Pakistanis would start feeling alienated and would start hating Punjabis just for that.
Thus, those who are proposing Pashtun related name for NWFP just because Pashtun are majority in NWFP should stop thinking that way. Else, they would start a hate for themselves in the heart of a third of the population living in NWFP (e.g Sarhadis) similar to the hate against Punjabis if Punjabis start proposing replacing the name of Pakistan to ‘Punjabistan’.
It seems that mentally some Pashtuns are still living and thinking as if they are from self-centered uncivilized tribal era [that still exists in Afghanistan where one tribe can cut the throat of even an infant (or a child) from another tribe, just because they would considered this infant or child as different to them]. Probably these people are in reality Afghanis pretending to be Pakistani as most Pakistani Pashtun are civilized.
In civilized society, people live with awareness of others desires or needs and value it similar way as they value their own desire or needs. It is something that is the backbone of modern day civilized society and made people live in harmony even when they are from diverse ethnic background. This modern day living demands thinking and attitude towards life that follow the principle of ‘live and let live’ without imposing own will over others based on majority or might. When we should desire something that effects life of others, that desire should not be unjust based on ethnic desires but should be just and based on communal desire, where all effected should not feel injustice or being left behind.
Probably many such Pashtuns would get shiver if I tell them that future is not that far when we will see no Pashtun, Punjabi, Muhajir, Sindhi, Baloch, Makrani, Saraki etc in Pakistan but one community indistinguishable from each other living in Pakistan. Let us hope for the best.