Can’t pinpoint , or perhaps do not have enough DATA on it so far… but this Anti-Punjab rhetoric is a post 71 phenomenon , especially after the 71 debacle ..
..and unlike other ,and it was deliberate … Period . I being Punjabis blame Punjabi Intelligentsia for it , Punjabi Intellectual should have countered it and with objectivity , and they had a lot of facts at their hand for it…but all they did was one poorly written apologetic " punjab ka Muqadma " by Ramay …
Even today , their is a movement for the revival of Punjabi as a language , its in its very early teething stage … but the good thing is they are not blaming any other ethnicity for it … they are blaming their own Punjabi Elites for abandoning Punjabi …
..this Punjabi trait of finding the cause internally …is missing from other …who …instead find escape goats in others …instead of looking at their collars …
As far as Bhutto is concerned, he swept Punjab, even the urban areas. It was said that if Bhutto had nominated a pole for some constituency even that got elected, he used electables in rural areas where baradari system is more rampant. Faisalabad which was badly hit by previous PPP regime in federation has been voting in PPP till 2008.
Like my professor used to say, read historians before you read their history!
It’d be interested to know that to what extent popular literature on Pakistan post 1971 is written by ‘PPP intellectuals’. I wouldn’t be surprised if the political affiliated intelligentsia defamed the national institution just to get back at Zia. I don’t know why Punjabis are vehemently hated and blamed for everything, neither Ayub Khan or Yahya Khan was Punjabi, and psychopath of power hungry civilian who denied Mujib the right to form the government was Sindhi!
Even under Benezir, it was her the Sindhi Queen who managed to oust a supposedly Punjabi party on the basis of rigging and the second time the same Punjabi party was kicked out by a Muhajir General. Yet PPP walas are forever victims of Punjabi dominance.
I despise ethnic nationalism. It exploits insecurities. I seriously believes it dumbs down the people and only cowards takes refuge in victimhood; the brave shape their own destiny through struggle! God help rest of the Pakistan, when genie of Punjabi nationalism is finally released.
If Punjabi intelligentsia can promote Punjabi language without putting Jinnah’s grave on trial, more power to them. I still think it was the best decision to make Urdu national language, and I am proud of that fact this unique and beautiful language is Pakistan’s national language. One if the main reasons why Punjab enjoys such great rate of inter-ethnic harmony is because Urdu as a lingua franca has never been looked down upon.
Its not PPP literature , they did not had any …except political constructs ..
its much deeper …
pre 71 Punjabis were around 28% …suddenly post 71 they became 60 % …and with Canon fodder ranks or Army filled by them and 71’s debacle , initially considered a military failure , and with them being more visible … they became easy and convinient scapegoats … and unfortunatley they did not corrected the impression …
for example since 47 till Asif Nawaz .. there were no Punjabi COAS’s …though to be the real source of power, neither were their any Punjabi PM or President …except for " Sadr ko Reha karoo " Fazal illahi chowdhery … that too during Bhutto’s ERA… and media …which was non-punjabi … found General Niazi who surrendered … after Tikka’ Khan and Yahya Khan’s misunderstanding of the situation … was Punjabi so they found the suddenly visible and in Majority Punjabis to blame
On a serious note at least the other side accepted that punjabi’s are being hated. It is a good sign. Once we establish problem it is easy to find solution. Finding solution for this problem will ease up ethnic polarization which is increasing day by day.
It is very important to have parties having roots in all provinces.
Division of punjab n sindh in 5 n 2 provinces will diminish the concept of capturing country if capture punjab.
Presence of local bodies n local police is another very important that affect feeling of im power ment among locals
^ Punjabis are hated because racism is a serious issue outside of Punjab. Simple. Thanks to people like you, we have plenty of closet racists who rationalise racism against a massive ethnic group in one way or another.
Anyone who has the pathological audacity to harbour “hatred” for a whole ethnic group is nothing but a scumbag of a racist. Simple as that!
You’re right in that acknowledgement of an issue is always the first step to correcting the issue itself. Hopefully through interaction, we can puncture the false perceptions. I feel that 90+% of the time if common people who do not have vested interests in keeping animosity alive speak with each other directly, any misunderstandings and/or misconceptions can be cleared. Politics in nature is such, that it has the ill ability to use people’s emotions against each other and create barriers which otherwise do not exist.
Racism exists, but those who perpetuate it are in a small minority namely the separatists whose agendas are different than what they sell to their followers. But because the perception exists, it would be in the interest of All Pakistanis to work to limit the influence any sort of propaganda can have, rather than label and consider each other the problem. We must be willing to engage with each other in an earnest fashion, because those pushing the propaganda would hate to see a united people whose lines of communication are direct leaving no room for false and unfounded perceptions.
The other valued member you have an audacity to call being a racist has been nothing but courteous throughout the conversation, the same sort of courtesy is expected in return. Thank you.
Actually Moonstar, I’m now interested to know that what do you say to people in Karachi and Quetta when they tell you how strongly hate Punjabis? What’s your immediate reaction and strategy to counter such racism (provided you do actually believe that this is racism!).
Dear , how u assumed that i hate punjabis . True I dont like them being so loud taht too only lahoris , but this doesnt mean I start hating whole punjab specailly when I see same poverty in many villages of punjab and benifit going to some elite groups only. Some of my first cousins married to punjabi families. and I have some greatest punjabi friends. but they do have tolerance to listen n not started naming all these issues as BS
Why i raising this point because I have travelled alot with various part of pakistan. U read and listen daily about killings in karachi for people of many parts of pakistan yet I feel myself being a urdu speaking person more welcomed than specailly peaople of punjab. Soon wen the locale open up they start telling their hate sotries about punjabis.
Before giving lecture to locale , it is important to take some steps to show seriousness from people at the top in sharing power with other provinces. as I said how a local will feel when he go to a police station in larkana or swabi and find whole staff speaking in punjabi. As mentioned by AP even if there are some from otehr ethnicities they too talking in the same languange.
I myself been taken up by police to thana for 1 day in karachi in 1994 and whole staff was speaking punjabi ???
THis is one of the improtant point. For me the most improtant is having parties like PTI who as of now dont have any ethnic bias to come forward and out do other parties. Sad enough this is not happening because clearly Imran khan has no more patience left in him and soon going to become another MQM.
As for your question for how I react when some one show this hatred infront of me , I do strongly react not to generalize and telling clearly that it is not whole punjab rather a group of ppl who are ruling all aspects of establishemnt and poor in punjab are equally deprived of their rites. This is the 2 % ppl eating all of the 98 % ppl share.
Life experainces are very improtant. They teach u alot about situations and behaviours .
its definite that those are in minority who perpetuate but issue is majority buys it.
In a live show kamran shahid interviewed some sindhis from streets and asked about Benazir Bhutto, they instead of replying the question said Punjab is ghaddar it killed Benazir bhutto.
Rationalism of racism should not be tolerated at all. People need to know that if you continue to rationalise/intellectualise racism against an entire ethnicity (a massive group of people), you are at the risk of being perceived as a racist! Simple as that. So you better come clear on some things! That’s the only way to make racism look uncool, and teach Pakistanis some basic political correctness. Closet racism is a serious issue.
The valued member apart of crowing how Punjabis (the entire race - not just a political group) are ‘so hated’ and how he personally doesn’t like Punjabis has yet to admit the the role racist organisations and groups like MQM and separatists have played in perpetuating xenophobia and blatant racist against a whole ethnic group. This rotten mentality that somehow racism is not a serious issue as long as it is directed towards majority and seemingly successful group needs to be countered. Racism is racism.
Recently, MQM went back to spewing racist hatred against Punjabis just to counter Imran/PTI in NA246 (seriously? I mean really?) but somehow these things are not condemned by those who pretend to care about racism. Are those people willing to admit that such toxic and opportunistic racist mudslinging by political parties is also the reason why Punjabis are hated in your city? I just don’t understand why Punjabis as a whole group are expected to bear the guilt and apologies for racism spewed by likes of MQM, PPP and Baloch separatist?
As with PPP, even a Sindhi wadera sneezes, they blame it on ‘Punjabi establishment’. I still remember the disgusting speech where the father son duo blamed Punjabi establishment for losing the elections (as if their (lack of) performance guaranteed them the next term), and the crowd roared.
‘Hatred’ against Punjabis always become a phenomena whenever there is an operation against MQM. Hatred against Punjabis also become a phenomena whenever PPP is not in the government. Are people willing to admit these factors?
As with PMLN…we all which particular groups are in bed with those damned Punjabis in Islamabad. So don’t you dare.
Maybe it really is time to develop a spine to fight your internal demons instead of blaming everything under the sun on Punjabis.
If you are going to keep emphasising how in Karachi there is a racist hatred for a particular ethnicity, let me tell you are not painting a very good image of a City and locals you claim to be so diverse and tolerant.
By constantly reinforcing that Punjabis are most ‘hated’ group in Karachi, you are automatically making 50% of Pakistani population harbour a very negative, unpleasant, racist and rigid image of Karachi and its residents. You cannot establish this perception and then go on saying no, no, no Karachi is this; Karachi is that; Karachi is heaven. Trust me this is not the first time I’ve seen Karachiite vaunting about prevalent grass root hatred for Punjabis. To me this is racism, and the more I hear about this racism, the more I lose my curiosity and interest in the City. People like you really don’t understand the damage you are doing to your own City by not just admitting these horrific things so openly and unapologetically, but by sublimely rationalising them in one way or another.
As with your stay at police station in 90s and the ever so tragic incident of confronting a Punjabi speaking police officer – let me tell you, there has been a massive flight/and merciless killings of Punjabis from Karachi in 90s. MQM has avenged poor Muhajirs traumatised by hearing Punjabi language at police station by merciless killing all the police officers who were involved 90s operation. I have no reason to doubt that vast majority of the slain officers were Punjabi! I do mourn their death and feel sorry for their families. They were just performing their duties.
As with present day Karachi, let me assure you thanks to racism there and people who rationalise it – Punjabis have no desire to come to Karachi, invest in businesses and buy properties there. So don’t worry Punjabis taking over Karachi. The money that could’ve been in invested in Pakistan’s largest metropolitan city is either moving to Islamabad/Pindi or going to Dubai or simply being invested in Lahore expansion schemes. Not that I am complaining.
I know language is such a touchy topic in Sindh. Everyone is having a big moan about their or others language in one way or another. I’m sick of that subject. So many of the deeply rooted insecurities are wrapped around the issue of language. So can’t be bothered to comment.
As with PTI becoming the next MQM – puhleeez! MQM was an illegitimate child of a dictator. Zia’s the one who created, funded and armed MQM in 80s to counter a political rival. Same way the cycle was repeated by another dictator to find political support to legitimise his rule. MQM was always designed to be a local militia. If no one could dare arm PTI in 18 years, it won’t happen now either. PTI is too large of a party with support all over Pakistan (and outside of Pakistan) to reduce down to a ghetto gangster organisation and start spewing ethnic hatred to maintain territorial dominance. PTI will simply lose electoral support and get diluted whenever Imran runs out of patience and does something incredibly self-destructive.
Just because Imran acts impatient, doesn’t mean he’s the type to run out of patience! He seems to appreciate the whole idea of thorny journeys and endless struggles more than anyone else in Pakistan. That’s an essential part of his infinite appeal.
