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POLITICS

Pakistan. National leaders like Azad said, “Mein logo ko be-
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr ghar kiyejane ke khilaf hoon”
Rajendra Prasad and Maulana (I am against displacement of
Azad advocated the cause.” people from their land). Sorish
“Today, it is being seen as Kashmiri discussed with Azad
communal, but there has al- about his plan to leave Lahore
ways been a national con- and settle in Delhi but Maulana
sensus on the issue with did not permit him to do so.
(senior Congress leaders) Man- Maulana Azad said, “If partition
mohan Singh, Ashok Gehlot is to happen based on Hindu
and Pranab Mukherjee voic- and Muslim population then
ing their commitment to the what will be the natural barri-
cause,” He commented explain- ers? No geographical feature
ing the issue at length. exists to demarcate the terrain,
He said that beyond politics, no mountain, no river, no de-
citizenship in political theory sert, only a line will be drawn
can be viewed as institutional but till when?”
which can either be based on
territoriality or ethnicity (be- zad foresaw that nations
yond territory). But in fact citi- which were built on so
zenship is even more enriched A much hate would prob-
if viewed from a deeper cultur- ably never be friends. He said
al and civilizational perspec- that the land which Pakistan
tive. His lecture on “Citizenship will be getting cannot accom-
Institutional and Civilizational”, modate all Muslims. He also
opened up many perspectives explained how the nature of
and backgrounds with which people living in western Paki-
the recent law needs to be stan is militant and situation
looked at. can arise wherein it will be im-
Tracing the subject back to possible for the Hindus to stay
1947, he began by quoting Jinnah’s speech there. They will run from there or maybe
in the Pakistan Constituent Assembly be dragged out. But those who will be
that “now Muslims will cease to be Mus- forced to leave home will be to save lives
lims and Hindus will cease to be Hindus”, and honor and not for property.
not religiously but politically as “they Mr Khan then drew attention towards
will be Pakistanis with equal rights”. Jin- BJP finds solace in the Gandhi writing on 17th July 1947, after the
nah after consistently maintaining for 10 announcement of the partition. Gandhi,
years that Hindu and Muslims are differ- change of narrative certainly not with any communal intent,
ent civilizations finally he realized that emerged recently from wrote that the Hindus and Sikhs who
a country cannot be run on separatism are in Pakistan, if they do not wish to
unlike a movement. Even though Jinnah a lecture rendered by live there then without doubt they have
as a leader changed his mindset, it was Governor Kerala Arif a right to come to India. In this matter
too late to change the mindset of his fol- Gandhiji said that the government of In-
lowers who proactively shaped by him in Mohammad Khan at Nehru dia will be bound to provide habitation,
the past 10years and therefore after the Memorial Museum and employment and citizenship to them.
death of Jinnah the country failed to fol- In fact soon after partition, Jawaharlal
low the change. Library on 'Citizenship Nehru concerned about the separated
Elaborating conversation about brothers and sisters of India who could
Maulana Azad and his devotee Sorish institutional and not celebrate independence assured
Kashmiri in 1946, ArifMuhammad Khan civilizational,' wherein he them that they are free to come here and
says, that even before partition was an- whenever they choose to come to India
nounced, Maulana Azad had realized highlights the intricacies of we shall accept them. Rajendra Prasad,
that not only Hindustan but Pakistan the complex concept first president of India in 1950 said that
will also be divided wherein people will “we are keen to rehabilitate refuges, who
be asked to leave their houses. of citizenship are free to come to India and we will wel-

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