This forum is dedicated to Sindh lovers, who wants to do some thing for Sindh. You can participate with this Sindhi forum & post your views here, no subscription is required. Thanks
(MY ARTICEL APPEARED IN DAILY IBRAT) There is an uncertainty prevailing among the friends here in Sindh with regards to the proposed reopening of Khokhrapar border. Their apprehension is that it will turn indigenous people of Sindh into a minority -the same old spectrum of seeing things. By now we should have learned that we are living in a much different world. With old ways we stand not only biased but also adamant not to welcome any change. It is always readjustments that one has to make. It was period of Adam Smith who advocated of absolute advantage - the concept of self-sufficiency. In a layman's language it could be phrased as to make every thing at home. It brought inefficiency or the waste of resources. Now we live in the world where it has become a conventional wisdom that free trade brings efficiency, free movement of labor creates more GDP, which spread benefits all across the world.
That was Davis Ricardo's theory of economics, which is known as comparative advantage. It makes the basis for the whole exercise of opening of trade and the borders. In such a scenario we indeed need to safeguard our interest too. We admit the fact that we are highly marginalized people in the country vis-à-vis other communities. We should have rights to safeguard our culture, language, and economy etc.
But this view creates more confusion; we will be unable to let others understand our point of view. There are always some ways and means to put the things across the table. We cannot plead our case merely with jargons and phony phrases or with same old nationalist arguments. That will make us liable to be dubbed as reactionaries in the subcontinent and also in the world community. Some friends have unfortunately floated their ideas without citing any genuine reasons. They should have analyzed pros and cons before reaching conclusions.
I wish the question was as simple as in its historical context it seems to be. Granted the border from that point is kept closed, the immediate question that arises in mind: is it a normal approach when the whole world is opening up at regional levels, opening its routes for free trade, for free exchange of people, for tours, cultural ties? And for how long could it be kept close in a rapidly changing scenario? We are already too late to incorporate the new trends and philosophies existing in the 21st century. The change is happening very fast. It is inevitable too. Today the situation is different from the way it was during the partition days. At that time Sindhi Muslims welcomed the immigrants by opening their hearts to them. Those were different times. At that time our intelligentsia was in a great confusion - this is an accepted opinion across the board now.
Same was the case with the intelligentsia of all other states and nationalities of the subcontinent at that time. Bengal was divided. So was the Punjab. Where Muslims were in minority they migrated from Hindu majority states and vice versa. We therefore understand the folly of our intelligentsia at that time; a folly carried by every one everywhere in the subcontinent. That was like a wave. Even the Communist party of India found it inevitable. More importantly, the British Empire was adamant to partition the subcontinent for its own strategic reasons in the backdrop of the post World War II scenario. The world had never witnessed in the history the scale at which the migration took place during the partition of the subcontinent.
Unlike in Sindh – immigrants in other areas assimilated with the native cultures. There are few exceptions though. Some of our Sindhi migrants to India also have not fully assimilated. They have kept their identity intact, still with the hope that one day they will go back if the peace prevails and the secular values become a uniform standard. Even the Hindus of Punjab, who migrated to India, are thinking on the same lines.
Those who migrated from India to Pakistan and to Karachi in particular were a better human resource. They were absorbed in the center, with Karachi being its capital at that time. Urdu was made the national language. Democracy did not suit them at all; they got a hold on the media; they floated reactionary thoughts and tailored so called ideology of Pakistan. Now they also are in a mood to see friendship between India and Pakistan. It is a positive approach. We therefore should not blame them for the mistakes their ancestors made or the hatred and biases that they harbored for the local people. There are chances that they may come out as more beneficiaries, but that is up to a point of visiting their relatives, which is their prerogative any how! Indeed they haven't been so accommodating to us historically. Let us take a step forward for trust building for we share the same land and common provincial interests.
The law and order, lower un-employment rate and the opportunities India provides to the Muslim middle class are a lot better than what we can offer them here. The migration that took place during the partition may not be recur with the reopening of the border at Khokhrapar but one thing that surely will happen is that those who have relatives across the border will freely travel and particularly those communities, which live near borders such as people of Tharparkar. It may bring employment opportunities to these most poor people of Sindh as well.
No one is born with silver spoon in his mouth. It is give and take. It is a question of adjustment also. It is matter of trade off, a win win situation. That is the point of having friendly relations with India. Opening of border at Khokhrapar is one step in that direction. It will bring peace dividends in a substantial way to the people of Sindh I believe (please correct me if I am wrong). In the short run it may look little unwanted but I am pretty sure, in the longer run, it will bring benefit to all. We should remember one fact in principle that it is democracy that safeguards our interest. It is therefore our natural way of thinking for our rights. If we cannot make dictator quit or LFO be undone, we cannot safeguard our rights at all. This is logical way to make the world listen to our point of view.
As far illegal immigrants, they are still coming. The Bengalis and others have made their ways into Karachi one cannot stop Pukhtuns coming to Karachi and that is not an illegal migration at all. In Karachi they have made their place on merit. Those whom we see coming from India to compete with this low wage labor is a remote chance. People from interior Sindh are not able to migrate to Karachi for they are under slavery of feudals, and because they are shy to migrate, to move to meet the challenges of tomorrow with courage. Even if Khokhrapar were not open the flow of illegal immigrants would still be there. The poor Bengalis migrate for a better opportunity so do Pukhtuns and Afghanis. But from Khokhrapar it will all be a documented movement. Those who will come and those who will leave will all be registered. One can easily gauge such things from the practice that is carried at Waghah Border.
Opening the Khokhrapar route will not only benefit those who will come from India to meet their relatives living in Karachi but also to Sindhis to go to India or they come to Sindh to meet their relatives here and see their ancestral land. Even if the border is not open from Khokhrapar, the Waghah Border opening will serve this purpose. It will be a little costly to them by just Rs. 1000 to each passenger and those for whom comfort, speed and service is the matter, they can travel by air here. Therefore I think the friends who have raised this issue have tried to create a mountain out of molehill.
Apart from this opening of Khokhrapar to facilitate visits of either country, it will, in the longer run, allow us to export our vegetables and other goods to India and the things which we feel are expensive, which hamper to the purchasing power of a consumer or the value of money is inflated, will be imported from India. This course will break the unnecessary strength of Sabzi Mandi Mafia, which is minting profit at the cost of growers. The pity is that we do not have strong association of the growers. More importantly the winds from India will weaken the feudals and the political mafia at large. Winds not only from India but also coming from the whole globalization process. I therefore see the opening of Khokhrapar as a wave of Globalization, which has nothing to do with old stereotype paradigms and the fears.
We therefore should come up with concrete reasons and logics to justify our position why we don't want the Khokhrapar border reopen? Mere jumping to the conclusion will only mislead us. We should not fall into a fallacy as our intelligentsia did in the partition days. (Courtesy: Yahoo-Egoup)
Dear Friends Nowadays as we know a new issue has been raised by the Government of Punjabistan(This is how I choose to call 'PAKISTAN' which is a bit tentative term for such a bloody state).My views on the issue are in the form of a message which is as follows: With the opening of KHOKHRA PAR border,the people of Sindh will be further reducedto the level of RED INDIANS in their own homeland.It is this Urdu speaking lot who are sitting in the Sindhgovernment with their Punjabi masters who happen to be most interested in this issue because by doing so,theirbrethern in India will have every chance to come and visit them in Sindh where they will be settled in the Sindhi majority areas,this time perhaps even in smallSindhi villages.Mr Musharraf and the MQM wish tosabotage the Punjabi hegemony in Punjabistan by settling more of their blood currently in India somewhere in Sindh and PLEASE REMEMBER ONE MOST IMPORTANT POINT: THE PUNJABI ISI AND ARMY BEING THE MOST NOTORIOUS AND CUNNING HAVE ALREADY PERCEIVED THEINTENTIONS OF MR MUSHARRAF AND HIS URDU SPEAKING LOT IN THE GOVERNMENT(MQM) AND THE BOMB EXPLOSION THAT COULD AND SHOULD HAVE KILLED MUSHARRAF A FEW DAYS AGO WAS A "SIGNAL" TO MUSHARRAF AND THE MQM IN PARTICULAR BY THE PUNJABI ISI AND ARMY THAT IF THEY WENT FORWARD WITH THEIR INTENTIONS,THEY WOULD SIMPLY BE KILLED OR KICKED OUT OF THE GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY(PUNJABIES)ARE THE REAL OWNERS OF PUNJABISTAN AND THEY ARE CAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING THEY PERCEIVED RIGHT. Although the BOMB WAS REMOTE CONTROLLED,it exploded THIRTY-FIVE SECONDS LATER which MAY WELL HAVE BEEN EXPLODED THIRTY-FIVE SECONDS EARLIER TO GET RID OF MUSHARRAF.The reason is simple:IT WAS JUST A STARK WARNING TO MUSHARRAF AND HIS BRETHERN IN THE GOVERNMENT THAT THE PUNJABI ISI AND ARMY WERE WELL AWARE OF THEIR INTENTIONS AND NEXT TIMETHE BOMB WILL SIMPLY BLAST AT THE RIGHT TIME, AT THE RIGHT PLACE AND AT THE RIGHT MOMENT WHICH WILL NOT ONLY BLAST MR MUSHARRAF OFF BUT WILL ALSO AFFECT THE REST OF HIS LIKE-MINDED IN THE GOVERNMENT. The case of Sindhi Indians is different.They will not be allowed to visit their motherland in the first place if the KHOKHRA PAR BORDER is opened because many of our Sindhi brothers currently living in India personally communicated this to me that they were refused entry to Sindh on several occasions when they applied and each time that they tried,their application was turned down by the PUNJABI authorities.So to expect that our Sindhi brothers in India will be allowed to come to Sindh and thus know the real state of affairs in Sindh would be a bit chimerical.The case of DADA KEERAT BABANI is before us.He was refused entry to Sindh on many occasions and now he seems to have completely given up any hope of ever visiting his motherland Sindh again.Instances like these suggest that there is very little chance for our Sindhi brothers in India to visit Sindh since the very proposal of opening the KHOKHRA PAR BORDER comes from those circles who HAVE ABUSED SINDH AND THE PEOPLE OF SINDH in every possible way that one could think of. Please remember the famous words of FRANCIS FANON when he said:"WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU(THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE)CANNOT BE GOOD FOR THE ONES WHO ARE SUPPRESSING AND OPPRESSING YOU.YOUR INTERESTS COME INTO DIRECT COLLISION WITH THOSE OF YOUR MASTERS WHO ARE RULING YOU AGAINST YOUR WILL.IF THEY(THE OPPRESSORS) PERCEIVE SOME GOOD IN ONE THING,YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A COMPLELELY DIFFERENT AND CONTRADICTORY ARGUMENT OPPOSING THAT VERY IDEA. IN THEIR GOOD LIES YOUR EVIL AND IN YOUR GOOD LIES THEIR EVIL."So let me say plainly enough:IF THE RULERS OF PUNJABISTAN PERCEIVE THEIR GOOD IN OPENING THE KHOKHRA PAR BORDER,I AS AN INDIVIDUAL BELONGING TO THE NATION SUFFERING DIRECT TYRANNY,OPPRESSION AND SUPPRESSION AT THE HANDS OF THE VERY STATE PUNJABISTAN DARE TO REJECT THIS IDEA RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE PUNJABI ***** AND RULERS OF PUNJABISTAN IS EVIL FOR ME AND MY NATION AND WHAT IS GOOD FOR ME WHICH IS NOTHING MORE THAN THE INDEPENDENCE OF SINDH FROM THEIR GRIP(SINDHUDESH) IS EVIL FOR THE PUNJABI RULERS AND MASTERS OF PUNJABISTAN.
I am agreed that our Sindhi nation is oppressed and suppressed by every mean, I shall discuss this later. But I am not agreed that by opening the Khokarpar Border, Sindhis will become red Indians. It is not possible at all, because this is modern world where we are living in IT atmosphere. In fact, we are still very backward in this regards. The people who will travel through the border will travel under some documents, and every thing could be recorded. Anyway due to mistrusting atmosphere if we Sindhis can do that we should do as per my following suggestions: 1. We Sindhis should create a NGO who could be equipped with modern computerized system. The NGO can be posted at the check point of the border. Collect all data of the traveler/visitor along with his digital picture, and duration of visit etc. by doing so we can track the culprits and send them back with the help of any agency. 2. Sindhis who are working with departments where ID cards and domiciles are prepared should promise to the nation that they will not sell their conscience for some rupees and will not make or help to make any fake documents anymore. 3. On other hand, instead of opposing the opening of border we should make plans or/and encourage the Sindhi businessmen to get ready to start positive trade with India and can be more benefited from it (Sindh).
As far as illegal immigrants are concerned, you can not stop them, however we can control them by our sincerity with the Sindhi nation and Honesty and commitment. Even countries like USA & UK can not stop illegal immigration. During this discussion let me explain the realities. Who are immigrants; Barmies, Bengalis, Afghans, Non-sindhi Hindus (in Karachi), what they do; collection of paper and priceless things from the rubbish, cobblers, diggers, hawkers etc. means all inferior jobs. Tell me which Sindhi is prepared to do those jobs. One practical example for the record: I have some lands at my village and I tried to find labors who can remove roots from the land. I was ready to pay wages with rate of 50 to 70 rupees per root or on lump sum contract basis. You know what I found nothing; no sindhi labor at all and I waited a whole month, even people in area knows that I will be paying in cash, but still there was no Sindhi labor available because it was hard and inferior job. Then I gave this job to a baloach labor and on contract basis. I experienced this fact and I though sorry about the nation, and What are the reason? Why? Still there are 400-600 suicidal cases per annum in Sindh because of so called un-employment. Isn’t strange?
I want to ask you a simple question, if we would have our own country; say Sindhudesh, How you will control legal and illegal immigration in Sindh? Will you build a great wall around Sindhi border? Will be there no communications with other countries? (no flights, no rail, no road no ships at all).
I think if you answer upper question will clear everything. I want to request my Nationalist brothers and sisters to bring positive change in their theories and write-ups which should match with the modern world. We are very backwards and we need very fast changes to walk with the word on the modernization. Socialism, communism, secularism, open and free all systems are failed. We should not work and preach these systems which are failed. We need to fight at many fronts to free our nation from the slavery of Sindhis Who are slaved by Punjabis, Waderas, Pirs, Shahs.
My next Topic will be who is real enemy, who has sold Sind to Punjab, Who is the real cause of unemployment, who is the responsible for the Sindhi slavery?
Dear Friends Further to the recent email sent by a dear friend of mine,I would like to answer his questions in the most modern way possible as he chooses to call it,
1- Let me ask you one simple question and I would like you to answer it in the most modern way possible as you would like me to answer yours: Are you capable of making your own decisions under the bloody state of Punjabistan or is that the decisons are forced on you and you have to accept them willy-nilly? a-Did you or the people of Sindh choose the present government of Sindh? b-Did you or the people of Sindh choose the present education minister of Sindh? c-Do you or the people of Sindh favour the construction of the controversial Kalabagh Dam and Thal Canal? d- Do you or the people of Sindh favour the current NFC award? e- Do you have any control over your own resources under the bloody state of Punjabistan? If the answer of my dear friend in response to the above questions is in the negative which I believe will be the case(unless otherwise if he chooses to turn a blind eye on the facts)can you then expect a Sindhi NGO to be working on the KHOKHRA PAR BORDER monitoring immigrants from the other side of the border pouring into Sindh? OR Will an NGO from Punjab be set to monitor the same much to our disappointment again?
My dear friend has quoted the example of the developed Western countries like the UK and the United States being incapable of controlling the number of illegal immigrants pouring into their respective countries.Perhaps he does not know that the laws in the United Kingdom and the United States are at least the English and American laws respectively and devised by the people of those respective countries themselves unlike our laws which carry a PUNJABI HALLMARK on them in collaboration with the locals(from Sindh) who do not even represent their people.Perhaps my dear friend also does not know that the US and the UK are the MODERN SECULAR DEMOCRACIES OF THE WORLD as otherwise he would not have given such comments as "SECULAR,COMMUNIST AND DEMOCRATIC FORMS OF GOVERNMENT HAVE SIMPLY FAILED" if he knew.This may well be the case in your Punjabistan as THERE SEEMS TO BE NO CURE FOR PUNJABISTAN'S DISEASE,otherwise in the modern IT WORLD as he chooses to call it,ONLY SECULAR AND DEMOCRATIC FORMS OF GOVERNMENT are thought feasible and my dear friend has himself acknowledged the two names of Western Secular Democracies,viz,the USA and the UK.Perhaps my dear friend also does not know that that SOCIALISM MAY WELL HAVE FAILED IN RUSSIA but it is in FULL SWING IN COMMUNIST CHINA and the CHINESE ECONOMY is ONE OF THE MOST BOOMING ECONOMIES OF THE WORLD. Let me tell my dear friend which form of government is completely out of modern phraseology.It is THE RELIGIOUS FORM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH SEEMS TO BE OUT OF PHASE AND OUT OF TIME IN THE MODERN WORLD AND IT IS THIS VERY FORM OF GOVERNMENT OF WHICH MANY NOTORIOUS BLOODY STATES LIKE PUNJABISTAN BOAST OF(THOUGH THEIR ISLAM IS A MOCKERY AS THEY SOLD THEIR BY-PRODUCTS "THE FAMOUS TALIBANS" FOR A FEW BILLION DOLLARS AND IN THE END,OUT OF SHAME(THOUGH THE RULERS OF PUNJABISTAN HAVE HAD NO SHAME NOR CAN THEY BOAST OF ANY!!) WERE FORCED TO JOIN THE USA IN ITS WAR AGAINST "TERRORISM" . In the modern world what has failed is the RELIGIOUS FORM OF GOVERNMENT and today even the people who were the first ones to be blessed with the message of Islam namely,the Arabs seem to have completely given up the idea of ISLAMIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT and the Governments of many of the Gulf states like Qatar and Behrain have conducted referendum in their respective countries and sooner or later they will have to replace their Kingdoms with that of a secular and democratic government.The only exception seems to be IRAN in the MiddleEast (AN ALLY OF PUNJABISTAN) which has a religious form of Government although the facts state otherwise.Sooner or later even the Iranian Mullah Government will have to give up the idea of a religious form of Government either on their own or under an increasing pressure from the Western World.
As far as the question of an Independent Sindhudesh is concerned,the history is witness to it that until 1843 Sindh was an independent country on the face of the earth when it finally fell into the hands of the mighty British empire. So there can be no doubt whatsoever about the INDEPENDENT STATUS OF SINDH UNTIL 1843,THOUGH THE BLIND MAY STILL ARGUE SIMPLY FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT.However,as regards the case of opening our borders with other countries when Sindh has again acquired the status of an independent country,WHEN ALL OUR RESOURCES WILL BE AT OUR OWN DISPOSAL,WHEN ALL OUR DECISIONS CONCERNING THE WELFARE AND BENEFIT FOR THE PEOPLE OF SINDH WILL BE TAKEN BY THOSE WHO WILL BE THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE OF SINDH AND NOT OTHERWISE,WHEN NO DECISION WILL BE FORCED ON US FROM THE PUNJABI CHOWDHERIES, YES,WE WILL OPEN OUR BORDERS WITH INDIA AND NOT ONLY WITH INDIA(SINCE THE CHOICE WILL NOT BE LIMITED TO INDIA ALONE AS IT STANDS THE MATTER TODAY UNDER PUNJABISTAN) BUT WITH ANY OTHER COUNTRY OF THE REGION AS WELL.OUR BORDERS WILL BE OPEN TO THOSE ALONE WHOM WE WILL WELCOME UNLIKE NOW WHEN YOU HAVE TO WELCOME THE SELECTED FEW WHOM ***** PUNJABI MASTERS APPROVE OF WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT .
I would suggest my dear friend read some of the facts and figures of illegal immigrants currently in Sindh and then talk about opening the border with India which will be opened sooner or later if the PUNJABI CHOWDHERIES sitting in Islamabad approve of the same and then my dear friend will have to take it down his throat the bitter fact over which we have been arguing like every other decision that is forced on the people of Sindh against their will. As for the slavery of Sindhi Wadera and PIR.Let me draw the flowchart of how the process of Sindhi slavery runs: Sindhi pir and wadera is controlled by the government of Punjabistan to enslave his own people the price of which is paid to the Sindhi wadera and pir in the form of A GOVERNMENT MINISTRY as we can see Sardar Ali Muhammad Mehar in the Government today and AS WE SEE OUR PIR PAGARAA CONTROLLED BY THE PUNJABI ISI FOR CONTROLLING THE INNOCENT SINDHIS IN TURN. WAKAA KARAN MOON WAS BUDHAN KAM BAROACH JO!
All dear Sindhi haq mojood Sindh je sarhad khokhrapar jo khlan yana khulan san jeke masala peda theenda uhey asan jano tha khulan san asan pehanjan san mili saghoon tha aen biya bhi khor masala hall theenda per nuksan jeko asan je dostan khe ahey andesho uho ahey dariyan ji lodh Sindh eendee, mulak ji govt bhi khokhrpar sarhad tadan khleendi jadan sandas mafad hoonda aeen Sindh je mafadan khe samoon rakhi hin mulak ja hukmran kadhen bhi khokhrapar border na kholeenda asan khe hosh aeen samajh san soochno pawandoo hin masalay laee per sab khan pehreen iyoh t disoon khokhra par sarhad khulay thi ya rugo kkhuwab deekhariya paya wajan ........ sath salamat
I wish to thank Mr Unar for his kind views in this thread. I fully agree with him and believe in the fact that it takes more than courage to do what one says and there is a difference between saying and doing. We Sindhis regardless of the fact that we all have different points of view on this issue, should bear one thing clearly in our minds that Sindhi Interests in Punjabistan have always been trampled under the feet of the Punjabi Masters of the country and they will never act in a manner which could be beneficial for Sindh and the people of Sindh. They will open the KHOKHRA PAR ROUTE whenever they please and close the same whenever they like. The wishes of the people of Sindh will never be taken into account. Neither they will ask our opinion on this issue nor will they make any decision in accordance with the wishes of the people of Sindh. So we should better watch and see.
