MORE
PROVINCES ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVELS SHOULD BE CREATED IN THE
COUNTRY ---- ALTAF HUSSAIN
CREATION OF
NEW PROVINCES OR ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS DOES NOT WEAKEN THE COUNTRY
BUT STRENGTHENS IT.
IT IS
NECESSARY FOR THE INTEGRITY AND STABILITY OF THE COUNTRY THAT
REPRESENTATION IN ALL SECTORS AND WALKS OF LIFE ON THE BASIS OF
POPULATION BE GIVEN TO ALL ETHNO-LINGUISTIC CULTURAL
NATIONALITIES.
THE CONCEPT
OF THE PAKISTANI NATIONAL IDENTITY IS WEAKENING AND
ETHNO-LINGUISTIC PARTICULARISM IS GAINING STRENGTH AS A RESULT OF
DENIAL OF RIGHTS.
THE SITUATION
HAS BECOME SERIOUS AS CRISIS DEEPENS WHICH NEEDS IMMEDIATE
SOLUTION INSTEAD OF SERMONS AND DECREES.
ALL PATRIOTIC CITIZENS SHOULD COME FORWARD AND PLAY THEIR FULL ROLE
Hyderabad (Pakistan)-- May 3, 1998
The founder and leader of Muttahida
Quami Movement (MQM), Mr Altaf Hussain while addressing a meeting
of the Graduate Forum held at Hyderabad said that for the
integrity and stability of the country, it was necessary to
create more provinces on administrative basis and they be made
fully autonomous.
He said that all ethno-linguistic
cultural nationalities be given their Fundamental and
Constitutional rights including their participation in the
governance of the State and in all sectors and walks of life
according to their population ratio.
Mr Hussain emphasised that creation of
new provinces or administrative units would not weaken the
country but strengthen it, instead. He further stated that it is
not a time for sermons and decrees but it is the need of the time
that people at the helm of affairs should take notice of this
crisis and provide the Fundamental and Constitutional rights to
all the ethno-linguistic cultural nationalities and treat them
equitably.
Mr Hussain expressed these views in the
huge meeting arranged under the auspices of the Graduate Forum
which was attended by intellectuals, academics, prominent poets,
scholars, Principals and Professors of different colleges and
universities and others belonging to different profession and
vocation including Senator Jamiluddin Aali, Dr. Farman Fatehpuri,
Poet Mohsin Bhopali and others.
Mr Hussain referring to the historical
facts and quoting examples of the concept of religion, nations
and nationalism stated that any religion can unite or bring
people closer living in different geographical boundaries but
conversion of religion can not bring about change in the
language, civilisation, culture, physical structure and identity
of the people living in the same geographical boundaries. He
quoted the example that the majority of people living in Great
Britain, Germany, Italy, France and other countries belong to the
Christian faith but their religious belief could not keep them
under one national geography. Despite having the Christian
belief, they are distinct nationalities with distinct language
and culture, different to each other. He said that similarly the
majority of the people living in Arabia, Africa, Asia and
different countries converted into Islam as a common religion yet
they live in different countries having their own geographical
boundaries because their language, civilisation, culture,
temperament and way of life are distinctly different to each
other.
Mr Hussain said that religion can bring
closer different ethno-linguistic cultural units but can not
change its individual identity because individual identity does
not relate to religion but in fact, individual identity is
identified with language, civilisation, culture, temperament,
genetic makeup and physical structure. He also said that the
geography, environment and surroundings play a key role in the
making of the genetic makeup of any ethno-linguistic cultural
nationality or groups.
Mr Hussain stated that generally a
"Nation" does not consist of singular component but is
a combination of different ethno-linguistic cultural
nationalities and groups. He further said that if provision of
equal rights and treatment is made available to all the
ethno-linguistic cultural nationalities and groups in any region,
it would strengthen the ethno-linguistic cultural pluralism but,
on the contrary, if the identity of any ethno-linguistic cultural
group is denied and equal treatment is not meted out to all
ethno-linguistic cultural nationalities, then the concept of one
nation would become weaker and the concept of ethno-linguistic
cultural particularism become stronger. It is no denying the
fact, he said, that ethno-linguistic cultural
"pluralism" takes deeper roots in those regions and
countries where equal rights are provided to all the
ethno-linguistic cultural nationalities or groups.
Mr Hussain emphasised that Pakistan came
into existence in the name of Islam but unfortunately, the
peoples belonging to different ethno-linguistic cultural groups
were deprived of their Fundamental and Constitutional rights and
equal treatment was not meted out to them. As a result to all
this, he said, the concept of Pakistani national identity
gradually became weaker and concept of ethno-linguistic cultural
particularism became stronger.
Mr Hussain said that at the time of
creation, Pakistan constituted of two parts, West and East. The
population of Bengalis in East Pakistan was fifty-six per cent of
the total population of the country. But the power barons of that
time adopted the theory of "Parity" for eliminating the
differences between the two wings. The Bengali people, being in
majority, displayed magnanimity and generosity and accepted the
principle of "Parity". The Bengalis agreed to provide
equal rights to the minority but it is statistically evident that
the Bengalis were not provided even fifty per cent share in the
governance of the State, bureaucracy or any other walks of life.
Mr Altaf Hussain stressed that it is an
accepted principle that persistent and systematic denial of
rights and discrimination begets and promotes individualism and
the concept of ethno-linguistic cultural particularism.
Therefore, he said, that persistent discrimination against
Bengali people cemented the concept of Bengali identity and
nationalism. It is because of this that the concept of Pakistani
national identity weakened and that of ethno-linguistic cultural
particularism grew stronger.
Mr Hussain said that when the Bengali
people started the struggle to realise their usurped rights, then
the rulers, instead of giving their rights, commenced worst
Military Operation against them. The world is aware of the fact
that the Bengali people having being deprived of their rights
became a "Nation" from a sub-nationality and a country
created on the basis of the "Two Nation Theory" stood
fragmented into two parts.
Mr Hussain further said that whenever
the ethno-linguistic cultural groups in any country are deprived
of their Fundamental and Constitutional rights and attempts are
made to suppress their voice, then in such situations, struggle
for rights does not end but in consequence of it, the geography
of that country undergoes a tragic change. He added, Pakistan
came into existence because of the sacrifices of millions of
lives and despite the dismemberment of the country, the rulers
did not bring about any change in their attitude and, instead of
learning lessons from their past mistakes, have continued to
repeat the same mistakes.
Mr Hussain said that persistent
injustice to the ethno-linguistic cultural minorities was being
doled out and the State power was used everywhere against those
who raised voice for their rights and State machinery was used to
crush them. As a result of that the concept of Pakistani national
identity is becoming weaker with every passing day and the
concept of ethno-linguistic cultural particularism is getting
stronger. And this problem has reached an alarming stage,
creating a situation in which there is no time for sermons and
decrees but for immediate solution of this crisis.
Mr Hussain said that it has become
inevitable for the integrity and stability of the country that
the rulers should not cling on to the past mistakes and provide
the Fundamental and Constitutional rights to all the
ethno-linguistic cultural groups and nationalities. He further
said that they be provided their share in the governance of the
State, Bureaucracy, Armed Forces, Administration and in all other
sectors according to their population ratio. He said that
everyone should be treated equally and more autonomous provinces
or administrative units be created to run the affairs of the
country efficiently. He said that creation of new provinces would
not weaken the country but strengthen it, instead. He quoted
examples that initially Great Britain, U S A, India and other
countries had lesser units but their numbers were increased later
on and they are not only in existence but are rapidly
progressing.
Mr Hussain warned that if the people at
the helms of the affairs did not provide the Fundamental and
Constitutional rights to all the ethno-linguistic cultural
nationalities and are not equally treated, then it would
tantamount to threaten the integrity of the country. He said that
this is the time for "recognition of all and equal rights of
all".
Mr Altaf Hussain said every where, the
political awareness and awakening amongst the people are taking
place and now the voice of the people can not be suppressed by
the use of force. He said that with the use of force, ideological
man can be eliminated but his ideological rays can not be
eliminated by any force of the earth because body may be
eliminated but the rays radiating out of the body always
galvanise the surrounding into their ideological rays, and
likewise, "lamp" continues to illuminate other lamps
and the hand that rushes to extinguish it gets itself burnt in
the flames.
Mr Altaf Hussain appealed to the intellectuals, poets, writers, journalists, columnists, academics, businessmen, industrialists, doctors, engineers and people of all other sectors and professions to come forward and play their full role for the integrity and stability of the country.