Petition: STOP the violence against Pakistan’s religious communities

Pakistan needs rule of law and de-politicisation of police. Those engaging criminal offences like hate speech, threats and incitement to violence, and vigilante violence must be charged, tried, prosecuted, and punished. We will not allow people in public office or public positions, like political parties and traders’ unions to go around supporting hate-campaigns and violence. [...]

Conversations 12: A grounding for reconciliation

I forgot to upload the last few Conversations published in The News on Sunday, Aman ki Asha page in Political Economy. The entire archives are also up at the Aman ki Asha website A grounding for reconciliation Dilip D’Souza and Beena Sarwar continue their email discussion, questioning state versions of history and politics May 20, [...]

CONVERSATIONS-4: It’s about time

There are historical circumstances that we cannot take blame or credit for. What I am saying is, instead of superiority, try understanding and empathy. We don’t want your pity but your support. We will fight on, with or without it.

Bring back Jagannath Azad’s Pakistan anthem

If journalists were unaware of this historical detail, ordinary citizens may be forgiven for their ignorance about about Pakistan’s first national anthem commissioned in 1947, commissioned and approved by no less a person than Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The lyricist was the poet Jagannath Azad, son of the renowned poet Tilok Chand Mahroom (who won accolades for his rendering of naat at mushairas)

Hey Ram, the Things the Financial Times Group Does!

The FDI has found a way to nuzzle out of a fix. They now say that “the criteria of the award has always remained focused on rewarding a region in attracting foreign investment.” This could not have been all that clear, because Fingar also wrote, “FDI has also decided to highlight the geographic regions of all the other winners.” Now Gujarat will get the award, not Modi. This is something. But not enough. Modi will still take credit for this. He should not be allowed to do so.

‘Jinnah’s Secularism: A Hindu wrote Pak’s first national anthem’

‘On the morning of August 9, 1947, there was a message from Pakistan’s first Governor-General, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It was through a friend working in Radio Lahore who called me to his office. He told me `Quaid-e-Azam wants you to write a national anthem for Pakistan,’ recalled Jagannath Azad

Jinnah revisited, thank you Jaswant Singh

Jaswant Singh’s latest work on Jinnah had not hit the Pakistani bookstalls at the time of writing. But from reported and televised statements and published extracts his thesis appears to be similar to Ayesha Jalal’s seminal work The Sole Spokesman: Jinnah, the Muslim League and the Demand for Pakistan (Cambridge University Press, 1985).

Peace please, musically

Shahvar Ali Khan: “No Saazish, No Jung” In January I posted out information to my  yahoogroup about a joint signature campaign between Indians and Pakistanis, and also a note from a Lahori who loves Mumbai, Shahvar Ali Khan (A Lahori’s love for Mumbai; Pk-India joint signature campaign – http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beena-issues/message/1028)com/ Recently, Shahvar wrote, composed and sang [...]