What other alternative do people on the Left have left? No remotely liberal or moderate party left in this country.
Well I am more favurable of the PTI-its leader is western educated, he has never made an anti ahmedi anti shia comment nor been seen with a garland of petals with Ludhianvi unlike PMLN... but yes it does not condemn terrorism as vocally. This is a flaw I thought PTI and Imran Khan would correct.
This country is full of right wing fascists parties, many of whom are involved in all manner of criminal and terrorists activities yet I have never seen action against them the same way I have seen MQM being targeted. On the contrary, it seems that sectarian organisations are nurtured and supported by the establishment and used against their enemies. In a country like this, our choices are limited. I'd rather go with the devil I know than the devil I don't.
You are right, Malik Ishaq is arrested and set free, moves around with a large group of bodyguards. Akram Lahori is treated as a hero. Ludhianvi pelted with flowers by PMLN supporters. But what keeps us strong is hope. Hope that one day Pakistan would do better and our government-whom we elect would take punitive action against said parties.
And I respectfully disagree with you when you say MQM are responsible for most of the violence in Karachi, Establishment used SIndhi nationalists, before that the Afghan migrants to attack Muhajir/Urdu speaking localities way before MQM had even managed to establish themselves. MQM only gained an upper hand due to the racist policies of the establishment.
Here I think we will disagree because I do not believe in a) ethnic politics and I believe in b) self criticism about our ethnicity. I have been critical of my ethnicity in the hope others may be critical of theirs too. But I think we urdu speakers have written history too in our favor.
Sindhi nationalists have been attacked by the establishment at times as have Baloch nationalists and Pashtun nationalists. I think the establishment too views such ethnic nationalists with suspicion. Lets note that even though Zulfiqar Ai Bhutto made Sindhi compulsory in Sindh schools and took other steps for the protection of Sindhi heritage he stood against GM Syed a staunch Sindhi nationalist and he spent a lot of his time in jail. He also launched an operation in Balochistan in conjunction with the shah. Before ZAB, Yahya Khan, Niazi and Tikka Khan used to make fun of Bengalis as black. Another general called them weak and not a martial race. Then there was Bacha Khan who was jailed.
Tell me which urdu speaking personality had to suffer all this? Altaf Hussain was jailed true but even in his young years he used violence. Just talk to Syed Jamaluddin and you will know where he wanted to take us. The way I see it we got things far easier than others. We had to prove we had property in parts we left from India and got properties in return. Before that some Sindhis had even cleared homes for us to live in. And today-look at now. People are forgetting their indigenous languages in favor of our language urdu and the said language is imposed all over the country. We also have a gdp per capita calculated in ruppees 13,000 higher than the Punjabis. We are the richest ethnic group...
I don't say this because I have adopted some pashtun customs and have a basic command over language but because I am seriously offended by Altaf Hussain's speech which called partition a blunder. I am also ashamed of the way my people have wanted more from Pakistan without giving anything in return. Altaf could lead Pakistan to the brink at any time. Ajmal Pahari was trained by India
And way before MQM was even founded, tell me who led Pushtun mobs on the rampage in Karachi after Urdu speaking people voted for Fatmia Jjinnah?
See what ethnic nationalists often do is turn a national problem into an ethnic issue. They excel at this. For example the Karachi incident in the past where Biharis were mainly attacked by a mob of Afghan nationals. Now Afghans attacked Pakistanis. Where is the ethnic problem in this?
Similarly voting for Fatima Jinnah-every pro Pakistani element voted for Fatima Jinnah. The majority could never betray Jinnah or his blood. So we all voted for her. But that evil dictator Ayub Khan rigged elections. Again that was a national issue and pashtuns sindhis balochs all stood with us. It was not an ethnic problem. Also yo might say pashtuns are coming into karachi-so what? Is it just urdu speakers country or pashtuns punjabis balochs sindhis equally?
The Urdu riots when again Sindhi nationalists attempted to oppress the people there. So I can understand why you have serious apprehensions towards MQM, I think it is wiser to accept that MQM is only a reaction to certain grievances that could have been handled way better.
I do not agree with this. Each community, each ethnic group talks about oppression. If all are saying the same thing then its clear no one is oppressed but all treated equally. The problem is our own psyches, we want and expect to get more and more. In any society you do not get things freely. You have to work hard for them. Partly the problem arises from the fact that we urdu speakers wanted some form of special treatment, since we had suffered massive pain during partition. But that happens no where. Still Pakistan is an urdu speaking ethnocracy. If you don't believe it ask Punjabis if they know punjabi-there are about 40 million pashtuns in Pakistan, only 30 million know pashto... so you see people are surrendering their languages for us.
I am aware of the case of a Urdu speaking youth who was highly educated but he couldn't get a job because he didn't have Sindh domicile. While Punjabis could get theirs, Sindhis would get in with quotas, young and frustrated Muhajir youths were left to fend for themselves.
I believe you learned of the case when the said urdu speaking youth himself complained about this? This is our problem. We have always considered ourselves an oppressed minority but have refused to look critically at our own role in the country. With higher education and control over the cities we rule the country. My question to my elders has always been why we can't live at peace with our Punjabi, Sindhi Baloch Pashtun brothers. Why did we being educationally superior and economically sound help these ethnicities move to a better standard. Why did we get bogged down in the mire of ethnic supremacy?
When you continue to push people, it is only a matter of time before they start pushing back. This is what happened with MQM, I do not justify violence, but its more complex than just the terrorist mantra that anti MQM blare out.
I don't think they were pushed in such a way. MQM supporters have always presented themselves as Mazloom which has won them some sympathies. It is not going to work anymore, and as the body count piles up-MQM is going to come under fire.
You are free to have your views about the select topic. Though I think that MQM's moderate or secular stand does not in my eyes exempt them from blame of using violence as a tool to further their interests.