What you see is past

[HASEEB ANSARI]

What you see is past
By Mehboob Qadir

Our history in the region did not commence with the making of Pakistan and advent of Islam. It is as ancient as any in the subcontinent

What you see is past is a perplexing notion with an implied message of mirage or a reality check from Stephen Hawking, a uniquely gifted British physicist. Hawking had no desire to indulge in embroidered prose in his masterpiece A Brief History of Time. He was, in fact, explaining a purely scientific phenomenon of light reaching us from stars trillions of miles away that might have died millions of years ago. In the process he chiselled a fascinating literary phrase that opens a great vista of probabilities in the mind. For example, what if one was located on a star opposite in the sky. Logically, he should be able to see light reflected by earth quite a few million years ago. And if there was a way of transforming light received into events, view what might have passed over the planet in those years. It means past is a reality, present a transition and future an illusion. Time is not confined to the pages of physics alone. It is like a gigantic canopy that overarches the entire activity on earth and provides relevance to the universe around us. It might sound intriguing and a bit mysterious but this is not metaphysics or mysticism. It is the paramount reality of time, which like energy is indestructible.

This reality is starker in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan, where we are confronted with existential issues every day. For us, time seems to have stood still, which is not so. It is not only a physical impossibility but also a social and human absurdity. Countries are mainly defined by their citizens and are what they make them out to be. So is Pakistan. Therefore, to adjudge Pakistan solely with reference to a number of implosive factors could go wrong as we tend to overlook the interplay of time — that is history — with the pulse of the people.

Should we agree that past is a reality, it would make our further discussion much more focused and perhaps more rational. It is necessary to identify main components of time in our context. In the case of South Asia, we have a splendid history that evolved over thousands of years and was enriched by multiple forces. Indus and Gangetic civilisations grew here in a state of individual evolution and eventual collectivity while interacting profitably with the one prospering in Iran, Mesopotamia and Egypt. Equally grand Chinese, Greek and Roman civilisations did radiate certain effects but that much dimly due to great distances involved. South Asia benefitted from this marvelous mix, which seeped deep into our psyche and way of life. A cumulative effect has been the elaborate and vastly humane set of values that we developed in the region. We allotted a generous space to foreign races for absorption into our society. We also minimised adjustment of aliens into our system to less than a generation unless the guests insisted. We could morally equate with, and at times, rise above the victor when confronted. That is why Poras, while defeated, could see Alexander the Great in the eye and asked to be treated the way a king treats the other.

The next substantial notion in our lives turns out to be religion. Our region has the unique distinction to be the birth place of Hinduism and Buddhism, two of the greatest and oldest religions in the world. It was followed by the advent of Islam and Sikhism along with a touch of Christianity, Judaism and a few more. There had been some adjustment problems but by and large all of them settled down quite admirably. Not only that , Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Christian saints seem to claim sway over the same natural resources like springs, rivers, mountains and what not, in the minds of the respective followers. Each batch of devotees feels rewarded without a conflicting claim by the followers of sister religions. This astonishing adjustment has not been by accident or providence but rooted deep into our tested and superbly matured social values. That is one reason why Shias and Sunnis in our region quickly achieved a peaceful balance, while in the Middle East and Iran they continued to clash bloodily. Regretfully, our invaluable equilibrium between religions and within each, particularly Islam, was to be shattered with general degradation of our social practices, dearth of resources and rise of belligerent sub-varieties of respective faiths.

The next element that affected our history and society profoundly has been the inductions and invasions of foreign races and peoples into the Subcontinent. South Asia was a fabled land of plenty and riches, which attracted campaigners and traders from all over the world. It is no surprise to know that there was a Greek business colony in Hyderabad Deccan set up to buy cotton. There were large internal movements also which continued till the Partition. There are families in Peshawar, Chaman and Loralai (Balochistan) who have relatives in Hyderabad, Dacca and Rangoon. Kashmiri and Punjabi entrepreneur families could be found thriving all over South Asia. Pathans had a special liking for Kashmir and Bombay. Iranians, Central Asians, Caucasians and Chinese are also part of this huge melting pot of humanity. It is amazing how hardly anyone was discriminated against because of one’s religion or race. There had been a few exceptions but far in between and more localised in scope. Our coast lines are dotted with ancient ruins of seamen and pirate lookouts from as far away as Europe, Africa and Middle East. Trade, curiosity and conquest spurred this flow as the region was open to the capable, the daring and the benevolent. Curiosity pulled in Fixian and Huen Sang from China, Marco Polo from Italy, Alberuni from Afghanistan and Ibne Batuta from Morocco.

The subcontinent responded with poise and generosity, creating an ideas-highway for free, a two-way flow of knowledge, philosophy, and religions all over the region. That great performance added permanent value to the lives and societies of distant people and countries. Buddhism sprouted in eastern India, travelled west to Afghanistan and then wheeled around to China and Korea. Another branch flowed into South East Asia, over the Far East on to Japan. It was not religion alone. Arts, architecture, sciences, medicine, mathematics and statecraft changed hands too. As the centres of other civilisations gathered mass, they began to draw more aggressively upon our reservoirs. Out of three great trading commodities like silk, spices and essences two were ours. Trade and exchange of ideas created an environment of harmony for evolution of philosophy and spread prosperity.

Our history in the region did not commence with the making of Pakistan and advent of Islam. It is as ancient as any in the subcontinent. By that logic our heritage in humanity and way of life span at least 8,000 years of known history. A country is a physical entity and a sovereign state an opportunity. It is a political opportunity to improve the quality of life of its people, engage constructively with other states and contribute positively to global well-being. We faltered on both counts, therefore, what we have is a terribly fragmented society, a dysfunctional state and a hornets’ nest of terrorists, extremists, sectarian killers and secessionists creeping all over the country. There has been a comprehensive leadership failure by most of our leaders. Alongside was the seething religious sadism of our well-fed clergy and their mindless, frilled followers. What has been and is before us is already the past. Let’s be ourselves, rooted firmly in the region’s majestic heritage, pluralism, openness and hospitality.

The writer is a retired brigadier of the Pakistan army and can be reached at clay.potter@hotmail.com

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...3-4-2013_pg3_5