India and Pakistan

This is in reply to the article Ailing Pakistan faces its worst crisis ever by Brahma Chellaney in The Jakarta Post on Sept. 24.

The way this article painted the picture of Pakistan it looks as if nothing positive is happening there. Such a gloomy picture of the seventh nuclear power of the world is not anywhere near the reality. The economic crisis is not being experienced by Pakistan alone, but India and a host of other nations in Asia and the Far East are also passing through a period of recession.

Pakistan was carved out of the Indian sub-continent because the Moslems of India had decided that it was impossible for them to live with Hindus and lead lives according to their faith. Their decision is proved correct when they see the sectarian violence which frequently erupts in different parts of India. The extremist Hindus, who are in a minority, never reconciled with the reality of Pakistan as a separate and independent state. It may be difficult for them to eschew the realities of Pakistan matching India in nuclear technology and moving towards an Islamic system.

While writing a balanced article it is surprising how the happenings such as the demolition of Babri Mosque, burning of Charar-e-Sharif, killing of thousands of Sikhs following the death of prime minister Indira Gandhi, operation Blue Star and uprising in Assam, Nagaland and East Punjab could be overlooked. The right of people to have an opinion is one thing but intellectual dishonesty is another. These incidents fully expose the myth of Indian secularism.

JALALUDDIN

Jakarta