Language, Ethnicity and Us....

“Are you Hindustani?” These words weren’t new for me. Coming from an Urdu-Speaking family I always had to explain my ancestral brief history in- order to assure that I was NOT a Hindustani. But the fact that it was one of my best friend asking was some what offending. “ I was born in Pakistan, I was bought up here. I hardly know anyone from my family who stayed back in India. Neither of my parents were born there. They were in born in East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh. Heck! I definitely am NOT Hindustani.” “Then what are you?”. “I am Urdu-Speaking?” . “Aren’t all Urdu –speaking Hindustani?” “I have only been to Hindustan once for 5 days...How exactly am I Hindustani?” “You don’t have an ancestral village here.” “SO?” “So what do you tell people when they ask you where you belong from?” “Islamabad..I was born there” “Yes, but you don’t live there” “Yes, but I grew up in different places. My father kept on getting posted.”” I know, that’s my point so you are not really from Islamabad right?” “ WRONG…Listen dude, regardless of my ancestral villages whereabouts, I m NOT Hindustani . I am a hard core Pakistani. OK? Stop annoying me!” My friend changed the topic. Despite the fact that he did not really understood me. There lies my dilemma. My and all of Urdu speaking people who have similar brought up as mine.

Pathans and Balochis take us as Punjabis. Punjabis know we are not Punjabis so we are not really one of them. I can not speak for those brought up in Karachi, but those of my kinds who did not spend more than two and a half years in one city are as much out of their league as we are of the others. So what do we do? With all the language and ethnic issues surge in the country these days, absence of electricity, abundance of humid vapours in the air, continuous Taliban and Anti-Taliban clashes and Military operations, ever increasing friendly fire and collateral damages, the lawyers going berserk and the crazy media expeditions, I get this sudden urge of becoming violent when anyone ask me if I am Hindustani.

This ‘Urdu-speaking are Hindustani’ syndrome isn’t merely an external community inflicted pain. The idea has its strong hold with the Urdu-speaking as well. “You don’t really sound Bihari. Are you Delhiwal or from Lakhnav?” “I went to Delhi and didn’t really like it. Can I please be a Lakhnavi? Oh wait, My mom’s grandmother was from Lakhnow but my dad’s family lived in Banaras.” “Oh!! So your dad is a Banarsi baboo haan? Khai ke paan banaras wala!” “Not exactly, his family migrated from Central Asia, Samarqand and Bukhara” “Oh…Who are you bhaee??” There it goes again…. Why can’t I just be Pakistani???

Allah says in the Holy Quran “O mankind, we have created you male and female, and appointed you races and tribes, so that you may know one another. Surely the noblest among you in the sight of God is the most godfearing of you" (49:13). The races and ethnicities were created amongst men so that they can differentiate amongst each other. Differentiate, not discriminate. Islam does not allow us to feel superior just because we belong to a particular region, or speak particular language. Perhaps I feel more strongly about it because I have never really belonged anywhere or in any group; or because I can see the damage this strong sense of ethnicity and racism is doing to my beloved motherland.

Indeed, what we currently face is the worst jolt of crisis ever faced in the last 62 years of this ‘Land of Pure”. Things have been boiling inside a covered pot for a long time now. The simmering on low heat, the continuous and strategic addition of external spices, and the periodic stirring of the spoon has certainly added taste and value to the raw problems. Let us take an example from Balochistan; The part kept on being neglected by those in the Parliament and the National Assembly; The native rulers helped in aggregating the situation by whining and crying, but hardly taking any practical steps to resolve the issues; The external elements of RAW and perhaps other agencies helped in increasing the communication gap and brain washing of the sufferers. An entire generation grown with such a mind frame can not be undermined in any possible way. Those who are not Balochis or Pathans have been asked to leave. Instances of people being killed because they were of a different ethnicity have been reported. Those who have been through the trauma of 71’ see this as a repetition of circumstances.

Is ethnicity really so important that human life can be sacrificed? I always ask myself. I have gradually learnt to believe the ironical absurdity of borders and countries. If it was only for managerial ease, it would have meant sense, but the power hunger element that drives the laws and the rules of the world do not in any way sound logical to me. Mankind has reached its pinnacle of civilization and humanity and is now receding back to its early ages. The times when might was right; If not, Osama Bin Laden would not have been the biggest enemy of the world; if not, Weapons of Mass Destruction weren’t made the biggest issue; if not brutal killings of innocent lives wouldn’t have been termed as ‘ friendly fire’. The history books narrate that Urdu and Hindi language as the first and foremost point of conflict between Muslims and Hindus of the subcontinent. I beg to differ; it was the difference of status and treatment that actually made this language such a huge issue. If Muslims were clever enough to acquire English language and get better jobs, these native languages wouldn’t have made people living together beat each other and develop hatred.

We humans may not understand oral and written language of each other. We may not be able to understand body language due to cultural difference. However, we should have the eyes, and the heart to understand the language of humanity. We should be able to respect each other for our differences. We should be able to trust each other, despite our differences.

I am as much of a Pakistani as anyone else because I have lived in different areas of Pakistan. I have savored the variety of cultural favours of different part of this beautifully intricate and complex country. My grandfather gave his life for this country. My entire family migrated twice for it. If I am a Hindustani then no body deserves to be Pakistani. None at all… But I am not a Pakistani who would kill anyone with harmful intentions for Pakistan. I am not going to feel superior merely because of my language or my ancestral background. I have not been trained as a soldier. I am a communicologist and if I fail to communicate my respect for those with different opinions I fail myself and those who trust me. If anyone thinks I unpatriotic than I’ll let it be.