Strength in harmony

On Friday (Aug 11), National Minorities Day was observed in Pakistan. The minority groups celebrated the day and recalled the famous speech given by Quaid-e-Azam on 11 August 1947 while addressing the Constituent Assembly. They also recall the June 2014 verdict where the SC asked the then government to form a National Council for minorities’ rights.

It is the responsibility of the nation to take relevant steps to safeguard the rights of minority groups. The people who are in majority must set an example of loyalty and brotherhood. It is hoped that all segments of Pakistan will live in peace.

Wali Ejaz Nekokara (Islamabad)

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Every year in Pakistan, National Minorities Day is celebrated on August 11. Three days before the independence of Pakistan, on August 11, 1947, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah said the following words, “We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State”. The Quaid wanted a tolerant Pakistan. He wanted to see peace and harmony in the region. However, the recent chaos in the country hints at the fact that the Quaid’s vision has been dissipidated into nothingness.

Now, the country has become a dismal picture of intolerance. The marginalised groups of the country are attacked. These groups live in fear. They often hid their identities to escape from the rage of extremists. The Badami Bagh incident still haunts the Christian community. Over 100 houses were burnt and a large number of people were left homeless. Similarly, a Christian couple was lynched and burned to death in a kiln after being falsely accused of blasphemy. The incidents of forced conversion of young Hindu girls in interior Sindh are also out in the open. The Safoora bus attack is another glaring example of extremism in Pakistan. The country is just the opposite of the Quaid’s vision. He wanted a country where people belonging to any community can live in peace. Pakistan should have been all about brotherhood, fraternity and tolerance among the people. It is hoped that minority groups in Pakistan will be safeguarded and will be given a safe and secure country to live in. Long live Pakistan.

Sanjesh Menghwar (Hyderabad)