By Justice Markandey Katju
I had a long talk with a Pakistani friend on whatsapp a short while back.
He asked me how I can call Pakistan a fake and artificial country when all countries in the word recognise it, and it is a member of the United Nations.
I replied that at one time the whole world believed that the sun goes around the earth ( the geocentric theory ). Then in 1543 a Polish-German astronomer Copernicus demonstrated that the earth goes around the sun ( the heliocentric theory ).
So who was correct, the world or Copernicus? To my mind what matters is not what most, or almost all, people believe in, but what is the truth.
He then said that when I say that Pakistan is a fake, artificial country it hurts Pakistanis. I replied that if saying 2+2=4 hurts some people it is their problem, and not mine. I will not say 2+2=5 or 2+2=3 to please them. The question is whether what I am saying is true or false. If saying 2+2=4 hurts Pakistanis, so be it.
I have written several articles in which I have said that Partition of India in 1947 on the basis of the bogus two nation theory, and creation of an Islamic state viz Pakistan, was a British swindle to keep Hindus and Muslims fighting each other, and thereby keep us weak and backward, and prevent united India from emerging as a modern industrial giant like USA or China, of which it has all the potential ( having a huge pool of technical talent and immense natural resources ), and thereby, with our cheap labour, becoming a big rival to Western industries.
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are really one nation. We were one for over 500 years from the time of Mughal Emperor Akbar, we share the same culture, look like each other, and people in large parts speak the same language Hindustani ( called Hindi in India and Urdu in Pakistan ) in which I speak to my Pakistani friends. When Indians and Pakistanis meet abroad they socialise and intermingle as if there had been no Partition. We are sure to reunite one day under a secular government, but that will take time ( since there are powerful forces which oppose reunification tooth and nail as it will adversely affect their interests ).
He then said that Partition of India was done 77 years ago and since then much water has flown, and it is now not possible to reunite. My reply is that time is immaterial. West and East Germany reunited in 1990 after 45 years partition, and Norh and South Vietnam in 1975 after 30 years partition. Unless we reunite we will keep wasting our precious resources and energy in hostility with each other, and can never emerge as a great, powerful, prosperous nation, as explained in the articles below, but will be condemned to remain with massive poverty, massive unemployment, appalling level of child malnutrition ( every second child in India and Pakistan is malnourished according to Global Hunger Index ), skyrocketing prices of essential commodities like food, fuel, etc, almost total lack of proper healthcare and good education for our masses, etc.
He then asked my opinion of Allama Iqbal, Jinnah, and Gandhi.
I said all three were British agents, who furthered the nefarious British policy of divide and rule.
Iqbal was a nationalist, secular and patriotic in his youth when he wrote 'Saare jahaan se achcha Hindustan hamaara' in 1904. But later he became totally and vehemently communal, and advocated partition of India on religious lines.
Similarly, Jinnah was earlier secular and a nationalist, but later he became a staunch advocate of the two nation theory
As regards Gandhi, by constantly preaching Hindu ideas ( merit of caste system, cow protection, Ram Rajya, etc ) he was furthering the British policy of divide and rule, and therefore was objectively a British agent.
Finally my friend invited me to visit Pakistan. I said I would love to come there, but would never get a visa as I had called Pakistan a fake, artificial country. I explained this in this video interview to my Pakistan born friend Haider Raza who lives in California where I met him.
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court. These are his personal views.)
