Second Year English Notes Sindh Board PAKISTAN AND THE MODERN WORLD

PAKISTAN AND THE MODERN WORLD

(Liaquat Ali Khan)

SUMMARY

This essay is a speech delivered by Liaquat Au Khan, during his visit to America in 1950, in his capacity, as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was thanking the teachers and the students of the University of Kansas City, for conferring on him, an honorary degree of law.

In his speech, Liaquat Ali Khan told the Americans, the reasons for the demand and creation of Pakistan. Before the creation of Pakistan, India was ruled by the British. The sub-continent consisted of one hundred million Muslims and there hundred million Hindus. Long experience and history had taught the Muslims that, under a dominating majority of three to one, freedom from the British rule would mean for the Muslims, not freedom, but simply a change of masters.

Religion was not the only difference that made the Muslims a separate nation. There were other very serious differences which separated the Muslims from the Hindus. The Hindus believe in a caste system, while the Muslims believe in the equality of all men. The Muslims believe in the right of private ownership for everyone, whether man or woman. The Muslims have laws of inheritance and economic institutions while the Hindu laws are designed, to promote the accumulation of wealth. Most importantly, the Muslims feared that under the Hindu domination, their culture would be completely wiped out. It was for these reasons that the Muslims demanded a country of their own.

The demand, as we can see now, was a very just one. There were vast areas in the subcontinent, where the Muslims were numerous enough to form a nation of their own — a nation much bigger than most nations in the world.

Therefore a separate homeland for the Muslims meant freedom and self-government. The demand for Pakistan also promised for the Hindus, freedom from the constant discontent of a large and unmanageable minority. It was under these circumstances that came into being. If it were not so, the differences between the Hindus and the Muslims would have led to unimaginable troubles and problems.

Our prime minister desired that the west should share its great fund of knowledge (science and technology), skill and experience with countries like Pakistan otherwise the Asian people would remain backward. The other duty of the west should be to show that democracy is international in nature. The west should also not avoid its responsibility, to maintain peace in the world and condemn aggression everywhere and take steps to prevent them. If the west fulfills these obligations, only then, the people of Asia, would be able to progress and prosper.

Quotations by Liaquat All Khan:

•       The principle of territorial nationalism as opposed to the Muslim view of nationalism which is based on a philosophy of society and outlook on life rather than allegiance to a piece of territory.

•       If the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent are able to establish an independent state, they’ll be helping the humanity to build a better and happier world order’ It’s indeed unparalleled event in the history of the world that without bloodshed, without going through a bloody revolution, a state is the fifth largest in the world should come into existence.

•          From cradle to death the life of a Hindu and the Muslim differ in every respect.

It’s impossible to reconcile these irreconcilables’.

Questions Answers

Q1.      Briefly state the main reason given by Liaquat Ali Khan for the Muslim’s desire not to continue living in a united India.

Ans.     The main reason given by Liaquat Ali Khan in his speech ‘Pakistan and the Modern World’ was the disproportionate number of the Muslims and the Hindus. In pre-partition India, there lived a hundred million Muslims and three hundred others—mostly Hindus. Therefore, freedom from the British would be virtually meaningless to Muslims because the higher number of Hindus would make the Muslims a perpetual (= permanent) political minority. Thus it would not be free but merely a change of masters.

Q2.      What main differences does Liaquat Ali Khan point out between Muslim and Hindu beliefs and attitudes?

Ans.     In his speech ‘Pakistan and the Modern World’, Liaquat Ali Khan points out three main differences between Muslim and Hindu beliefs and attitudes: religious, social, and economic. Discussing the religious differences, he says that Muslims were monotheists whereas Hindus were polytheists. Muslims believed not only in the Prophet of Arabia but also in Christ and the prophets of the Old Testament whereas Hindus did not. Discussing the social differences, he says that Hindus had a caste system whereas Muslims upheld gender and racial equality. Even priesthood is regarded as a negation of the bond between the Creator and each of His creatures. Similarly, the economic outlooks of Muslims and Hindus were greatly different. Unlike Hindus, Muslims believed in the right of private ownership, the law of inheritance, and distribution of wealth.

Q3.      On what ground does Liaquat Ali Khan assert that the first duty of the Pakistanis as a free people is to themselves?

Ans.     In his speech ‘Pakistan and the Modern World’, Liaquat Ali Khan quotes Charles Caleb Colton to explain that free people must maintain their own freedom first. Otherwise, a free nation, without constant vigilance, would disgrace the fair name of free men and women all over the world. To get the rightful place in the modern world, the Pakistanis must go forward at a double pace. They must use all the resources and energy they have to make available the basic necessities of life, health-care units, and education facilities. In other words, political freedom, without freedom from want, disease, and ignorance, has no real value for common men and women. Thus the first duty of the Pakistanis as a free people is to themselves.

Q4.      What is the synthesis that Liaquat Ali Khan believes in necessary for Pakistan to achieve?
Ans.     Synthesis means combining different things to form a coherent whole. The synthesis which Liaquat Ali Khan thinks necessary for Pakistan is the combination of our ancient steadfast faith with the pioneering virility of modern technology. In other words, we have clear-cut beliefs which provide us strength in modern uneasy times. However, we lagged behind in the match of civilization during the centuries of foreign domination. Now Pakistan must develop its mental and material resources not only for the sake of progress but also for the sake of world peace.

Q5.      Liaquat Ali Khan contrasts two emotions that the Asian people tend to feel when they view they view the Western world. What are these two emotions?

Ans.    In his speech ‘Pakistan and the Modern World’, the emotions Liaquat Ali Khan contrasts are admiration and impatience. He says that the Asian people have now entered upon a new and dynamic phase of nationalism after centuries of suppression. They are now able to see the great contrast between their standard of living and the standard of living in the West. One the one hand, they greatly admire the progress and advancement of civilization in the west. On the other hand, they are more impatient than ever before with their own misery and backwardness. They also want to enjoy the fullest advantages of freedom and democracy.

Q6. What advantage does he show the Hindus to have gained from the creation of Pakistan?

Ans. Liaquat Ali declared that from the freedom of Muslims Hindus also have the opportunities to practice their faith freely. They can develop their culture and stable their economy by giving full concentration without any interruption. They can also live easy and peaceful life in Asia.

Q7. ‘Our administrative machinery had to be built up from scratch’ what does this sentence mean?

Ans.  This sentence means that when Pakistan came into being it had no flag, capital, military equipment, administration, and military. They were asked to build the country of eighty million people within two months. The share of Pakistan remained largely undelivered and they had to build up the country from the very beginning.       

Q8. What does Liaquat Ali Khan state the real meaning of freedom, for the common man, to be?

Ans. Liaquat Ali Khan states that for a common man freedom mean freedom from wants, freedom from desires and freedom from ignorance. If a common man is free from these things he really feels the taste of freedom.

Q9. What is meaning by ‘syntheses?

Ans. Synthesis means the act of combining separate ideas, belief, and styles.

Q10. What does he put forward as the two main duties today of the Western world?

Ans. The two main duties of the Western world that Liaquat Ali Khan puts forward are that they should share their fund of knowledge, skills, and experience within developing countries. They should also play an active role in the maintenance of world peace.