Tainted Intellect

I just knew Pervez Hoodbhoy as a respectable intellectual. But I found this clip misleading and bizarre. An intellectual is expected to carry out dispassionate analysis. His views ought to be different than commoners. His views should not be tained by his prejudices. He has raised certain key points in this clip:

-Two nation theory should be burried

-Comapred Pakistan with Bengladesh

-Bengladesh people do not have Army on their heads and they don’t cut throats

-Bengladesh does not pick up trouble with bigger neighbour; India

-Bengladesh invests on people rather than weapons

-Pakistan didn’t get dividend of nuclear weapons

I do agree to some of his assertions. Pakistan hasn’t faired well in managing its house. We failed to invest in our human resource. But it is a matter of realisation that some of the issues are of our own making but few were thrust upon us. Three time arrival of super powers in our back and front yards wasn’t of our making. Coming to his points. Firstly, comparing Bengaldesh with Pakistan is like comparing an orange with an apple. Strategic location, strategic challenges, national demeanour and orientation are way different. Dumping of our ideology is like denuding Pakistan of its spirit. Bengla Desh was born as a manifestation of negation of two nation theory. Indra Ghandi had boasted that she had thrown two nation theory in Bay of Bengal. So, at ideological plain Bengla Desh is negation of Pakistan. Bengla Desh is a vassal state of bigger neighbour who quashed two nation theory so they complement each other. There cannot be anything more cruel than suggesting to dump Pakistan’s ideology. Modi has given new life to two nation theory and here we are suggesting to dump it. LOL. Instead of blaming Army to be overbearing it will be worthwhile to analyse why it is so? Pakistan has remained a security state for over four decades. Besides our perennial enemy India, Pakistan remained repeatedly sandwiched in rivalry of giants. Army got exaggerated role in national affairs and to aggravate the problem further, politicians failed to look beyond their nose. They remained shackled with their vested interests. I have been to Bengaldesh and people there curse politicization of their armed forces where as here our pseudo intellectuals are talking of opposite. Yes people of Bengladesh do not cut throats but we shouldn’t forget they did same in 71. Biggest dividend of nuclear weapons lies in our integrity. If nuclear weapons were not there Mr Pervez Hoodbhoy wouldn’t have enjoyed his intellect. Pakistan would have been overrun by our enemies. Talking of nuclear dividend to wage war for Kashmir is an illogical argument, to the least. By all means Pakistan has option of emulating Bengladesh. Let’s burry our ideology, accept hegemony of India, let kelptocracy rule Pakistan, forgo Kashmir, stop worrying about our future water needs, be a vassal state to India; kill our identity, national esteem and pride, forget the dictum, “one day’s life of a lion is better than 100 day’s life of a jackal”. We shall surely do better than Bengladesh. Prescriptions of Mr Hoodbhoy are right but diagnosis is wrong. We must invest in our human resource. All institutions should function within domains of constitution. For all this will be guaranteed by true democracy and patriotic leadership.