Indus Asia Online
Together we make a difference
The day of the celebration
By Fayaz Soomro
Personally, I am proud on my motherland and
Some times, Canada’s modesty touches me and I feel privileged to my self, especially when I meet with the open hearted and honest Canadians, who always guide me to the right path. They were the Canadians who showed me their kind gestures, when I came to
Happy
July 1st, 2003
Ontraio, Canada
Sindh & Sindhi Connection
By:
[Please note: This article has already been published in India, in the largely circulated Sindhi English magazine SindhiShann, Volume- 5, Issue- 4, December 2006]
It is indeed a great privilege for me to write for Sindhishaan and come into contact with Sindhis who are living in
Sindhi Hindus left the shores of Sindh and migrated to different parts of India and the world but the bond with Sindh- Sindhi language, and Sindhi culture keeps us connected all over the world. For centuries, Sindhis have maintained their collective existence and over centuries they have developed and maintained a language known as Sindhi. Sindhi is one of the ancient languages of the world and it is spoken in
No doubt, the Sindhi Sabhyata is experiencing hard times in history and concern for the existence of Sindhis as a community and Sindhi language are very high. The status of Sindh ad Indus civilization which existed 2000 to 3000 years before Christ, when Sindhis used to grow grains and live in well built houses and Sindh was leading the world is now completely lost. But the conditions were not as bad as up to pre-partition. Before partition, Sindh was linguistically one territory and Sindhi language enjoyed domination in every aspect of life in Sindh. But the post-partition realities are very harsh for Sindh and Sindhis as a whole. When a large chunk of educated Sindhi Hindus migrated to
In the above context, it is true that Sindhi language is passing through a difficult time but when we see the history, we know that it is not the first time that Sindhi language and Sindhi Sabhyata has faced threats. When Arabs invaded Sindh, Sindhi faced Arabic challenges, then Parsian and then English but Sindh and Sindhi language faced all the challenges and survived. Though, we do know that Indian and Pakistani governments are not sincere to promote Sindhi language and culture, still I am hopeful that Sindhi Sabhyata will get its lost status back and Sindhi language will survive. Sindhi language has its own rich culture, with a vast body of classical and modern literature and history.
As far as survival of Sindhi language in
Before partition, a little community of Urdu speaking peasants from
We are lucky that information technology has brought us closer to each other. The cheap sources of communication are providing us so many opportunities to share ideas and thoughts very quickly to promote our language and culture. Due to information and technology, the barriers of geography are becoming irrelevant. It is such a big opportunity which today’s technology is providing us to develop interaction between Sindhis all over the world.
My friends, as the New Year 2007 comes closer, let us pray and light the lamp for the prosperity of Sindh and Sindhis in the coming years and also to light the spark of promising ourselves that we never forget our contribution to our very own Sindh and Sindhi language.
Sindhi language and Sindhi literature is a treasure not only for our coming generations but for the world too. It is the moral responsibility of all Sindhis to protect and promote Sindhi language and Sindhi culture for our future generation.
[Please note: This article has already been published in India, in the largely circulated Sindhi English magazine SindhiShann, Volume- 5, Issue- 4, December 2006]
Three Great Leaders
By
If we take it all as not an absurd then the fact is that, though their personal style, arguments and conclusions were so different but they motivated variety of intllecuals and masses on their ideas and their different approaches supplement them to a remarkable degree. They were all men of immense intellectual range; they were deeply concerned with the plight of their people and mother land. At first sight, their characters, methods and approaches were totally different but their intelligent and heroic struggle for their people possess a wide range of relevance. All of whom, the common thing between them was that their mother land is Sindh. Though their thoughts and views were so bold and confilcting to each other, they were still very honest to their cause and they fought day and night for their missions. Though G.M. Syed got less success in his mission but he was very persistant to his cause upto his last day of life. He lived all of his life in prison and house arrest for what he believed was right. Unfortunatly, G.M. Syed and his thoughts are remained unstudied in
1. Think 100 times before you take a decision, but once that decision is taken, stand by it firm.
2. I have lived as a plain Jinnah and I hope to die as a plain Jinnah. I am very much averse to any title or honors and I will be more than happy if there will no prefix to my name.
Dated: December 22, 2006
Columnist Corner
As Balochistan situation is coming to the end of the rope, then it will create the vicious circle of Snowball effects. The Snowball effect is a metaphor for uncontrolled, exponential growth. It will start with a small snow ball and then it rolls and rolls and grows and grows through the snow. The snow sticks to the outside and the snow ball gets bigger and heavier as it moves on and on. The added weight causes the ball to compress more snow beneath it and it picks more snow with each rotation. As the diameter increases, the surface area increases exponentially and then it become too massive to stop on a decline.
If the ruling classes of country did not learn from the history that how to listen things, how to deal and solve the problems according to the wishes of people and if they do not stop them selves to see the things through their own bias/filters then there will be no way out to stop the vicious circle of “Snowball effects” in Balochistan and Sindh.
Generally, filters affects on us that how we see or hear or learn the things. They may even dictate us not to see, hear or understand the point of view or opinion of the other side. Past experiences attitudes, stereo type words and tone etc are the common filters that dramatically alter the messages between the sender and receiver. There is a saying that “put your self on others spot”. Therefore, it is the moral responsibility of country’s establishment to stop hurting and controlling, the people of the country, in the name of ill conceived and infamous projects and through unscientific arguments. It is unfair to deny the rights of nations living in the country and to assault their democratic rights and concord their land and resources under the mantle of so called Qumi Muffad (National interest). If ruling classes are not going to remove their own biases or filters from their eyes, to understand others point of view then it will confirmed the same kind of East Pakistani fears of perpetual domination and exploitation of the resources of Sindh and Baluchistan by the establishment of country. Therefore, it is not disrespectful to remind the establishment that Think first, Ink later because the construction of Kalabagh dam and the military operation will not solve the problem it will only circulate the vicious circle of Snowball Effects and it is as the same as the dog is chasing its Tail and it will only begins the long Battle and civil war in the country.
Fayaz Soomro, Toronto, Canada
Note: Almost a year ago, I posted above article on Sindhi lists in Jan. 2005 and then it had published at SANATO the web site of SANA Canada at that time under the title of Snowball Effects. The article is still relevant on Balochistan situation, therefore, I am publishing it again with a little editing.
Thanks (Fayaz)
Sindh is stating against Kalabagh dam
(Note: The below written matter was mailed at Sindhi e-lists on 11 January, 2005. Now I am re-publishing same at Indus Asia Online (Editor).
The Canadian flag is removed from its Newfound land province on the orders of Danny Williams, the Chief Minister of Newfound Land on December 23, after he failed to reach a deal with Ottawa on off shore oil revenues. Williams stood by his decision to strip the flag from province that their (Federation’s) treatment of Newfound and Labrador province was simply no longer acceptable.
Though the population of Newfound land province is less than six hundred thousand but they know one thing very well that Newfound land is an equal partner of Canada as federating unit, not subservient to Canada or any one and they have right to remove the federal flag when federation is not listening to them or not giving them due respect which they deserve as a federating unit.
William the Chief Minister of Canadian province of Newfound land defended his action because according to his; Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin promised during federal election to ensure the province retains 100 per cent of its off shore revenues with out a claw back of its equalization allotment, but after six months of negotiations have failed to bring about deal.
During crisis of Newfound Land with Ottawa, the Canadian Government never think to do any military operation against Newfound Land province and it also hasn’t any intentions or planning to establish more cantonments in the province. Because they know that Canada is democratic country and their system is working nicely so they will solve the crisis accordingly. Now after the statement of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin that he is faithful with his promise, helped to resume negotiations of Newfound land with Ottawa (Canada), the Canadian Maple leaf flag is to be restored at 1.pm on Monday by the new orders of Chief Minister Danny Williams and now Canadian flag is flying once again from Newfound land province.
On the other hand if we look at our country, then there is no rule of law and politics and system is not bound with constitution. Due to it, any thing can happen at any time in Pakistan. Therefore, every time, there are great chances that any crisis can pop up which even never happened in the history of country at all. Because the establishment of country is continuously subverting the founding contract of 1940, who accepts the sovereignty and autonomy of its federating units. But in Canadian federation, it is not disrespectful, if its any province states some thing about its needs and desires. Therefore, Canada is known as country, where its parts are bigger than the whole and where the provinces are equal partners with their federation. Unfortunately, in our country, continuously from long time Sindh is stating against Kalabagh dam, Thal Canal, NFC and other issues but the establishment of country is not only listening it but it is dealing Sindh as a pariah. Any how this is the time that our establishment start to realize the situation and if it is not learning from it’s own experiences than it will try to learn from other countries and especially from Canada that how to run the federation and it’s federating/confederating Nations.
Fayaz Soomro
January 11, 2005
indus_asia@yahoo.ca
http://www.indus-asia-online.blogspot.com/
Time to Re-Think
(Note: The below written matter was mailed at Sindhi e-lists on September 04, 2004. Now I am re-publishing same at Indus Asia Online (Editor).
Terrorist attacks of 9/11 was still heavy on our minds and this another terrifying school hostage incident in the southern Russian town of Beslan will not ease our minds further because after nine eleven, Americans are not the same as they were before.
This week’s sad, bloody end to school siege already being called the Russian 9/11 will have reverberations around the world including America, where it will likely have a positive impact on the re-election campaign of President George Bush. At the end of the Republican Convention in New York City, Bush stressed his unfinished war against global terrorism and America could not be shaken and would stand firm.
In my opinion Chechen hostage keepers not only made a big mistake but they made a silly mistake and they played very stupid game, which is not even in the favor of Islam and their own Chechen struggle. Regardless of politics, wrongs, inequalities, supreme injustice, human rights violations and Russian establishment’s hard line approach to their problems that Chechen and others feel stretch back themselves but in spite of all argument, humanity comes first and therefore, through these acts they are weaken there own struggle.
This whole school hostage incident told us that not only terrorist but the establishments of the different states are also ethnocentric and they believe that their own ideas, cultures, attitudes, the way of thinking, acting and doing things are better than the way of others. In fact, most Chechens are not terrorists and as same as most Muslims are neither terrorist nor involved with radical groups like Al-Qaeda. However, the act of hostage keepers showed that they have no respect for the civilization, religion or culture other than their own and through their act they proved that they are even not human beings.
On the other hand President Putin has no clue that what he intends to do at the time of tragedies because some two years ago Moscow theatre hostage taking ended on blood shattering. He is like the leaders of the Soviet era to do every thing with force, with out knowing what the consequences will appear. Once Confucius said, “don’t make the mistake to kill the mosquito with a canon.”
Therefore, the international community should also ask President Putin and insist him that he should take responsibility for the consequences of his authority. It is correct that terrorist didn’t do right and they killed school kids but he also did not take sensible decision. Remember one candle can illuminate the whole house. As same as, when the Russian officials were talking with terrorist, and they already knew that the terrorist have no belief into humanity, then why President Putin shouldn’t understand and why he should not keep in his mind that the talks with mad terrorist are not funny thing. For these situations, there should be some allowances made for before punishing because there were the question of the safety of innocent children, parents and teachers. At these times, the most difficult thing to keep the temper down, the hardest thing to stay calm because patience means the ability to continue doing something even if you don’t see any results immediately. When some thing is not working, we have to become more creative because patience is one of the important marks of our civilized society. But what happened in Beslan, the terrorist did nonsense and on the other hand Putin took step of the unpleasant fiction and in between of it more than 330 innocents lost their lives with no fault on their lives with no fault on their own part. Who is responsible for this foolishness and brutality, those who were the mad terrorist and who hadn’t any belief in humanity or Mr. Putin? There is saying that, “two wrongs can’t make any right decision.”
There is a phrase that, “Church is not just the name of Sunday but it is the name of Monday to Saturday.” Beslan incident has an appeal of innocents of all its own. Therefore, the question is; when UN or international community will come back from its holidays and to play its role to judging the truth. Who is right? Who is wrong? Islam, Christianity, Hindus, Buddhists or Sikhis? Ameirca or Iran? China or Taiwan? China or Dali Llama? Palestinians or Israelis? Chechen’s or Russians? North Korea or South Korea? India or Pakistan? Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP or Punjab? … The inability of United Nations created a huge question that who will decide the problems and conflicts between the nations? Who is the in charge of international community?
This is the time to re-think the conflicts of nations of globe because the economy should have brought us closer but inequalities are deeper than ever. Cheap telecommunications should have let us share the ideas and to debate on them, to find the better solutions and to influence the world positively.
Fayaz Soomro
September 4, 2004
Globalization and anti-war movement
(Note: The below written matter was mailed as a reply to Sindhi intellectual and scholar Professor Gul Agha’s posting at Sindhi lists on March 31, 2003. Now I am re-publishing same at Indus Asia Online with little editing.(Editor)
I find myself agree with you on several issues and I respect your knowledge and approach towards the different issues but this time I find myself disagree with your point of view as same as different persons have different opinions on different issues.
In your posting, you raised the point that why were these anti-war demonstrators had not appeared when tens of thousand people died in the Iran-Iraq war, chemical weapons were used against the Kurds in the Iraq……and when thousands of people were massacred in Bamiyan by the Taliban.
In my opinion, anti-war folks were also against the killings of innocent civilians when Taliban was massacring in Bamiyan or Saddam was killing the Kurds and Shites population of Iraq. The difference between those killings by Saddam and Taliban and present war is that; it was fought between the Afghanis against Afghanis or Iraqis against Iraqis. But now, the world is looking the war as of outside aggressors against Iraq. Other thing is that at the time of the massacre of Bamiyan or Mazar sharif, the world wasn’t viewing the images of war as closely as it is watching on T.V now and getting the news of killings every minute from the media.
If Taliban, Saddam, and Bin Laden is brutal monsters then they are not brutal monsters only today but they were always brutal monsters from the day when they were the two peas of pod or allies of US establishment. However, before going further in this regard I want to clarify one thing that I am not against the US or the people of US. Abrahim Linckon is my hero and I also like the nice smell of Verginian Tobaco. America is not only beautiful country but it is a multi-cultural society of different races, creed and nations and that is the beauty of American society. But when I see the things that democratic America is doing undemocratically then it makes me concerned about its policies.
The present US defense Secretary Donald, Rumsfield visited Saddam in Baghdad, when Saddam was lunching gas attacks against Iranian Soldiers. As long as, Saddam was slaughtering Iranians, Saddam was regarded as faithful ally. US and UK gave Saddam credit to buy arms and he was given all sort of other military equipments. One year before the Gulf war, the US establishment sent 21 batches of Anthrax strains to Saddam and hundreds of tons of deadly sarian nerve gas. US and Uk knew all about the crimes of dictator Saddam just before he crushed the Kurds at Halabja in 1988. In those days the UK sent a Government Minister to discuss trade with Saddam right after he had killed 5000 Kurds in a gas attack, UK gave him an extra 340 millions pound in credit for to do business deals and the Americans gave him an additional billion dollars. In 1980, when Saddam bombed on Kurdish population with chemical armaments but Americans and British did not show any worry ness against it and they remained quiet about that, though it was well documented in the press and media at that time. That was the time, when their arms trade with Saddam came first and US and UK showed not even the smallest amount of interest in the dilemma of the Kurds and shities population.
The war that is being geared up by the US establishment is an act of aggression against the Iraqi people and all the influence used to justify this war are untrue to core. Because Iraqi civilians and innocent kids are dieing with out any error on there own part. Therefore, in that situation, how it possible that Iraqi people should put their hope in the support of the American authorities, who are completely uncaring to their anguish or interests. However, not only I feel terrible when I see the images of the wounded or dead bodies Iraqi but I also feel dreadful when I see the wounded and dead images of US soldiers because the soliders are not the planners of the war and they just got jobs at the peace time and lost their lives due to others wrong decisions.
In the same way, the US establishment supported, equipped and financed Bin Laden and Mujahdeen, as long as they were killing to Russcians. At the time of Bamiyan massacred, the American company UnCol was talking to make arrangement with Taliban with the consent of US establishment for the oil pipe line from central Asia via Afghanistan via Pakistan to India.
Therefore, in my opinion the US establishment is clearly to blame for creating these mad men who are now demonstrates as terrorists. Any how it is different for different persons and lobbies that how they perceive the truth or reality. We all are the community with the history and as human being we have knowledge from history to make an intelligent choices and decisions. Therefore, it is not good idea for those countries who have long history of democracy and especially for USA to impose its faith on others and export democracy forcefully without the will of Iraqis. I perceive the war against Iraq in the way as I mentioned above.
Fayaz Soomro
March 31, 2003
Site Meter
Indus Asia Online Journal (iaoj)
The opinions, beliefs, wishes, traditions etc expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy of editor.
Thematerial on this blog is just for to create awareness, debate,dialogue, interaction and understanding in people on different issuesof politics, economics, human rights, environmental, social justice,democracy, Science, culture, history and different philosophies of theworld without any profit basis.
We believe in humanity, diversityand fairness and we are not against any nation, religion, race, colouror country. And also we believe in a manner full debate, pluralism andtolerance. We have no pretension nor illusions but the motivation tosee our world as a better place.
Indus Asia Online is a progressive blog, which focuses on thethoughts and to discuss on Socio economic political and geo-politicalconditions of the world.
However, "IAOJ" encourages publishing about current affairs,human rights, analysis on issues, multicultural and communityactivities, history, life experiences, sharing photos, famouspersonalities, & jokes etc.
"IAOj" is a creative blog. We believe strength lies in dedication and team work.
For us silence is no longer a solution towards our social & political issues.
"IAOJ" brings you briefs on geo-politics from around the world. Wegather information and insights from multiple sources and presents toyou to quench your Thirst for right perspective with right informationat right time.
All-information we publish here sincerelywith editing, for the reasons to improve the quality of discussion,while giving the maximum room for freedom of expression, clarity &space and it deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should beindependently verified.
"IAOJ" acts as personal Journal, blog or diary . Under nocircumstances shall "IAOJ" be responsible for anything or otherwisewhatsoever.
You are using this web page just for viewing purpose only. Allusers are using this blog at their own risk and agree not hold "IAOJ"liable for any thing resulting from visiting of this blog or any otherblog maintained by "IAOJ".
Articles on health issues are not intended to treat, diagnose orprescribe a cure for any health problem. The information containedherein is in no way to be considered as a substitute for your own innerguidance or consultation with a duly licensed health- careprofessional.
Indus Asia Online Journal, iaoj, is a public forum of thecommunity and it provides opportunity to its users and readers to sharetheir views with community/public at large. Therefore, IAOJ is notresponsible for the contents, we receive from several unidentifiedsources. Neither the email address nor the name of the sender verified.
Your critical feed back & courteous arguments are always welcome.