Daily Times

The Muslim leadership at the time of Partition tried to convince the Muslims that their survival lies in education and unity. The idea behind the making of Pakistan was to empower the Muslim nation with opportunities to study and progress. How correct was the vision? Are the Muslims in India struggling and are being suppressed by Hindu domination (or not)? Seeing the situation in India, in the wake of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), it appears that till-today the anti-Muslims rhetoric exists and the Muslims are insecure. The introduction of the CAA has categorically sidelined the Muslims in India (in relation to majority Hindu community). The subjugation of Muslims in India is not a new phenomenon; rather, the policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party have opened up the discrimination towards the Muslims living in India. The Indian government has also suppressed the Muslims in India-held Jammu and Kashmir; the abrogation of Article 370 is an outright violation of the United Nation Security Council resolutions, and is a death of humanity. In both cases, force is being employed to implement the aggressive pursuits, while humanity has been pushed down. It shows that the language in political realm is of violence, and force is the political weapon to pursue the objectives. The principles of justice and righteousness are nothing without power.

To have political say requires political strength, determined largely by economic prowess, technological advancement and military preparedness

The steps by India might seem aggressive to some; for others they might be as per the country’s political objectives. Have the demonstrations against the CAA or the protests against the unrest in held Jammu and Kashmir ruined New Delhi’s secular, democratic image? The Western dictum that “weakness only invites aggression” holds true in today’s globalized and technologically advanced world. The happenings in occupied Jammu and Kashmir as well as the discriminatory nature of CAA are known to world quarters and to liberal circles as well. The sufferers of these developments have raised their voice through social media, but the impact it has created and the likely response has not been able to push back India. It has proven the fact that to have political say requires political strength, determined largely by economic prowess, technological advancement and military preparedness.

Seeing it at the global and regional fronts, India has been able to engage major powers, and has also made considerable inroads in other regions, in particular the relations with Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries. It shows that the economic strength coupled with geopolitical interest is the defining trend. The people in Pakistan might look at India as heading towards extremism amidst the aggressive acts towards Muslims (and other minority groups in the country). However, the ground reality is that India has grown economically and has established allies globally in the West, Middle East, and the region. President Trump calling Narendra Modi a “tremendous leader” during his recent visit to India (the same Modi who was barred from traveling to the US, back in 2005), shows that the latter is a strategic partner to counter the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Indo-Pacific political construct. The Middle Eastern countries’ cordial ties with India, despite the atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir show the power of economic interest/interdependence. Thereby, in the evolving balance of power equation and India’s swift ascendancy, Pakistan needs to adjust to the ground realities, and try to safeguard its interest. To emerge strong, the focus should be towards internal strength. In this regard, the idea behind the creation of Pakistan and the vision of Muslim leadership needs to be revitalized. Through economic development, building of institutions and socio-political empowerment, Pakistan can emerge strong. At the regional level, the vision of regional connectivity, operation of Gwadar seaport and economic prospects need to be promoted.

The writer is a researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI)