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lecture

Khushwant in Karachi

Khushwant Singh went from Delhi to Karachi in late March to address a seminar on Peace, Goodwill and Fellowship”, organised by Rotary International.
££ A SSALAMULAIKUM I This is a ritual greeting
X Abetween Mussalmans, and I think it is a very important greeting between the people of India and Pakistan. You will agree that at no time in the 52 years that the two nations have been independent, have we been closer to war as today. We have fought three wars and are preparing for a fourth, which I have not the slightest doubt will be the final one because there will be nothing left of either you or us.
On that low note, (let me start by saying that) I represent no one. I am a half-writer of some books, but my roots are in this soil and I have great ambition to somehow prevent the spread of hatred between our two countries. I am also a manufacturer of Jokes: in fact, the main factory of Jokes against my own community, the Sardarji Jokes.
Speaking about the impressions my countrymen have about Pakistan, there Is one point that is always harped upon—our common past and heritage, that we speak the same language. we are the same race, our style of living is the same, we wear the same dresses, our mindsets are the 6
same, we eat the same of kind of food. You are almost entirely Muslim, we are predominantly Hindu. But our Muslim minority of 14 percent, perhaps In numbers, equals the entire population of Pakistan itself. We have a lot in common.
Despite all this, something does not allow us to become close to each other. Today we have In common many negative aspects, which are more important to talk about than the heritage we share. Our two countries are the most corrupt, poorest, the most violent, and the most Ignorant. Some international organisations report that both of us share the distinction of being amongst the top 10 in corruption and violence, civic violence. I am mighty pleased to see that in corruption you were ahead of us by two cases. But somehow I do not believe this because for every case of corruption in Pakistan, I can match that with eight cases in India.
I read about your ministers and other people being put in Jail, and having large estates In England and large accounts in Swiss banks. But that is chicken-feed compared to what our politicians have done to our country. We have had one prime
minister, described as Mr. Clean, and tie made a neat 65 crore rupees on one deal. We had another prime minister who had to bribe only four members of Parliament out of the 540 to rule the country for five years. 1 can name at least two dozen chief ministers who have really done well' for themselves.
We have had a lady chief minister who blew up exactly 100 crore rupees at the wedding of her foster son, and she wore a belt on her sari, studded with diamonds and Jewels, worth more than a crore. She still is holding her head high, she's still described as the amma of her state, and is a formidable force not only in her own state but also in the rest of the country.
We have the case of the Bihar chief minister who has been charged with an enormous sum of bribery. But not only did he win his way back into power, he also put his illiterate wife In the chair as chief minister. 1 do not think you can match this kind of thing.
We have in our Parliament and state assemblies, many who have been elected while they were still in Jail, and who have come back to be sworn
in as ministers. All this is a marvel. We have had one of the ablest and honest of men. Dr. Manmohan Singh, losing In the last election. While a lady called Phoolan Devi, once convicted of the murder of 22 men at one go. won.
The question to really ask ourselves amidst this abysmal state of affairs is, what has happened to us? In both our countries, we have a leadership pool of high intelligence (the worthy minister who spoke before me gave a very lucid and. if I may say. brilliant defence of the indefensible), and yet how has it happened that we are the poorest and the most illiterate people in this world?
1 think the answer is very simple— we brought it on our own heads. Our successive governments, instead of going in for building more roads, railways, schools, hospitals and whatever the countries needed, have been buying arms, manufacturing guns, fighter aircraft and submarines. all that we cannot afford. If you spend all the money In weapons of destruction, how can you expect to provide the people sustenance of any kind?
Kashmir as real estate
We are being told that the problem is Kashmir. I agree. But I think it has become an excuse for both of us. I have my own solution which would
not be acceptable to either India or Pakistan, but I have put it across with as much candour as 1 can. We have treated Kashmir as real estate, a property to be divided between India and Pakistan. Kashmir Is not a problem of real estate, it is a problem of people, and they are neither Indian nor Pakistani. They are Kashmiri. And in our discussions, neither of us have talked to the Kashmiris about what they want.
You accuse us of not holding the plebiscite that we undertook to do before the UN. You are right, we did not follow the undertaking, what is more, we are not going to have a plebiscite for a simple reason. It is really clear that if the people of Kashmir are given the option of choosing either India or Pakistan, they will opt for Pakistan, for the Muslims are in majority there. If given a third choice without India or Pakistan, but as a state of their own. I have not the slightest doubt that they will opt for the third.
Now, the complication is that the Kashmiris are not one people. They are four different ethnic and linguistic groups of which one lot is with you. and they have no choice but to stay with you. Another lot is Buddhist. predominantly in Ladakh, and they will not come to you. Jammu again is slightly doubtful because
apart from the one district of Dodha. it is Hindu. There is no question of them ever wanting to come to Pakistan. The crux of the problem is the Valley of Kashmir, which is over 90 percent Muslim. And without doubt, on these people’s decision about their future depend the future of India-Pakistan relations.
My suggestion has been repealed manv limes—that if our countries behave like civilised countries.' you would accept this possibility: give the Muslims of Kashmir the right to decide their own future. Unfortunately. it is too small an area to be an Independent state. It is only 70 miles long and 30 miles broad; it cannot be viable as a separate state. Its only possible existence as a fully autonomous state depends on the support by India and Pakistan. And do not think it is such a big problem, that we cannot get together and say we will give the Kashmiris total independence of you or us. They will allow anyone they want in the state. If they don't want an Indian to come in. they will not give him permission, and If they do not want a Pakistani, they will do the same. This is the quote I use to support this point ot view:
Jo hhi aye. meri ilazat hai aye.
yuh koi Jannal nahtn hat. mera