TWO WAYS OF DEATH

SHALL WE PERISH AS SHEEP

OR

SHALL WE DIE AS MEN?

GRIM AND HISTORIC CHOICE BEFORE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF ISLAM

At a modest estimate between two to three lacs of our kith and kin have been slaughtered in cold blood, over a million turned out of their hearths and homes, thousands of women have been abducted, thousands of innocent babies have been hurled in the air to be picked up on spearheads. Instances are not wanting in which children have been roasted alive. Another two million, perhaps more, are threatened with similar fate.

Greater Tragedy

This is a tragedy the like of which both in magnitude and barbarity is not known to the annals of man. There is another tragedy, however, which is greater still. All this destruction, devastation and national dishonour has failed to arouse the Muslims in Pakistan to a proper realization of the challenge to the national existence of Islam in this country. What is actually being done is hardly commensurate with the menace that is staring them in the face.

Change of Policy

It is up to the Pakistan Government, both Central and Provincial, to arouse the Muslim masses throughout Pakistan to the gravity of the situation and mobilize every ounce of national energy for the defence of Pakistan. The present hush-hush policy is positively suicidal. The Muslim nation is in the midst of a most relentless, though undeclared war. Instead of rousing and mobilizing the nation to meet this emergency the Pakistan Government is content with waxing eloquent on the virtue of maintaining law and order in Pakistan. This is very well, so far as it goes. But this is a half-way house. As to the other and the more fateful half, viz., the war conditions that are upon us, the Government has chosen to keep absolutely mum. A nationwide campaign must be launched forthwith calling upon the Muslim manhood to prepare for all sacrifices.

Public Meetings

It is an irony of things that whereas the Muslim nation is faced with gravest crisis of history, all contact between public leaders and the public has been cut off by the continuation of ban on public meetings. This should be at once removed, so that the nation may have the opportunity to formulate and ventilate its determination in the face of this crisis.

Military Training

We believe Muslim masses are impatient to strike a blow in defence of their Homeland, if only the Government would let them and help them with the necessary armaments and training. Everybody would welcome an ordinance calling upon the whole of the able-bodied population between 15 and 50 to undergo military training.

Armaments

Ban on the manufacture of arms should also be lifted. With proper safeguards, factories in Pakistan must he converted into factories to manufacture arms and munition.

Guerrilla Bands

Unless the Pakistan Government mobilizes the Muslim nation along these constitutional lines, there is apprehension that the pent-up energies of the nation may seek outlets in unhealthy channels. Already the reaction against Sikh’s flouting of international law is that Muslims should also organize guerrilla bands. It will be wishful thinking, says the man in the street, to suppose that any paper pacts will be honoured by the Sikhs. They have already started inroads into the territory of Pakistan. This particular form of menace can be countered only by a like move on our part. We must have guerrilla bands of our own, well-equipped and trained for the job, to pay the foe in the same coin. This will be a perfectly legitimate reprisal. If the British Government could bomb villages on the northern border of India, no legal flaw should attach to such action by Pakistan Government against the turbulent villages on eastern border of West Panjab where practically no Government exists at present. This is how the average Muslim mind is just now working. It thinks that offence was never the best form of defence than it is to-day. This is the only logic that the Sikhs can understand, argue the Muslims. Obviously, this is not quite a desirable course of action. Pakistan must not sink to the Sikh level of barbarity. The best way to obviate this development is to provide healthy, lawful channels for the masses to strike a blow in defence of Pakistan.

Arm Villagers

All the male population of the villages along the boundary line should be supplied with arms. They will be prepared to pay for them. If not, these should be supplied free.

National Defence Council

A council with this purpose should be set up, with branches throughout northern Pakistan to tap the resources of the nation, in men and money and every other thing needed.

National Defence Tax

Money will no doubt be needed to meet the heavy expenditure on account of millions of refugees as well as preparing the defence of Pakistan on war basis. The Muslim nation will cheerfully bear any taxation which the Pakistan Government may deem fit to impose to meet these demands.

Anti-Corruption Drive

Corruption is bad at any time. In war conditions, such as we are in at the present time, corruption should be a treasonable offence. It makes efficient working impossible and thereby weakens the foundations of the state. Just now, however, corruption, neglect of duty, nepotism is in full swing in this part of Pakistan at least. With noble exceptions, here and there, the officials of the state are not pulling their weight. Most of them are actually busy making fortunes out of the misery of their fellowmen. This is black-marketing in the discharge of official duties. This evil must be eradicated with an iron hand, if the machinery, which is already moving at a snail`s pace, is not to collapse. A corrupt official must be given a short shrift. The highest standard of public service, efficiency and diligence must be insisted upon. In the midst of war, we can afford no saboteurs and corrupt officials, indisposed to do their job faithfully and loyally, are the worst saboteurs.

Undo the Award

Another passion that is just now catching hold of the mass mind of Muslims must also be taken note of by the Pakistan Government. This is the cry to undo the Award. This reaction has been set in by three factors. First of all, the cry of Tara Singh that the whole of the Punjab belongs to the Sikhs and they must capture it. Secondly, that they have actually launched a campaign to implement this national ideal. Backed by the Sikh States and flouting all international laws they have resorted to wholesale massacre of Muslims to make East Punjab an exclusively Sikh State and by sheer force of arms face Pakistan with a fait accompli. And last but not least, in this sinister game, they have been actually and actively helped by the Indian Government as well as the British Government’s Boundary Commission award which is a gross violation of all canons of justice and equity. Under these circumstances, argues the Muslim, he feels absolved of all obligations to respect this clandestine award and set it at naught at the earliest opportune moment. This may not be practicable just now, but this must be before us as a definite ideal. We must make it our national ideal to recapture East Punjab and even press our claim to the territory right up to Delhi on the basis of “other factors.” In Delhi lies buried, says the Muslim, the whole history of Islamic rule in India, as well as the story of our great faith and culture written in stone and marble. It was unmanly to have omitted Delhi from our list of demands. It should now find the foremost place in the hearts of our youth. In their schools and colleges, in the press and platform, they should be inspired with this glowing burning ideal to extend the boundaries of Pakistan at least to Delhi. The crescent must once more fly on the Red Fort.

M.Y.K.

(The Light – September 16, 1947)