This piece is a rejoinder to the article (In Pakistan, appreciation of Indus Valley Civilisation ties in with attempts to erase its Hindu past) that appeared in the scroll.in on 24th August 2018. This reveals how Pakistan is viewing this great Indus Valley Civilisation through a communal lense, which is otherwise the common legacy and heritage of the people of both India and Pakistan.
The former Pakistan PM, late Z.A. Bhutto had distorted this proud common heritage and its legacy of the people of this subcontinent.
(Photo: The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro. | Wikimedia Commons)
When I was in Junior College, I was curious to know how our arch enemy the Islamic Pakistan would have covered and treated the glorious Indus Valley Civilization, ( that prevailed in this vast area of “Aryavartha’ in circa 5000 BCE, that covered, the present day India, Pakistan, Afganistan, Iran, Iraq, Kazakstan etc) in their History textbooks?
The curiosity is but for natural as many major IVC sites have established the fact that their religion was the early form of evolving Hinduism and some of these Archeological sites are situated in present-day Pakistan, being an Islamic Country. We Indians particularly Hindus at this side of the fence are very proud of the IVC ( or Sindhu Saraswati Civilisation) and often label it as signifying the origin of Sanatana Dharma, its legacy, and culture. But a recent story in the ‘Scroll.in” (24-08-2018) has covered an enjoyable article on the same topic which appears justified my fears partly. Overall the author had maintained somewhat a balance and discussed the events in an unbiased manner. Yet in a couple of places, the author contradicted his own earlier convictions and appears to have gratified himself when he concluded in a para saying ‘Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were, therefore, not “Hindu” cities.
To begin with, we must admit the fact that in the post-Syria- ISIS crisis world, every ruling dispensation in a majority of the countries today are thriving hard to protect and justify the ‘Islamisation’ of the world’s thinking process and its bigotry purely for political reasons.
Today the Muslims religious bigotry has become a matter of utmost value for the mankind that is required to be protected by the sway of the rulers or elected Governments all over the world. So the attempt to ‘Islamisation of Hinduism’ or “de-hinduisation of Hinduism’’ both in India as well as in Pakistan has to be noted with much caution. So, nothing is now considered a taboo for ‘Islamisation’ in this 21st Century world. Be it an ancient civilisation (IVC) that is 6000 yrs earlier than the Islam or the Yoga which took birth 6000 yrs ago in the same soil of IVC all over this sub-continent and beyond.
I wish to refer here an instance that shows how the Indian liberal’s ability can take their Secular- bigotry to unimaginable levels. The instance was an article on ‘Bhagwad Gita’ that appeared in ‘The Speaking Tree‘ website of the Times Of India group, sometimes ago. In the said article, the author efforted to portray the Bhagavad Gita as a non-Hindu, non-religious text that was supposed to be intended for the humanity beyond religion and so it implied that any possible attempts to ‘Hinduisation’ of the Gita should be prevented.
Strange feelings? Mind-boggling? Unbelievable? Yes, difficult to find even words to respond to this fanaticism of our liberal media’s strange interpretations of a holy book of Hindus i.e Bhagwat Gita and their attempts to dub it as a non-Hindu text.
Back to the “Scroll” article.
The author has truly revealed the dogmatic deeds of the former Pakistan Prime Minister late Julfikar Ali Bhutto in expunging all the Hindu traces from the Pakistan History of IVC in Mohenjodaro and Chanhudaro studies and records.
The article opened with all cheers to its engineering marvels like the sewage system and water reservoirs, storage systems etc. The ruins of some buildings which were believed to be of community centres and community pools confirmed the fact that a well developed democratic set up was in place.
The author further pinpoints the distorted history syllabus of Pakistan, where the Pakistani kids were brainwashed by distorting many historical facts and making them into believing that only after the advent of Islam, Hindus populace were civilized.
“History as a subject – which included stories of Ram, Buddha, Ashoka and Kanishka along with Mahmud Ghaznavi and the Mughals – was abolished and Pakistan Studies was introduced, (ZA Bhutto time) with the sole purpose of instilling a Pakistani identity” >Quote from the article.
The article further states “All traces of pre-Islamic history were removed as Arab commander Muhammad Bin Qasim became the “first Pakistani”
The article further proceeds and stands for the fact that the then IVC society was not ‘Hindu’ in its character or faith. The author here appears elated, convincing and assuring the readers that there was no ‘Hindu’ trace in IVC sites. This is indeed an ugly attempt to separate the ‘HINDUNESS’ of IVC and painting it as an “infidel pagan society”
The next paragraph first line reads as “Divorced from their Hindu influence, these cities became acceptable”
Brilliant justification. It is evident from the above that the author first appeared convinced of the IVC ‘s Hindu characteristics, and yet again, seeking to portray it as a “non-Hindu’ in its (IVC’s) features by quoting ‘some Historians and Scholars’. Finally, the author concludes saying ‘Divorced from their Hindu influence, these cities became acceptable.”
This observation is nothing but a pure neurotic reaction.
Such an indoctrinated vicious interpretation of a 5000 yrs old humanity’s first civilization traces, for which the people of India as well Pakistan are supposed to be proud of, but unfortunately being wrecked in this fashion in Islamic Pakistan is highly condemnable.
The Pakistan Government’s attempt to de-Hinduise the IVC for the sole reason it is an Islamic Country may work in a limited sphere only. Outside Pakistan, the whole world is aware of the IVC is the primogenitor of human culture and civilization.
What so ever be the attempts made to erase the Hindu glory of Indus Valley Civilisation in Pakistan’s written books, fooling their own people, the fact remains that their own ancestors were indisputably Hindus, at least assuredly before1000 CE.
There were indisputable pieces of evidence that were surfaced in the IVC sites all over the Indian subcontinent and beyond, to prove the fact that the faith that was followed by the IVC people was nothing but the Sanatan Dharma. The Swastika, Shiva Linga, Yoga, the Bindi on woman’s forehead, sindhoor on married woman’s parting hair, the anklets, the bangles, the skirts, the Hindu priests, the Lord Pashupatinath in Padmasana under a Pipal Tree, Mother Goddesses seals, Temple Pushkarini ruins, altars of fire etc are all proof enough to establish the fact that it was enriching and evolving Hinduism.
Hence, whatsoever be the Islamic Pakistan and its newly elected 22nd PM Mr Imran Khan, would be planning and trying hard to restore the late Bhutto’s legacy of Islamisation of Sindhu Valley Civilisation, expunging the traces and scents of Hinduism from the historical sites of IVC like Mohenjodaro etc the fact remain that it was all ‘Hinduism’. Nothing can be done by an Abrahamic religion to de-Hinduise these pride cultural heritage sites and nothing can erase this historical fact. We Indians are proud of it.
Despite all the confusions, hesitation on Hindu features of IVC sites, the author has however ended it, with a positive note, hoping the present Pakistan PM will not revel himself dancing on this pride human cultural sites destroying it only in order to indulge his and his country’s state religion.
After all, “We are All Harappans” beyond religion.
