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Kolkata: Pakistani
social activist Salima Hashmi, the daughter of renowned Urdu poet
Faiz Ahmed Faiz, feels civil society in her country is under
pressure and extremely vulnerable, with extremism and
fundamentalism on the rise, while tension continues between the
civilian government and the military.
"Civil society in Pakistan is under pressure today. Civil society
is vulnerable in Pakistan as they are under pressure from
extremists. People are vulnerable. The whole of this region is in
great turmoil," Hashmi told IANS in an interview. She was in the
city to participate in Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2012.
Pakistan has been plagued by home-grown fundamentalism from a
section of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Civil society groups have
time and again been the target of attack for voicing concern over
the growing extremism and intolerance.
Hashmi, who herself lost cousin Salmaan Taseer, governor of the
Punjab province, to the bullets of an assassin after he spoke out
against the country's blasphemy laws, feels the biggest challenge
before civil society in Pakistan is to form networks with
like-minded people, both in the country and in the region.
"We need friends. We need to build networks with similar minded
people, both in the country and in the region. We don't want any
more war rhetoric from our friends," said the multifaceted woman -
an acclaimed painter, artist, writer, anti-nuclear weapon activist
and a professor who served for four years as head of the National
College of Arts.
Asked about the increase of fundamentalism and influence of the
Taliban in Pakistani society, Hashmi said: "It's going to be a
long drawn struggle. People understand what extremism means. And
because of the killings that have been inflicted on the common
people they don't have any friends any more."
Hashmi, during her childhood, had witnessed the wrath of army on
civil society when her father was imprisoned for his political
views and had to go into self-exile during the military regime of
Zia-ul Haq.
The activist, who has been at the forefront of opposing military
regimes - both in 1980s during the rule of General Zia and in the
beginning of the 21st century during the reign of Pervez Musharraf,
says the return to a civilian government was the result of a huge
struggle of the common masses of Pakistan. However, she declined
to speak much on the issue.
"I won't like to comment on the issue sitting on this side of the
border. For any country like Pakistan which had many years of
military dictatorship, the return to the civilian government was a
huge struggle because you were trying to reverse history," said
Hashmi, who was imprisoned during Musharraf's rule.
Her remarks come against the backdrop of tension after Prime
Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani accused army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez
Kayani and ISI chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha of violating the
constitution, by directly communicating with the Supreme Court on
the memo scandal.
The issue of the memo -- allegedly from the Pakistani government
seeking US assistance to stop a possible military coup following
the killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden last year -- is
being investigated by a three-member court-appointed panel.
On the future of India-Pakistan relations which have been marked
by an atmosphere of distrust and suspicion since independence,
Hashmi told IANS: "It is not possible for either country to
develop unless they come to terms with the fact that they are
Siamese twins. We need visionaries who understand that this fight
is all about nothing."
The activist, who has been a vehement critic of nuclear tests in
both Pakistan and India, says artists on both sides of the border
are the only hope in mending the bridges by winning the hearts of
the masses.
(Pradipta
Tapadar can be contacted at pradipta.t@ians.in)
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