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  The backdrop of a stage shows portraits of Former President Ayub Khan and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. — Photo by WhiteStar
  There has to be a limit to how much you can twist the facts. Let us hope the new internet generation will learn the real truth - pleasant or not - and accept it.
  This all is a glimpse of intentional mistakes. If you read any Punjab Text Book Board book, English, Urdu, Physics, Chemi.......you will feel that you are reading Islamiayat in one way or another.
  We can understand why despite of giving lots of evidences and references by Indian "trolls", a Pakistani commenter on various online forums never want to accept those. It is because if they were taught like this since their earlier childhood, a big lie is established deep into hearts. It is now impossible and they will always say that youtube is wrong, wikipedia is wrong, India is wrong, USA is wrong, historians are wrong, even their own nationals Najam Sethi, Hoodbhoy, Hasan nisar are traitors. They easily believe conspiracy theories because this suits to their belief. Due to this, few people make money by selling emotions. (for ex. one guy with topi) Nobody want to discuss how Gujrat riot started. How babri mosque came to existence, when was last namaz was offered there. most of them have tiny number of examples of clashes while totally ignoring that much more clashes took place in much smaller Pakistan and led to destruction of religious places (mosques) and killing people.
  I appreciate an excellent article on this subject. I m amazed at how many lies we have read,learn t and accepted.
  May Allah give us wisdom and we learn to support the "Truth" and guide ourselves and our younger generations on right path.
  Please provide some additional reading materials for us "the lost generation" so that we can set our records straight.
  Dude, had the two nation theory not been in place, we would have had a unified India where both Muslims and Hindus would have been killing each other. You are right though that this whole separational independence was hijacked then by the aristocrats who came under the aegis of Jinnah and later hijacked the country.
  This is excellent article and wish for a day when the majority in Pakistan thinks and corrects its mistake. the mistake of hating and spreading hate and we in India will much appreciate it from our neighbor and will love them. Lets be true friends neighbors. Lets progress on both sides. Lets have electricity ,clean water ,medical facilities on both sides. Lets have education available for people on both sides.
  Sure! There was and there is no conflict between Muslims and Hindus. No religious fundamentalists destroy mosques. No rioting happens and no Muslim's life, property and 'izzat' are ever in danger. No Hindus were involved in scheming with British. Wow! We should really rewrite history and clean and forget all the things that happened in 1947.
  Welcome assessment. I hope one day this nation will tread the path of secularism as laid out by the great Quaid-e-Azam. In India even if there are hardcore elements but liberals and secularists still have their sway. Unfortunately we don't hear sane voices from Pakistan except from the media.
  @Lyallpuri I think you will be happy when some beautiful pictures are involved with studies. How about Michael Jackson, Ms. Spears, Mr. Lincoln, Mr Bush. Also include music and dance education after each class. I think you would love that.
  That last one seems to be purely opinion.... an interpretation of the facts into a rather restricted view....
  Wow what a great Independence Day gift. Still none wants to turn the clock back, happy the way we are. Patel and Nehru were brilliant in letting Pakistan secede. Let Bharat stay. This is our destiny. And good luck to Pakistan.Bookmarking me too, to read this at leisure.
  Many of these "Heros" who came from the west were butchers - worse than any we have known lately. Most of the sub-continent was Hindu / Buddhist at that time. This means most of the current Pakistanis' forefathers were tormented, looted, and murdered.
  The current day Pakistanis glorify them Just because they were Muslims! This is what many of us Indian "trolls" fail to understand.
  I am sorry but i don't agree or even swallow: "Pakistan was mainly created for the protection and promotion of the class interests of the landed aristocracy which formed the League."
  I juts fished watching a 6 hour DVD documentary titled Story of India by Michael Wood last night and today I read this article. What a perfect timing !!!
  A good commentary by Ms Saigol. If the real history is to be taught, many myths about the contours of our present identity would stand less certain and open to doubt. The project of forming the ideology of Pakistan had been and still remains limited to a few myopic, self-oppointed people who find a great satisfaction in distortion and mayhem. The people who are in majority are not willing to take initiative, leaving the leadership to create a reactionary identity for the people of Pakistan. Freedom is sweet and a moment of defiance initiates it, but sustaining it need much wisdom and patience which our people lack and critically require.
  @all readers here, bashing Pakistani history: I am not defending what is written in history. This is the spirit of independence that a news paper is given the right to write whats on the mind of the Writer unlike a so called the Largest democracy on earth (sure it is due to its population on the earth) neighboring country. If they would publish any such article, everyone, including Muslims living there, would bash it, especially their "media" which is more like a drama and not journalism. The first step to rectify a mistake is to recognize it. Let's pick books from both nations and see who is teaching what. Compare apple to an apple, and it will clear our minds.
  Pakistan was created with the yearning of living in an environment that was guided by the Islamic principles which encompassed non Muslims who also wanted to live under the same environment. As Qaide e Azam said, 'India is neither a nation nor a country but a sub continent with different nationalities'. S subcontinent cannot be made into a country it wont work as is proven with India which cannot get out of the poverty trap and social degradation. See India history books and you will see fantasy at its best a bit like the 'Babri Masjid' destruction. Reason given, Lord Ram stepped the same place 5000 years ago? I guess some one was around as witness,
  Still harping on non issues 68 years ago when Pakistan is currently determining its future destiny by Azadi and Inqalab march'.
  I am surprise and also congratulate Dawn to take steps in this directions. Unless such wrong facts are removed from text book, we can hardly ever see peace.
  @Iqbal bhai: Read from different materials with open mind. You will notice as I have as well that not many reasons were there to carve a country out on the basis of religion / religious background. If only League and Congress could sit together and sort their differences out in the better interest of their followers; India could have stayed as it should have been. We all would have been a lot more prosperous, open minded and educated.
  By letting Pakistan came into being, Congress (has more burden of guilt being the larger party in my opinion; but League also carries part of the burden as didn't try enough) allowed both nations to be dragged in misery, poverty & lack of education for a very long time.
  Superb piece.....hope you will also put out this master piece in urdu...so u can reach a common man as much as possible
  One word for the article... Brilliant .. It shows few Pakistanis have guts to tell the truth and Pakistan still has hope.
  With this education how does Muslim Pakistan expect to come to peace with Hindus? Coming to peace would also be a Pakistan's mercy. step.
  History is not off record but self evolving... In fact formation of Pakistan started during the Mutiny or war of independence of 1857. The mutiny was started by mainly Hindus then joined by Muslims sepoys. After the defeat of Mughals the major Vengeance of mutiny was against Muslims, while Hindus were rewarded(they even bought mosques to convert them to stables and warehouses in Delhi). Muslims the former ruling class etc were not allowed to enter Delhi(so much so that former noble women were forced to beg for food) for two years and all those inside were hanged indiscriminately. Urdu and Persian was removed as official language. Even Urdu is no longer recognized Indian language but its called Hindi.The whole bleeding saga is written in detail by William Dalrymple in " The last Mughal". The episode of margnilizing of Indian Muslims continued and continued today so much so that Jaswant Singh wrote in his book that it was Nehru and Hindu pandits who were not willing to offer anything to Muslims and Jinnah. So briefly it was religious, ethnic and economic divide which led to partition.
  An amazing article, something I longed to see on the forefront for a while now. I, as a liberal Pakistani, and a student of history, have been trying my level best to educate as many as I could for all these points and a lot more but yes, this is a far better platform.
  One request is to translate this very article in Urdu and publish it soon in any of te mainstream Urdu newspapers since the majority who have been living under the illusion and defend the lies blatantly are it well versed in English so the Urdu piece would make a big difference
  @Dr Saad --Doctor sahib, will you please share the truth known to you to set the record straight? Thanks.
  Distorting history is something most people in power engage in. It is the ultimate in self-justifcation and preserving the image of self however untrue it may be. Fundamentalism is opposed to truth as any challenge to their strongly held beliefs is threatening. More a fundamentalist you are, be it for political or religious reasons, you want to control the masses through carefully doctored and filtered information. What better than school textbooks. That is the scourge in Pakistan. I can honestly say, that our textbooks in India, till 1977 did not have such bias. Thanks to the information revolution, people have access to diverse interpretations of history. With newly gained insights, eventually, people will throw the rascals out. I earnestly hope.
  Fair enough that distorted history is taught here at schools but the ones who know do know about the reality. At least here is an attempt to highlight and criticise the problem. But those feeling smug about history books in Indian schools must realise that the writer has not suggested its perfect there.
  Thanks a lot for the writer who opened our eyes and allow us to read the truth behind the making of Pakistan. But unfortunately our text books what depicts is still to be change and when this issue come under discussion that students should allow to read truth then several religious , liberal and so called patriotic forces start discussion either the making of Pakistan is the need of muslims or the need of the elite class as mention above in the column. And the problem still remain unresolved. Misguidance, hiding truth from the nations and use people emotions just for benefiting them selves is the part and parcel of the day and same is going on in the form of procession of PTI and PAT.
  A silly effort with vested interests to distort the historical fact that the only difference between a Hindu and a Muslim is religion period.
  I think that not all textbooks do that. My Pakistani O-Levels History textbook criticized Yahya Khan for his conduct in 1971 and even talked of Buddha.
  All countries have done things in the past they aren't proud of, but denial and passing misinformation to the next generation is only going to stymie the chance to learn from those mistakes and progress. Hope the citizens of Pakistan understand that. Reading this article reminded me of why I started reading dawn in the first place. May the voice of reason prevail always.
  @Sudhanshu Swami . Agreed and unfortunately there will always be people denying these facts. We need to ignore them and work with like minded people for a better future for all.
  Thought provoking article. Fascinating true lies. I always imagined why 'Pakistanis always think about conspiracies and blame others'. This piece of writings answered me very well. Many thanks and I request to keep such information coming on way. Regards.
  @AAfromUSA We have guts to accept what we lost .... In india every Indian knows that we have lost the war with china in 1962... ...
  @Sudhanshu Swami writer is true to some extent - distortion of history. Q is that why we were compelled to do. Why Muslim League was formed and quaid e Azam left congress. There was and is difference between both nations i.e Hindu and Muslim thats why riots in gujrat, babri mosque, burning of train. these issues are triggering atrocities. Modi past is manifest of same mind set and ultimately of complete country. i say by summing up that religion conflict was there ( some what dormant) but after 1940 it got intense. initially may be it was held up as both were demanding independence share from Britain. thnx
  Kudos to Dawn. It is real enlightenment to Pak Populace. You have said it! The outcome of such distortions is only hatred. History is history. If learnt properly and factually do we progress. What does India got to do with, it is ultimately the citizens of Pak are misled. What is the need to do it? Fortunately, in India there are no omissions or mis-representations of history. Believe me I am a PG, not once in any syllabus have I come across any hatred or biased information regarding Pakistan. After completion of studies, I have come to the conclusion that the partition should not have happened. There are no two thoughts about this British and British are the only reason. Perhaps we cannot undo this now. The new generation there should exploit the opportunities with economically growing India and partner trade, development, education and entertainment. Suresh Deshpande, Pune
  Has anyone read Indian school textbooks? They state Taj Mahal and Red Fort were designed and commissioned by Hindus. If you think Pakistan is bad, our 'newly-civilized' neighbour which we much admire is well-ahead when it comes to revisionist history. Does it mean that it is OK for our textbooks to have dubious historical 'facts'? No, of course not. But we should keep it in perspective. Any nation state requires some sort of common narrative to maintain the legitimacy of the government's rule over all lands - this even applies to the US, where the founding fathers are revered with religious fervour, and a sacrosanct heroic narrative is woven tightly around their lives. So let's stop acting shocked and horrified...the only thing shocking for me are the bland, generalized and sweeping assertions of Anushay Malik...God save us from such pseudo-academics, they will lead us from one blind alley to another.
  @Manoj We aren't afraid to discuss and explore our flaws. Indians too need to be a bit more introspective rather than overly defendant of their opinions.
  Prof. Malik provides an intriguing idea loosely based of another book but she fails to convey what are the factors which makes up the lies. She keeps on making a claim without backing it up. She doesn't answer the reasons.
  It doesn't matter. Pakistan is a reality today. What all Pakistanis and Indians need to remember is this:
  Live and Let Live. This human life is more precious than an unknown after life. Value human life. Our Smiles and Sadness are the same. They don't have a religion label. This applies to both Indian/Pakistani readers. Religion is like food. When taken in right proportion it nourishes the body. When over taken, it causes obesity and disease.
  Good Luck to all. As a realist, All i say to every person reading this is to not forget past mistakes. All I am asking everyone is to give benefit of doubt to your perceived "enemy" and create a fulfilling life for our progeny.
  a comprehensive article....the maker of such blatant lies were also those who preferred personal interests over the public interests....the ignorant Pakistani seemed to them ideal for misleading..they were aware that this nation is more emotional than rational ...so they steered their emotions towards their own ends....
  @Lyallpuri Reading Physics and Chemistry and feeling like its Islamiat....! there are many other ways to blame islamization than this lame one...!
  all national narratives are constructions. how is slavery, colonialism, genocide of native indians in the 'new world', or numerous interventions in latin america covered in the main stream didactic discourse of US of A ? the biggest most powerful democracy.there is always a feel good blanket and facelift provided to past so it becomes something operative and functional. a nation constantly stricken by self doubt can never stand around any core values. a 'nation' has to be vary of detractors and enemies by strengthening her self-reflexive image,this being downright realist assessment of International relation ,not a paranoid one. i am not affirming doctored history, but revisionist accounts can be disenchanting and counterproductive to a narrative formation. i fully support more balanced and less mythologized history. there can be a holistic representation without the pronounced polarization.
  but the most important thing is the need at this critical juncture with all that is exploding around us for such textual deliberations on part of herald. we need to move on from debating the formative influences or their historical framing, we need a more egalitarian social organization and corrective self criticism for the status quo .
  i think and i must say, I believe,that the truth lies some where in between..one sided picture of the things do produce stereotyped minds..but studies like these are also the partial story..the abuse of religion is going on since the last 1400 years..but itself..its the most beautiful understanding of reality one could ever imagine..i love it to be the basis of the land where I live.. i see no other way to explain it..may the truth prevail but truth can never stand on false legs..
  Truth is hard to say and even harder to digest. A good start towards a long journey towards truth. Hope people will not take it personally and think rationally, ignoring sarcasm coming from some Indian readers.
  Truth can be suppressed but can't remain hidden for ages, great & an eye opener atricle, thanks Dawn. Not sure, why Pakistan & India can progress together? when countries like US & Japan can work together where one had nuked another, why can't we move on?
  I can only imagine, what a great country it would have been today had India & Pakistan not separated. We may fight with each other from afar but when we meet each other realize that we are indeed the same.
  Great article!! I advise my pakistani brothers to read indian textbooks to get the actual facts. I never read of anything like that tajmhal and redforts were were built by hindus. In india we are never taught anything wrong about pakistan and MA jinnah. We belive that MA Jinnah promoted hindu Muslim unity. It were only the British who divided us.
  History must be written based on the facts to enable the future generation to learn from it. As India and Pakistan are writing the history based on the bias, it will only help in creating mistrust among each other. I have seen in some media in India; the commentators are spitting venom on the other religion because some political parties want to create a vote bank based on religious belief. If both the countries text books contain only true depiction of the events leading to the partition and the events happened post-partitions; then the future generations of the both countries will understand each other and will have cordial relation between each other.
  surprise to see this article which tells blatant truth about educational blunders in Pakistan.Hope this long march brings true democracy to this land which was once part of mother India.
  Jinnah, after loosing (muslim league lost elections to congress) in 1937 like a smart lawyer changed the narrative and sowed the seeds of islamisation. This idea suited elite muslim/ landed aristocracy of time to serve their own purpose. Hence, Pakistan.
  Ancient history teaches that western raiders tormented forefathers of the people of continent and Pakistan in particular. Can anyone argue that by and large Islam was imposed and not naturally adapted by largely Hindu and Buddhist people?
  Honestly, I am least astonished by this article. Isn't it a universal practice? History books around the world always put distorted facts and figures before general public. Just for your information: According to the text books in US, they have won the infamous Vietnam war. Similarly, history books in Great Britain tells their people that Muslims lost the crusades by attrition. So, why do we always highlight Pakistanis only, no one is saint in this world.
  @Sudhanshu Swami, This whole debate is moot and about different thought processes of people involved. The way I see it, we should be thankful that we have Pakistan now, and we love it, and let us spend our energy to make it the best place in the world to be. What would be achieved by debating about the past that is not reversible? I cannot read the mind of leaders who were living through the situation 60 - 70 years ago and were convinced that the muslims of subcontinent need their own homeland. Both India and Pakistan can spin the heck out of history now to promote their angle. Our people have lots of basic issues to handle and that is where the focus should be. Let us deal with poverty, lack of education, lawlessness, disrespect for women, cultural, racial, and religious biases, child abuse, etc. etc.
  Can't comment on other parts of India, but at least in my province, our books rarely took a position on contentious issues. Of course, we had teachers who were biased. Yes, the Kashmir issue is probably an exception. The principles on the basis of which the subcontinent was partitioned clearly meant Kashmir should have gone to Pakistan.But little does principle matter in the world of realpolitik
  In fact the statement in punjab textbook is true. If you looking back to 60s most school and colleges or if we can say education sector of Bangladesh was dominated by Hindus. It has a dramatic changed after liberation. This is a article you can relate the most part of the world because politicians changed things in their ideological way which is easier for them to rules the society for their interes not for society interest
  There are blatant lies being perpetuated in the mainstream media in the present. A new set of mythologies are being created to venerate the man who is our new PM. Last year we were told that this man single-handedly rescued 18,000 people from the flash floods of Uttarakhand.
  I agree with the writer that historic facts can be twisted as I also believe that the facts highlighted by the author of this article may also be well twisted.
  For whatever reason Pakistan was created, it exists now and is alive. We love Pakistan and we want it to progress. This is the only true fact now MS. Author.
  Well done organizers. More like this can be done for some websites too propagating totally farce information instead of history.
  The only purpose these articles serve is to take the respect away for the leadership at that time and raise questions about the identity of Pakistan. What are they suggesting, let's annex Pakistan with India because it was all wrong?
  If you read these articles, you can clearly see that these are all opinions. There are no direct references for the claims being made. This is not a scholarly debate, rather an attempt to raise questions the intent of people 70 years ago. I cannot tell intent of people today, let alone talk about what people had in their hearts 70 years in the past. One can always have a subjective opinion based on what they would like to believe and it should be respected but opinions should not be mixed with facts.
  The divide between the two groups and mistrust existed and was a political reality at the time of partition. Yes, there are similarities and common grounds now and there were similarities 70 years ago. However, England was ready to evacuate and no broker existed to make both parties talk so the natural outcome was that they parted ways.
  Actual fact is that people in Muslim majority provinces voted for Muslim League and they voted democratically based on their Muslim identity. Right or wrong, that was the fact and no one can change it. Now you can talk about that religious sentiments were drummed up or people were exploited, etc., but this is called democracy.
  History has become a tool in the hands of politicians and party hacks who wish to push their version of History on the genrations to come with the fond hope they will have an indoctrinated genration beleivng this to be truth.Unfortunatley the History of such regimes proves to be different like the communists who glorified their party only to collapse and this will be true of the few surviving communist regimes whose time too will come.
  @Dr Saad: Which ones -- the ones cited as lies by the article or the challenges claimed as 'truths' in the article?
  Where there is a smoke, there is fire so there must be something which made rulers of time to take these decisions. Author seems to portray one side of story only.
  @Aslam Shaikh : You, Alsam, are responding emotionally irrespective of the fact-based challenges offered in the article! Too steeped in what you accepted as truth without question. How will you repair and transcend your damaged thinking processes?
  @QE X which Indian school did you attend dear? The ones I attended taught me to take pride in our past without really mentioning the religion of our great achievers. It was well into adulthood that I found out that the Qutab was a minaret of victory of Islam built out of remains of demolished Hindu and Jain temples which is apparent to any visitor to the monument ; however this is fact I am able to nonchalantly accept as a reality of that time and age. In contrast our cousins in Pakistan seem to be constantly wound up thanks to the high testosterone falsehoods being fed into young impressionable minds...
  @Hafeez,Canada after the mutiny the Britishers rewarded those communities which sided with them for personal reasons and declared them martial races and so on... The Hindus of awadh, rohilkhand and bundelkhand were marginalised while the Muslims of Punjab were rewarded; it is wholly wrong to see it purely through religious prism. When Muhammad of ghour and nadir shah sacked Delhi they butchered all dilliwalas without distinguishing between Hindus or Muslims... That's what invaders do!
  @Hafeez,Canada: Fact is that Muslims un the "mughals" came for territory and enjoyed a few centuries of ascendency. The British came and routed them. all of it was hardest on Hindus and other indigenous peoples of the South Asia. But, looking back, I think today's Indians are happy overall,that the British came and "Mughals" went.
  This is really bad, this is like raising children with so much venom and hatred. This coupled with Jihadist preachers , made Pakistan to this sad state otherwise it would have been flourishing as it was back in 60's.
  However past is past, Pakistan should learn its lessons and do what is good for the citizens and the country.
  It is a good read but of course not without discrepancies. Some of the opinions from the contributors are also a bit too biased and sort of narrative building phenomenon. But to hit the actual point, a lot of facts are twisted in the textbooks taught in a lot of countries, including Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. I think the reason floated in the article that it is for creating "nations" is major.
  But in retaliation, we should also not twist the history in the other direction. I agree that all the ancient civilizations be taught, but it would also be interesting to highlight when Balochistan became part of Umayyad calipahte, and existence of areas now comprising of Pakistan have existed for quite a long period without connection to "Hindustan".
  For some reason, I have started finding it weird that DAWN based articles usually try to argue that Pakistan has culturally a lot in common with India. We also have a lot in common with Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia but we never talk about that. We still think that Turks and Mughals came from Turkey and so on. It should be noticed that even India itself does not have cultural similarities. I dont know, just find it really strange to force some narratives. DAWN should be a bit more responsible and include articles with all different perspectives. I think that is responsible journalism.
  the fact is that Pakistan is still in the making and a dynamic young nation-state. at this point of time, it is Islam that will define what most Pakistanis are , albeit with differences/internal strife/schisms and what not, it is still ONE Pakistan, one different than India, Iran, Afghanistan. I love humanity all over, I love Muslim all over, but I love Pakistan too. I love my Bengali brothers, but they should thank Pakistan to have independent Bangladesh. Had they been part of India, they would have never gained an independent Bangladesh. i do feel sorry for the carnage played y both forces back in 71. but that is part of any seccessionist movement all over the world. Muslim are no different. Pakistan is for Pakistanis and all Pathans, Punjabis, Kashmiris, Balochis, Sindhis, Hazaris, Baltistanis, migrated UP, Biharis, and many more, all are Pakistanis for Pakistan.
  Lets not distort the true History on this side of the divide and lets blame Pakistan for everything. But I am sure the writer who is all out to apportion the blame on Pak would n't appease India either. Train to Pakistan is an eyeopener. Do whatever you want to do, Hindus will never get happy.
  sooooo much heatered infested in the minds of the students in pakistan oh my god ,,,,,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all these years pakistani brains poisoned,,,,,,,,poisoned,,,,,,,,,,,,, but new generation who use internet , must knew it. edjucated pakistani must spread the light of truth, & destroy the curtain of ballant lies ,,,of your for fathers,& rulers,,
  We from both side never let any chance to find out mistakes in one another and feel pity on each other......After reading such a nice article do we Indians or brothers from pakistan realised our mistakes????? rather thinking of the issue we started giving advise to each other....Please grow-up
  When such text books were compiled, there no significant history books written on partition in early 50s. However, our text books are not as misleading as indian text books are. The researchers should also conduct a comparative study, I was shocked to see indian text books in which it is explained that Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a rigid person and created Pakistan to satisfy his ego. I insist that such misleading facts should be highlighted by columists.
  does common sense prevail in any decent educated pakistani to question why did any leaders of Pakistan did not fight for freedom under british rule, they never spent any jail time
  @safi In 1885, "The Congress was founded by Indian and British members of the Theosophical Society movement, most notably Scotsman, A.O. Hume", to encourage greater Indian participation in the governance of India. With passing of time, larger number of Hindus became members though significant number of Muslims participated too. Growing impatience with slow pace of reform, the Congress changed its tactics and demands. The British, in order to create a counterbalance to the Congress, engineered the creation of the Muslim League.
  @zak Quote - Lord Ram stepped the same place 5000 years ago? I guess some one was around as witness, Unquote. Unfortunately you were not there to tell this to Babar when he wanted to build the mosque at that particular place. The only reason for choosing the place was people believed it to be the birth place of Lord Ram. Whether it was true or false is immaterial but the reason for building the mosque at that place was definitely this belief. And he wanted give a message through his act. And then people who demolished the mosque also wanted to give reply to this message. This is the fact.
  @Nabeel Khan sorry to disagree, but we should educate and inform them instead and make them agree. There must be lie on both sides, I believe it is salt in flour in India, and just opposite in Pakistan (bit exaggerated statement !) Discussion can make things clear. After discussion whatever the outcome is, that will put end to all hatred which were based on lie. (the other part of hatred will be smaller !)
  Guys, guys, let me tell you what seems to have been ignored in the comments section so far. The fact is if Pakistan was doing economically well, everything would seem to be in favor of two nation theory. We, as a nation, failed to implement some important reforms and as a result are lacking in economic progress. The fact is when there is money in the pocket, even crap seems like flowers. Pakistan was created as a result of a cogent basis and a theory. It was unfortunate that we lost Quaid-e-Azam too early. Subsequent generations failed to look at history in the correct context and fell victims to short-term targets. It is never too late. Regardless of what the events in 1940 were, it is okay to learn from what has happened since 1948 and make some changes. If we redefine ourselves as a law-abiding, relatively secular, modern democracy and stop mixing religion and governance, we can be on the path to progress. Then nobody will question the creation of Pakistan or text books will not need to be modified to justify what Ayub Khan, Modoudi, Bhutto, Zia, etc. were doing.
  @Sajid Ansari You are right that its hard to know that what was the single reason or were there multiple reason for creating Pakistan. Issue now is that people are still trying to justify creation of Pakistan, and that too with lies. You are proud of nation, everyone should be. But people who justify on tiny issues (for ex a caterer was tried to fed chapati in India after 6 decades of partition and hence mr Jinnah is justified ) surely have inferiority complex. Lies leads to unnecessary hates and hypothetical blames. For ex many Pakistani even say that RSS is terrorist organization. When I ask for any hateful speech they have as reference then they fail to provide. They ask RSS people to leaves guns, but I ask show any picture you see any RSS leader having gun ! This is just single example that how people start believing the self proclaimed security analysts. I can give many examples of these type of lies but I know it will be censored.
  What do you mean proven? We are a successful democracy. We never had a coup. You just had your first full democratic government complete its term. We have had the most stable government compared to all our neighbors.
  India had always progressed on all its development metrics since its formation, at about the same speed as its south asian neighbors.
  See India history books and you will see fantasy at its best a bit like the 'Babri Masjid' destruction. Reason given, Lord Ram stepped the same place 5000 years ago?
  I have done schooling in India. None of our history books peddled religious myths as history. But on the other hand, after the Batra episode, I won't find it too surprising if there is an obscure gujarati optional reading book to this effect. On the whole though, Indian textbooks have their feet on the ground.
  We have lost our identity and generations grow up believing in the falsehood studied in our educational institutions. The current state of our nation exemplifies this fact. Anything built upon falsehood will deteriorate to the point of non-existence. I remember a time when I myself used to be exposed to such nonsense as exemplified above. I ended up having more questions than answers. The thing about falsified history is, it fails to have any logical sense. The history is written on the basis of an established conclusion (which may be wrong or right or both) and thus the linear progression of time becomes messed up. The best textbooks are those that only describe facts, and from those facts it should left to the reader to establish whatever conclusion his mind or perspective allows. And then on top of having questions, to be rebuked whenever you ask the questions is highly demoralizing. We will be in a state of constant deterioration unless the institutions that we entrust to provide knowledge to our children improve their standards of curriculum and teaching methodology.
  Seriously? Have you heard of Sally Hemings, and Thomas Jefferson? The founding fathers in this country are respected but are also re-evaluated by the historians so no one forgets that they were as human as anyone else. Quite a departure from the case at hand.
  @Sudhanshu Swami - there are many many Pakistani who have true perspective of history.. unfortunately, Pakistan has been hijacked by its elites - who have guns, money and (dangerous) ideology!
  @S. Deshpande well, said we should be like EU countries. There is more common than uncommon between us!!
  It is very nice to read your article and see clips of Pakistan TV where there are open debates and criticism of history of Pakistan taught in school. But it is sad that most of Pakistanis do not want o ready more than than what is taught to them. Internet is best way to know who you are, even though there is negotiation image. In India most people read beyond what is taught to them and there is freedom to debate any issue including religion. It was during the renaissance when Christians started looking beyond religion and Pope, that community flourished and ruled the world and still they do it indirectly.
  In Canada Kids in grade 2/3 are taught that our soilders faught in Iraq so that we could live in peace. We aren't the only party guilty of it. One has to read the history of crusades written from European perspective to understand how the history and facts were distorted to recruit people for fighting in Middle East.
  Regardless of these lies in textbooks we are neither good Muslims nor patriots.I have been a paper reader for a long time.I could not understand one thing there are so any other problems in Pakistan which demand more attention and concentration than fanaticism.Why our journalism suggests secularism as the only panacea?Govts and nations twist histories and policies for their own end.weak media policy ,weak economic and diplomatic policies are also calling issues.Supporting one kind of facts and disparaging others is also a kind of fanaticism.
  The writer resorts to cherry-picking to prove her point. Reasons for demand of a separate country run deeper than she just tries to present. Whatever the credentials of the founders of All India Muslim League and the manifesto of the party, in retrospect, creation of Pakistan was the most sane and fortunate thing done to us.
  @vijay Not only British who divide Hindus and Muslims but Hindu pundits and Nehru were also champions of division. (Jaswant Singh)
  Very detailed article indeed. It is good to have such discussions where intellect can be used and people can enlighten themselves with an open mind
  But we have to realize as well the situation that exists in reality today. Pakistan has the bad luck of having the worst neighbors you can imagine. There is no trust with Afghanistan, Iran or India. And I don't see there being any trust either for the coming years as well
  In gatherings, articles and documentaries, I have read / heard at least 10 different versions of why Pakistan was made. Who knows which of the 10 is true and correct. Some historian praise Jinnah where as others ridicule him.
  The reality is that if Pakistan was a successful nation today with resources, wealth and proper system, we would not debate why the country was made and what are lies and what is the truth. We would have accepted what is in the books. Since we are struggling as a nation and gold medalist in corruption, intellectuals will always question what is truth and what is lies.
  If you live in neutral country where Indian populations are vast, talk to your neighbors from India especially Marathis and Gujratis. These 2 hindu communities will give total different version of history. To give just one example, in Pakistan, Aurangzeb is a hero, to these 2 states in India and their textbooks, he is a villain, tyrant and most evil person. They always see Muslim as an invader, where as muslims have been in the sub-continent since 700 A.D
  This debate will be ever lasting on what are lies and what is the truth. In all this distortion, what I have seen is that Pakistanis today are more confused than ever before.
  @claire : The first Mosque in the sub-continenet was built in South India almost 100 years before Muhammad bin Qasim came to India in 712 AD!
  OMG! This is far far worse than I thought! The physiological effect of these blatant lies will last a lifetime on the minds of young students. Lot of puzzling questions are answered. Now I can understand Pakistan much better. Alas! One more promising generation lost.
  @Hafeez,Canada Was this version of history taught to you in Canada, readers will be enlightened to know where you read it.
  The Sanskrit grammar was written by Pannini,a Pathan from Pushpapura, now known as Peshawar. He wrote it while living in Pushpapura. He was born in Pushkalavati, Gandhara, in the modern-day Charsadda of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Pakistanis will never be told this. They will be taught that they are pure Arab origin.So sad.
  @QE X Can you give a link to which Indian Text Book claims that Taj Mahal and Red Fort were commissioned by Hindus ? Will like to enlighten myself with facts.
  @Rafi Ka Deewana All muslim invaders came from north? so did indo-aryans, kushans, huns, greeks and many many more. All invasions were violent and ruthless. they all came to loot and destroy the native population. so unless you are native or shudar...stop complaining about muslims only. Might is always right.
  Bias is but natural depending what side one is, the writer chose a few paras/ lines in which the writer ( usually not a historian) perhaps got carried away; do this writer imply that the Indian books are all true facts & we should be teaching their "factual" versions; are we all blind to the state of Muslims in 'Bharat'
  @vijay - On your mention of Taj Mahal, I once had interesting discussion with one Indian troll who was adamant that it was built well before Mughuls by the Indians. I think he only shut up when I suggested why not claim Burj Al Arab and all else in Middle East too (as built by Indian labour). So, I wonder what text books in some parts of India are being read?
  Dear Readers, it seems that we have started taking pride in getting our selves as a progressive nation that simply follows and replicates the views from across the border or the biased elite within us. All above articles seems to deliberately defy the two nation theory that is the basis of creation of Pakistan. Before we look at our school system, have we looked what is being taught in India & Bangladesh? Yes I agree we are not being taught all the facts about our History at the school level. but the students can grow up and get to know it when they have basic knowledge of their own country and history. I, for one did the same, corrected my self and my views, but I was surprised how little my colleagues from India or Bangladesh knew about history, in fact they have been taught much twisted facts than I could imagine. Japan & Germany still refuse to amend their books despite pressure from West, and Israel. Not all is wrong in our History books as being depicted above, there are some distorted facts that can be corrected. My views are based on discussions with both Indian and Bangladeshi colleagues over 3 decades and reading Indian Magazines and books during this period and meeting the common man from both countries. hence I do consider them as representative instead of researches made behind closed doors and reading biased books.
  To most part of article i do agree with Rubina Saigol ... i have met and felt with fellow Indians, that why the divide !? ... but then i have seen modern India with old practices that had led to formation of our country. the tales from my grandparents and a whole load elders who lived to tell more what we heard ... we cannot pin point the fragments of our history individually where and why we went wrong and was there a need for Pakistan !? ... i think we needed Pakistan despite Muslim killing Muslims, we needed Pakistan to have identity a different regardless who conquered us. look today in orissa, Nagaland, and west Bengal, all are suffering without the world knowing about them. we could have been THAT. Lies or Not, we had made a nuclear to an enemy we can still call no enemy or brothers, something that sadly Arabs couldn't do for a sure Enemy.
  I applaud Dawn news for this article, this is called true journalism. We Indians are shocked to know what all lies were taught in school to the innocent minds who grew up as India/ World haters. 'I mean seriously Indian begged USA for help when Pakistan attacked and captured most of India' - has no one ever compared Indian and Pakistan Size its armies etc to realise that this couldn't have been possible ever despite the facts India won all wars including the Kargil war which was more recent, and the fact that we returned 93,000 Pak Army men after 1971 war. My request to all Pakistani friends please believe We indians want to be your friends and develop much cordial relations which benefits both the nations, there has been mistakes which has happened in the past but lets re write history and come much closer its in the benefit for our future generations. However any country which is based Lies does not survive for long and disintegrate internally because people don't what's right or wrong since they have grown up reading false stories. I pray for a better future for Pakistan and a closer relation with India
  I wonder for 68 long years a nation has been preaching false lies. Almost three generations have come after separation and still people are forced to swallow these lies. The awkward body language of Pakistani cricketers(specially Imran, Miandad, Waquar, Moin, Afridi, Shoaib and likes) you see in the field has answer lie in this article.
  @Sudhanshu Swami Dear you are little bit right but things are not that much worse which media shows, m pakistani and i accept all those thing which u mention that pakistani guy will not accept and i think all things that writer says are true
  No province of Pakistan was covered or taught in it's 'true' light - there was 'white-nization' of every cultural aspect in favor of 'urdu/Lukhnow traits'. The damage that this did is that no child in Pakistan has had anything in common with 'Pakistan Studies' or things taught in Pakistan Studies. Our writers and critics are too fixated with the concept of 'India' and 'Ideology' but this is what has really damaged Pakistan - how will a kid change anything in his village or town when he is taught nothing about it (good cultural traits and bad) that he identifies with?
  Plus I did not see any representation of Bengali authors or poets in text books prior to 1971 - and ofcourse there is no mention of the greats they produced after 1971.
  Did Pakistan conquered several areas of india?then why they could't conquerer Kashmir by military means if pak military is capable?
  Once you say Bin Quasim created Pakistan, than you say Jinha, than you add Rahmat Ali as visionary of Pakistan , than you claim Iqubal has the vision for seperate Muslim homeland...now you first decide what is truth?
  Most biased article that I have ever read at Dawn.com. what this writer is trying to tell between the lines is that all those who made Pakistan were fools, their idealogy was political, Hindus were Muslims best friends even if scenes like ahmedabad still happens in india, what to talk aby that time and funniest of all that Pakistan military always lost to India even of we have half of Kashmir? . LOL.... How more biased can a writer be? I had huge respect for Dawn, their research etc. But this article itself is a BLATANT LIE...
  When pakistani text books spreading and teaching false stories about pak military capablity then why not a singile sensible pakistsni questioned their govt inability to take away Kashmir from india since 65 years? When 90k pak troops surrendered to indian army in 1971 and that story known to eachand every pakistanis why the pakistanis are still learn such twist books? Honest pak students should reject such books.
  The article has a certain perspective & I find it including the comments pretty interesting. Here are my 2 cents acc. to my understanding of larger Indian (read the subcontinent) history & culture.
  I don't understand why Hindus and Muslims were/are thought of as separate nations. There are as many Muslims in India as in Pakistan if not more, and they are very much part of the fabric of this country. The determining factor as far as share in progress goes, is caste. Fruits of progress are most enjoyed by upper castes and creamy layer of lower castes, cutting across all faiths including Islam. The number of Muslims killed by Hindus & vice versa in riots wouldn't be more than Muslims killing Muslims in Pakistan as well as much of the Middle East today. Largely there is peace in India.
  I refuse to buy the thought of Hindu hardliners in India that all Muslims are foreigners. Mahmoud of Ghazni, Ghori, & Babur couldn't have left behind millions of progeny on either side of the Indus and as far as Bangladesh. Of course these millions are converts, and that alone gives them equal rights over this land, civilisation and culture. How and why did the conversions happen is for another debate, but they stemmed from a combination of force, the proselytising nature of Islam & a lack of progress, power & political inclusion amongst large Hindu sections mostly lower castes.
  Now about the current state of thought in India. India being a huge diverse country has a plethora of opinion on Pakistan, both informed and imaginary. There are hundreds of hatred wielding people including on the internet, many referred to as 'Internet Hindus'. They spew venom & are equivalent to the idiotic psychophants on the Pakistani side. However unlike in Pakistan (that's what the global media at least portrays and this article somewhat confirms), in India these zealots are marginal and not endorsed by the state. One of the comments mentioned that Indian textbooks tell that Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple. That's not true. It's an obscure book by P.N.Oak which proclaims this and nobody takes it seriously.
  Ths is nt to deny tht thr r idiots ths side of the border too & thr r regular attempts to rewrite history to suit vested interests. Hwevr I believe tht strong Indian institutions & vigilantes wl ensure tht truth always prevails & debate is welcome.
  I dnt hv enuf space avlbl here, but wd love an ernest debate on Indian and Pakistani shared history, culture, identity and f
  @Mushtaq ......well you should be the first person to start comparing apple to apple . You seem to have just arrived from Sudia..
  I am a Pakistani working in Dubai. Daring debate by Dawn, a thought provoking piece that reflects the Freedom of Expression in Pakistan. That shows the democracy is flourishing. That's how the credibility of any media outlet is established. That's why the Dawn is regarded as the most responsible and wise newspaper. Most of the READER COMMENTS are very interesting as well. However, it will be more appropriate if readers are shown more comparative references from Indian and Western books. We need more education to enlighten our minds to see the clear picture, which in my opinion is the only solution to eliminate so-called differences between India & Pakistan; between Indians & Pakistanis. Because we people from both sides of the border see the (internal & external) political powers are being used for vested interests; religions, faiths, scholars are being manipulated to create ethnic groups and vote banks and hence the vested interests. Politicians become prey to conspiracy theories. They need more education, more knowledge, more courage.
  I suggest, this article is worthy to be published in national languages of both India and Pakistan. That will give the thought and benefit to the common people.
  I suggest the next article can be about finding the ways of working both countries together for real common good of the people, the subcontinent to become world (economic) power and ultimately both India and Pakistan officially declared friendly states, instead of enemy countries.
  @Old-many-wives economics The British didn't rout the Mughals. it was the Marathas. Please get your history right.
  @vijay - On your mention of Taj Mahal, I once had interesting discussion here on Dawn with one Indian troll who was adamant that it was built well before Mughuls, by Hindus. I think he only shut up when I suggested why not claim Burj Al Arab and all else in Middle East too (as built by Indian labour). So, I wonder what text books in some parts of India are being read?
  The minute we indulge ourselves with labels and identify ourselves with the ego, we flush humanity down the tubes. The oligarchical mentality of separatism and personal versions of rights and wrongs emerge. The truth gets sidelined by personal bias and prejudice.
  Mind inculcation is quiet apparent in the doctored books of history. No wonder we slaughter each other over what happened in the deserts of Arabia over 1400 years ago. We can't even get our facts straight that are fresh in the memory, sifting through the realities when Dacca fell and people stood ankle deep in the blood of their loved ones. There are a million versions of one saga.
  The books of history represent fabrication and manipulation of shameful degrees. On the flip side, we also cannot extinguish the light of truth. It doesn't die but waits for the right climate in which to flourish. It is raising its head again. Time to distinguish the dead substance from that which is living. Time to learn from previous follies. Sectarianism is not the answer. It is the path to utter destruction. Only a secular approach can save the day. Humanity rising and joining hands together to rebuild shattered lives. Because underneath all the labels, we are all but identical.
  @Meiraj - Well said. And instead of blaming Muslims Rafi Ka Deewana also "fails to understand" that what is about Indians that they keep getting subjugated by invaders.
  History, Religion, Nationalism, National Pride, National Security, Vast National Interest etc., are the most effective tools used by politicians, dictators, capitalists and all power hungers to justify their unjust actions. The very same thing is also used by groups of people collectively. In a remote village of Pakistan, a molvi saab pouring faith by showing miracles to simple villagers; or somewhere in India a swami ji astonishing illiterate people by showing his chamatkars. Or a politician bashing his opponent. Truth is always compromised, everywhere in the world.
  Please do not rely on histories written by governments. Go to libraries, read literature. It is not that truth is not or never written in Pakistan. It is being written and read for long. For example, Siddiq Salik wrote a Novel "Pressure Cooker" exposing the double standards found within society. For example, read the
  @Zeeshan Ahmed "I think the biggest lie we have been taught is that Pakistan won the wars against India." Considering that the people of Pakistan have not been hammered like the people of Iraq, Palestine, Syria, DR Congo, etc, I would say that Pakistan has had its share of victories. Obviously many will laugh this off and continue with their criticism and beliefs that Pakistan would be so great if only everyone was as wonderful and enlightened as them.
  comments which dont have any hateful text, are censored. Friends, I tried to reply but comments not showing. Editors of Dawn, please tell truth about Babri mosque !
  No. But you do need an EnglishComprehension101 refresher course to understand what I meant. You will not find it in your side of the divide.
  If partition has nothing to do with religion then why did we witness the biggest mass migration in human history(ref http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_migration) Either the people misunderstood the message of their leaders or we are not getting it!
  @Pradip: I don't see how you interpreted that from El Cid's comment. Apparently your English books are as defective as your history revisionist syllabus.
  Jinnah wanted to be Prime Minister and so did Nehru. Gandhi tried to reason with both and neither would back down.
  So Jinnah used the next best option open to himself. He used religion to carve out a space for himself. Gandhiji threw his weight behind Jinnah because he didn't want the country to break up but Nehru had the people behind him and would have won when it came to voting and both knew that.
  by just analyzing the comments from "scholars" of india anyone can understand why we need our PAKISTAN.
  @S. Tariq Masood Very well said and thanks for sharing your views. I hope more people can get the perspective that you prescribe and are able to live by it. I wish there are more people in this world who think like you.
  @QE X Who told you that Indian history books say that Taj Mahal and Red Fort were designed and commissioned by Hindus. We all have been reading that both these monuments were built by Shahjahan. So do not try to distort the facts just because your History books are all wrong.
  Well i won't say its a lie..i'd put it as illiteracy and lack of research infrastructure. These books were written a long time ago...like The Bible (no disrespect) and other fairy tails which I'd say have not been dug in widely until now..Thanks to the Google.
  What i'd suggest is not to believe in everything you READ...Be a critic..Question it and ask why or really?
  @operate Not just read and learn but QUESTION what they read and not just rely on every fact they go past and start believing...that would be what i call illiteracy...
  Its highly biased by dawn as well to publish only those comments which are somewhat in favour of this article which itself is a BLATANT LIE. I just published a comment 3hrs ago but it wasn't published becuz it had answers and facts to prove information supported in this article wrong. Anyways, my job is to try to do the right thing, let's see what Dawn does..
  @QE X yaar main aaj tak India ki koi history book nahin Delhi Jo Kaye ki Taj Mahal and Red Fort were commissioned by Hindus...could you please recheck if you we're really reading Indian history books or conspiracy literature available in Pak in abundance...
  @Sudhanshu Swami . Why thank you for painting all Pakistanis with a single brush stroke. There is no doubt that our history is twisted beyond recognition, but that is exactly how it on the other side of the border. Both sides have committed immense atrocities and both sides have manipulated their people very successfully. Let's just hope we can make our way towards a dissolution of borders that could save lives instead of the creation of borders that claimed many.
  @Mushtaq Dear Mushtaqji, Indian media is no drama, pl. mark it. The independence of media is fiercely defended, and people want it that way too. And not short sighted propaganda that'd be fed to consume and form a distorted worldview, if it really happened. It isn't.
  By the way, Indian media can and has mercilessly ripped through the muck politicians and their related ilk have created, and continue to do so. And some of the biggest scams have been unearthed by the media and many a shameless politician's career cut short because of this. We want it that way and would not allow throttling of the freedom of the press or for that matter bigoted history if anybody dares to teach our children.
  It's good that Dawn published this article, at least the press is doing it's bits to clear the clouds in the minds of the hapless children who had no option to learn real facts then. In today's world it would be laughable if it continues. It can never, as the real information is freely available.
  Excellent piece of work!!! Thats exactly what has been taught to us for ages and will continue to do so to present a distorted history of pure lies to the future generations as well. The nation will always read the one sided perspective which is all about the religion but not the history or facts. The dilemma of today's society is that no one even wants to read or listen to these facts and can easily give a deaf ear or may even be hostile. Discussions like these are regarded as unpatriotic or unreligious and are easily discarded. Our beloved Pakistanis are quite contend with their up to date knowledge regarding current so called politics and long/azadi marches. It has always been saddening for me that our nation is so unaware of the rich multicivilized and multi religious centuries old culture of subcontinent. It is rightly said by Osho " The less the people know, the more stubbornly they know it" ( and our problem is that the handful of knowledge we have is also not correct ).
  thanks for sharing such a nice peace .hope one day we can teach out children the unbised history of the reagion and i totally agree with the writer that "Pakistan was mainly created for the protection and promotion of the class interests of the landed aristocracy which formed the League."
  in one way or another we are still doing the same protecting the class interests of the Eliot of pakistan .
  finally the truth is coming out. I request all my Pakistani friends to distribute this knowledge.. Knowing abt us is very important .
  at the end of the day we are humans and we should stop spreading hatred!! Look at us after 68 yrs of independence, we are still doing our azaadi marches.. (atleast we are doing them now .. Hail the great man Imran Khan)
  Scholars decidedly say about historians that they can not be unbiased, to the best of their efforts. If a reader is swayed due to his lack of knowledge in social/humanity sciences and expresses opinion in a decided scholarly manner, it will be just his personal opiion or a wishful thinking at its worst. It is wise to say that both sides of a picture must be seen or shown before making a rational/logical decision. Oblivious of socio-political or religious/ economic norms of the hindu-muslim societies though centuries in India, muslim and hindu commentators are way off the mark. Did these Pakistanis read Indian text books or did any Hindu scholar commented about blatant lies about islam or muslims like the one written in Dawn? Let me know if Indian national newspaper ever did it!
  I am surprised to find this truth in your pages. In fact Pakistanis are also inheritors of great and ancient civilisation of Moenjodaro and Indus valley civilisation, Emporer Ashok and others but they know only Bin Qasim, Ghazanvis and Ghouris. They want instead to be ready to be subordinate to Arabs but they are not ready to even marry their women which is nothing but blatant exploitation. What an irony! That your newspaper has published these paragraphs give you very high marks and educative and informative reporting.
  Wow! So much educated people trying their best to prove such points! Unfortunately, these guys have not been been through the times of August 1947 or the times before it. How common Muslims were prejudiced against. What kind of thinking lead to the slaughter of East Punjab? If everyone is so peaceful then why is Pakistan's water being diverted. Pakistani politicians prefer to be friends with Indian politician for personal gain. History and present is being distorted, you guys think everything is rosy.
  @abid Please!!!! Dissolution of borders. first of all we have people like @Huma and other people who will feel we are trying to take over their country and then we have all those Indians (including myself) who would bitterly resist any move of border dissolution.
  We have been separate countries, separate societies for way too long to merge now. Sorry. This is not a case of Germany. The countries have drifted much too far apart.
  The best we can do is to not interfere in each others lives & live amicably. Let's achieve that first. We have a long long way to get there.
  The good news of Pakistan this bold article is published in Dawn and people are debating and not shooting each other that's good sign I am sure this would not have happened during Zia's or any other dictatorial rule
  @Aslam Shaikh: Babu Aslam Sheikh: I called you 'babu' because your comments are like those of any babu in Islamabad. But let me ask you this: You talk about prejudice against Muslims in India, correct? Have you travelled to any of the Muslim countries?
  @Hafeez,Canada At the time of partition 35 crores population, 25 Non-Muslims and 10 croes Muslims why land was not divided 2.5:1 with peaceful transfer of population.
  @QE X kaun si book hain bhai ,tell me also ,i am unaware of that book all i have read that shah jahan constructed this taj mehal for his wife mumtaj mahal ,and to be true i dont know who built the red fort but i know that the it was built by some mughal emperor in 17th century and they ruled india from it there after
  Although some points in the article are true, still some are points of views of thr authors and not a depiction of thr learned society of the nation.
  My indian buddies who are actively sending positive replies on the article naturally are requested to also posr sum articles if ever published in their newspapers about the flawed versions of Indian history being taught and propogated in Indian schools. Forget history, the propoganda the indian newschannels are spreading are sad n amusing simultaneously. Hardly see any positivity the whole focus is on terrorism, Daud Ibrahim who majority of us dont give a damn about. RSS taking over indian school text book revision is an alarming sign. No wonder we see on indian tv showd young school kids we have had enough from Pakistan when we will attack it !!! When Obama comes to visit a school in India, the questions brainfed for those kids for the President are why does US keep on funding Pakistan ???? Am glad our teachers and textbooks did not inculcate this much hatred against India. I have many Indian friends; realizing we are different and separate entities, we can coexist without the hatred propaganda.
  @Dr Saad Oh, Dr ! Please open up your mind. Just look at what has happened to Pakistan in the last 67 years.
  Excellent article!. Admitting mistakes is sign of brave and secured individuals; same goes with nations. If we have courage to face the truth, then we can always move forward. It must be said that this is not an isolated example on history books. Authorities have written history to glorify their existence and present only their perspectives. What did Greeks write after Persian victory over Greece; it was not too different. The Greeks became disillusioned; at least in their era. Even great Plato couldn't fathom Persian victory over Greece and he came up with 'Allegory of Cave'; in which he claimed that "everything we see is not real". Subsequently what did Church in Vatican do for hundreds of years. Jesus's relation with Mary Magdalene, thousands of witches found by Church through their historical signs. I hate to say it but if you read Arab political history with an unbiased, neutral and religiously detached eyes, you will be even more horrified to note that this sectarian divide is also because of distortion of facts in our reference books. Even this day in age, every year across the USA countless elementary school students recite:
  @Aslam Shaikh Your advice perhaps is for the Pakistanis to keep on dwelling on the past, ignoring the facts around you and keep blaming everyone else for the misery Pakistanis are experiencing. With people like you, no wonder we are in this mess.
  @QE X dude NO One states that what are you talking about, even if it does it does not mean you can lie too,
  I see by the comments that readers from India and Pakistan are still as confused as they were 70 years back when this great civilization got divided due to false narratives and defensive, regressive attitudes. By that measure, i wont blame our ancestors much for dividing this great society. We have not progressed at all.
  As always, the truth lies somewhere in between. The real problem is that our intellect stops at a point, where objective self-analysis starts and thus falsification gets in. I hope, Indians and Pakistanis together can "seek" the truth of our shared past and then only an honest, progressive and shared narrative will take place.
  Pakistan has nothing whatsoever to do with those arabian and central asian invaders, who attacked and violated Indian sub-continent. In fact, it was the ancestors of present day Pakistanis who paid the heaviest price for that centuries long invasion for wealth, land and women.
  Present day, Indians have nothing much to do with original vedic aryans who slowly and gradually migrated more and more deeper inside Indian sub-continent over a period of many many thousands of years, and along with their migration, the very idea of religion and world-view kept changing as they interacted, mingled with and got mixed with native population. There is a reason why ancient religion of Iran, the Zoroastrian scriptures are mirror images of Hindi Purans. There is a reason why Sanskrit is considered (by all scholars), the mother of "all" Indo-european and Indo-Iranian languages.
  In fact, vedic and Upanishad period Hinduism belongs more to present day Pakistan, than it belongs to present day India. The real south-asian version, history and glory of Islam belongs more to present day India, than it belongs to pakistan.
  In this dichotomy and duality lies, all our issues and solutions. No wonder, it baffled even our ancestors when they decided to divide the indian sub-continent.
  @QE X talking about Taj mahal and red fort can you give us more info(like board,class and publication) about those history books,which are supposed to have this marvel of a fact.
  @Zainab that is not the case, we should learn from past and remember it. Work to fix the present and plan for future. I could say the same this about this writer that she wants to dwell in the past and keep us busy in such discussions while loosing focus.
  @Ganga Din at least there is no organized massacre in Muslim countries Also you don't have to worry about Pakistani babus in Islamabad, they are always available to be sold to highest bidder. You guys already have a couple of them in your pocket
  The best remedy for propaganda in the Internet age is that if you are in Country X or are even a foreigner in it who just wants to know more about it, read books and newspapers about Country X, but from countries that are NOT Country X. This approach served me well, be it on India, Pak or US.
  Well its the Indian history which led to the destruction of the Babri Mosque and the current dilapidated state of the minorities along with the coming into power of the radical Hindu nationalists .
  A very bold publication by Herald. Educating about history is no easy job, specially where there's a majority with zilch tolerance for truth and balanced views.
  90 % citizens of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are sons and daughters of the same soil, unfortunately divided by religion and ethnicity. You can hardly tell the difference if names are not mentioned. I wish we all could get over religious and ethnic prejudices.
  The article explains well what are the "lies" being spread due to the distorted content of these school books. But it does not mention if any action is being taken to rectify the same or any proposal being made by the professors or historians to the government to ensure that the students are being taught the correct history. Also I understand that that about 1% of the Pakistani population is Hindu thereby making it a minority religion. But some of the content blatantly belittles and disparages them. Is such content not against any kind of minority or fundamental right? Can't is be challenged on any of these grounds?
  @Aslam Shaikh, Wrong has been done both sides. You have to see both sides of the coin. Painting a holy image on one side leads to hatred and terrorism.
  @Hafeez,Canada Urdu is official language in 6 Indian states and one the 22 scheduled languages in the Indian constitution. So get your facts right.
  @safi modi has won not because of his hindutva but because ppl are fed up of congress corruption. If hindutva could won votes bjp would have been in power for often in the last 67 yrs. Modi's election doesn't make all indians communal. We are the same Indians who voted congress only 5 yr ago.
  @open minded yes Hindus and Muslims are friends in india. My best friend from school is a Muslim and I even attended eid namaz with him.
  The most blatant lie told in pakistani textbooks is that pakistan is a democratic country and that we have democracy!
  @Zeeshan Ahmed , Is it also a lie that Pakistan snatched a large part of Kashmir from India and has been holding it since 1948?
  @writters: being a student of pakistan studies I wants answer to my question. . Why we should tell our young generation that there was no difference between Hindu and Muslim? ?? Why to tell them two nations theory doesn't hold any ground??? Why to tell them jinnah was not a great leader?? For what reason to tell them muslim league was just party of landed aristocracy? ?? The purpose of all this is just to tell them there was no need of pakistan... Being a student I need answer to this...
  @KGB I believe the reasons for distorting facts are political. The Pakistan's military is the most powerful organization in Pakistan. To protect their influence and support, they need a valid reason. India being labelled as oppressors, tyrants, etc. provides the same. They can validate their huge spending in arms with claims that there are a billion enemies of Pakistan on the other side of the border waiting to subjugate Islam and Pakistanis, and they are there to protect them. Of course, I could be wrong. I would like to see someone else's perspective on this.
  @BholayBhai :"Is it also a lie that Pakistan snatched a large part of Kashmir from India and has been holding it since 1948?"
  Actually the whole of Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad Deccan are parts of Pakistan that Bharat is occupying by force. These will be freed sooner rather than later.
  @QE X I agree with you. Most countries bend the facts a little. But the purpose of this should not be to put another country/culture down all the time. That said, what is wrong, is wrong regardless of who does it.
  Its really very important topic and a very sad story. I notice that the generations that graduated from high schools after 1980 is a totally disconnected one. I would prefer my kids to know all correct history from 1947 onwards especially that related to East Pakistan and the role played by all elements in the 1971 war - Politicians, Army, Mukti Bahni, India and other powers including Soviet friendship with India before the war.
  I would also want the role played by BBC during the wars. At my kids to know that foreign media is a foreign media and how it can harm a country. They need to understand that every country censures information and the modern ways of media censorship both in peace time and war times. Also, needed are details about RCD, SEATO and CENTO as well as the 7th fleet that came. We also need to know our participation in all foreign wars we fought be it in Korea, Afghanistan or else where.
  What an illuminating piece! The partition of India was a tragedy and we are still reaping the bitter harvest of this colossal mistake
  Nice one. But jhut ke uper bana hua desh me aur kia ho sakta hai? Pakistan is standing on lose sand and all the political leaders and military are trying their best to show the wrong as right. And because of this the ordinary common people of Pakistan is suffering. More you
  @Hello I suggest you check Indian text books as well. The falsification of those lead to the incidents such as 'Babri Maskid' and Gujarat massacre of Muslims not to mention IOK.
  Thanks to the internet , through their courtesy we now know that vested interests are twisting history for their benefit but at the peril of the nation. Our children are growing up not know they are actually. This internet age will clear many of these misgivings. The otherday I searched history of Bengal in google serch and I came to know that in the 7th and 8th century Bengal was ruled by Pala dynesty , who were Buddists. Their empire extended upto Kamboj( PresentdayAfghanistan ) in the west and Thailand in the east. TThere were many things i read there tht was not present in the historry books that I studied at School in the fiftees.. I aam sure that the internet will clear the clouds from the mins of our people. Regards Salahuddin Ayubi
  No one is pointing towards the fact that there is no one perspective of the history. History is never correct. One has to draw ones own conclusion after getting oriented with different perspectives. The author of this article should have challenged the curricula style of education rather then the content of curriculum. Lastly I wonder should Dawn have published an article where dissection of Indian history books, being taught to children since 1947, was made, especially on 15th August and provided a befitting birthday gift to them too. For God 's sake I always thought these occasions are for looking at positives and not negatives. Dawn's effort in publishing this article seems more to make Indians happy on the day when we should have been happy. Please do the same to them so that neutrality is restored.
  History is always written by the governing body. We talk about the history of Pakistan, but this might be true for the history all together .
  There is no " fundamental" divide between Muslims and Hindus as we were all Hindus once. We must acknowledge that first, as Hindus were our forefathers. .
  The above articles have to be read by more people. Dawn, and its sister magazine "Herald" should most definitely publish the above. It is imperative that not only students know the truth, but the general public is better informed. After that Pakistani school text books have to be revised. There is no reason why in the first place blatant lies have to be written. Dawn can organize this quite well. I most sincerely hope that the truth, does triumph over blatant lies.
  @An Indian You simplified it beautifully. All happened for good. Let us live happily in our part of the land and develop the country. The divide is permanent and let us learn to live like a good neighbour. There is no need to exhibit false sense of brotherhood.
  @Rani Sharma It was not Pushpapura but Purushapura, the capital of Kushan empire which was ruled by Kanishka.
  @Dr Raza Apparently you do not believe in the saying "clean your own home before attempting to clean others' homes". Have'nt we suffered enough by always blaming others for our miseries?
  We do not wish to undo history, we lost HINDUS across call it conversion or vacation. It does not matter what is taught on other side, we are happy the way it is now. No more introspection.
  @Hafeez,Canada : I have read 'The Last Mughal'. His analysis of the revolt is at best over-simplified. The Nizam of Hyderabad(India) supported the British in the revolt and were rewarded. Also, his bias against India is evident from his other books like 'The Age of Kali' ( this book is written in the late 90s and none of his doom prophecies on India have come true). Hindi is a sanskrit based langauge and much older than Urdu. Urdu is a mixture of Persian, Arabic and Hindi. Urdu is very much a recognised Indian language and even figures in Indian currency notes.
  Excellent article and many such ones badly needed in India too especially with the current growing attempts at distortion and safforinaxtion of our textbooks too. What is most refereshing to see is the majority of comments welcoming such an analysis. Alas! In India many such pieces would be showered with abuses and labels of being "pseudo sickular" etc etc. we need more of these to weaken the fundamentalists on both sides
  @aman he is talking about P.N Oak book which claims that but its not the history kids are taught in the schools. They fail to understand that in a country there are people of various shades and they also have equal rights to say what they like... So people believe them majority don't. To them if one person says something that suits their narrative to build hate they will believe that despite what popular narrative is...
  surprise. did the educated people in pakistan not know about the blatant lies propagated by the leaders. do the pakistanis not know how to search out news and stories. there has to be reason for the decline and decimation of the country on the verge of splintering.
  A good article, advocating against the very basis of the foundation of Pakistan. Indian are enjoying.
  @Aslam Shaikh Your comments reflects the effects of what this brilliant article is about ..... that is misinformation.
  It is commendable that the authors tried to present objective approach. But perhaps unintentionally they are falling into subjective line by mentioning" both sides" very frequently. Instead they should have mentioned historical facts from the beginning and where at least some from both sides are distorting facts. Generally prevalent attitude both in india and elsewhere to project BJP and RSS as extreme organisations is distortion of modern history,which happens because truth is made a casualty to preserve peace and votebanks..There can be no better example than this is the statement of Mulayamsingh yadav in parliament of india that only kisans and muslims developed india.
  A brilliant article. That is why we love to read Dawn so much. It vibrates with knowledge and highest standards of journalism. Congratulations for this brilliant article. For most of us in India a serious concern is what the author has said "Such is the power and influence of the polemicists that a growing number of people are abandoning the quest for an objective approach. With the recent appointment of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-oriented Chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research, liberal and secular historians are worried about the future of their discipline." I must say here that I first came to know about "Dawn" in 1949. I had a friend in class 9 and his name was also Vinod. His family was uprooted from Karachi in 1947. His father 'Mr Lal' was an editor with Dawn and and he used to tell me lots of stories about the grand city of Karachi. Can some one tell me what was Mr Lal with Dawn.
  Today is Gokul Ashtami - 5156 birth day of Lord Shrikrishna. On this auspicious day I pray to the Almighty that let two countries come together once again and live peacefully Forget mine and yours. Let us publish only GOOD NEWS!.
  Well written! I do agree with the author that history is distorted (in-fact I think distortion of history is a truly global phenomenon). However I cannot openly accept that mass differences between people from both Hindu and Muslim faiths did not create a need for the creation of Pakistan, and it was just a strategic move on part of the Muslim aristocracy from UP, Punjab and Bengal to keep greater power in the absence of the British. The riots that followed the partition are well documented (even by western historians), so I would like to sit on the fence a bit!
  Hola!!!!! Bravo!!!!! Well done!!!! What an Article. YEAH!!!!!!! It has become a trend in Pakistan that any fame hungry fox, when unable to reach the Grapes, starts badmouthing the ideology of Pakistan, the existence of Pakistan, the people of Pakistan and sometimes the Muslim history as a whole. The fact is that this country has so much of talent and minds that these lame foxes fail to reach their targets and all they can do is bad mouth the country which has bought them to the point where they stand today. It is the easiest and shortest route to fame in Pakistan nowadays. The fact is that these failed journalists and Media Persons are then hired by foreign intelligence agencies for the very job of injecting despair, frustration and failure into the young masses. The world has experienced the conspiracy played by Americans in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries that cost lives, economies, and changed world demographics without any permanent gains. Americans still teach their masses that they have been victorious and achieved their targets which hardly can someone agree. Americans never achieved their goals in Vietnam, North Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq but never teach this fact. Indians had a Big time fighting in Kargil before their Prime Minister Vagpayee ran about to gain International Support and pressurize Pakistan for withdrawal but they teach their masses that they were damn victorious and forced the enemy out of their land owning to their brave soldiers. But it is only when it comes to us is the whole world so truth loving and truth speaking. Why does the ideology of Pakistan, the history of Pakistan, the People of Pakistan worry you guys so much. Can't you guys write something better like Does Santa really Exist??? Or Did the fairy mother in Cinderella really exist. I will teach my generations the same books and facts as far as it brings them patriotism and love for their motherland.
  ISMAT RIAZ, pls elaborate on your statement "some Indian school texts documented by discerning authors " like prof.Nayyar. our text books are (were) never anti pak, or anti jinnah, or anti iqbal or anti ML or anti sir syed. every detail are described as a part and parcel of Indian freedom movement. theres no official version of any wars with PAK, but still every boby knows that we won all the paki wars and lost the china war in 1965. alas, we were thought that k2 is the highest mountain in india. Gilgit-baltistan and aksai chin is still in our maps, nobody knows pre 1970 sikkim.
  the other view looks a bit over written, the facts and fears may sound a bit loud ; but in short, the essay looks like grumblings of a fallen man.
  @Hassan Syed "Actual fact is that people in Muslim majority provinces voted for Muslim League and they voted democratically based on their Muslim identity. Right or wrong, that was the fact and no one can change it." This is the biggest foly my dear. In that election, people didn't vote, only land-lords and graduates were allowed to vote. In those days less then 10% of total muslim population was literate and less 20% percent of hindu population was literate. Less then 10% of total muslim population and less than 3% of total Indian population supported muslim league. Do you think less than 3% votes are enough divide 5000 yrs old civilization killing 10 million people in that process?
  Kudos to Dawn for publishing such an eye opening article. It proves Satyamev Jayate ( Truth shall always prevail ). There are a lot of people in my country who wish for a United India. (India Pakistan Blangladesh). Majority of citizens of India don't see the awam of Pakistan as its enemy. We were one once and we were divided for selfish gains of a few. I am hopeful that from this article the people of Pakistan will see India less as an enemy and more as a brother. It's a fact that in the entire history of India it has never attacked a nation first. It has always been attacked upon.
  So, guys what is the solution? Now, when we know the problem, why can't we talk about solutions? Some of my suggestions:
  (1) India, Pakistan , Bangladesh , Burma etc. should form a committee of historians/experts/intellectuals to re-write the history of the period when we were together. In this internet age, it is better to teach comfortable truths to next generation rather than telling lies and get shamefully exposed later. (2) Let us agree not to teach hate to our next-gen. We and our forefathers done it enough. Let us interpret the historical facts in neutral/non-political/religion neutral way. (3)This SAARC region can prosper only when our youngsters take pride in their common, multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-lingual past. Otherwise they will also keep fighting and wasting their time/energy/money in non-productive discussions/fights like us. They will remain apologetic of their past and keep finding escape routes like our generation did. (4) I can also make a SAARC history web-site, that may have authentic resources/references from authentic historians/writers of this region. It should be purely forums of intellectuals without any government support/interference of any SAARC country. More solutions/suggestions are welcome.
  @Malick Does one have to falsify facts to induce patriotism? All you need to do is believe in your conviction that you want to be separate and create a state based on some high ideals. That should be enough to induce love for your motherland and patriotism. To twist history in such a blatant manner is a shame, let alone the fact that it puts your books up for laughs.
  @Hassan Syed Not at all.Nobody in India in their sane mind wants to join Pakistan. In fact, there are too many Muslims already in India to give enough headache. We want to be away from Pakistan as far as possible.
  @Malick re: Kargil uhmmm!!! I was under the impression (from Pakistani sites ofcourse) that it was Nawaz Sharif (your current PM) who actually sold you guys out when Mushy & company were all so ready to storm and capture the Red Fort.
  For some unknown reason he went with his tail between his legs to that arch-whatever Bill Clinton to pull his chestnuts out of the fire.
  Good some truth is out perhaps the hatred should be routed out and relations cemented for prosperity of the whole region, criminals politicians with criminal background and preachers of false religious beliefs should be appropriately punished
  @zak thanks for pointing to @ahmed's post. @ahmed Bravo!!! This is now a balanced perspective. I salute you. Let us work together and realize our respective destinies amicably.
  @zak Please check poverty levels in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well. Aggregate score will be more than India.
  @El Cid Only difference is of our religions. Your ancestors were converted but my ancestors kept theirs.
  @Harmony: Just to clarify, Indian Textbooks tell the fact that it's built by Shah Jahan for his wife!! There is an email flowing around that claims that it was built before Shah Jahan. So that's the reason that person was arguing with you.
  Great article. The mainstream folks in India and Pakistan need such articles -- they can figure out the truth themselves and form opinions. Indian history as taught in Schools do not seem to preach hatred -- maybe because the country as a whole is a secular nation. At least, I don't grow up hating Pakistan or any other country for that matter.
  One BIG lie in Indian textbook though is the map. It shows the whole of Kashmir as part of India. That is so lame .. half the state is not under India's control. We should make peace and agree to make the current loc as the international boundary. As for the rest, I just wish both nations can move beyond Kashmir... maybe, give it a status quo for 10 years and focus on other stuff.
  What a shameful attempt at undermining Pakistan and pleasing those across the border. We must be the only people on earth who support foreign agendas more than our own national one.
  @Hafeez,Canada ...you speak like person who witnessed the 1857 mutiny...! whatever happened...Partition was good for India.
  They have made joke of themselves our so called Educationists. they write something that no body outside Pakistan reads and they ill-educate the students.
  I am sure I will sound like a religious , terrorist , Islamist zealot but can you please have a look at the translation of the first verses of Quran that you have given [ in parenthesis ] . Also , please ensure that you give proper references at the end of the article so that the readers would also go through the material that you used here.
  @Swabhiman Not true, there are differences of race, culture, food, language etc from Pathans at one end to Bangalis at the other or Tamils down south. If there was no difference then north indians would be marrying south indians more than they are today.
  Partition was good for the Hindus. After nearly seventy years, Hindus are still in one piece. Muslims are in three pieces, and will be many more in future.
  @Akil Akhtar Their is no unity in Ummah. Saudis have declared Pakistani girls unfit to be married to Arabs. I don't think there is any such restriction by any other Govt.
  @QE X In which Indian history textbook did you read that? Ever visited Taj Mahal? The introduction itself says it was concieved and designed by muslim architect. There is a limit to blatant lies.
  I like the idea of Pankaj to form a committee of four countries to fix the history of the region for the sake of future generations.Do not expect this from the political leadership. Intellectual and social scientists have to take the lead.
  We may look at the process of Textbook writing in Pakistan- the whole process is based on the formulation of curriculum design for every class and subject. who did it? a committee appointed by the federal Government after seeking nominations of the Provincial Governme/nts and Areas. How textbook is created? the Provincial Governments have established their own Textbook Boards which appoint the textbook writers. Now in this context there is very little scope of any innovative approach. The best formula for a good textbook in countries like ours is not very different from a formula of a box office film,though the ingredients are different. We are the best, we did everything in this world are the keywords here. Don't be surprised if somebody claims inventing the wheel, visiting the Tajmahal few years back the guide was informing that it was constructed by some Hindu Maharaja! ( an American tourist asked him what the Moghuls were doing here?) Look even the school history books of UK and France the information about each other is a matter of choice, what they say " your point of view, my point of view and the truth" .
  I salute the courage of this writer to bring out the truth. The points(atleast the reality side of it, as I am not aware of what is taught in Pakistan) is very true.
  The principles of tolerance, democracy and liberalism is essential for development of any civilization, which can bring peace to everyone
  @zak we in India are not taught story of Lord ram or any hindu gods as history btw there was a centuries old Ram temple before Aurangzeb ordered its destruction and subsequently babri masjid was built over it. We share a common history Indus valley civilization and Ashoka were part of our history just like Mughals or Lodhi dynasties accept it or not...period
  @vijay I fully agree with you. In everything I studied in India I never read a negative thing about Jinnah, it was always about independence from the British. And the stuff about Taj Mahal and Red Fort are crap. Guys, remember that we have lots of Muslims in India so we can't teach anti Muslim stuff in classrooms - that would be a disaster.
  @Suresh B. Gokhale : Dear Suresh, yes apparent it looks good. But to achieve this objective - at first why can't India solve the problem of Kashmir and build confidence of Pakistan to do so? Why don't it solve the problem of Siachin and Sir Creak which are very minor issues as compared to re-uniting these three countries. Also, why can't it improves the socioeconimic condition of Indian Muslim and bring it at of mainstream Hindu community? I am sure these emasures will be helpful to convince the masses in Pakistan and Bangladesh to think of the possibility of re-union. Please correct me if I am wrong.
  @M.Saeed Please correct your basic information about islamic history.Its impossible that a mosque was built in 612A.D which means almost the same time as the emergence of Islam in Arabia.
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