Title: Tinderbox: The past and future of
Pakistan
Author: M.J. Akbar
Publishers: Harper Collins
Pages: 330+ (Paperbound)
Genre: Non-Fiction/History/Politics
Source: Personal Copy
As a history aficionado,
I am always fascinated by the history. Especially interested to learn more
about India and Pakistan. The Tinderbox by renowned journalist, columnist and
writer M.J. Akbar provides us a fascinating and a riveting account of how the
formation of Pakistan happened and what were the reasons behind it. The book is
well researched and documented.
The narration
of the book is in chronological order starting with the Islamic invaders into
India right from the Sultanates, Ottomans, Turks, Moghuls, etc… Each invader
has a specific purpose in their minds, that is, conversion and pillaging the
country to the maximum. Author has narrated a brilliant picture of all these
things in the most simplistic manner. The book never seems to be a hard read,
rather, one can enjoy each chapter and reminisce the historical aspects.
Pakistan as a
country, which was created out of religious demands by the handful of influential
people who worked mainly to satiate their ego. Starting with Maudadi in the
post Mogul era and with the advent of Mohammed Ali Jinnah during the British
era had just one agenda and propagated the same. Indian Muslims are not safe in
the Hindu India. They have purposefully spread this message time and again and
lured the masses into believing that Islam is in danger in India.
The book mainly
divided into three different levels. First, the Muslims of India during the
time of Islamic invaders time in the likes of Turks, Afghans, Moguls, and
Sultanates etc... Secondly, the Muslims of India during the British tenure and
finally the Muslims as what we see today, in Pakistan. The creation of Pakistan
on the basis of religion itself is a major setback for Pakistan. The
Qaid-e-azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah has envisaged something before the partition
and aspired to turn Pakistan into something similar to Turkey (a modern secular
Islamic country) was failed at large. From the book, we can make sure that, the
intervention posed by the mullahs and other religion fundamentalists in the
administration of Pakistan government resulted in not achieving what Jinnah
aspired off.
The Indian
Muslims before the partition was constantly brainwashed by the leaders like Jinnah and Maudadi with their constant public stunts of Muslims are not safe
in India. Jinnah even went a step ahead and used Gandhi’s metaphor of “Rama
Rajya” into something unbelievable. Jinnah has said to his followers that,
Gandhi wants India to be Hindu rajya and not a secular state. All these things
led to the partition of India into India & Pakistan. While India has come
out the grim situation of partition, whereas Pakistan is still under turmoil by
keeping one leg in Islamic ideologies and other in democracy.
M.J. Akbar goes
on to explain the political angle of Pakistan post partition. Just after 2
months into Independence, Pakistan has started to eye on Kashmir. With the
input of religious fundamentalists, Pakistan started to train their Mujaheddin a.k.a terrorists to wage a proxy war against India. India on the other hand,
had brilliantly tackled all the attacks of Pakistan in every war and defeated
Pakistan. Pakistan’s humiliation went hundred degrees up when its eastern piece
has fought with them to create what is now called as Bangladesh. India had
helped Bangladesh to gain its independence. The more humiliation for Pakistan
when more than 90 thousand Pakistan military persons surrendered before India
as prisoners of war.
The book
further explains the Pakistan’s stand on terrorism on a global scale. It’s no
more a secret that, Pakistan’s ISI (Inter Service Intelligence) agency was the
father of breeding terrorists in their backyard. It has proved time and again
that, several terror groups like Laskhar-e-Tayyaba, Jaish-e-Mohmmad, Hizbul
Muzahiddeen, etc… was the brainchild of Pakistan to wage an alternate kind of
war against India to clinch Kashmir. The book provides an ample amount of
evidence from various references that how Pakistan is nurturing terrorism in
their own country. It was proved on global level when Osama bin Laden was found
in the safe harbor of Pakistan, in a city called Abbottabad.
With all these
dreadful attempt by Pakistan with the sole purpose of gaining Kashmir has
proved nothing in favor of them. Instead they should concentrate on their
country by uplifting poor who are joining terrorist organizations because they don’t
have enough money to support their families. The advent of Madrasas in thousands
of numbers has proved again that, the religion indoctrination has seeped into
every vein of a Pakistani. As the book suggests, there is no turning back for
Pakistan to see what has happened, instead, they should focus of building their
future for the coming generation of Pakistan.
The book covers
some more fascinating facts and figures which I have not included in my review.
The book has been brilliantly written, profoundly researched and documented. A collectors
gems. Written in the simplistic style with good anecdotes makes this book more
readable. A recommending stuff.
My Rating:
4.5/5