By: Ravi Nitesh
It is rare that Indians and Pakistanis consider someone as their
own equally, but recently, Dr. Mubashir Hasan’s demise has brought this rare
gesture where not only Pakistanis but even Indians too joined to offer him
tribute.
Dr.
Hasan was born in Panipat (Haryana, India) in 1922 and later migrated to
Pakistan where he rose as an eminent political leader being a founding member
of PPP and later Finance Minister in Govt. of Pakistan. He advocated peace and
regional coordination and supported Indo-Pak Peace by heart.
When
the people in Panipat heard the news of his demise, many who knew him became
sad. Hali Panipati Trust (A local trust named upon renowned poet Altaf Hussain
Hali) organized a memorial meeting to offer tribute and many joined in. Many
other Indian progressive groups, individuals, and journalists wrote about him
on social media and in newspapers. Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum
for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) issued a statement as a tribute to him. It
looked like Dr. Hasan made people united by hearts even after his death. This
tribute and memorial meeting was widely covered by local media.
I never met him personally, but knew him as a stalwart through
many friends who met him. Dr. Syeda Hameed (Syeda aapa) – a well known activist
who also authored political biography of former Pakistani PM Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto with title ‘Born to be hanged’ – also talked about him many times when I
met her. She told about how she travelled to Lahore and met him several times.
The connection of Dr. Hasan with Panipat played an important role
as people in Panipat still remembered the year 1997 (50 years after partition),
when a 23 member Pakistani delegation reached India including Dr. Mubashir.
They were hosted in Panipat by Dr. Nirmala Deshpande and their colleagues like
Dr. Syeda Hameed and Ram Mohan Rai. This visit is still afresh in minds of
people in Panipat who met the delegation members that time. Efforts of Dr.
Nirmala Deshpande in organising such delegation visits were commendable and she
motivated many activists to spread the message of peace among common people.
During
their stay in Panipat, hosts in India arranged stay of Dr. Mubashir in the same
house that he had lived once but left during partition. Mr. Rai described how
Dr. Mubashir remembered names of many streets in Panipat even after so many
years. He used to walk in old streets early morning and sometimes even knocked
doors of houses that he knew.
He met with old friends and said ‘O yaara, kitthe ho? Twada purana
yaar aaya hai’ (dear friends, where are you- your old friend is here). After
these utterances, he and his friends would become emotional.
He was also full of humour and would extend an on spot reply.
During another visit to Panipat in year 2008 on the occasion of Hali Mela, the
then Chief Minister of Haryana and the then Vice President of India Dr. Hamid
Ansari were on stage. Dr. Mubashir Hasan spoke that he is proud upon being a
Panipati to which the then CM Hudda replied, ‘you are Panipati only’ and Dr.
Hasan immediately responded, ‘then give me citizenship of Panipat’ while
everyone was cheered up.
Very few people receive such ‘across the border’ respect. I had
witnessed it also when Asma Jahangir left us and we all had gathered in Delhi
on the call of PIPFPD. Similarly, when Kuldeep Nayar left the world, I read how
people in Pakistan poured their tribute. People like Khushwant Singh and
Kuldeep Nayar also got respect of having their ashes flown on the other side of
border after their death. Dr. Nirmala Deshpande’s death brought people from
many countries together and even her ashes were flown to rivers in South Asian
countries. These are the real gestures these people received for their identity
of being human first and their vocal speaking of such, irrespective of their
other identities. Many amongst such people were those who had history on the
other side of border.
Now after 72 years of partition, we are losing the generation who
had kept memories and attached with other side while evoking emotions. During
these seven decades, unfortunately, many events led us towards a poisonous
atmosphere where it has become seditious to love the other side. But it doesn’t
mean that everything ended as still many people are advocating for unity of
hearts through demolition of walls of hatred. I
remember that how during our Aaghaz-e-Dosti Yatra
from Delhi to Wagah, even rural women came on road and extended support for
peace and Aaghaz-e-Dosti.
When asked why they supported, their reply was simple: ‘Because there is
nothing in war and conflicts. We need proper food and living and not bloodshed.
These conflicts should end.’
I know that most of the villages in Pakistan and India demand this
and they deserve it too. Our governments must look prospects of peace in these
voices to pave a way for a peaceful future.
