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Sindhiness is ... Never Say Die Being a 20 year old Sindhi, I must say I strongly disagree with Anju Daswani (What makes for Sindhiness ?) It's funny that Anju recognises that we Sindhis outside of Sindh are very successful in whatever we do, yet she seems to think that this success stops at just mere commercial related entreprises. Perhaps, Anju has not studied the history of Sindh and the Sindhis. I know, I know - my fellow Sindhi peers are going to stop reading this article once I start talking about history. But I think that is my generation's , or in fact I should say just about every generation of mankind's, mistake - ignoring history. History is not just about dates and incidents. What is important is the lesson behind it. Is Anju aware that the Sindhis in Sindh today, be they Muslim or Hindu, are economically and politically supressed by the Punjabis and Mohajirs ? Is Anju aware that the country where she has spent most of her life in (USA) was colonised by the British some 300 years ago ? Leading on from that - If the Americans, who as a race are only about 700 years old at the most (counting from the time Cristopher Columbus discovered America) can be the number 1 economic and political superpower in the world, then is it possible for a 10,000 year old nation (Sindh) to at least become an independent and sovereign country where secularism, democracy, free entreprise and equality for all is practised ? My only answer to that is - YES ! Of course we can. I dont know about Anju, but as far as I am concerned, I cant wait to visit Sindh. Sure, I might not necessarily want to reside there, but that does not stop us from at least having a place to call home. Look at the Non Resident Indians settled overseas. They are very much happy with wherever they are settled, and you cant blame them because of the good money and quality of life, compared to India. But every year they still go back to their hometown in India. What have we Sindhis got ? Those from India go back to Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, etc. But is that really our hometown ? Well, it is said that "home is where the heart is". To me, my heart is with Sindh. My ancestral motherland and the motherland of my great-great-great-great-great ... grand kids to come. Of course, I too am grateful that my great-grandparents left Sindh. Otherwise, I wouldnt be leading this comfortable life in my adopted country. But the words of Shah Latif remind me - "Heff u tanheen khey hoi watun janheen wisariyo aye" . That means "Shame on those who forget and forsake their motherland" To me my Sindhi identity is not divisible nor is it a "pick-and-choose superficial" identity (Diwali balls, eating Sindhi food, annual Cheti Chand functions at the temple, etc). "Sindh" and "Sindhi" are my geographic, historical, cultural, political, social, economic and religious identities. It is all or nothing. Anju should read "The Return of The Aryans". Some might say it is a boring 1000 page book. Even so, it is a boring 1000 page book that explains the history of the Sindhis and is a warning to Sindhis today not to make the same mistake that our forefathers did 10,000 years ago. The Aryans left Bharat Varsh because they thought they would find a better place elsewhere. But, in the end they realised that their own homeland was still better. Arent Sindhis like Anju making that same mistake ?? |