On Thursday October 03, 2013 a crisp morning with moderate temperature
in this south Asian nation I visited “Camp Geneva’ in Dhaka. Camp Geneva is a sprawling cesspool of
humanity, a cancerous spot on world conscious, a slap in the face of
Organization of Impotent Countries (OIC) representing 1.6 billion Muslims all
over the world, and shameful for Pakistan for forgetting fellow citizens who sacrificed
their lives and loved ones not once but twice in the name of Pakistan – once
during the migration from India to Pakistan in 1947 and second time proving
their loyalty to Pakistan in 1971. In this camp Geneva I met Roshni, daughter
of an unknown Pakistani who gave his life for being loyal to Pakistan. Among other children, this fragile body, sad
face but eyes still brimming with hope and determination caught my attention as
she made effort to approach me to give me a note. I asked her name. Upon inquiry about her
parent I received emotionless staring gaze.
That gaze still haunts me even while I sleep. Someone told me that her parents died in the
camp fire, suspected as a deliberate effort to clear the camp grounds as it
occupy an expensive real estate of Dhaka. Roshni and other children of the camp school
were excited as they often do upon visits of strange persons. They probably have dream about books, cloths,
food and toys that often accompany such visitors. Feeling guilty and ashamed I put my hand on
her head and walked away to another class where many more Roshnis were also
dreaming while I tried to control my tears.
That day when I met Roshni and many like hers in the camp, I wondered
about the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. I asked myself what is my responsibility and the
responsibility of Ummah and our ulemas? Where are the human rights protectors? Where
is UNESCO? and similar organizations and foremost where are those NGO’s who so
often protest upon lack of women rights in south Asia. All in all I was ashamed
of the ignorance and indifference of the Muslims at large, specifically the
Pakistanis and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
More
than six decades ago, Mohammad Ali Jinnah in whose symbolic shadow Pakistan
exists today, promised Muslims of sub-continents a country, free from
subjugation, oppression with equality for all regardless of language, caste,
creed or religion. This momentous
occasion was a great beacon light of hope to millions of Muslims who had been
seared in the flames of withering injustice inflicted by the English and their
Hindu collaborators for more than 100 years. It was supposed to be a joyous daybreak to end
the long night of their captivity and oppression from the shackles of slavery.
Unfortunately
the joy did not last for long and within quarter of a century, before this
young nation of Pakistan reached maturity, India exploited the ethnic and political
discontentment of Bengalis. Political and
financial injustices to people of the eastern wing fueled mischievous designs
of Indian dream of “Akhand Bharat” triggering the break-up of the fifth largest
country of the world in the name of language and ethnicity. A nation that came into existence in the name
of Islam could not weather the storm of linguistic craze and blind nationalism.
Out of bloodshed and mistrust of fellow Muslims
Bangladesh came into existence. The
sunset of December 16, 1971 saw the last of the fluttering green flag of
Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Dhaka with hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis
still stranded in Dhaka, Chittagong, and other cities who insisted on being as
Pakistanis. Little sad girl Roshni, I
met in ‘camp Geneva’ was the daughter of one of these Pakistanis. As the time
pass there were promises from Government of Pakistan with no actions to
repatriate all who want to come back to Pakistan. Few half-hearted efforts by the government met
once again the monster of ethnicity and language ignoring and putting aside the
teachings of the Prophet and the Quran. Once again followers of Mohammad failed
to practice his teachings, once again politician and selfish opportunists won. Today hollow promises remain to be fulfilled as
hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis live in isolation, segregated as
untouchables from the main stream population so close, that steam of boiling
rice from homes around can be smelled in the camp with no electricity, gas or
water. Such Indifference and hatred,
from own fellow Muslims, but still claim to be believer of the Quran and one
Allah! Alaman Alhafeez!! What happened
to the sayings of the Prophet and the teachings of Quran? Where are the Muslim
scholars and Ulemas? And the leaders! The social media, that is super active
for ‘Aman ki Asha’ but cannot tweet once on the plight of not one but many
Roshni living in ‘camp Geneva’. I suspect
that they may have never heard of ‘camp Geneva’ because they are so busy in
lobbying for noble peace prize and women rights instead of remembering the
suffering of their fellow human beings. 42
years later, these stranded Pakistanis are still waiting to be free. 42 years later, the life for them is still
sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination
in a country so proudly claims itself as 99% Muslim majority. 42 years later, these stranded people live on
a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity
of Dhaka. Forty two years later, these
forgotten people still languish in the corners of so called Muslim society and
finds themselves an exile in their own land. So I have picked up the pen today to dramatize
the shameful inhuman conditions of ‘Camp Geneva’ and to make aware to all those
with any conscious, of thousands of Roshni’s waiting for their fellow Muslims
and Pakistanis to get them out of this living hell of camp Geneva in Dhaka. Can
we do that?
Mohammad
Ali Jinnah on August 11, 1947 visioning Pakistan spoke of an inclusive and
impartial government, religious freedom, rule of law and equality for all. Pakistan resolution of 1940 demanded separate
nation based upon religion and promised Allah to abide by His laws, to
implement peace, equality and justice in the land that He is about to give them.
On August 14, 1947 – the 27th night of
Ramadan – the night of power, Allah blessed us the status of a separate nation.
Where, according to Mohammad Ali Jinnah, everyone was to be free, free from economical,
racial and religious injustices. Building
nation and nurturing good citizenship was now on the shoulders of the Ulemas,
scholars, and educators. This was the
time to prove Lord Macaulay wrong. Unfortunately
internal division, unpreparedness, lack of vision among and ignorance of our
religious and political leaders proved it otherwise. Instead of focusing to produce leaders and
good citizens, the education system it is reduced to the memorizing Quran and
few Hadith. Numerous statements of
Jinnah and Pakistan resolution remind us about the Unity, Faith and Discipline. In a sense these words can be considered as a
promissory note to every Pakistani, wherever he or she is to fall heir. These
reminders are a promise that all Pakistanis-- yes, all Pakistanis wherever they
are --- would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.
It
is obvious today that Pakistanis, government of Pakistan along with Islamic
scholars and leaders have defaulted on this promissory note insofar as their stranded
brethren in Bangladesh are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, Pakistan
has given these people a bad check, a check that has come back marked
"insufficient funds."
But
as Muslim I refuse to believe that the bank of Muslim faith and justice is
bankrupt. I refuse to believe that there
are insufficient funds in the great vaults of Islam. And so I've pick up my pen
today to remind all Muslims with conscious that we are going to cash this check
on behalf of our stranded brothers and sisters anywhere in the world, a check
that will give them upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice
and faith. I have picked up the pen to
remind Pakistan and Muslims around the world of the fierce urgency. This is no time to engage in the luxury of
cooling off, political correctness, confidence building, or to take the
tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is
the time to make real the promises of Prophet Mohammad to Muslims, the promise that
was made to millions of Muslims in 1947 on leaving their ancestral homes to
migrate to the ‘land of the pure’. Now
is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of indifference and
selfishness to the sunlit path of Islamic brotherhood. Now is the time to lift all
Pakistanis from the quick sands of hopelessness, helplessness, secularism and
politics to the solid rock of Muslim brotherhood. Now is the time to make
Unity, Faith, and Discipline a reality for all Pakistanis around the world.
It
would be fatal for the Muslims of Pakistan to overlook the urgency required by
these stranded fellow citizens. The cold
suffocation and legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an
invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 2013 should not be an end but a beginning. Those who may consider this article as blowing
off steam may be cursed if we as Ummah return to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in Pakistan
until the nation asks forgiveness from their stranded brethren and Allah. The
curse of terrorism, economic default and misery of natural disasters will continue
to shake the foundations of our nation until our repentance is accepted by
Allah and be forgiven by our forgotten brothers and sisters in Bangladesh.
However,
I do not wallow in the valley of despair. So I remind today my Muslim brothers and
sisters -- even though we face the difficulties of insecurity and economic
meltdown today and tomorrow, we still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in our faith and
belief on His mercy. I have a dream that
one day Pakistan will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed:
"The leader of the Muslim world, promoting peace and justice around the
world”.
Note:
Visit to Camp Geneva was facilitated by OBAThelpers – www.obathelpers.org
Author can be reached at:
kausar.talat@gmail.com
Camp Geneva, Dhaka
First grade class
What you see is a home! YES it is home, study table, bed and what not.
Children playing in one of the alleys of Camp Geneva
