Opinion

Indian hijacking of Pakistan's history

Although both India and Pakistan were created at the same time out
of British Raj, Indians desperately try to steal Pakistan's heritage,
particularly the Indus Valley Civilization! This Indian hegemonic
agenda is based on myths and false propaganda for religious and
nationalistic imperialism. Also, there are some Pakistanis,
particularly Islamists, who narrow-mindedly deny/ignore Pakistan's
glorious pre-Islamic past. Harappans were certainly the ancestors of
most Pakistanis, who absorbed or adopted the many waves of
invaders/migrants through out the centuries.

Indus Valley Civilization was mostly based in the region of Pakistan.
The names used for the Civilization are "Indus Valley" or "Harappan",
both in Pakistan. The most largest and important cities are Harappa
and Mohenjodaro, both in Pakistan. Even in the case of Hakra/Ghaggar
river (extinct), a tributary of Indus itself, it has far more mature
Harappan sites on the Pakistani side than on the Indian side. The
proto-Indus site is also located at Mehrgarh in Pakistan. Indus Valley
Civilization, at its peak, had colonies stretching from Turkmenistan
to northern Maharashta, and from southeast Iran to western UP. About
85% of Indians (i.e. outside of northwest India) have nothing to do
with Indus Valley Civilization, where their ancestors were nomadic
forest-dwelling hunters and gatherers at a time period when the
sophisticated Indus Valley Civilization was flourishing.

Indus/Harappan religion was not Hinduism. Not a single Hindu temple,
idol, or statue has been found at excavated Indus sites. Harappans
buried their dead, ate beef, and were not Vedic.The "Great Bath"
was common in many civilizations such as among the Graeco-Romans
and Mesopotamians. Depicted on some Indus seals, the "deity" wearing
the horned head-dress looks nothing like Hinduism's Shiva,
and similar deities were common in other civilizations like the
Celtic "Cernunnos". Bull seemed to be sacred among Harappans similar
to Mesopotamians and Minoans, but not the cow.

A people may evolve by adopting new ideas/beliefs, change with
political environment, and racially get mixed with other peoples, but
that does not erase their history. Pakistan -- the land and people of
Indus directly inherits one of the greatest ancient civilizations of
the world, just the same way present-day Iraq, Greece, and Egypt (all
three countries and names also recent in origin) inherits their own great
ancient civilizations. It is irrelevant that the descendents of
Harappans are now mostly Muslims (Pakistanis). Descendents of ancient
Mesopotamians and Egyptians are also now mostly Muslims, descendents
of ancients Greeks and Romans are now mostly Christians. It is time
that all Pakistanis take pride in their past, and protect it from
thievery of other countries like India.

-- Article contributed by Asad Jatoi

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