New York is awash with festivities these days. Yet, in the Pakistani-American community, certain unscrupulous individuals are bringing Pakistan’s national day celebrations into disrepute. One of these festivities, the Brooklyn Mela (fair), is held every year with great success. Over the years this annual fair has started challenging the popularity of Indian Day Parade, drawing Pakistanis away from the Indian Independence Day festivities.
It’s important to note here that India’s Independence paved the way for the creation of Pakistan – Had India not gained independence, neither Pakistan nor Bangladesh have seen the light of the day.
Pakistan’s independence was a miracle in itself. It came into being in a dramatic fashion. One night, in some parts of the undivided Indian subcontinent, people went to sleep after reciting the famous poem by Allama Iqbal (Pakistan’s national poet), which said, “Our India is the best in the world. We are its nightingales and it’s our dreamland.” The next day, the same people woke up with a new poem on their tongues, “Pakistan’s land and sky are lively and green,” which is now Pakistan’s national anthem.
The Brooklyn festival has become a successful annual event which attracts thousands of people. However, it lacks in cultural programs. Artists and singers sing Anglo-American Punjabi music rather than reciting the poetry of famous Sufis and mystics of Pakistan, such as Baba Fareed, Bulleh Shah, Shah Abdul Lateef Bhitai and Khushal Khan Khattak. Their behavior definitely amuses Michael Jackson (for following the Western style of music) and shames Alim Lohar (a Pakistani folk singer who was considered an ambassador of the eastern music in Pakistan).
Besides the Brooklyn festival, a parade is also held every year in Manhattan to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day. Unfortunately, every year this important event falls prey to disputes and community politics. Each year, weeks before the parade, its leadership starts to bicker over minor issues. The bickering become disputes so serious that they end up in court. Thus, the announcement of Pakistan Day Parade brings along both joy and insults. The insults know no depths and bounds, as rivals subject even the most respected personalities of the community to ridicule and slander. The festival of independence turns into acrimony and bitterness. Instead of celebrating Pakistan’s independence, people are faced with saving their own honor in the face of relentless mudslinging.
On this important day, yellow journalism also makes its debut. The local community media heats up the clash between the rivals through its coverage of the event. In short, this year Pakistan’s Independence Day is being celebrated in New York under the dark clouds of grief and commotion.
When one looks back at the 60 years of Pakistan’s existence, one finds that it remained under military rule for 35 years, while the bureaucracy and feudal system stayed in power for the rest of the years. Governor General Ghulam Mohammad, Major General Iskendar Mirza, General Ayub Khan, General Yahya Khan, General Ziaul Haq (Pakistan’s former dictators), to General Pervez Musharraf, all removed elected governments and threw the country into a new spell of darkness. Pakistan’s constitution was suspended four times during this period.
Democratic institutions were destroyed. National institutions were ruined and the country became inhospitable to foreign investment. The feudal system received new strength during these autocratic eras. The country saw the rise of institutionalized corruption as a new prospering industry. While across the border, the leadership of the newly independent India ended feudalism and strengthened democratic institutions. The country’s judiciary and the legislature became strong and stable. As a result, India became the world’s largest democracy and is now an emerging superpower.
Coming back to our topic, New York’s Pakistan Day Parade has an interesting history. It was started in 1986 by supporters of former Pakistani military dictator General Ziaul Haq. The founders of the Parade adopted bylaws stipulating that no member of the Parade Committee (the main organizing committee of the parade) could join any Pakistani political party. Later the parade came under the control of upstarts and the newly rich, where the basic qualification for membership in the Parade Committee was wealth; only those who pay $1000 to $5,000 could join. Because of this discriminatory attitude, the number of parade’s supporters and patrons started to shrink, a trend that continues to this day.
Today, the people who steer the parade know little about Pakistan, its history and culture. These few individuals are bringing the entire Pakistani community a bad reputation. It’s a shame that a country that came into being through the sacrifices of politicians, scholars and thinkers, is being represented at its independence day celebrations by people who are occupying it because of their monetary power. The organizers invite American politicians and public office holders, but don’t care to invite Pakistani political workers. The Pakistan Day Parade of New York has become a den of disputes and dirty politics. It’s a matter of shame for Pakistani Americans that the Pakistan Day Parade Committee’s disputes are resolved in the court every year.
For God’s sake, stay out of politics and display unity and discipline, as preached by Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah. We should learn from Indians who display unity and discipline at every forum. They are united and we are divided.
