|
Dear Vikram,
Siraiki soba if created as per aspirations of siraiki people will include districts of Dera Ismail Khan, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Leyyah, Dera ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, RahimyarKhan, Bahawalpur, Multan, Muzafargarh and Khanewal. These areas are predominatelty siraiki and tied by undeniable realtion of same history, culture and language.
Siraiki indeed is a different language from punjabi,but, it is not only this different language , due to which we want a separate siraiki province . Siraikies under punjabi domination have been denied their due share in economic resources and been deprived of their rights. Siraiki area and people so far, have been treated, more or less , like a colony of punjab . If you visit waisab some day , you will realise , siraiki areas are quite backward and under developed. We siraikies, I must say, are equally responsible for it.
Resettlement of Siraiki Hindu diaspora is a very interesting question. Dont you think, man yet has to be human being in south Asia? ....
Siraiki hindus before partition, as far as my knowledge is concerned were more educated, politically well aware and economically strong as compared to muslims of that time. Hindus among their ranks had noted lawyers, businessmen , doctors professors and philanthropists. Before partition,in Dera Ismail Khan , we had only one muslim school as compared to five or six schools of hindus and sikhs. Their migration to India caused a great loss to economy and society of this area. Unfortunately muslims of the siraiki belt were not trained and able to fill the gap created by this emigration of Hindus, as a result the opportunities which existed , in many areas were either lost or availed by the new settlers. In this way siraikies stayed where they were . If Hindus had not migrated in 1947 , situation would have been different to great extent.
Our generation which has experience of living with hidus of wasaib , oftenly recall them with sad and repenting tone , they describe them as more urbane , very tolerant, peace loving and reform minded. It is common saying in Dera Ismail Khan that we have exchanged our pigeons (hindus) with vultures (new settlers) .
At this stage , keeping all the realities in mind, my answer to your question will be negative . Hindu resettlement will be as difficult as resettlement of the muslims in india. At this stage we have only few liberals on both sides of border , he have few doves and more hawks. Besides , the generation which would have asipred to resttle may have expired and new generation born and raised in India may have little interest , even in knowing about wasaib.
Kafirkot:- I am not sure whether it is derogatory or not , but frankly speaking I like this name . You are right Kafir means a person who dont believes in God, as described by muslims. It is not necessary that all people share same conception of God. For me it is suffice that it hasnt been renamed as Nabikot or some thing like that.
It is matter of pleasure that kafirkot still exists in some form , although locals caused great harm , but it still exists. Name Kafirkot was given to place as much is not known about the place and only information available is that these were constructed by Hindu rajas.
I hope this explains quite a few things.
Regards.
|