Tag: Gandhi

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Five myths about the partition of British India – and what really happened

Mohammed Abbasi

Navtej K Purewal, SOAS, University of London and Eleanor Newbigin, SOAS, University of London This August marks 75 years since the partition of the Indian subcontinent. British withdrawal from the region prompted the creation of two new states, India and Pakistan. The process of transferring power grossly simplified diverse societies to make it seem like dividing social groups and drawing new borders was logical and even possible. This decision unleashed one of the biggest human migrations of the 20th century when more than ten million people fled across borders seeking safe refuge. Anniversaries can be a critical moment to pause … Continue reading Five myths about the partition of British India – and what really happened

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How one atheist laid the foundation of contemporary Hindu nationalism

Mohammed Abbasi

Saba Sattar, The Institute of World Politics India’s position as a secular nation is under threat. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pro-Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the country’s 200 million Muslim minority population has been increasingly targeted. Over the past … Continue reading How one atheist laid the foundation of contemporary Hindu nationalism

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How Crimea plays in Beijing

Mohammed Abbasi

“We are paying very close attention to the situation in Ukraine. We hope all parties can calmly maintain restraint to prevent the situation from further escalating and worsening. Political resolution and dialogue is the only way out.”  This, via Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong, is Beijing’s quite measured, official interpretation of what’s happening in Ukraine, tailored for global consumption.  But here, in a People’s Daily editorial, is what the leadership is really thinking. And the focus is clearly on the dangers of regime change, the “West’s inability to understand the lessons of history”, and “the final battlefield of the Cold … Continue reading How Crimea plays in Beijing

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Do you know who was Allama Mashriqi?

Mohammed Abbasi

Legacy of Pakistani scholar lives onBy Nasim Yousaf  Allama Mashriqi was one of the founding fathers of Islamia College in Peshawar, Pakistan. His long association with the college, first as its vice-principal and later as principal, brought about a revolution in education and gave new dimensions to one of the most educationally backward provinces of British India, the North West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).  Mashriqi’s 1913-1930 tenure with the government of British India’s education department, in different capacities – including as under secretary – is yet to be brought to light.  One hundred years ago (1913), Islamia College, established … Continue reading Do you know who was Allama Mashriqi?