Recently we saw some activities in Pakistan which shocked the world. Pakistan’s Punjab province government has begun changing several Islamised street and neighborhood areas names after Hindu, Sikh and Jain’s names. The Punjab province of Pakistan where the Chief Minister is Mariyam Nawaz, the daughter of ex Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and niece of the current Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif , changed the names of 15 places after Hindu, Sikh and Jain’s name. Now, the official signboards of Islampura read Krishan Nagar, Babri Masjid Chowk has been changed to Jain Mandir Chowk, and Rehman Gali is being called Ram Gali. Though the official statement is saying it is done to return to old heritage but experts are saying that there is another motto behind name change.

Below is the list of total name changes in Pakistan:

• Islampura becoming Krishan Nagar
• Sunnat Nagar turning into Sant Nagar
• Mustafabad is now Dharampura
• Hameed Nizami Road becoming Temple Street.
• Nishtar Road became Brandreth Road
• Rehman Gali is now Ram Gali
• Babri Masjid Chowk becoming Jain Mandir Road
• Ghaziabad’s New name is Kumharpura
• Jeelani Road becoming Outfall Road.
• Fatima Jinnah Road is now Queen’s Road
• Allama Iqbal Road becoming Jail Road
• Sir Aga Khan Road is now Davies Road
• Bagh-i-Jinnah Road changing to Lawrence Road
• Shahrah-i-Abdul Hameed bin Badees to Empress Road
• Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk becoming Laxmi Chowk.

Over the past two months, at least fifteen locations have already been renamed, and many others are ready to be renamed.

Though the Pakistani officials are saying that they are returning to their old heritage but the fact is that Pakistan seeks to shed its “radical image” to evolve into a tolerant, inclusive, and multicultural nation. This way Pakistan is also trying to come close to India and win the sympathy of Indian government thereby facilitating access to diplomatic and economic assistance from India.

The another major controversy erupted in Pakistan and other Muslim world when the Defence Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif stated in an interview that the ancestors of Pakistani Muslims were Hindus. His statement has raised a nationwide debate on history, identity, and education in Pakistan. The statement has now turned into a political and social storm across the country and world. The fundamentalists of Pakistan have come out to oppose the statement given by the defence Minister.

It is a fact also that if we go 1000+ years back no one in the Indian subcontinent was Muslim, we all were Hindus. But after the invaders from Arab came to Indian subcontinent, they all forced Hindus to convert themselves to Islam. Mugals also came to our land for the purpose to rob us but some how they settled here. They also forced a great chunk of Hindus to convert to Islam. It’s a reality that we all are sons and daughters of same Sanatana Dharma whether we are Indians, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or the citizen of any country of Indian subcontinent.

Author is a teacher in New Delhi, India.

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