Two sessions were held on the second day of the international conference on "History, Politics and Society: The Punjab" organised by the Punjab University Department of History in collaboration with Pakistan Study Centre (PSC) here in New Campus on Tuesday.
Professor Dr David Gilmartin from USA presided over the first session in which Sara Ansari (London University), Professor Dr L V Khokhlova from Moscow State University presented her paper on "Punjabi Language as Self-Identification of the Punjabi Culture". She traced the development of Punjabi language in different periods of time and discussed the importance of Punjabi language for promoting a particular Punjabi culture.
Professor Dr Tatiana Oranskaia from University of Hamburg made the second presentation on "Some Minor Ethnic Groups in Central Asia: Castes of the Punjab". She identified two groups of Central Asia, Juni and Parya, who were directly related to some castes of the Punjab. Akhtar Hussain Sandhu from International Islamic University (IIU) presented his paper on "Guru Nanak Dev and Muslim-Sikh Relations."
He explored the Muslim-Sikh relations in the early history of Sikh religion. He emphasised that Guru Nanak conveyed the message of love, peace and harmony and militancy was infused in the Sikh religion by Guru Goband Singh and Banda Bayragi. Dr Abdul Samad Pirzada from IIU focused on historicity of Multan Convention (1956) of Markaz-e-Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam West Pakistan.
He discussed the differences of Ulema in the early history of Islam and pointed that this convention of 1956 was held in order to improve the image of Deobandi Ulema who had opposed the demand for Pakistan. Professor Iftikhar Haider Malik of Bath University, UK presided over the second session. Dr Khizer Humayun Ansari of London University presented his paper on "Reflections on the Failure of Secular Leadership in Pre-partition in Muslim Punjab".
He argued that Islamic radicalism developed due to failure of alternate ideologies especially the secular-socialist ideology. Professor Sharif-al-Mujahid, HEC distinguished scholar presented his paper on "Punjab and the 1945-46 Elections".
He discussed the Punjab Muslim League strategy to contest the elections and argued that Punjab's vote for Pakistan ultimately resulted in the creation of Pakistan. Professor Tatiana Zagorodnikova from Moscow State University presented her paper on "Maharaja Dulip Singh's Russian Connection: A Threat to the British Raj". She discussed the Maharaja's career and emphasised that his presence in Russia created serious problems and threats to the British Empire in India.