Former Foreign Minister of India Jaswant Singh has said that he has got appreciation in Pakistan more then the criticism he faced in India by writing a book Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence. He said that relationship between India and Pakistan has improved but there exists a trust deficit between the two countries.
He said that he is ready to play a role to remove the misunderstandings between the two countries. He was speaking at the launching of his book Jinnah: India - Partition -Independence published by Oxford University Press on Friday. The ceremony was attended by a galaxy of politicians, historians, journalists and diplomats.
Welcome address was presented by Managing Director Oxford University Press Ameena Saiyid. Singh said Indian leaders had not only misunderstood Jinnah, but also demonised him. Comparing Jinnah with leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Singh called Jinnah a 'self-made man,' who created a position for himself amidst the privileged ones. "Gandhi himself called Jinnah a great Indian.
Why don't we recognise that? Why don't we see and try to understand why he called him that?" "I admire certain aspects of his personality; his determination and the will to rise. He was a self-made man. Mahatma Gandhi was the son of a Diwan. All these people - Nehru and others - were born to wealth and position. Jinnah created for himself a position. He carved in Bombay a position for himself. He was so poor that he had to walk to work," said Singh.
While answering the question that the cause of severe load shedding in Pakistan is due to the blockade of water by India, he said that issues relating to water between the two countries should be solved according to the Indus Water Treaty and if Pakistan has any objection regarding the blockade of water by India it should be raised in the meeting of Indus Water Commissioners.
Singh said that partition is a reality and neighbours can't be changed. He said that poverty is the main problem of the sub-continent and both the countries should work for the eradication of poverty and the establishment of peace in the region.
About his book he said it is not about the history but his work is an attempt to understand the common problems of both the countries. "Let us forget the past and look towards future," Singh said. "Masses at both sides of the border are longing to come close to each other, and therefore, we must let go of the shadows of history and let the new dawn arrive. We must create a strong relationship with each other, otherwise the poverty at both sides of the border cannot be wiped away," he said.
About the question of hostile attitude of main stream Indian political parties Congress and BJP and especially attitude of BJP towards Pakistan he said Former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee who was the prime mister of BJP visited Pakistan for initiating the peace process in 1999.
In his book Jaswant Singh has tried to find answers for the question: why did partition takes place and who was responsible for it?. He has tried to evaluate Jinnah's role in the politics of united India leading to partition. He has attempted to discover how Jinnah who was once called 'an architect of Hindu-Muslim Unity' came to believe in a separate state for the Muslims of India. Jaswant suggests in his book that Jinnah's hand was forced by some of the Indian leaders of the time, who left him no option but to ask for a separate Muslim homeland.