Civilization

Published on 3rd November, 2019, in Mid-day Pakistan was the first modern republic to declare itself 'Islamic'. It imagines itself as the Eastern edge of Arab civilisation, when in fact, it is the Western edge of Indian civilisation. No Pakistani can buy land in Saudi Arabia, get a Saudi Arabian passport or marry a Saudi Arabian woman; but still, Pakistanis consider Arabs as 'my people'. They can buy land in America and Europe, get American and European passports, and marry American and European women, but still Americans and Europeans will be outsiders. Thus, religion is privileged over culture. Pakistan has taught itself to be Pak ..

Published on 2nd November, 2018, in The Economic Times. Every time I give a lecture, there is always a participant who asks, “Sir, but is this not your interpretation?” What else do they expect, I wonder? This usually happens when the lecture seems very convincing yet at odds with something they already know or have been told by an authority figure like a guru or a parent. They relieve their anxiety by classifying my talk as ‘interpretation’ hence lesser than ‘truth,’ over which either their guru, or their parent, or someone else they admire or have faith in, has proprietorship. This concept of THE Truth, ..