Multiculturalism in Pakistan

The threat of extremism in Pakistan is as old as the history of the country. Since the creation of Pakistan on August 14, 1947 till today, the country has been exposed to political, religious, sectarian, social class, language and gender extremism which over the years has grown and acquired a violent and radicalized character. As a result, the country has experienced the worst form of political violence and acts of terrorism in the last three decades.

The failure of the state of Pakistan in effectively dealing with the menace of extremism and militancy can be traced to lingual, ethnic, sectarian and religious controversies. These controversies have not only caused the deepening of societal polarization but also aggravated its economic predicament.

Pakistan can successfully cope with the challenge of controversies associated with multiculturalism and multilingualism if it follows a three pronged approach. First, purge the society of elements who propagate hate and intolerance based on language, ethnicity and religion. This would require the silent majority to wake up and play a proactive role in neutralizing groups who use religion, language or ethnicity for their vested interests. Second, state institutions, should also be purged of extremist elements among them with whose unspoken support of specific languages and ethnic groups lead to provincial (ethnic) and/or lingual biases. Third, social and economic issues which are based on language and cultural barriers must be seriously addressed by the state and society because an indifferent approach would only deepen frustration and anger. The sooner these challenges are understood and dealt with in a serious manner, the better it will be for the future generations of Pakistan.

The Pakistani nation as a whole need to encourage robust economic and commercial activities which discourage those elements who want to exploit ethnic, linguist and religious sentiments of people for the fulfillment of their ulterior motives. People need to have access to the basic necessities of life and at the same time encouraging talent, merit, enterprise, motivation and challenge to ensure productivity and growth. This approach will act as a deterrent against extremist groups because the bulk of the people enjoy quality of life and reject the notion of radicalization. Pakistan needs to embrace upon the politics of pluralism and the value of modern capitalism in its economic pursuits.

The State of Pakistan needs to encourage the process of nation-building by promoting language, ethnic and religious harmony. When all the citizens of a country are provided equal opportunities and there is no discrimination on the basis of race or religion, the task of nation-building becomes easier. State policies of Pakistan should provide no space to groups trying to promote extremism and chaos in society. In order to manage lingual, provincial, ethnic and religious harmony in the country; intelligence and security agencies need to embark on a policy of neutralizing elements by monitoring their activities and detaching them from the mainstream population.

Another important component of the fight against the divide of multiculturalism and multilingualism is education. Education enables people to liberate themselves from the trap of dogmas, intolerance and social divide. Relevant, quality education is the most effective instrument to improve quality of life and self-governance. Education seeks to focus on the mind to be discerning, able to decide what is right and what is needed for self and social improvement. Along with better education, social mobilization and community work to effectively and together to deal with extremism, intolerance and radicalization based on specific culture or language, pursuing an approach which encourages multiculturalism and multilingualism is also required.

Cross cultural, lingual and religious identities in Pakistan need to be used as a source of strength rather than a weakness so as to promote merit, multilingualism and multiculturalism. The success of the country in managing numerous challenges will be in its leadership and the policies which are aimed at the welfare of the people rather than the interests of a certain class, group or province.

The most important source to counter the controversies of multiculturalism and multilingualism is the existence of a strong, competent and honest leadership which can deal with fault lines in governance, economy and politics. Today, Pakistan needs a leadership which is clear, perceptive, courageous and focused to defeat the forces of extremism in the society with confidence. But if the leadership remains indifferent, insensitive, weak and confused on tackling the threat of multiculturalism and multilingualism, the outcome may be further radicalization of society.

The leadership has to encourage grass-root activities at the community level to promote tolerance and harmony which would greatly help marginalize extremist groups. The challenge of extremism in Pakistan can be effectively handled if the leadership is able to pursue a professional approach in dealing with the menace of extremism in multiculturalism and multilingualism.

Amna Khan