DENIZENS OF ALIEN WORLDS

38
Class-6
Class-7
Class-8
Class-9
Box 3.4
IMAGES of the ‘OTHER’ in Urdu Textbooks
An Urdu couplet which in English translation reads as follow. ‗The
Himalaya remembers their (the Muslims‘) deeds. Gibraltar still carries
their stamp on it‘ (p.24).
In an essay on the 1965 Pakistan-India War: ‗clever and manipulative
enemy‘ (for India) (p. 68).
In praise of the poet Akbar Ilahabadi: ‗He was against Western culture
in India‘.
Anti-Hindu remarks: ‗In those days the extremist Hindus had launched a
movement against Urdu since they considered it the Muslims‘
Language‘ (p. 137).
With reference to the partition in 1947: ‗The Hindus and Sikhs killed
Muslims whenever they were in a minority. They burnt their houses and
forced them to migrate to Pakistan‘ (p. 46).
About an Indian pilot: ‗In the other world he had to burn; here too he
died by fire‘.
Romanticizing Muslim rule over India: ‗The Muslims ruled South Asia
for about a thousand years. They treated their Hindu subjects with
justice. However, the Hindus would revolt at the least opportunity‘
(p.11).
The conspiratorial Hindus had a large share in harming Tipu Sultan and
Siraj ud Dowlah---.
When the English consolidated their rule, the Hindus openly sided with
them---because both hated the Muslims---Hindus are ready to change
for their advantage --- they made a plan to enslave the Muslims
permanently‘ (p.12).