Pakistani ethos still exclusivist: L K Advani

BJP leader L K Advani, whose family had migrated from Sindh during partition, today said Pakistani ethos is still "exclusivist and not assimilative" and rued this had led to a "painful" existence for the Hindu and Sikh minorities living in the neighbouring country.

Speaking at an event here, 85-year-old Advani drew a comparison between the present condition of people who migrated to India and those who went to Pakistan in 1947.

"Indian ethos is assimilating and absorbing while Pakistani ethos is exclusivist. It does not absorb... Indian unity is the basic truth," Advani said.

The BJP leader pointed out that while he and his family have been accepted by the people in India, those who went to Pakistan are still called "mohajirs", a derogatory term for such migrants.

Recalling his visit to Pakistan in 2005, Advani said he was asked in that country how he became a prominent politician in India despite being a migrant from Sindh.

"I asked them (Pakistani leaders) to ponder over this, as my answer was it (being a migrant) was never a problem in India... But those who migrated to Pakistan are still known as mohajirs," he said.

Advani also released a report "Gross Violation of Human Rights of Minorities in Pakistan" on the occasion of International Human Rights Day.

The report has been prepared by Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini--a RSS affiliated group--based on personal accounts of Hindus and Sikhs recently migrated to India from Pakistan.

"Whenever I meet people from Sindh, they say they are so troubled in Pakistan... Indianness is accepted by people, but Pakistaniness is not accepted," he said.

The BJP leader termed democracy as the biggest safeguard of human rights.

"The best possible safeguard of human rights in in democracy... And for democracy to succeed, the biggest factor is the ability to accept a totally different point of view, a diametrically opposite point of view," he said.

... contd.

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