In Search of Lost Glory: Sindhi Nationalism in Pakistan
Asma Faiz
Abstract
This book traces the trajectory of Sindhi nationalism in its quest for lost glory. It examines the Sindhi nationalist movement through its various stages, ranging from pre-partition identity construction in pursuit of the separation of Sindh from Bombay, to the post-partition travails of a community which lost its identity and its capital as a result of the arrival of millions of migrants from India (Muhajirs) and of the actions of an over-bearing central government. Going beyond the state and its power play, the book examines the long history of Sindhi-Muhajir contestation for resources in th ... More
This book traces the trajectory of Sindhi nationalism in its quest for lost glory. It examines the Sindhi nationalist movement through its various stages, ranging from pre-partition identity construction in pursuit of the separation of Sindh from Bombay, to the post-partition travails of a community which lost its identity and its capital as a result of the arrival of millions of migrants from India (Muhajirs) and of the actions of an over-bearing central government. Going beyond the state and its power play, the book examines the long history of Sindhi-Muhajir contestation for resources in the post-partition period. The book develops a comprehensive profile of the agency of nationalist parties in Sindh, including the Sindhudesh detour and the later fragmentation of the Jiye Sind movement, which was followed by the emergence of new parties. The author also analyzes the dual role of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as an ethnic entrepreneur inside the province while operating as a federal party outside Sindh. The book covers nationalist contention at three levels: the struggle for power between Sindh and a dominant Centre; the inter-ethnic conflict between Sindhis and Muhajirs; and the intra-ethnic contestation between the Sindhi nationalists themselves and the PPP.
Keywords:
Sindhi nationalism,
Centre-province relations,
Sindhi-Muhajir conflict,
Sindhudesh,
provincial autonomy,
nationalism,
Pakistan Peoples Party
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2021 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780197567135 |
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: June 2021 |
DOI:10.1093/oso/9780197567135.001.0001 |