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The Blind Man's Garden' Nexus

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The Blind Man's Garden' Nexus Global Social Sciences Review (GSSR) DOI: 10.31703/gssr.2021(VI-I).03 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2021(VI-I).03 Revisiting Ideological Boundaries of Pakistani Nationalism: A Study of Aslam’s The Blind Man’s Garden * † ‡ Atta-ul-Mustafa Ghulam Murtaza Ali Usman Saleem This study explores the shattered Pakistani nationalism in Abstract Nadeem Aslam’s ‘The Blind Man’s Garden’ (2013) in the context • Vol. VI, No. I (Winter 2021) of the post-9/11 invading military globalism and reactionary social globalism. Focusing on Nadeem Aslam’s hallmark work, ‘The Blind Man’s Garden’ (2013), this article not only explores the current foundationless nationalism of Pakistan • Pages: 16 ‒ 25 as the byproduct of undue chauvinism instead of being the outcome of its real ideology but also stresses the need for renewal of ideological boundaries of Pakistan in the light of current sweeping effects of thick globalism. Being a • p- ISSN: 2520-0348 diaspora and much influenced by the secularity of the host society, Aslam seems to be desirous of featuring the nationalist inscription of home society in • e-ISSN: 2616-793X accordance with the global world, as is revealed from the roles played by his characters like Mikal etc. in the novel. The study motivates us to revisit the national myths with an aim to devise the marks of nationalism, provided if we • ISSN-L: 2520-0348 are to rehabilitate our national identity. Key Words: Nation, Nationalism, Globalism, Globalization, Pakistani Literature in English Introduction Towards the beginning of the new millennium, ideology, lies somewhere in between these two numerous world personas have lost their belief extremes. If nationalism is replete with jingoism, in patriotism in favor of globalism. Nationalism is the Western now profoundly influenced by the multi-layered fundamentalism, too, is at its climax. globalism–economic, cultural, political, Amidst this messy situation quite injurious to environmental etc. instead of proceeding along nations’ sovereignty, the fresh aid for globalizers with one’s duty towards one’s nation, and one comes in the form of diasporas who settled in the obliges the world now. The world’s economy, Center for one reason or the other. Under the anyhow, is now subjected to the impacts of strong influence of global culture, their globalization; the all-around blows of cultural, attachment to the home society changes to bring social, environmental and military globalism have a change like that of the host society. Aslam’s changed individuals’ life patterns. National national approach hinges on the global secular character, too, has received profound dents culture, as is shown in his The Blind Man’s upon its body nationalism within the world Garden (2013). Being a diaspora (of hope, terror introduced in a developing sense of and despair), he seems to be desirous of cosmopolitanism. It, however, does not mean importing a renewed version of nationalism in that nationalism has absolutely died out. Pakistan where the issues of national identity Actually, nationalism is in a confused state formation and who belongs and how they belong hinging on two extremes: religiosity and often change over time. globality. The real basis of nationalism, i.e., its *Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities & Linguistics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Email: [email protected] †Associate Professor, Department of English, GC University Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. ‡Assistant Professor, Department of English, GC University Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Citation: Atta-ul-Mustafa, Murtaza, G., & Saleem, A. U. (2021). Revisiting Ideological Boundaries of Pakistani Nationalism: A Study of Aslam’s The Blind Man’s Garden. Global Social Sciences Review, VI (I), 16-25. https://doi.org/10.31703/gssr.2021(VI-I).03 Revisiting Ideological Boundaries of Pakistani Nationalism: A Study of Aslam’s The Blind Man’s Garden Review of Literature nationalism and the 1973 constitution was Nationalism in Pakistan emerged as a strong unanimous voice of Pakistanis though the state could not erect its In an interview with Nauman Khalid in 2013, foundations on true footings. This zest for Nadeem Aslam says that Americans are leaving nationalism was tinted with blind religiosity after Afghanistan in 2014, and Ehsanullah Ehsan, the 9/11, though its seeds had already been sown in Pakistani Taliban’s spokesman, has said that their the Zia regime (Jones, 2002, p. 261). The Cold fight is not with the Americans, nor with the War in the neighbourhood and the state’s direct Westerners; it is with fellow Muslims. So the involvement in it led her astray from the real path. Tehreek-e-Taliban, Pakistan (TTP) would struggle Instead of developing relations with the modern against the heretical–the almost infidel fellow world, the country met a collective internal Muslims in Pakistan. Defining the futuristic plan degeneration, and a lack of economic of the state, Mr Jinnah, however, had devised a production was observed due to the strategy of mutual survival for all communities of geopolitical, cultural and religious differences Pakistan. that resulted from Cold War, says the Pakistani You are free; you are free to go to your columnist Wajahat Masood (Siddiqui, 2021). In temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to order to fill the gap of nationalism, several any other place of worship in this state of directionless pseudo ideologies became Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste prevalent in the country. and creed - that has nothing to do with the business of the State . We are starting with this Neo-Nationalism & Globalization fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State (cited in Jones, 2002). Nationalism, i.e. the sovereignty of nations unto Unfortunately, the nation deviated from this themselves, emerged worldwide as a key advice. With the passage of time, differences of political organization. After 1945, however, a opinion emerged between the modernists and revolutionary rise in global telecommunication religious segments. The unstable political networks, capital, labor, cultural commodities regimes and military coups added fuel to the fire. and the operational role of supranational/ Now religious parties have militant wings which transnational organizations beyond the borders strongly believe in armed struggle for have intensified the processes of globalization. implementing their particular ideology (Editorial, Apart from bringing a decline in efficiency, 2016). globalization has also transformed the nature and After the creation of Pakistan, the main functions of the nation-state by pruning its components of nationalist manifestations were cultural, economic, and political spheres, found in the very chemistry of Pakistan. The besides leaving deep, uneven marks on its slogan of achieving an independent Muslim state advancement (Ho, 2019). Globalization has made Islam the only unifying force for Pakistanis, established the monopoly of a ‘super-state by while nationalism had been evolving through the directly handling issues of currency, international wheel of history. It was at its peak from 1947 to exports and migration of laborers besides 1965 because people were emotionally clung to snatching authority of subsidizing industrial and the saga of a newly born country. Since their agricultural affairs from local governments bitter experience with Hindus was still fresh, so (Maragz, 2018). Numerous Western countries they knew the worth of independence. After have confined social patriotism and are 1965, however, an artificial void conspired connected through money-related and other between the eastern and western wings (Hussain kinds of help for remote nations to certain & Khan, 2012). Wajahat Masood says that cultural conditions. The subjected nations retort nationalism had then fallen to the bottom in terms of cultural, religious and ethnic because Bengalis were thinking of the national movements. Despite the fact that several nations army as an occupying force; their revolting talked about a worldwide plan, the larger part attitude for ‘being treated as a colony’ (Siddiqui, kept on advancing the national border at the cost 2021) gave the separatists an opportunity to of others, particularly those of ‘Third World’ dismember the eastern wing of Pakistan in countries. Hence, neo-nationalism featured coordination with India. After the Fall of Dacca, under the powerful influence of the nation became staunchly attached to multidimensional globalism, unlike the Vol. VI, No. I (Winter 2021) 17 Atta-ul-Mustafa, Ghulam Murtaza and Ali Usman Saleem extensively dynamic shrinking of distance due to intrinsic and extrinsic overhauling of national globalization, seeks to attain a world typified by character through the motivational procedure of networks of connections covering multi- reviving love for culture, art and literature for continental distances (Nye, 2016). It affects the uplifting the real nationalism (Ansari, 2013). cultural and several other aspects of a nation- Aslam pours his nationalism through the state provided if it is ‘thick’ and that it becomes characters of his novel. so with the increasing degree of globalization. Globalism, however, will expose us more Theoretical Framework frequently and in more heterogenized variations The Hyperglobalizers such as Ohmae etc. opine to the differences that surround us (2016). that modern globalization signifies the dawn of a Unlike the classical nationalism that cannot novel epoch showing people’s
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