Pakistan has turned 79, with its independence anniversary marked by the usual zeal. The National Day events featured speakers occupying the podium, recounting the struggles of the founders while stressing the importance of freedom from the British Raj. The speakers seized the moment and recalled their own "contributions" more than recollecting the founders' vision. Perhaps they have been naïve. Or dithered. Ergo, 79 years on, many biting questions remain unanswered, and answered questions unquestioned. Did the freedom, for Jinnah, only mean the partition of the subcontinent? Is servitude only imposed from outside, and does its salvation from the colonisers count as the culmination of freedom for the people? And do the fruits of freedom get evenly delivered?

Unlike the dominant narratives of the victors of colonial projects in modern history and the externally imposed slavery in societies throughout the ages, the ones that evolved or were installed from within have received shallow coverage in history -........

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