Javed Akhtar says ‘religion does not make a nation’, cites Pakistan’s example: ‘Arre jab woh nahi bana sake…’

At an ABP event in Mumbai, Javed Akhtar was asked if the formation of Pakistan was a mistake, in hindsight and he said, “If a book were to be written about 10 blunders that human beings have made, the creation of Pakistan would certainly figure in it. It was illogical, unreasonable, but alright…now it is a reality, we have to accept that. But, it was not right, it was very illogical – religion does not make a nation, it is not enough of a glue. If it was, the whole of Middle East would have been one nation, whole of Europe would have been another country. Today, the day you start excluding, you will keep on taking out the layers of the onion to find the real onion, (but won’t find anything). There (in Pakistan), Ahmedaiyas and Shias are no longer considered Muslims. That exclusion continues, but what have we learnt from them?”

He added, “Today, we are doing what they did 70 years ago – you want a Hindu Rashtra. Arre wo (Pakistan) nahi bana sake, duniya nahi bana saki aap kya bana lenge (they could not do it, the world could not, what will you create)? I do not know what a Hindu Rashtra is, I do not know what is a country based on religion is.”

The Bollywood writer-poet had recently attended a festival in Pakistan and has since been the centre of a fresh controversy. Told that all Indian believe that all Pakistanis are terrorists, Javed said that Pakistan continues to nurture the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. While Pakistani celebs have slammed him, Indians, including celebrities and politicians, are praising him for the statement.