he overemphasis on writing histories from a nationalist perspective to the exclusion of other historical lenses, has been a reality in both India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947. In an attempt to achieve this, pre-colonial and colonial histories were also nationalised, almost entirely absorbed into religious majoritarian nationalisms.

As a result, histories on both sides of the border – particularly in Pakistan – were reduced to ideological constructs, instrumentalised for indoctrination. An analysis of Pakistani school and college textbooks shows glaring examples of this distortion, carried out in the name of history, which, of course, it is not.

Benedict Anderson’s argument in his seminal book Imagined Communities (1983) – that nations are fictive constructs and imagined communities – emphasised decades ago that nations are social constructs built through shared narratives, symbols and collective imagination. Theorists such as Ernest Gellner, Eric Hobsbawm, and Homi K Bhabha have similarly argued that nations are not natural entities or inherent ethnic and cultural realities. Instead, they are created through shared stories and traditions, shaped by political and historical forces and perpetuated through symbols such as flags, museums and national holidays. Even animals and birds are appropriated as national symbols. Bhabha, in particular, asserts that nations are narrations.

The editors of Towards Peoples’ Histories in Pakistan, in their introduction to this volume, state plainly: “History writing in Pakistan has for the most part been the writing of Pakistani history. As if the nation-state is the only subject of history – the only horizon of possible futures.”

This work, therefore, seeks to shift the focus away from the singularity of the nation-state, offering a collection of writings that present alternative perspectives – ones that are attentive to diverse temporal and spatial sensibilities concerning the past, present and future. The title itself, Peoples’ Histories, employs the plural to contrast with “the people” as a singular, definitive category, thereby embracing greater diversity.

One of the most significant interventions in South Asia to reorient history away from colonial and nationalist narratives towards peoples’ histories was the Subaltern Studies movement. As part of post-colonial studies, Subaltern Studies opened up methodological possibilities by encouraging scholars to read archives against the grain. Given that archives – particularly colonial ones – are statist institutions with built-in mechanisms of silencing dissent and marginalised voices, this approach sought to bring these silences and unheard perspectives to the forefront of historical discourse.

Although Subaltern Studies inspired a new wave of scholarship in Indian historiography, its influence in Pakistan remained limited. It generated little more than a cursory engagement. This book, however, seeks to address that gap by documenting histories that remain inaudible in the national narratives, liberating them from the restrictive frameworks of dominant perspectives and methodologies.

The book is organised into four parts, encompassing fourteen contributions that explore a diverse range of themes and topics. These include the politics of the Left and progressive movements, as well as the struggles of marginalised and voiceless communities. Among these are identity-less groups such as Urdu speakers in Bangladesh and Biharis and Bengalis in Karachi, whose displacement resulted from the redrawing of national boundaries and the violence of 1971. The book also delves into Baloch histories, the role of Sufi shrines and the movements organized by students, peasants and industrial workers. Additionally, it examines women’s activism, particularly their resistance against repressive regimes such as the Zia government and the marginalisation of feminist agency in Pakistan’s historical narratives.

Histories on both sides of the border – particularly in Pakistan – were reduced to ideological constructs, instrumentalised for the indoctrination of the wider public. 

The essays in the first section introduce readers to the histories of the working class, communist activists and Left-wing political workers – an often unrecognised and under-documented aspect of Pakistan’s history. Given the scarcity of national archival material on these subjects, writers rely on oral histories, memoirs, personal recollections and private archives to reconstruct these overlooked narratives.

During its early decades, politics in Pakistan was shaped by strong ideological currents, with various individuals striving to present alternative visions for the country’s future. The book also recounts stories of activists’ arrests, political persecution and state repression, as well as the layoffs of workers who fought for their rights and freedoms.

The second part exposes a glaring omission in Pakistan’s national historiography – the state-sponsored violence against regional, ethnic and political dissidents, who are often labelled as enemies of the state. The scale and severity of the suffering endured by victims of violence in East Pakistan and how these traumas persist in the present, warrant deeper research and analysis. A recent work, The Aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971: Enduring Impact (2024), edited by Mazhar Abbas and others, examines these ongoing ramifications. The book highlights how the Biharis, rendered stateless in Bangladesh, faced a similar fate in Karachi, Pakistan.

Building on the omissions and erasures in nationalist histories, the contributors in the third part of this anthology focus on marginalised discourses, particularly those of the Baloch people, who have been struggling for their political rights for decades. Once again, national archives provide little insight into the aspirations of those directly affected.

In Pakistan, addressing these gaps requires not only identifying traces of such histories within available archives and writings but also expanding methodological approaches. This means incorporating diverse sources such as oral histories, images, memories, cultural artefacts, historical records, social practices and traditions. In essence, alternative modes of storytelling and representation must be developed to challenge the dominant discourse and provide a more nuanced understanding of the past.

The fourth and final section of this volume explores politics and the people, as well as the politics of the people. In modern political thought, the people are the true source of sovereignty and democratic legitimacy. In Pakistan, the Left-inspired alliance of students, workers and peasants sought to ignite a social and political revolution. Though their efforts did not succeed in transforming the political landscape, their struggle became embedded in political discourse and continues, albeit as a marginalised movement.

The same applies to women activists, who were often labelled as Western and anti-national for demanding their rights, particularly under Zia’s regime and in the years that followed.

Overall, this book, drawing upon the methodologies of history, sociology and anthropology, effectively amplifies the voices that have long remained unheard. By shedding light on the forgotten aspects of the past, it offers valuable insights for both academics and general readers interested in history and the social sciences.

Towards Peoples’ Histories in Pakistan: (In)Audible Vocies,

 Forgotten Pasts

Editors: Asad Ali and Kamran Asdar Ali

Publisher: Ilqa Publications, 2024

Pages: 276

The reviewer heads the History Department at University of Sargodha. He has worked as a research fellow at Royal Holloway College, University of London. He can be reached at abrar.zahoor@hotmail.com His X handle: @AbrarZahoor1