Content area
Full Text
Abstract
Success or failure of negotiations between the ethnic groups and the state play a vital role in changing the demands of ethno-national groups, which oscillate between secession and autonomy. Ephraim Nimni has observed that in the present era the growing consciousness can be witnessed among multinational states for transfer of power to regional governments often formed by minority groups and increasing number of ethno-nationalist movements have been demanding their national rights within the jurisdiction of multinational states by devolution of powers. Monsterrat Guibernau has concluded that devolution in cultural, economic and political spheres had successfully deterred the secessionist movements in Canada, Spain and Britain though strengthened the sense of distinctive cultural identity in the regions benefited by devolution. According to Donald Horowitz some ethnic groups are constrained to demand outright secession because they co-habit the territory with other nations or ethnic groups and could not develop congruence of views with those groups regarding the goals to be pursued. Michel Seymour is of the opinion that geo-political reasons and mutually advantageous economic ties with other regions of the multinational states have also been causal factors for the debilitation of the separatist movements.1 These factors have influenced the ideology of Sindhi nationalist movement which is presently striving for autonomous status within the federal structure of Pakistan. The article examines the developments that consolidated a sense of ethno-national identity amongst indigenous Sindhis and simultaneously debilitated the separatist movement often known as ' Sindhudesh'.
Introduction
The sense of identify among Sindhi community emerged before the establishment of Pakistan. British era brought fundamental and deep rooted changes in sociopolitico as well as economic fabric of society, promoting consciousness of a distinct community amongst Sindhi Muslims. Despite development, the British era promoted a sense of deprivation among Sindhi Muslims driving them towards nationalist politics but at the time of partition, the Pakistani nationalism overwhelmed the feelings of separate identity. In the newly established state, Sindhis developed grievances against the Punjabi - Immigrants elite. They felt that outsiders had out-numbered them in their own homeland in the name of Muslim Pakistani nationalism. They feared that those outsiders would ruin them demographically, culturally and economically. A conflict of interests started between the ruling elite of centre and the politicians of Sindh...