The term “identity
crisis” was first coined by Erik Homburger
Erikson (15
June 1902 – 12 May 1994) was a German-born American
developmental psychologists. He used the term for “ego identity during adolescence.”
According
to him if an individual fails to form a positive self-image during resolving a
number of crisis in adolescence—our ideas of ourselves and what other think of
us—the person will be having less confidence to confront problems during
adulthood.
The term
has wider usages and it is also used in history and politics. Historian K.K. Aziz
has used this term for the Muslims of British India who after losing the grandeur
of the recent past (Mughal Empire) felt isolated and could not reassert
themselves as Indians.
Are
Pakhtuns suffering from identity crisis? Dr. Fazal Rahim Marwat has rightly said
that due to political domination, Anglo-Afghan Wars and the subsequent treaties
Pakhtuns were divided and a crisis of identity was imposed. What was this crisis
of identity?
I think
Identity Crisis of a nation implies that a nation has a negative self-image. In
the case of Pakhtuns we know the reasons that excessive stereotyping on the
part of our traditional enemies and the wars on our land have been forcing us
to adapt ourselves to this negative self-image. Thus identity crisis may be an
imposed negative self-image which is restricting the ways of peace and progress
in Pakhtunkhwa.
One of the
major symptoms of this negative-self image is lack of empathy for fellow
Pakhtuns. There was a time when Pakhtuns did not feel comfortable among
outsiders. Even outside Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan Pakhtuns would used to live
with other Pakhtuns. Now this empathy among Pakhtuns is replaced with feeling
of shame, guilt, mutual distrust and self-destructive attitudes. These are some
of the reasons due to which Pakhtun intelligence is largely nationalist or
ethnocentric i.e. building a positive self-image and pushing people towards
progress and prosperity.
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