I WAS born and brought up in Lucknow, India, and came to Pakistan in 1971 at the age of 25. I, therefore, read with interest the article `Revisiting Javed Akhtar` (March 17).
In India, there has always been a `specie` of Muslims whose main characteristic was to bend backwards to appease the government by going out of their way to condemn Pakistan and fellow Muslims.
In street lingo, they used to be called `Sarkari Musalman`. Prominent Indian Muslims who were given this `title` included Dr Zakir Husain, who later became the president of India, and Mohammad Careem Bhai Chagla, the then chief justice of Maharashtra High Court. Today, Indian lyricist Javed Akhtar is the most prominent character who deserves this title. He is peerless in this regard.
Interestingly, the man never uttered a negative word against the religion or its followers during his numerous paid visits to poetry recitalsin the West, knowing how the audience would react. This is a sign of a rank opportunist who knows precisely which side of his bread is buttered.
