RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN THE NOVELS OF QURAT-UL-AIN HAIDER (A POST-COLONIAL STUDY (

Abstract

In the colonial system, religious sectarianism is used as a tool to achieve the colonial objectives. The British settlers adopted this strategy in the subcontinent as well as in their other settlements. Before the arrival of the British, Indian society was the cradle of religious tolerance. The British sowed the seeds of hatred on linguistic and religious grounds; even the inhabitants of India were not tolerant of one another. If we study the novels of QaratulAin Haider, the spirit of the real society of the subcontinent is seen breathing in these novels. She recovers the original society of the subcontinent in her writings. In her novels, there is the land of Indo Pak, where the Bhagati movement was born. Buddhist monks, Hindu yogis and sage Guru Nanak chanted slogans of peace and harmony and Muslim Sufis spread the message of peace and love. A subcontinent is a model of religious and cultural harmony, where the people of every religion are free to practice their religion and everyone respected each other's religion.