Ghulam Kibria, belonging to the educated middle class family of U.P. experienced, and observed the behaviour and attitude of the Muslim community in political, social, and economic matters before partition and also witnessed the gradual collapse of Pakistani society with sadness and remorse. Writing his own brought up under the customs and traditions of a pre-partition Muslim family household, he points out: “ we were told that all Muslims would go to Jannat, heaven, and all non-believers would be thrown into the raging fire of dozakh, hell.we were also told that if we gave khairat, charity to the poor and needy we would get swab, reward from God. I cannot to recall even one occasion when an alim told us about our social responsibilities.” 

Firstly, Ghulam Kibria, after analysing the psyche of the Muslim middle class, points out that to hide its weaknesses, it took refuge in the past and dreamed the glories of bygone days. Consequently, the notion of revivalism became popular with the hope that they would regain their old status only after restoring the old system. Whenever, a society thinks about revivalism, it shows its passive approach to the problems, because in case of revivalism, there is no need to construct or build new system. On the other hand, if a society thinks about progress and advancement, it has to think, construct and formulate some new programme to put into practice on the basis of needs and requirements of time. Therefore, revivalism requires imitation, while progress needs innovaton. The Indian Muslim community chose the easy way to look to the past for solution of problems rather than to invent new system and produce new ideas and thoughts.

Secondly, There was no tradition of social work in the upper and middle classes of the Muslims of India. Instead of it, they believed in charity. The difference between social work and charity is that social work is based on humanitarian grounds, while charity contains feelings of pity. In one case poor and needy are considered human beings and deserved to be treated with a sense of service; in other case, there is pity and mercy for them by rich and powerful who earned a respect and status of a generous in the society. It satisfies their ego and asserts their superiority over others. Thus, charity further strengthens the class division and created sharp difference between needy and privileged. Moreover, in absence of social work, the upper and middle classes fail to realize the appalling condition of the deprived people. Society remains fragmented and different sections and groups get no opportunity to come closer with each other. That was the condition of the Muslim community in India. It was not monolith but divided into Ashraf (noble) and Ajlaf (lower) It was fragmented and disintegrated. It was not cohesive and united.

Thirdly, the Muslim community was afraid of competition. The reason was that those who believed in the right of birth and regarded themselves as privileged did not have courage to compete with others. As the Muslim elite class inherited the privileged status, it asserted its birth right to get all concessions. Lack of condition, therefore, made them degenerated and dependent.

Thirdly, politically, they had no experience how to organize a party and how to mobilize the masses. The leaders kept their distance from the common people. The result was that:” Muslim masses remained without political education and awareness and without knowledge of political problems they faced and, therefore, did not have even an inkling how to solve them.”

Fourthly, the elite and middle classes were only interested to get government jobs and did not take any interest in trade and commerce. The absence of the influential business classes prevented growth of corporate culture in the Muslim community. Consequently, the feudal values remained strong and respectable.

 With the emergence of a new homeland, these rends continue to flourish in the feudal structure of Pakistani society. Resultantly, it remains divided into privileged and deprived. Birthright continues to favour those who belong to the upper classes. Competiton is discredited. The feudal control of the machinery of government is so strong and deep that talented and intelligent people belonging to the lower classes fail to use their intellect and genius to innovate and invent. Observing the whole process of before and after the partition, the concluding remakes of Ghulam Kibria are thought provoking. He writes: “Societies are esteemed and distinguished among comity of nations for their creativity, ingenuity, spirit of inquiry, spirit of tolerance, enterprise, and spirit of adventure, respect for civil and human rights, freshness of ideas and profundity of thought.” There is message in the Ghulam Kibria’s book that for an advancement of a society, it is essential to use human resources and energy it is possible only when people are educated and allowed to play their role freely in a democratic and people oriented set up.