Modernity Without Memory Is Not Progress — It Is Amnesia:A Case Study of Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan

Описание: Modernity Without Memory Is Not Progress — It Is Amnesia:
A Case Study of Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan)
Author:
Dr. Atif Muhammad Hussain Chaudhry
Independent Researcher

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Abstract
Modernity is frequently understood as material advancement, technological growth, and institutional development. However, when modernization proceeds without engagement with historical consciousness and cultural memory, it risks producing social amnesia rather than meaningful progress. This article examines the consequences of modernity without memory through a comparative case study of Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan. Drawing on theories of collective memory and modernity, the study argues that neglect of linguistic heritage, indigenous knowledge systems, and cultural continuity has contributed to identity fragmentation and social dislocation in both regions. The article concludes that sustainable progress requires integrating modern development with cultural and historical memory.
Introduction
In contemporary Pakistan, modernity is often equated with urban expansion, English-medium education, and economic growth. While these developments bring undeniable material benefits, scholars have cautioned that modernization detached from historical and cultural memory leads to erosion of identity and social cohesion (Giddens, 1990; Assmann, 2011). This study conceptualizes modernity without memory as a form of progress that disregards indigenous languages, local histories, and inherited systems of knowledge.
The central argument advanced by Dr. Atif Muhammad Hussain Chaudhry is that such modernization constitutes collective amnesia, where societies move forward materially while losing the cultural frameworks that provide meaning, continuity, and ethical orientation.
Theoretical Framework: Collective Memory and Modernity
Collective memory, as articulated by Halbwachs (1992), refers to the shared recollections that shape group identity and social meaning. Jan Assmann (2011) further distinguishes cultural memory as institutionalized remembrance embedded in language, ritual, and tradition. In contrast, modernity emphasizes rationalization, globalization, and standardization (Giddens, 1990).

Language Marginalization
Punjabi, historically the language of poetry, philosophy, and popular resistance, has been largely excluded from formal education, governance, and intellectual discourse. This exclusion has weakened intergenerational transmission of cultural memory and reduced the role of vernacular knowledge in shaping modern consciousness. Cultural practices once central to Punjabi identity—folk music, oral poetry, seasonal festivals—are increasingly perceived as obsolete rather than intellectually valuable.
Education and Identity
The dominance of English and standardized national narratives in Punjab’s education system has contributed to a detachment from regional history. As a result, modernity is often internalized as imitation rather than innovation rooted in local cultural capital.
Gilgit-Baltistan: Development Without Cultural Continuity
Gilgit-Baltistan presents a contrasting yet parallel experience. The region is home to diverse linguistic communities, including Shina, Balti, Burushaski, Wakhi, and Khowar, whose histories have traditionally been preserved through oral transmission and communal practices.
Erosion of Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Rapid infrastructural development and expanding tourism have transformed Gilgit-Baltistan’s socio-economic landscape. While these changes have improved connectivity and livelihoods, they have also disrupted indigenous knowledge systems related to ecology, climate adaptation, and social organization. The decline of local languages in formal education has further accelerated cultural alienation.
References
Assmann, J. (2011). Cultural Memory and Western Civilization. Cambridge University Press.
Giddens, A. (1990). The Consequences of Modernity. Stanford University Press.
Halbwachs, M. (1992). On Collective Memory. University of Chicago Press.
Mbembe, A. (2022). Out of the Dark Night: Essays on Decolonization. Columbia University Press.
Noreen, S., Khan, I. A., & Anjum, F. (2021). Changing cultural patterns with reference to modernity: Evidence from public sector universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 5(2), 112–126.
Perils of cultural alienation in Gilgit-Baltistan. (2017). The News International.