Friday 4 June 2010

.




Look at the above video. We think of Pakistan as enemy no 1, or perhaps our only enemy and they feel the same about us. I live in a country which has as many Pakistanis as there are Indians. Our foods are similar, in fact Its almost the same. Naan, Roti, Sabzi, Gosht,  Chicken, Kebab, pulao, Chawal, Dal. We wear the same-Salwar Kameez, kurta payjama, Dhoti, Sari. We have similar ceremonies. We value our family more than anything. We are jovial, lively people. Okey, We are majority Hindu and they are Muslim. But we are both the same. We are developing. We have poverty, corruption, disparity issues, inefficiency, over population. And we have terrorism.

Did 26/11 happen because of Pakistan? Does Kasab-the lone surviving terrorist caught during 26/11- represent Pakistan? Is Kashmir really such a prized possession that we cling on to it at the cost of a proxy war which has been waging since 60 years and responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths? Is Pakistan sponsoring terrorism and is India doing the same in Baluchistan?

I feel we are the same as the school girls seen in the above video. Just that we are across the border and at the other spectrum of the political propaganda framed by our rulers and politicians. We have been programmed to hate Pakistan and they India.

I feel terrorism is above nationality, religion and race. There are many more terrorist attacks in Pakistan than in India. I don’t feel Kasab represents Pakistan as much as Veerappan represents India. Pakistanis are as innocent and naïve as Indians are. I wish I could see a day when both exist as friends, perhaps like Canada and US. We have much to gain from mutual cooperation. Pakistani food is amazing, especially Biriyanis. They have a rich cultural heritage. It’s a beautiful country and only thing lacking is Stability and terrorism. And India suffers the consequence. I wish peace prevails in Pakistan, so that it reflects on India too.


As my father calls me-I am yet again rebellious, naïve, stupid and abnormal. I love Pakistan as much I love India. I, of late feel less Indian. I feel I am more a citizen of planet earth. Whats LOC or azad Kashmir? What’s Africa and South America?  We live on earth. And it’s the only planet, as far as we know, which has life. Whats religion and god? why don’t animals have religion, just because they cant think and are stupid? I wish humans were as stupid.or who really is stupid?

12 comments:

Neha said...

politicians are stupid..they did everything in the past, doing it now and will keep playing dirty to keep their seats secured..

I have seen this video already and it hurts whenever I think about it..the hatred is not for the country, the hatred is for the acts done by the country..the treatment we get from them..they keep breaking our trust and we keep trusting them for political benefits..I am not saying that e must not trust them; but they should give us one opportunity to act upon this right?

Kashmir Issue - 2 things..the whole Kashmir belonged to India..again politicians played their part..second, the Indian Kashmir - why it has been given an independent judicial Identity? how come Indian laws are not applicable to the state of jammu and Kashmir?

the problems are deep rooted and they need to be sorted out from there..but alas! our neta log..

a thought provoking post ZB :)

Raj said...

religion. this word brings this one thought to mind.

take all religious books and convert them into one language. i doubt there will be much of a difference.

yet what the response is to the same is worth criticizing.

Chicky said...

"who really is stupid?"



That, indeed, is the million dollar question! ;-)

Insignia said...

I had read sometime back that the textbooks in Pakistan used to teach school children propagate the idea that India is their foremost enemy country. And the poor innocent young boys and girls are pulled into terrorism in the name of jihad by feeding them ideas that their brothers and sisters are suffering in India and they have to save them.

Now whose fault it is? What we read influences us and we believe thats true. The propogation of wrong ideas to be stopped.

ZB said...

@Kaddu,Raj and Neha: Thanks, absolutely right.

@Neha : About Kashmir,Sorry to say this, but Kashmir really doesn't belong to India. If you go to the history of partition, As per the agreement reached between British, the new nation of Pakistan and India that Partition would be based on the religious majority of the respective land, irrespective of their rulers .Thus, Hydrabad, though it was ruled by a Muslim Nawab, came to India coz majority were Hindus, inspite of the Nawab who wanted to join Pakistan. Same applied to Princely Muslim states in Gujarat, UP, Rajashthan etc.

But in the case of Kashmir, which was ruled by Hindu maharaja though the majority were muslims, the maharaja requested India to intervene so that kashmir becomes part of India and not pakistan. India took control, forcefully, without respecting the earlier decided rules. Kashmir, though majority Muslim, came to being part of India, though it should have been of Pakistan.

Who really is to be blame fdor the debacle of Kashmir? Mainly India. But Kashmir is important to India because its major source of water for Northern India. The 5 rivers which flow through Punjab( thus the name itself) originate in Kashmir.Panjab is the grain house of India.Its unthinkable without Kashmir.

ZB said...

@Insignia: You are right.Muslims in other nations(esp Pakistan)feel India and Israel are villains who captured Muslim land forcefully, be it Palestine or Kashmir.I live in the gulf and most of the people here think that way about India.

But i feel there is some truth in it. We Indians are taught only part of the story, as much as Pakistani children are in schools and colleges. Truely,the Indian Army with its rampant corruption,atrocities and false encounters have destroyed the land and the people of Kashmir. They have lost families, livelihood, land and even an identity of their own.Its really sad. India is as much responsible and have provided twisted facts to the world.

ZB said...

But i feel, the irony is that we are almost headless without Kashmir. Kashmir is important to India, strategically, resourcefully, and culturally. We are so used to it, and so fond of it that we better protect the ownership of it.

As an Indian, i would selfishly wish that Kashmir remains a part of India and we reach an amicable settlement with Pakistan and Kashmiri people.

The Panorama said...

Hmm, a thought provoking post. The conflict in Kashmir is indeed a huge thorn in the side of establishing peaceful relations with Pakistan. But it is difficult to be objective when giving Kashmir means Punjabs water supply will be dependent on it. India has the power now and closes water to Pakistan at times when conflict reaches a high point. Am sure Pakistan will do exactly the same and stop the water to India.

A country has to do whatever it takes to protect its interest.
Like I said it's hard to be objective...

BK Chowla, said...

It is a very sensitive subject, but I would say that whatever problems we have between us, are self created by the political class.
It is also true that Pak should have pulled back the terror angle which they failed to do

Anonymous said...

Terrorism is not a localized affair at all. It is beyond boundaries and carries an insane selfish agenda.I can relate to how you feel and so do a lot of expats who are outside each of these two countries.But from within our borders we are so biased about our judgement towards each other.

Aparna said...

Both countries are biased ZB, I read a lot of Pakistani blogs and I find a lot of hate filled messages aimed at us. It pains me because nothing good can come out of all this hatred.
My husband used to travel to Kashmir a lot, almost twice a month at the height of terrorism and Kargil war. He had a lot of Kashmiri Muslim friends there. Most people do not want to be part of Pakistan either. They want independence.

sm said...

yes you are just watching this video emotionally and writing emotionally.
in global politics emotion has no value.
it changes with the power the actions and thinking of the nations.