Visiting Pakistan
Published by Yazad Jal October 3rd, 2004 in Culture and SocietyWarm article in the Indian Express on a Bombay family’s visit to Karachi.
The Vaziranis tapped on the huge amount of warmth that people of both countries have.
contrary to popular belief, India is a craze in Pakistan. At one time during their visit there was a delegation from India being visited by hundreds of Pakistanis in one wing of the five-star Anani International Hotel. In the next wing, a South Indian food festival had a queue spilling on to the road
I have personally felt it whenever I’ve met up with Pakistanis in conferences abroad. It’s akin to meeting Indian bretheren. And fun to chat in Hindi / Urdu in German bars!
People to people contact between Indians and Pakistanis is what we need most. And let’s concentrate more on the warmth and commonalities instead of the comparisons. I do hope Rajmohan and Usha Gandhi (and others) organise many many more such meetings, both in Pakistan and India. I for one would love to be part of it.
But seriously, whats’ the point?
What do they mostly talk about when they meet. how things are where they live , food , sports or kashmir?
Kautilya, yes it would be interesting to know whether the talk is generally the usual “small talk / party stuff” or are “issues” discussed as well. Honestly, even if it’s just small talk, it’s a beginning! Luckily, I know Mala Vazirani personally, so I shall ask her.
Nilu, the point of what? Indian and Pakistanis visiting each other or me posting about it?
It’s a battle between extreme optimism and extreme cynicism. Most of the times I have no idea which side I am on.
Gaurav, for many years I swung between exactly the same two emotions. Now, I am neither optimistic nor cynical. I think the process is moving forward, not as fast as I would like it to, but it is moving in the right direction.
Even mainstream Hindi movies show a similar trend — the jingoism of a “Gadar” is giving way to a more friendly Project Milap in “Main Hoon Na.”
“People to people contact” sounds like a tired cliche, but it does seem to work.
By default, the Latter.
And also man the Paki women are *hot*.
Nilu, the answer to that is always: De gustibus non est disputandum
I write what I want to on my blog — read at your risk!
Do I need to state the obvious in that - the same principle applies at my end too?
I’m between optimism and pessimism. (Is that possible?) As I was telling you, Yazad, I thought the Pakistini people were amazing during the Indo-Pak cricket series and I thought that had great potential to really improve the image of the Pakistanis among the Indians. That’s IMHO the most crucial thing. The terrible and unwarrented for ill-feeling the Indians have towards the Pakistanis has to go before things become better.
But the current government seems a little confused and some of the gains made through the hype of the previous govt (good things probably need to be hyped if they have to have the max impression on popular consciousness) seem to have dissipated.
But ol’ Natwar Singh might just surprise me! I hope so.
But in the meanwhile all power to these forays into ‘enemy’ territory.
I guess I get low marks for style… three consecutive paras starting with ‘But’!
Came here thru Anya’s blog. Like your style of writing.
As far as Indo-Pak relations, I feel on one to one level it’s great, but the animosity exists between the office holders and govetm personnel.
Gremlin, welcome! Yes you’re right. But I hope that the people to people contact would soften the stiff govt. types. It’s not going to be a quick thing, but I’m willing to wait.
Nilu, have I ever questioned why you or someone else posted a particular post? I will critique content, but never the reason why. The principle applies to all.
Chirag, but but but, I like your insights and hope you’ll visit (and comment) often. Also, if you wish, you can guest post here. Email me for details.
People to people contact is great, no doubt about that. But your argument that it would help soften the stiff government types does not hold ground in case of Pakistan which has almost never had a democratic government to speak of. So how will people’s opinion soften what are essentially army uniforms… starched stiff!
After the recent India vs. Pakistan cricket match in Edgbaston, which India lost, I saw Pakistani fans… lots of them… stamping on Indian flags, spitting on them and finally setting them on fire… right next to my car! That’s hatred for you! … It’ll take lots of people to people contacts to soften that hatred!!
(disclaimer: i do not claim that the hatred is restricted only on the pakistani side)
Yazad,
Sameer (#14) has the point.
The Pakistanis who we meet are not the Pakistanis who count. They have very little say over their govt’s policies.
Pakistanis have also been deeply radicalised by the Islamic propaganda especially since the Zia ul Haq days. Even in the Renaissance era under Musharraf, old lies about India persist.
Most importantly, even without extremism, Pakistanis continue to perceive the India-Pakistan equation as a Hindu-Muslim one. The concept of a secular India does not yet find purchase.
I am still clearly against this sham business of people-to-people contacts. Its good PR, especially for the Pakistanis, but not much else. Those p2p contacts are not going to convince the Pakistani army to give up their lust for Kashmir. Neither is it going to solve the problem of jihadis and military strategists planning a dismemberment of India.
Look at the way they treat their Shia minorities, their Mohajirs or their own farmers in the Okara farms, or their women. Pakistani civil society has not been able to do anything about their own problems; fat lot it can do on the India-Pakistan front.
When a armed thug occupies your front yard, and is trying to break down your front door, getting your kids to play tennis-ball cricket with his kids is not exactly the way to solve your problem; no matter how cute that kid is.
Im a Pakistani and im not surprised to find the same old misconceptions about Pakistanis. People like Nitin think they kow all there is to know. Suffice to say, Pakistani society far more complex to be packaged so conveniently.
Our treatment of Pakistani citizens may not be picture perfect, but then I can say the same of Indians. A barabaric as some of you oh so sophisticated might believe us to be, I would remind you of the cicket matches in India which were not without incidence, as compared to those in Pakistan. What I can say with certainty is that for peace to reign you will have to understand Pakistan to be friends with Pakistan. This includes coming to terms with our handle on the Kashmir issue. And instead of pointing the flaws in our country, trying to admit the flaws in your own so that we atleast come to the table with a certain degree of mutual understanding and respect.
Nice info. Just found it through google. Search 4 something different but nice to see a site about this important subject. silver server
pakistanis will have to forget “K” for ever. How do they even think of getting K thru negotiations what they failed thru wars & cross border terrorism ?
the Kashmir issue has been abused so much, its kinda sad. Kashmiri’s don’t care for EITHER of us, they’d rather be on their own, and we both just stubbornly, illogically fight over it.
Someone once told me it had been the last trick in the hat for the British. Promise Kashmir to Pak on a verbal contract, and then leave the lines on the division unclear so India felts its theirs. Both sides are right in their own position. But fighting together just weakens us both. We spend most of our budget on defense and lose so many men fighting each other. I think the only way to solve this would be to let the Kashmiris be their own state. NIETHER gets it.
I live in Canada. I’m a Pakistani. But most of my friends are Indians, and I have found nothing to hate them for. They’re just like us. Its time we all grew up and went beyond the “K” issue.
actually.. i have a query..may be its not related what the discussion is about.. but.. i need info..
i wanna know.. how can we visit pakistan.. i mean.. are there any flights or trains or buses to go to pakistan..
can you give me some details regarding this..??