Train to Pakistan 2004: The Tribute

Romair:
Here is one reason why Hindu Indians are apprehensive about their safety in Pakistan -Muslim Indians have no such fears- and it has nothing to do with the media or the state propaganda. The only memories they have of Pakistan is what they saw in Pakistan when they left the country and those are the memories they passed down to their children and grandchildren. They do not have any relative, friend or aquaintance left in Pakistan who can provide counter to this narrative. The few they who stayed behind were forced or felt compelled to become muslim, which did not help matters. Incidentally, I know a few Sindhi Hindus with relatives in Pakistan and they do not have such apprehensions, or at least not to that level.
The situation is different in Pakistan. While the children of Panjabi refugees had similar tales of horror to tell, most Pakistanis also have a friend or an aquaintance, if not a relative who has visited India once or more and can report back that the place is now safe for them. Moreover, the stereotype image of the Hindu projected in the Pakistani media - a daal-bhaaji eating coward (btw, I can read Urdu although the image comes across occasionally in the English press too!) - is not very threatening and quite the opposite of the stereotype of the `jihadi muslim` in India.
More visits by Hindus to Pakistan will provide an anti-dote to this image. I can tell you from an Indian experience. When I lived in Delhi, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar and other refugee strongholds of Delhi were considered out-of-bound by Delhi muslims; one never saw a woman in burqa or a man in flowing beard. Then, a few visible muslims started to come to Karol Bagh for shopping and found out that their rupees were quite welcome there. And now, one is more likely to see a burqa in Karol Bagh than in Lahore`s Anarkali and Patel Nagar even has large muslim settlement. As more Hindus return from a safe visit to Pakistan, the old fears will likely dissipate.

Tahmed #31,

That is completely unfair, to dismiss someone`s reaction like that; no matter
how unsavory it may seem. Do memories have to be politically correct these
days as well ?

Referred memories can be a very important part of a person`s life. We have
had too many ``Jinnah said this, Gandhi/Nehru did that`` versions of
partition in the past 56 years - boardgames of the elite. Perhaps what we need
are real subaltern histories of partition, and individual perceptions of the horror
will play an important role in that.

p.s: Veeresh, very nice read. Sorry for the digression here. Look forward to the
coming installments.

kaptain #30 So, now we have the Pakistan variety of the hindutva parrots I referred to in my post below.

My family was one of those ``immigrating muslims`` whose bloodstains you talk about. I could tell you horror stories of what some of them went through that would make your hair stand. And yet, not one of them had anything but good to say about their hindu or sikh neighbors.

So spare me your crocodile tears. Individuals like you are no better than the indian variety of the kind I mention in my post below. It is individuals like you seek to perpetuate conflict from the comfort of your homes, without concern to what it means to the lives of the millions in India and Pakistan who are less fortunate than you, who need a good solid thrashing. That is my humble opinion.

I hope the train, still bears the mark of the blood stains when it last set out on a historic journey 56 years back on the same route. That time there were no cricket matches, but enough matchsticks to burn the immigrating Muslims.

I hope the footprints are still there on the train`s deck, so as to locate those who have been lost in eternity in that journey of end.

The paddy fields and the aroma do give an enchantment, but not enough to have forgotten the plight and screams-still-heard.

Anyways, good memories are to be retained and bad ones to be discarded for the diplomatic purposes. Can`t we stop being hypocrites? Whom are we trying to convince.

Veeresh,

You had in a previous message said that you may not say negative things
about your trip - so that you dont lose your Pakistani friends.

You should then tell the truth under an assumed name.
Hopefully, atleast some Pakistanis will wake up from their delusion.

#16 bongdongs

All the pakistanis in the i know have no fear of going to india. most of them have some family in india, who they plan to visit and get regular first-hand info from in addition to the movies. indian non-muslims on the other hand have no family in pakistan, hence their perception is via media. indian media is far less harsh on pakistan than the western one. veeresh has covered PTV which depicts a totally anti-indian mindset.

most indians dont even know that there are languages other than urdu in pakistan and religions other than islam in pakistan..media cameras give no impression of otherwise. whereas even hamidm knows of eating habits of telegus (hopefully not relatives)

Excellent narrative, Veeresh. Looking forward to the next episode.

Very sad to learn about your father`s demise.

C.

P.S. I too am guilty of advising you against going to Pakistan, but, as explained to you (two years ago?), my reasons were different. I didn`t think it wasn`t safe for you to go there. It is that, like many other Pakistanis I`m deeply ashamed of our country. I believe Pakistan should close its door on visitors while we go through a complete overhaul and cleaning, literally.

Nazar Hayat Khan said
``The problem is with the entrenched establishments (Security, ISI, Raw, Intelligence) on BOTH sides. It will take some time before they get mellowed down to accept each other without mistrust. They are the ones who create this aura of discomfort.``

NHK, you fall into the same old game of playing ``equivalency``.
There is a difference between - India and Pak - The Security, RAW are not in
control of Indian Govt affairs.

Most pakistanis play the equivalencey game - they try to equate MMA with BJP,
PPP with Congress etc. All this is nothing but Pakistani delusion. All the
parties in Pakistan are ``Islamic`` .

The institutionalized bigotry that exists in Pakistan is because, the Pakistani public
wants it and sees it as a way to become the ideal ``Islamic state and be rid of all
problems.

So dont equate India and Pakistan.

The thought of 3000 Sikhs running around in Rawalpindi is very intensely moving, for some reason.
i agree :)

hey veeresh, i left a msg for u on unplugged, asking if you would by any chance be dropping in to lahore, but i guess u didn`t read it, nor did u make it to lahore. In any case, this is a very interesting read, please do write the rest soon!

Hi Veeresh,
Good one. a perfect blend of reality and feelings

Veeresh, enjoyed the account so far. Looking forward to the rest.

Veeresh

Mine # 14

(since some of the fundamental issues of the state have not yet been fully settled)

Yours # 17

(everything always comes back to Kashmir . .)

I did not mean Kashmir. Kashmir is no more a burning topic in Pakistan since some years. You may have noticed this in your interactions here. The unsettled issues in the society that get hotly debated are the issues like the role of army, role of politicians, role of religion, democracy, progress. And this debate is all tied up in many unresovable knots - TNT, Constitution, provincial autonomy etc.

And there is a near 100% consensus of all parties on normalization of relations with India. Actually, by normalization, Pakistan would be killing many birds with one stone. The society fully understands it through its instincts and is all for the CBMs, which need to be extended to many other areas of civil society.

But the wooden statues of the establishment are neither clear-headed nor open-minded nor flexible to grasp this and this oppurtunity. And they continue to press on within their own fixated perceptions unmidful of the general mood of the masses. The elected Assembly and the elected Prime minister are as good as nothing.

# 11

please give us a break Romair

I have been an avid reader of articles and interacts on chowk, though I rarely post.

But you are again trying to spoil interacts on an excellent article into a pow-pow, jhow-jhow. Please desist, it is my earnest request

Veeresh:

Your account is touching without being overly emotional...``My son is fast asleep on the upper berth, the innocence of youth heading for the joys of adulthood, for him and me, it is about bonding on a trip back to the land we have only heard about, a foreign land of my fore-fathers? I pat my Indian passport reassuringly, wrapped in polythene and secured``...this says it all. Of course, I look forward to the rest with a few observations of Raghu, that would be interesting.

PS: and I missed meeting you in Delhi...was there around then...

---

Romair:

[I think Indians came with such apprehension, with a fearful picture of Pakistanis, that even if someone said, ``Hi`` to them or smiled at them, they would have been overwhelmed. Imagine a person coming in, fearing for his life, getting a free tea in a teashop. I guess he would be overwhelmed..... ]

So true. But this is what stereotypes are made of.

[Both of us are looking forward to meeting normal friendly people (with no horns on their heads). We will not be ``overwhelmed,`` if an Indian smiles at us. We will be expecting it.]

Indians will not only smile, we shake our heads in all directions, sometimes rotate them 360 degrees -- either because WE are overwhelmed or because we like to know what is behind us and before us at the same time. If you visit the N.East some people wear head gear with horns, and they are very friendly. And as the cow is almost human in our country...you gets horns again.

But seriously, do let us know when you visit. Veeresh is more likely to be a help since he lives in Delhi, and no one bothers to come to my Mumbai :( But if you do (Jinnah`s house!), get in touch at farzanavee@yahoo.com.

Veeresh: exhilarating read. More please!