Going Home to Lahore, and a World Left Behind

Glad that you had an overall positive experience.

Diwali is the Hindu New Year ???

Thank you for a very simple and uncomplicated report.

But in context with the last line, what`s the tragedy?

Chances are that if the Partition of 1947 had not happened, your family would have still been in or around Lahore. On the other hand, thanks to 1947, you are now in Umrika. And writing for the NYT, no less.

And the other query I have is this:- why was Partition not discussed in your family? Why was it a subject not to be brought up?

Please forgive me for asking these very personal questions, but I hope you will appreciate that they are relevant.

veeresh

Chowk-staff,

I wonder when enough is enough? The same story is repeated over and over again - families driven out of their homeland because of partition want to see the land of their forefathers after six decades, go to Pakistan, Saidan Shah, Lahore, Badshahi Masjid, ``Jinde Lahore nahin Dekheya o janmeya nahin``, concession to Indian visitors, Wagah ceremony, Ketas Raj... The fact that this one is not written by a Chowk regular adds insult to injury. And why is the visit to food street missing from these memoirs?

Is someone visiting Karachi, Delhi, Agra, Peshawar, Bangalore, Kolkatta or Mumbai? Please do and post something, anything, if only do remind the Chowk staff that there is a word called excess in English language.

Parag Khanna

Thanks for this article. I am a sukker for Nostalgia. This does not cost anything and releases some good chemicals into the body.

nhk

oh!no! O God! not again....


Is there an algorithm in chowk software that recycles the same old stuff again and again......or are you guys having fun

``...as our family was celebrating Diwali, the Hindu New Year.``
Not sure if Diwali is the New Year for Hindus, or at least for all Hindus. In Maharashtra, the new year falls on Gudi Padwa (April 9 this year). In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Ugaadi the New Year fell on April 9. The Tamil New Year is always on April 14 (since Tamils follow the solar calendar). Bengali Boisakh is in April as well. I am guessing that Hindus in other states have their own calendars. The govt and most companies follow Apr-Mar financial year since the new year starts sometime in April for most people.

Would the author care to elaborate?

this cross-cultural tourism hopefully heralds something our children will hold in awe

Re: # 7
Hindu New Year starts on Baisakhi i.e.1st of Baisakh in but the traditional Hindu financial year starts on Diwali(time to change the wahi-khaata)

well.........glade you visisted lahore and walked through the lahore streets.......
but i am confused whats the tragedy.......can i get to know......if you dont mind........
thanks

Parag, nice article.

I`m not sure but I think Samina posted this once in her i-log. Irrespective though, it`s a pleasure to read again.

We all have our own individual perspectives on the Partition. Some say it was imminent and necessary, others see it as a brutal rupture in their emotional landscape. Whatever the case may be, it shouldn`t impede us now from relating to each other as human beings. There is still a lot of promise for a deep and lasting friendship, as this series of articles has shown. Let`s not let that run to waste.

The punjabi mafia strikes again!.Please ,are there any `mohajir familes` from other parts of india and pakiatan who can relate their `reunion` experience?.Oh, i forget, others take their new identities seriously and blend in to their new surroundings, show loyalty to their adopted nation and lead productive lives.And, how , these punjabis wax eloquent about a cantonment town by the name of Lahore.I rather read about the NPT.

Nice article.

But a few core issues of interest are still to be resolved.

1. How many Dunkin Donuts are there in Lahore?
2. Does Lahore look like Singapore?
3. What percentage of men on streets were bearded and how many of them had kalashnikov in their hands?
4. What is the Burqas per capita in Pakistan? Is it lesser than Indian Army men in Kashmir/capita in India?


Let`s start another thought provoking discussion over it. Chowk Admin needs it again and again. :)

Another article of the same. I guess whenever Chowk thinks the responses are declining, they put back some old one on Ind/Pak.

Nice article as i heard almost the same emotions and feelings when my parents visited Indian Punjab last year. Both, Abbu and Ammi, migrated to Pakistan with their families when they were 10 and 4 years old respectively.