Poor People are Dogs or Even Worse! Mubashir,
Anger stirring, but lends an air of helplessness in the end. Being a native multani, I could understand that roughness in the punjabi dialect without the need of the translations, but it only infused more disbelief to the whole saintly image that was built up in the first few paragraphs.

I agree with Temporal that we should be wary of the mere lip service types, but godot`s comment left me wondering.. chances are people like Aqil read this post on chowk and satiate their sense of intercon-socialism. How do we tell them apart? Hell, you just might find a post from one of those here raving about this very same article. Like I said, anger stirring.

Freeze Frame poetry to pizzas, and then some,
courtesy poetrydotcom
what is this, anthology on ransom?
I say poetry-dot-con!
And then again, you arent alone
who`s been so conned
I too, ahem in a different tone
was once so conned :-)

Good one.. and as an afterthought, I wish I had ordered pizza as well :-D

You: The Woman of Today Re: # 12

Depends on what you call ``ideal``. I agree with urstruly that this poem is a bit too patriarchal. The woman of today says the title, but seems kinda medieval in its ``ambition content`` if you will.

Coming of Age Re: # 9
Hassan, I dont agree that corruption and red-tape are the core to the problem of whats holding back the Pakistani IT sector from booming as the Indian IT sector did. Come to think of it, these very same problems plague india as well, and are as deep rooted. But India has managed the success in software, inspite of all these issues. I believe the key to success here is to having a liberal head at the policy making table. At the end of the day, all these ``oracles, intels and siebels`` want is to make profit. Maybe they are looking for a more stable environment, politically and socially. Pakistan probably needs to work towards achieving such an atmosphere.

Pakistan’s Choice Re: # 36

On ``Secular Islam``: I hope when people use or rather abuse phrases like these or secular hindu, these phrases inevitably become oxymorons.
The problem with this whole concept is that when you talk about secularism wrt a specific religion, you defeat the whole purpose, howsoever good the intentions might be.
In a country like India, where hindus far outnumber any other religion, the terms like secular hinduism, or for that matter secular islam in pakistan, come to be seen as a concession made by the majority, even out of pity, if I dare use the word!
Thats the exact type of attitude that alienates the minorities. The congress in India has had an apologetic attitude towards muslims, maybe an effect of their failed policies from `47. The other extreme is the BJP which is at the other end of the political spectrum, being at the extreme right. They have their counterparts in the mullahs in pakistan.
Unless there is an ideological change which attempts to view all the religions and classes or whatever, on a single platform, I dont think words like secular hold any meaning on grassroots.

How green is their valley? Re: # 93
Farzana, dont get offended by the comments here yaar.. its just a fair but free for all discussion group. Its a ``chowk`` for godssake, and in a chowk everyone expresses their opinion and well.. not everyone likes what the other says! So chill..!

Ok, having said that I have a question for you. All throughout your writings you have expressed and ``exposed`` the two-facedness of the pandits, bringing out contradictions out of their public statements. I want to ask , are the pandits kashmiri enough to lay claim and allegiance to concept of kashmiri nationalism? If so, then what are they supposed to do when they are driven out of their homeland by their own neighbours, who wear the same clothes, talk the same way, but call god by a different name. That is the huge irony here. Now, the pandits cannot return to the valley but will never manage to get into the mainstream society elsewhere coz of their emotional attachment to the homeland. And yet people here make punching bags out of them...!!!

How green is their valley? Re: # 78
That again is a misconception. When you compare Gujrat with Kashmir, muslims suffered more in gujrat simply because they were in minority. Its shameful, but its true. Same thing applies to the hindus in kashmir. You cannot trivialize their sufferings simply because they cared for their families enough to leave their home in the valley.

How green is their valley? Re: # 78
That again is a misconception. When you compare Gujrat with Kashmir, muslims suffered more in gujrat simply because they were in minority. Its shameful, but its true. Same thing applies to the hindus in kashmir. You cannot trivialize their sufferings simply because they cared for their families enough to leave their home in the valley.

How green is their valley? Re: # 75

Right well.. problem is that simple indeed. If, as you say, we can go by the solution of a complete independance to the kashmiris, then I have just one question.. what will sustain them? Of course, tourism is the only viable industry there, and with the state of affairs on the ground, that too isnt exactly an option for most. Dont get me wrong, I am not for a second doubting the capabilities of the people there, but at the same time, fact remains that they are dependant on mainland India, or pakistan in case of PoK to get their basic needs. Independance means a dependant state. Think about it.

How green is their valley? Seems to be the unending saga of a cause, drowned in blood and yet unimaginatively sterile.

With the way things stand, there is a scarce possibility of either India or Pakistan bending from their stands of rigidity on the question of Kashmir, their recent ``friendship`` notwithstanding.

I sometimes muse at the ease at which politics of a situation manages to contradict itself in time and yet appear totally reasonable and in synch with the situation of the day. Not very long ago we had speeches and military build-ups, a lot of chest thumping. And when Manto`s uncle sam twists our arms (or ears!!) each side begins to play friends ( and even cricket for that matter)

It may be sad, but it makes perfect sense. Ask a kashmiri pandit refugee living in Delhi, how he feels about the situation and would he prefer to go back to ``now peaceful`` valley, well.. if he prefers to live with his family in safety, will he agree to go back? I think not. Nostalgia is good, but being alive is better. And by no means that makes him a coward. Well if going to greener pastures is cowardice, then so many of our indian and pakistani brethren who move to UK and US are well.. cowards, or traitors.. or what not. But then again.. thats over-simplification eh.

I dont really agree with Burpinder and wouldnt hazard to (again) oversimplify the situation. Kashmiri muslims and indeed hindus have a right to choose their destiny. The problem is of course, getting their destiny together. Some people as arjun_m pointed out, would have no pandits in kashmir, and hence a common destiny, a secular kashmiri homeland, if you will, is ruled out.

Leaders from both India and Pakistan having endeared themselves to the masses by whipping up an anti-pak or anti-india hysteria respectively over the years can hardly afford to relent any of their positions. At this rate, this issue can only fester. And the cause, like I said, will remain sterile.

So what do we do then? Violence of course remains a futile way forward, the militants have shown their sustainability with a variety of new names for their organizations while the security forces have matched them tooth and nail to dispel any myths of them backing out anytime in the future.

Its for the kashmiris to realize that the only ``solution`` in sight for their leaders, is to keep the issue alive. If this issue is somehow resolved, then their point of existence is nullified..! But then mass hysteria is a dangerously brave thing that doesnt care about such commonplace logic. Its a ``freedom struggle`` alright, but I guess the struggle for the kashmiris, pundits or muslims, to free themselves from the shakles of petty politics is the real one.