By Syed Qamar Abbas
The News, June 13, 14, 15, 2004
RAWALPINDI: The people of India want free interaction with the people of Pakistan. Gestures of friendship emanate from all whether they are Hindus or Sikhs, civilians or low-level officials. Many of them long for visiting Pakistan without facing any visa curbs and want the same for Pakistanis who intend to tour India. The enemy perception, which had stained relations between the two South Asian neighbours for over 50 years, does not exist at the people’s level. The stage is set for the phrase ‘Hindustanis, Pakistanis Bhai, Bhai’ to emerge as a popular slogan.
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This was a major difference in culture between the two Punjabs. Here a drinker tries to keep his habit secret fearing public dislike, whereas there it is vice versa. A Sikh academic in Amritsar remarked in an informal discussion that the Punjab has six rivers: five are of water and one is of Daro.
While crossing Atari, this scribe and Shafqat met a Hindu family, comprising husband, wife and their son and daughter, who came from Delhi to have a glimpse of the Pakistani side of the border. They had a camera and requested us to make their photo with the Pakistani border in the background. They told us that they had an earnest desire to visit Lahore, a city of their ancestors, but could not manage it because of visa problems. They were quite upset while saying that they had covered a long distance but had to return from so near of their desired destination. Soon they were asked by an Indian border official to go back as the time of their visit had finished. They looked at us desperately as we moved towards Wagah. The day may come when no one returns from the border in desperation. The sooner it comes, the better it is.
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