Borderless Thoughts

I have always been interested in getting to know more about Pakistan’s two neighbors, Bangladesh and India.  The reason behind this is very simple: we share the same history – a history that with passage of time has turned us more hostile.  Visiting these neighbors never gave me the feeling of being away from Pakistan.  The young generation of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh not only want to know more about each other, but also have a great urge to work together.  The border politics, unfortunately, have never made it easy for dreams to become reality.

While participating in TedxSecunderabad in Hyderabad as a speaker, I had the chance to be in India for the very first time in my life… I thought I would be questioned a lot at immigration or face problems during my travel or maybe encounter some security issues, somehow.  The only thing that I actually encountered was love and affection from India.  Although my stay was limited to two days, these two days have added a lot of perspective in my life.

During the event, I had a great time interacting with young Indian fellows from diverse backgrounds.  The strong message I received was that media never shows an accurate picture.  The young and middle-aged Indian generation who I met at the event had the perception that we in Pakistan are entangled in utter destruction.  I felt the onus was on me to project what Pakistan actually is in today’s world, in the long discussions that ensued with my Indian friends.  “We share the same blue print of life.”  This was the simple but intensely meaningful statement mentioned to me by a young Indian while discussing the current political scenario of Pakistan and India.  The most emotional moment was during the farewell dinner with organizers when one of the Indian fellows mentioned to me that his best friends, whom he met in the United States, are from Pakistan.  He misses them a lot and wanted to visit them in Pakistani, but logistical hurdles facing Indians and Pakistanis trying to visit the other country made it impossible.  I could see the moisture in his eyes when he mentioned that to me.  So now, they are all planning to meet up in some other country soon – but not in India or Pakistan!

The people-to-people bond between the two countries can only be felt if you get the chance to visit the other country.  This specific part of South Asia has a lot of potential to grow together and become a strong union, but the dilemma of sour diplomatic relations leaves this as a dream for the younger generation.

Increasing people-people relations is one way of mending back the broken, lost, and weak chains of love and friendship.  If mainstream media is only adding fuel to fire, then we, the new generation, have the tool of social media.  Ample exchange programs for Pakistanis and Indians by the collaborative initiatives like Pakistan India Peoples Forum (PIPF) or Amman ki Aasha and other similar platforms can work wonders too!

What I can do in this regards as standalone Pakistani is yet a question for me and that urges me to leave this blog unending in formal way, because the ending has yet to come.
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Reference: This blog was originally written for the Pak-US Alumni Network (PUAN) by Sidra Saeed. It can be retrieved at:  http://www.pakusalumninetwork.com/2015/11/02/borderlessthoughts/