On the eve of Independence Days for both India and Pakistan, I wish to reproduce my letter to a local newspaper published a couple of years back:
‘A GLIMPSE of the past’ by Irfan Husain (KT, Jan 5, 2007) highlighted an important aspect in relation to India and Pakistan. Both countries share the same history, which is the sum total of their traditions, cultures, languages etc. Why, then, are both the countries at loggerheads with each other since the Partition in 1947? Why can’t they live like two brothers who decided to quit the sanctuary of a joint family for maintaining greater peace between each other? Are we focusing more on our differences than our similarities? Who does not have differences? And, can’t we use our differences to complement our strengths and cover our weaknesses? I am reminded of the following Ghazal by the famous poet, Ali Sardar Jaffery, which echoes my views:
“Ghulam tum bhi thhe yaaron,
ghulam ham bhi thhe
Naha ke khoon mein aayi thi fasle azadi
Maza to tab tha ki milkar ilaaj-e- jaan karte
Khud apne haath se taameer-e-gulistaan karte
Hammare dard mein tum,
aur tumhare dard mein ham Shareek hote to jashne aashiyaan karte
Tum aao gulshan-e-Lahore se chaman bardosh
Hum ayen subhe Banaras ki roshni lekar
Himalaye ki hawaaon ki taazgi lekar
Aur iske baad ye punchhen kaun dushman hai.”
(You and me shed our blood for this freedom; and together we could have strived for common cures. Together… laid our gardens and shared our sorrows; and together celebrated our joys. You bring the breeze from the gardens of Lahore, we come from Banares with the light of its fabled dawn, with freshness of the winds of the eternal Himalayas, and ask of the other, who is the enemy?…)
‘A GLIMPSE of the past’ by Irfan Husain (KT, Jan 5, 2007) highlighted an important aspect in relation to India and Pakistan. Both countries share the same history, which is the sum total of their traditions, cultures, languages etc. Why, then, are both the countries at loggerheads with each other since the Partition in 1947? Why can’t they live like two brothers who decided to quit the sanctuary of a joint family for maintaining greater peace between each other? Are we focusing more on our differences than our similarities? Who does not have differences? And, can’t we use our differences to complement our strengths and cover our weaknesses? I am reminded of the following Ghazal by the famous poet, Ali Sardar Jaffery, which echoes my views:
“Ghulam tum bhi thhe yaaron,
ghulam ham bhi thhe
Naha ke khoon mein aayi thi fasle azadi
Maza to tab tha ki milkar ilaaj-e- jaan karte
Khud apne haath se taameer-e-gulistaan karte
Hammare dard mein tum,
aur tumhare dard mein ham Shareek hote to jashne aashiyaan karte
Tum aao gulshan-e-Lahore se chaman bardosh
Hum ayen subhe Banaras ki roshni lekar
Himalaye ki hawaaon ki taazgi lekar
Aur iske baad ye punchhen kaun dushman hai.”
(You and me shed our blood for this freedom; and together we could have strived for common cures. Together… laid our gardens and shared our sorrows; and together celebrated our joys. You bring the breeze from the gardens of Lahore, we come from Banares with the light of its fabled dawn, with freshness of the winds of the eternal Himalayas, and ask of the other, who is the enemy?…)
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