While watching CNN last night I saw a commercial for Mobilink which is the advertisement they run in Pakistan. Take 3 minutes to watch it and I am sure you will be struck as I was that this commercial would strike the same chords in any part of India. I also loved the song "hum Bolen Mohabat ki Zubaan" and I hope you like it too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnmIobBoCus
As I searched “you tube” to share this with my blogging world, I found several others all of which show that while selling to us Advertisers appeal to the same emotions and touch the same chords. Somewhere deep down I believe we are one people. A one minute clip is linked below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snd9PUg7AI8
I know it is hard for those who lost near and dear ones in 26/11 or for the relatives of those brave soldiers who lost their lives in 1965, 1971 or in Kargil.
I personally think these are wedges and differences, canyons and chasms between our countries created largely by self serving politicians, greedy warmongers and corrupt generals which now look as if they cannot be bridged.
We look the same, we talk the same, we share the same roots and culture and yet we have drifted so far apart we are left with only hatred, revenge and suspicion. Things perhaps will never improve but some where in the not too distant past something went horribly wrong and none of us did anything to correct it.
However, I still have memories of a packed Chennai stadium giving the Pakistan team a standing ovation as they did their lap of honour after they beat India in a test match. I also remember the hype of Chandigarh laid out the red carpet for a Visiting Pakistan team. And Finally I remember an entire Pakistani stadium chanting Balajeee, Balajeee, Balajeee during an Indian visit to Pakistan as well as the hospitality extended to the entire team during the visit.
In my travels abroad I have bonded with a Pakistani or an Afghan co traveller just because we share the same passion for Dal and roti and go scouring the streets to see if we can find a place which will give us one irrespective if the Chef is Indian, Pakistani , Akghan or Arab...
I think we can still mend fences.
Peace is always preferred to War and or am I too idealistic.
I wonder if we can ever open the gates of the mind
or will the sentries of "prejudice and mistrust" rule and guard as always ….
The cirtizens of the two countries have no enemity among themselves. Cricket and live TV shows in which citizens from both countries participate and are applauded equally by the audience and the spectators are the indication of the same. Even the two govenrments keep making some efforts in bridging the gap but the events like the bomb blasts and attacks on innocent men, women and children again take both sides miles apart. I think the governments have to shed their political compultions and start working towards eliminating the factors which work against each other's country like terror outfits of Pakistan and Hindu radicalism of India.
ReplyDeleteBalvinderjee,
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more but it does seem a distant pipe dream. It would need a natioanl leader with a big heart on both sides to achieve. The word politician has been degraded and defamed so much that I prefer the term national leader.
Well written. We have been one and must remain one.
ReplyDeleteHi, great to be back in touch..boss, your suggestion proved to be the best..and globalmadrasi is back: pl come to
ReplyDeletehttp://globalmadarasi.blogspot.com
waiting to c u there..best regards
a majority of my colleagues here now come from pakistan...i find no diff at all culturally, socially or any ally...v r all socially united and politically divided..thats it..hey miss u man..Hi
ReplyDeletePlease come over to globalmadarasi.blogspot.com
(new address)
cheers
That was beautifully written! I think left to ourselves the people of both countries would have no problems with each other. Unfortunately it is in the interests of certain groups or individuals to stoke the fire and keep it raging. What a pity!
ReplyDeleteHi, I got Sunita's comment in my email! I wrote a long comment for this blog, 2-3 days back. I clicked 'post comment' 3-4 times. Nothing happened. Then I clicked 'post by email' or something, I don't remember. My comment disappeared!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this is a very good post, by you. Interesting. Is there any solution to become friendly with Pakistan? Doubtful. Now, Taliban and Bin Laden are taking over them. I am worried.
You are not being too idealistic here but the wish seems a distant dream. There is no real solution in sight too.
ReplyDeleteJust when things seem to be improving some morons come along and spoil the show.
The video was nice, liked the song.
buddy, winding up yr assignment there?!! What next? happy to c u back in my blog..that stupid tech prob made my life miserable..but so far so good..and thanks for all the support..cheers.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehi buddy how u doing? best wishes
ReplyDeleteA few months ago I was in visiting Florida and I met a hotel clerk from Sri Lanka. We got to talking about the Caribbean where I am from. Then we spoke about the Indian food and how it has influenced our way of cooking. He then told me why he left Sri Lanka because of the religious ideology of certain fractions and the violence. I then asked him if we take away religion from a Hindu person and a Muslim person what will we have? He said that there would be no difference at all? He said that they will be the same, because they look alike, speak alike and the food is similar. I smiled and said that religion seems to be the dividing force. In the Caribbean we have some problems in the populations where there are a mixture of different races. Childhood friendships have been destroyed because of our religious differences when we became older. As children we were not aware of those things and we laughed and played together. Why can't we all get along? We all have to take self inventory and examine our core beliefs to see whether they are in conflict or they contribute to the existing situation. Can we become blind to religion and race? Can we see people for who they are and not what they look like? We humans have become very narrow in our thinking with all the available education that is out there. We have become oppressors to those who are less fortunate and those that disagree with our way of thinking. We need open minds and hearts to start with. Old habits die hard and it will take brave men and women to travel this path. Are we brave enough?
ReplyDeletethat was wonderful.. its all true...
ReplyDeleteit seems most of the comments i see above are from indians.. right?
whatever you have said in your blog is true and correct... i am a pakistani and i have lots of indian friends... sometimes i feel i am much closer to the indian ones than pakistani ones...and there are a few very close chinese ones as well... if you must know!
but.. thanks for sharing this...
you should try and write more...
Good luck,
Nuruddin
www.powerofthought.org
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1706093710#!/group.php?gid=335455831374&ref=mf
ReplyDelete