Pakistan and India have a rich history that dates back to some two thousand years when there was no concept of Pakistan but only of Indian sub-continent. It was origninally known as Insular India that rifted away from super-continent (Gondwana) at the time when Earth was ruled by dinosaurs. That rift caused merging of Indian island with the rest of Asia and as a result formed world's biggest mountain ranges (such as Himalayas). These mountains are one of the reason that this region is called sub-continent as they separate it from the rest of Asia.
Since the first Muslim invasion in Indian sub-continent by Muhammad bin Qasim, there had been conflicts. Muslim population rose in the region but there always had been a significant number of Hindus too. Since two religions differ at all major and minor levels, fights were a given while living under one roof (rule).
Islam being montheistic and Hinduism polytheistic was one major difference. Moreover, how could two people live in neighbouring homes when one worshiped cow and the other sacrificed it as a religious act.
These differences flared up even more when Indian sub-continent was under British rule. Muslims fought for a separate state and after countless sacrifices, both nations went their own ways in 1947 as Pakistan and India.
Since then there had been three wars and several conflicts between the two countries but there's another side to this hostility which I realized for the first time after hearing stories from my grandmother.
She used to live on the Indian side and migrated to Pakistan during the split. She had childhood memories linked to the sub-continent which even the bloodshed couldn't erase. Most of her stories started like - when we used to live in دیش (Indian word for Homeland)... I could always see the longing in her eyes...
This particular situation reminds me of an old Bollywood movie - Veer Zara in which an Indian military pilot falls in love with a Pakistani girl. Since it was an Indian movie, it focused on how Pakistan captured the Indian pilot and tortured him for decades and the girl received backlash from her family for choosing an Indian guy. If it was the other way round, India would have done the same. But the movie aslo highlighted how the two people suffered who made the mistake of finding love beyond the borders. In the end, both were allowed to go India through this gate which connects Lahore (Pakistan) and Amritsar (India).
I am on a short trip to Lahore as I promised my son to take him to all the historical sights in the city. Although the weather is extremely hot and it's not advised to stay out for prolonged hours but we don't know when will we be able to visit again.
So, under the scorching sun, we visited the famous Wahga border. This place has a vibe of its own. Two rival nations sitting across each other with mere two gates in between. Loud patriotic songs from both sides can be heard all over the arena. Kids were dancing to the tunes and adults were waving at each other showing peace. We waved at Indians too and at that moment, I felt the hostility is reduced to our rulers now. The common people are friendlier to each other.
Having said that the rivalry and tension in the air during an India-Pakistan cricket match can even be sensed by aliens on Mars. 🤣
There's a parade daily scheduled at the border but we skipped it due to the weather. We have already seen it multiple times and kids wouldn't have lasted till the end of parade. They got happy to see a glimpse of India.
We also saw a double decker bus with open roof for sightseeing parked at the roadside. Kids (and me) have planned to take a ride on it in winters. 😁
A Pakistani cricket coach lives in Bulgaria, speaks perfect Bulgarian and had appeared in Bulgaria's Got Talent with jokes about India, which we all laughed a lot at, but I think you can't feel the real atmosphere when you haven't been to these countries and you have not experienced their historical dramas, you can only laugh.
The same goes for all countries, of course.
What strikes me is that usually neighboring countries, which in modern times are singled out as neighboring and separate, are never on good terms. And if they are different religions, even more so. Yet I think that everything starts at the political level and only a group of people at the top gain from these conflicts, while the common people always lose.
Well, ok, I don't know about you, but Bulgaria, for example, is experiencing a historical drama with neighboring North Macedonia, and the ways in which the rulers are trying to turn the ordinary population against each other seems absurd, even offensive to me. The topic is fresh, because yesterday they gave news from Macedonia and the national, government television, for example, deliberately did not translate the words of the interviewees in the report, because it is claimed that this language is Bulgarian. And I don't understand any of it 😵 Single words, yes, but I can't translate a whole sentence.
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Even I think I don't realize the intensity of the situation back then. I have watched a couple of documentaries and movies on Pakistan's Independence (not to mention the school text-books) and they always make me so emotional...still I think I can't understand the pain of people from that timeline because I can't wear their shoes.
And yes, there's something about neighbouring countries...we are not very great friends with any neighbour except China.
Why can't there be peace in the world...
Then it's not Bulgarian, right?
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Yes! Personally, I find it difficult to identify with the history of Bulgaria, and to be honest, I don't understand those young people who tattoo famous national heroes from the past on their bodies. Not only because the history in textbooks is not always correct. In my opinion, what is taught in school is again a political game that serves the government at the moment. Not to mention that two opposing versions of the same story are written in the history textbooks of two warring countries. 😅 In short, nothing is clear.
I think that it has only recently become clear to every ordinary person anywhere on the globe that peace has never been a goal or an aspiration. For financial and political reasons. And that is why wars will never stop, even now we are threatened with another world war. Enmities between neighbors are no longer enough. One can even wonder how we managed to last so long without a world war.
For political reasons, many political figures, scientists and researchers claim that the Macedonian language is a form of the Bulgarian language. Today I read that years ago there were parties that even proposed to fine TV stations when they put subtitles on the Macedonian speech. This was not right according to them, because it is the Bulgarian language.
They may be from the same group and have a common origin, but the fact is that I do not understand this language and I feel harmed when I watch a report on national television without subtitles.
Consider how far political propaganda goes. It seems unbelievable nowadays. Even funny in some ways. But mostly sad.😔
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I felt betrayed when I came to know that most of the history I was taught at school was a lie. I felt huge respect for my teacher of Pakistan Studies who always tried to tell us the other side of the history in subtle ways. He probably didn't want to lose his job (nobody does) but I always appreciated him for his courage which others lacked.
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Some artists like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Noor Jahan, Lata Mangeshkar connected both countries beyond their political turmoil...
Hostility is a political phenomenon for the time being...
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In the past yes... but whoever tries to bridge that gap nowadays doesn't get the same respect.
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Yes that's true...
I not at all, inclined towards communal government in our country.
And waiting to that peaceful situation in the past.
We the people can do, & we are halfway through that journey.
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