I am an Indian who came to Pakistan for the Track II dialogue. Here's what I think We need

[El Sidd]

But she saying that Pakistani Urdu and Indian Urdu is same is stupid because it's Indian language adopted by Pakistanis

Its a Muslim language adopted by Pakistan.

She is just Indian. That alone is praise enough for her.

People should publicly shame her host in Pakistan.

 

[Samurai_assassin]

The love is usually one sided and that from Pakistan. Indians have a negative perception of Pakistan due to their media.

 

[B.K.N]

Its a Muslim language adopted by

Languages don't have religion
you think someone speaking Hindi with a lot of Sanskrit words can't become a Muslim
Islam is above zaat paat zaban nasal

 

[Republic]

I am an Indian who came to Pakistan for the Track II dialogue. Here's what I think
We need to support the voices of peace, for it is the only path to sanity.
Devika MittalUpdated 30 minutes ago
The coolie handed over our luggage to us as we stepped out of our bus. We were directed to carry our luggage on the straight road divided vertically until we see a horizontal line. Beyond that line and the gate, there were coolies waiting impatiently. We approached them and started negotiating in the same language that we used with their counterparts who had seen us off.

It was a strange feeling, for we had just landed in a new country.

I witnessed a physical similarity and a sense of great familiarity, while travelling along the straight road that disconnects yet connects the two nations.

India-Pakistan: A dichotomous relationship
This apparent contradiction is a defining feature of the India-Pakistan relationship. Even though the two states hesitate to issue visas, creating endless hurdles to restrict entry, the immigration centres have a different tale to tell. It was pleasantly surprising to find a board in devanagari that read Aagaman (‘arrival’ in chaste Hindi) at the Pakistan immigration centre, welcoming the Indian visitors.

Such is the relationship between India and Pakistan, between the states and between the people — a dichotomous relationship of conflict and cooperation, of hatred and curiosity, of suspicion and trust.

My experience in Pakistan, for the second time, majorly comprised the latter set of emotions. It was a Track II Bilateral Dialogue that brought me to Islamabad, Pakistan, that I had often heard being referred to as ‘one of the world’s most beautiful capitals’.

Photo courtesy: Devika Mittal
The dialogue was a meeting of concerns, of thoughts and people who share a religion, and that of compassion. The dialogue debunks the notion of “peace is one-sided” quite substantially, and signifies its dominance on both sides.

Newfound friendships & warm encounters in Pakistan
The warmth, however, was not restricted to this particular hall. I visited the Lok Virsa museum with a newfound friend and went to a shop to buy some gifts. The shopkeeper started suggesting some good gifting options, unaware of where I was from.

He showed me several options while trying to convince by highlighting the details on the make. As I haggled about the prices, he assured me, “Aap aaj aayi hain, dobara aayengi” (You will come again to buy more). I started looking at the keychains when he suggested that I get them for my friends and encourage the local handicraft.

Later, he asked me, “Aap yaha se nahi hai, kaha se aayi hain?” (You don’t seem to be from here, where have you come from?).

Photo courtesy: Devika Mittal
I replied, “Main India se aayi hu” (I have come from India). He was visibly shocked and immediately blurted out, “Par..aap..Urdu..” (But you are speaking Urdu).

We then exchanged thoughts on how the spoken Hindi of India and the spoken Urdu of Pakistan are highly similar — almost the same, except a few words. Still confused, the shopkeeper gave me the discount that I had asked for earlier. He even reconfirmed, from my friend, if I was really from India. As we started to leave, he interrupted, “Ek minute rukiye” (Wait for a moment). He asked me to choose a bracelet. To my surprise, he said, “Aapko yaad rahein..” (As a memory).

I responded, “Agar gift hai to aap khud select karein” (If it is a gift then you select one).

He looked at the bracelets, tried to narrow it down to one, and then took out an elaborately-done bracelet for me.

Friendship & love across the border
While his gesture was truly unforgettable and precious, a friend later told me that it wasn’t that uncommon with countless stories by Indian and Pakistani visitors of having received such warmth in the ‘other’ country.

Given the stereotypes, narratives, and the cruel visa regimes — the cross-border movement and interaction is minimal.

But there is an unintended aspect to it that such incidents highlight. In these rare chances when the common people do meet, they often use these meetings as opportunities to weave new memories of love and harmony.

Photo courtesy: Devika Mittal
Many such incidents followed. In the lobby, I had a conversation with a bell staff. After expressing his amusement on discovering my nationality, he was quite outspoken with the other staff about it. He told his colleagues, “She has come from Delhi”.

The other staff person asked me about my experience and said, “We also wish to visit India, visit Delhi and Agra and go to Kapil Sharma’s show.”

I laughed and expressed my hope for his wish to be fulfilled. He then asked my name and to my surprise, he was among the rare group of people who can pronounce my name correctly. To this, he replied, “Your name appeared twice in CID (an Indian TV serial)!”

The role of common people in encouraging peace talks
We often ponder about the role that common people can play in international relations when the deliberations often limit their role. It is important that the people understand how the conflict is tearing both our countries apart and how it is affecting each one of us. People of India and Pakistan not only share a language, a culture, love for Bollywood movies or Coke Studio, but (unfortunately), they also share the same socio-economic challenges.

It is important that we pressurise or support our states to talk, despite the hurdles. We need to support the voices of peace, for it is the only path to sanity.

Devika Mittal is pursuing a Ph.D in Sociology at Delhi School of Economics. She is the Convener (India) of Aaghaz-e-Dosti, a joint Indo-Pak friendship initiative and a core committee member of Mission Bhartiyam. She tweets at @devikasmittal.

This article was originally published onThe Quint and has been reproduced with permission.

These corrupt to the core leaches of South block are enjoying holiday knowing just nothing of the ground reality. Government is changing its policies as per the whims and fancy of these leaches, and they assess the situation by the quality of the free gifts they receive from all quarters.
Nobody is giving a fack about the opinion of a soldier facing bullet on the ground.
I say no dialogue is required. We have nothing to discuss. Just stop this nonsense and cruel waste of money.

 

[B.K.N]

I say no dialogue is required. We have nothing to discuss. Just stop this nonsense and cruel waste of money.

Fully agree with you both India and Pakistan should forget that any country exists at the western border of India or the eastern border of Pakistan

 

[El Sidd]

Languages don't have religion
you think someone speaking Hindi with a lot of Sanskrit words can't become a Muslim
Islam is above zaat paat zaban nasal

They can but they cannot call it Urdu. Urdu remains the language of the Muslims in the sub continent. That is unfortunately a fact.

 

[Zibago]

@Devil Soul Thank you for sharing this nice read

Not that I am a peacenik but in my opinion if our Govts were to lay off and allow people simply to meet there may be changes in perceptions of each other.

Sure, haters on both sides will carry on hating but the younger generations must make their own choices.

However .. "Hanuz Dilli door ast"

Actually the younger generation is more anti India than their older counter parts
Good relations are what we desire however we cant be oblivious to the mentality of our eastern neighbours where destruction of our country is a campaign promise

 

[third eye]

They can but they cannot call it Urdu. Urdu remains the language of the Muslims in the sub continent. That is unfortunately a fact.

There arent and cannot be any patents to language & music

 

[El Sidd]

There arent and cannot be any patents to language & music

Tell that to GoI

 

[third eye]

Tell that to GoI

What does GOI have to do with anything ?

 

[Handshake]

Never ever trust indians and india. They are worst peoples and we should learn alot from our history.
India made extreme difficulties for us while we were at war for 18 years. They are backstabbers.

 

[El Sidd]

What does GOI have to do with anything ?

GoI has patented language, music, religion and culture ever since its inception.

 

[fitpOsitive]

No one is dividing you if you want you can apply for Indian nationality

@Retired Troll you guys think urdu is a Pakistani language?

 

[Handshake]

I wanna go to Lahore. Can't wait to try the food .

No you better go to thailand they have alot of varieties.

 

[ps3linux]

India especially the hindus ruling India are not a single bit sincere in resolving the outstanding issues at all and unlike most Pakistani who blame RSS and BJP, I blame congress for the most part though not discounting the open hatred the hindutva Sanghis have for Islam and hence Pakistan.
These same culture tune is not played out of any sincerity either rather it always ends up them taking a jab at two nation theory and reuniting under the Hindu rule. I met such bastards in USA and when they kept repeating it again & again, I made the suggestion that we can unite under a Muslim ruler as it used to be prior to the invasion of the British rats. And then you can imagine that they immediately changed their tone & tune ... so this is all mega bullshit and our idiots (libturds) may not understand but the hindus are very clear. Otherwise if we were the same people, then IoJ&K would not be burning.

Just started gathering data for a book I intend to write although the topic is different "A history of human casualities due to ambitious conquerers vs intolerant religious fraternity".

Quaid-e-Azam rightly said that the foundations of Pakistan were laid when first hindu converted to Islam, my ancestors have always been of this area, yet when they converted to Islam some 700 years back, hindu religious fraternity made them outcasts, achoot the new converts for the time being kept trying to maintain the old links of relations but continuous rejection forced them to start creating a different identity so they aligned themselves with the influx of people coming over from west. The inbred hatred for muslims is so extreme that apparently highly educated hindus during my days in the developed world challenged why should we be calling ourselves as Rajputs according to them this was due to hindu belief system.

My question was OK if its due to religion let us assume that a dalit becomes fully hindu, believes in everything they do, drinks cow piss will he become a rajput or brahmin, he he he you know what they would have answered well a dalit cannot become rajput or brahmin because of genetics.

Peace between two nations/countries can only come when both acknowledge the right for existence of each other.

We pakistanis have had their love for extremism and intolerant tendencies due to zia and the policies of the time followed by extensive proxy war/funding by saudis and iranian, thank goodness we are coming out of it. As a society we have started to reject intolerance and extremism (I am not saying we are out of the woods yet but we will get there) be it forced conversions, be it others we have started to accept that this is wrong. We are maturing as a progressive nation because we have started to look forward.

Indians on the other hand are fast moving towards an extremist intolerant society which does not accept our right of existence thus the propaganda for peace and people to people contact is just hogwash. Instead of progressing they are regressing because they keep looking towards the past vedic nuclear powered ships is one example.