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August 21, 2006
A Question from a Pakistani

Faisal Mamsa, a medico in USA presents a question. Do we have any answers?

I really don't know if this can be considered a letter to the editor or a brief note. Its been three years that i moved to USA, looking for greener pastures. that is besides the point but something that bothers me is what i am about to narrate.

I am as a common Pakistani would call a "mujahir", that is someone whose family migrated to Pakistan after the division. My mother's side of the family is still in India and to me be it Pakistani or an Indian does not make any difference as basically we are the same.

However to my utter surprise i have come across a lot of young (generally in 20s) Hindu students and vice verse who feel very strongly against each others religion and do not hesitate to tell it in front of the Americans.

As for me, if an average American would ask, i usually reply that it is more of a media hype and to a common Paki or an Indian, it really does not matter and fanatics remain in all the societies who will keep on holding to their own opinion.

This year as i met the new Indian residents in the hospital, they took no hesitation in expressing the hatred towards Pakistan. My question remains that was I in a delusional state all 36 years of my life, has the new generation changed or  being brain washed.

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Posted by collective at August 21, 2006 10:51 AM

Comments

Faisal Mamsa's comments are worth taking into consideration. It is unfortunately true that anti-Pakistani feelings are on the rise but it's not because of state sponsored hatred.
The widenly communal divide is also due to the politics of using minority cards being indulged in by so-called secular politicians like the CPM leadership and Congressmen like Arjun Singh. During the last Kerala elections, the CPM indulged in absolutely communal politics using even the local mullahs and muslim mobilisation on a massive scale. Arjun Singh has been using both caste politics and the Vande Matharam issues to fan the flames of communal mobilisation.
The Muslims have become victims of this politics and seem to have become passive participants in being used as pawns. This has led to massive Hindu consolidation cutting accross caste and class boundries.
I think the worse is yet to come. If Ayodhya was in an isolated place like Faizabad, please remember both Varanasi and Mathura are highly urbanised cities where the next two flash points are located at Viswanath and Krishna Janmastan. If the secular card is used all the time to divide Hindus along caste lines, a direct reaction will come through moblisation thruough these twin issues.
All one has to see is how in every Lok Sabha constituency where Muslims have reached a critical mass of 20 per cent in any electorate, immediate Hindu consolidation results around the BJP or sometimes the Congress.
In UP, let us remember over 80 per cent of the Muslims in the 1940s voted for the Pakistan resolution of the Muslim League. Pakistan and the Taliban were born in the Indo-Gangetic Valley. Let's remember that in the final analysis.
We need more mature leadership among all communities. Presently that is sadly lacking.
Ashok Row Kavi

Posted by: Ashok Row Kavi on August 28, 2006 06:25 PM

Yes. I too am disappointed at the way our new generation feels animosity against the other nation and the relgion. These are not merely media hypes, but a carefully designed plan to spread hate technology.

But let us (those who do not care about being an indian or pakistani)stay united and strive for indo-pak unity and peaceful co-habitation.

Regards
Rajeeve

Posted by: Rajeeve on August 28, 2006 09:51 PM

Faisal's comments are indeed shocking. It is pretty sad that youngsters are feeling this way. The brain washing is taking place. And it is not being done by anyone in aprticular. It is happening daily with the terrorist strikes aand the invariable pointers to our friendly neighbour. Mind you, most indians agree that not all pakistanis are anti india. But there is a section in pak, which indulges in things against india directly or indirectly. We have to isolate them. The educated, both in india and pak need to do that.

Posted by: Abhishek Singh on August 30, 2006 12:35 AM
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