India-Pakistan Bhai-Bhai

The outpouring of warmth and affection for Musharraf and Pakistan in recent months leaves me astounded, astonished, dumfounded. We know for a fact that there are some people [notably Musharraf] and some attitudes that just cannot be trusted. And, yet, here we go again, making fools of ourselves, k*ing someone's a*s.

Not only the Prime Minister's Office but even the media and film stars seem to be in love with Pakistan. That old argument that Indians and Pakistani's have a large number of relatives across each other's borders always has me scratching my head. How many of India's states that exist now have boundaries over areas that were divided by the British by an artificial line ? Really, how many Indian citizens living now have relatives in Pakistan – as a proportion of the total number of Indian citizens or in ratio to the numbers killed in Punjab in the 80s and in Kashmir since the 90s ? How many Indian citizens have a common language with those in Pakistan ? India is NOT just Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and the northern states. How many Maharashtrians have anything in common with Pakistan ? How many Kannadigas ? How many Tamilians ? How many Bengalis ? How many Oriyas ? How many Assamese ? The Maharashtrians, Kannadigas, Tamilians, Bengalis, Oriyas and Assamese have had more in common with each other and with those in Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh in the last 50 years than with the Pakistanis. What the hell does the fact that Musharraf was born in Delhi mean to me who is a Maharshtrian born in Gujarat who has studied in Gujarat and worked in Bombay ? Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Zip. I know that Maharashtra and Gujarat are part of the same nation. I also know that Pakistan is a different nation. Period.

All this talk of “unprecedented” , “breakthrough”, “relations”, “trust” makes me want to throw up. At this rate, soon, NRIs returning to India may have to sign declarations at the airport that they have no animosity with Pakistan and wish for eternal friendship and .... and bus services between the two countries.