Saturday, August 8, 2009

I'm INDIAN

After writing my first Blog, I think lets make it count also.

Well, the story goes like this...It's like some odd 40 Min's flight to Amritsar. The place I wanted to go anytime in life, not because I like travelling. It's more of the reason of spending time in places which are so rich in our culture. However, being on a Business trip doesn't always solve your problem either. It was a morning flight with an evening flight. Simply no luck on my 1st visit.

Next time when the trip came along, I decided it is this time I have to count my trip. So be it.
Then came the work usual, which not only exhausted me but also made me feel like I'm not in Amritsar but in some world where there is plenty of work. However, this time I badly wanted to see places people from across the globe come to. So I hired a cab from Hotel and booked him with me for the entire day.

It was a different experience and a weired one to roam around a city you don't know alone. But I guess this is where I got lucky with. And the cabbie proved worth a person to spend some time with. It took him 50 minutes to make me reach a place I really wanted to see since my childhood days. I don't know about others, but I wanted a Glimpse of Wagah Border like anything.

I still remember in DD News the way it was shown as a symbol of division between 2 Nations separated in the lines of religion. We had to park the cab around 1 k.m before the border from where all the people walk to the place. It was around 5:15 p.m and the sheer enthusiasm in the people dragged me in like anything. By the time you step outside the cab I sensed something which was very different.

The walk to the place was a great one. the moment I saw the division between 'India' & 'Pakistan' I felt I'm a Indian. I still remember in my childhood days I visited 'Indo-China' border. But this feeling was different. This was the time I as a civilian visited a Border area with my country flag waving opposite to neighbouring country. May be this is when I can recall a dialogue from one of my favorite movie 'Lakshya'.

After quite of the people assembled and there are more to come, BSF personnel started shouting ' Bahart Mata Ki Jai' and so did all the Indians. The best part was following it. After we started, I guess it was 'Pakistan's' turn to greet us with their slogan 'Pakistan Jindabad'. It was sounding so weired. I mean we all have shouted for our departments in colleges our colleges in other colleges, but shouting our nations name in front of the guards of the nation is something even makes a civilian proud of.

But I don't know why, I knew there was something else coming. something which I have seen in my childhood days, and what was to evident. We started shouting slogans upon each other. This was the time when Pakistan start ' Jinaah ke Jai' and we responded ' Hindustan Jindabad'.

Then a 'simple' thought came to my mind, as to why is this thing even happening to us. I could have been born in an era where this would not even be imagined. But here I'm sitting along with hundreds of Indian without 'Pakistanis' to support a nation without 'Pakistan'.

There were places near by, which weren't so old, depicting free movement of people along the border pre-partition era. But now are we here, where the abandoned markets and building speaks volumes for themselves.....

I do hope to see that side of the world one day in my life, who know I would be able to append that side of the story too....but as it is 'I'm Indian'

3 comments:

  1. Well thought off...Ogu!!! Thousands of us at the wagah border skip to do the in depth thinking before screaming aloud...Borders have always been more of a curse than a boon!!!

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  2. Thodi English toh sudhar apni ;)

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  3. Bakshna : Great experience described in appropriate words. Partition is creation of Fanatics/ human beings. Nature in original form is undivided, though different in appearance. It is a creation of God. We disturb it. SNN

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