I was at an event organized by InterNations, when a newly arrived real estate agent from India walked up to me. We started talking. After a few seconds, as we spoke in a mixture of English, Hindi and Urdu, she asked, “Where’re you from originally?” I responded “Pakistan.” She put her arm behind my back and cheerfully said, “That’s great. We’re neighbours.” And we went back to discuss her experiences as a new immigrant and talked about difficulties for South Asian youth and young adults in finding jobs and so on.
The sentiment that we’re South Asians in Canada is a dominant one. During the course of my work for Generation Next, I’ve met many young adults who have visited India and Pakistan during their summers or at some cousin’s wedding, however these youth are on very good terms with one another. They go to each other’s homes, eat at their places and enjoy Eid and Diwali and Baiskahi and Navratri at the same time.
But this is about the youth. What about the adults? One of my colleagues told me how a Sikh friend had come over to her home for a stay. While this friend referred to Baba Ji when saying her thank you prayers, her mom got quite annoyed and said that everything happens with the will of Allah.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah once firmly believed in Hindu-Muslim unity, Mahatama Gandhi was a strong proponent of non-violence and living together of people of subcontinent, yet Indians and Pakistanis have fought wars, have nuclear warheads on the go-mode at a moments disagreement. It’s hard to believe, how all the good will gestures are forgotten in a heartbeat and the worst lingers on for so long, casting its malicious pangs in the relationship.
People of subcontinent have lived together to nurture a civilization that inspires awe and admiration. At times, it’s hard to tell whether a woman wearing shalwar kameez walking down the streets of Toronto is from India or Pakistan. And if you routinely go to Bollywood shows that are held throughout the summer in the GTA, you’d be surprised to see how we are all there, regardless of whether we are Gujrati, Punjabi, Sindhis, Pathans and so on. The music and the culture and the dances bring us all on to one platform where the differences are forgotten. On these occasions even our parents who have imported the prejudices of their generation lay them down to have fun.
Nonetheless, it is North America that has brought all of us together. We may still have our biases or prejudices, but we have checked them to be united for common goals. We live in a country that stands for democracy and individual’s rights. We’ve gone to schools and colleges here and we have developed a culture that is in transition of integrating the past with the future.
Canada-America relationship is a beacon of hope in our lives. In a global world that we live in, showing your ID at the border can take you to another country, for you to enjoy Niagara Falls from both sides of the border. Yes, we have our issues here in North America too, but those issues have not come in the way of progress in trade and developing man-to-man relationship.
If South Asians in Canada can as easily cross the border between the US and Canada, doesn’t it sound unreasonable that people of Pakistan be denied the visit to Shimla and Nanital, and Amritsar. By the same token why can’t people of India visit Lahore and Kalam and Kaghan.
It’s heartbreaking to know that cattle can wander off freely between India and Pakistan, but human beings don’t have the same privilege. Once in a while when poor fishermen cross the border without knowing that they have left their country, they are arrested and subjected to years’ of humiliation and torture.
When we look back at 63 years of independence of the two largest countries of South Asia: India and Pakistan, we have to look at what these countries have accomplished at a human level. Do they respect the rights of women and individuals? Are people living above the poverty line? Are there jobs for the youth? Is enough money allocated to education sector? Is the focus on growth of IT and energy related sectors. It’s interesting how people of India and Pakistan agree that on-the-surface inflammatory remarks are only politicians’ way of attracting headlines in the media, yet when elected these politicians put aside the broader vision to achieve short sighted goals.
North America has taught South Asians to live together. However, the burden to have the same fortune for Indians and Pakistanis lies with South Asian youth in North America. This society has made us conscientious of not to be biased and to accept each other and to be tolerant of our views. We are the ones who can advocate loosening up the borders so that as we see the Falls, we can cross Wagha border too.
Author: Asma Amanat