And finally Pakistani Cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian Tennis Player Sania Mirza are free now to get married in the next week. After denying vigorously for few days that he was already married to a Hyderabadi girl Ayesha Siddique, finally Shoaib Malik shamelessly confessed the truth that he was really married to Ayesha earlier. Shoaib Malik was popular in Pakistan and in the Cricketing nations but his engagement with Sania Mirza made him more popular. Lot of Indians felt dejected and hurt seeing Sania Mirza going to Pakistan an enemy country of India having fought deadly wars with India thereby creating havoc for India and Indians. Though India and Pakistan are having good diplomatic relations yet internally both these nations are against each other. The friendship between India and Pakistan is more at diplomatic level. Sania Mirza is treated in India by Indians as darling of the nation, a treasure of India and in whom Indians have invested their love, affection and patriotism. All these Indians now feel defeated because they don’t opt her to marry a citizen of an enemy country. Many of the Indians and even Indian Muslims would prefer her to marry an Israeli Jew but not a Pakistani even though Shoaib Malik is a Muslim. Because of its traditional rivalry, India does not accept Pakistani approach full heartedly. Pakistan is harassment to India and a big headache. During the Bangladesh liberation war with Pakistan many in India wanted Indira Gandhi to carry forward the war on western sector also and acquire the Pakistani part of Kashmir as well so as to eradicate the danger of enemy nation once and for all but Nixon and Kissinger duo threatened India with dire consequences. Secondly it was not that easy for India to destroy Pakistan.
Was it wrong on the part of Sania Mirza to opt for Shoaib Malik a Pakistani when there are millions of Muslim bachelor in India much better than Shoaib Malik who was so full of controversy over his first marriage with another Hyderabi girl? Sania Mirza is like a brand new car from the Showroom while Malik is a second hand and yet Sania preferring Malik and that too a Pakistani some of whom earlier were known to leave their Indian wives? What guarantee is there Malik will not do the same for Sania after producing one or two children? Will their honey moon and marriage last forever? Indians are concerned of Sania Mirza’s future because for Indians she is like the darling baby for them. Many Indians feel that this decision of Mirza of getting married to Malik is a reckless one, a childish action without applying her proper mind. Overwhelming Pakistanis are happy with this marriage because they feel they got a queen from India. Will Sania Mirza applaud India or Pakistan during the cricket match between the two hostile neighbours?
By selecting Shoaib Malik Sania as a free human being has not done anything wrong. She has used her own independent decision as a major girl and secondly she has opted for a man from her own religion and sect too. The only hitch as per many Indians is Pakistani nationality of Malik. Will this bond between the two high profile celebrities from India and Pakistan not bring about better understanding and better friendly relationship between the peoples of both the nations? I feel where diplomatically India and Pakistan failed to bring better understanding between the two nations the marriage between Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik can succeed. Both Sania and Malik can become better Ambassadors of their countries impressing upon their respective peoples to create better friendship not only at nation to nation level but more on people to people level.
Soon after the Bangladesh war, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as a Premier of Pakistan came to Simla in India along with his the then 18 year old youthful and beautiful daughter Benazir Bhutto. Indira Ghandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had a three days summit meeting in Simla where they both signed an accord known as Simla Agreement. Though they both signed the accord of creating peace and friendship between the two nations yet the major attraction of the whole show was Benazir Bhutto. She started attracting attention and love from every Indian and finally somebody proposed to adopt her in India or make her the daughter-in-law in India so that the friendship between the two hostile nations diminishes and real peace comes. When this proposal was brought to the notice of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he laughed and thus the matter came to an end. Now, will Sania Mirza succeed where Benazir Bhutto failed? Time alone will tell the truth otherwise it may turn out to be another Imran Khan and Zemima fiasco.
While concluding, let me wish Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik an excellent married life though I have my reservation because both of them have cheated their previous partners. In this case as a devine punishment, will they not face the consequences of their cheating? Every action has got reaction. And to quote Bible “Sword Beget Sword”.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
