Further to the latest news in the media
on Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu going to Pakistan for Imran Khan’s
ascending to the throne of Pakistan’s Premiership, let me quote one example of
mine. It was about ten years back when I
was in Kuwait, I wrote in the local daily “ARAB TIMES” asking Pakistanis and
Indians in Kuwait, living with
Hindi-Pakistani brotherhood, to establish an Association, “Indo - Pak
Friendship Association” But the Indians from North India working in Kuwait
alone rejected my proposal even dubbing me as pro-Pakistani while other Indians
and Pakistanis welcomed it.
After establishment of this association I had great
wish to discuss the issue of Kashmir where because of our ego we are losing
thousands of our productive manpower and
millions of our Rupees which are
just a wastage to prevent Kashmiris on both the sides from becoming one. Kashmiris from both the sides will one day
secede from the bondage they are undergoing now from India and Pakistan. And when they are
released from the present bondage, we will regret for keeping them thus for
such a long period thereby depriving them of their birth right to be free from
the bondage. Didn’t the great Indian leader Lokhmanaya Tilak give a slogan “Freedom is my birth right?” Is it then right
on our part to demand freedom for us with the excuse that it is our birth right
and when the others request the same freedom from us, we deny them?
Regarding the Invite from
Imran Khan to a few of his friends from India to join him in his Oath taking
ceremony, I feel they all should have gone and attended the inaugural function where they should have whispered into the ears of Imran
Khan to make all out efforts to create a
peaceful atmosphere in Kashmir and elsewhere on our common border. By going there we would gain something at
least but by not going, will we gain
anything? NothiInding. Hence, it is better to go than
not to go. We both Indians and
Pskisatanis are suffering from revenge complex and because of this pride
complex we are both suffering and will go on suffering. The onus for the creation of peaceful athmosphere between the two neighbours falls on India and as such India must walk the path very carefully.
A.Veronica Fernandes
