“Pakistan – Zindabad!”.......“Long Live – India!”
These two slogans sum up the perpetual animosity between Pakistan and India. Warring groups of Pakistanis and Indians raise these slogans menacingly at Atari Border: the Indo-Pak joint check post. The shouting duel occurs during the routine 'Retreat Ceremony', when the border guards of the two countries simultaneously lower their national flags at dusk.
The post sits between Lahore city of Pakistan and Amritsar of India: both well-known landmarks on tourist map of Asia.
Lahore is painted 'green' with strange type of Islamic bigotry, which classifies terrorists as ‘freedom fighters’ and killing of innocents and even pilgrims in India as jehad. Amritsar, a repository of Indian unity in diversity is witness to the ‘Massacre of Jallianwala Bagh’, a prominent milestone of India's freedom struggle.
Bountiful crops, changing colours season to season, surround the joint check post, which regulates the only functional road link between India and Pakistan. The border-line dividing the two countries is visible in the form of a formidable barbed wire fence, raised by India. Rising above the crop line, dotted with watch towers and well-lit at night, the fence is India's shield against the Pakistani stratagem; Narco-terrorism. It has already helped India sniff out Pak-sponsored terrorism in Punjab.
Those who assemble on both sides of Atari Border every evening were once citizens of one country: India. They fought shoulder to shoulder for freedom from colonialism. As the freedom approached in 1947, some of them led by a power-monger Mohammad Ali Jinnah brought in the religion and carved out a separate country for them: Pakistan. Their venture involved the biggest ever religion-based shifting of population, causing death, destruction, and displacement, on a very large scale. As a result, the Punjab of yore, the land of five rivers was cut into two. They projected their dreamland as the protagonist of Islam and took to persecution of non-Muslims.
'A historical blunder' and 'A fundamental mistake', the actual partition came to be based on contiguous Muslim-majority states forming the new country. With freedom, the sovereign power technically returned to the princely rulers in some states, from whom it had been usurped by the colonial power. As various rajas/maharajas joined India or Pakistan according to geographical contiguity of their states, the Hindu maharaja of the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) state did not decide by the D-day: August 15, 1947. Nursing an idea of turning the state into an independent entity contiguous to both, India and Pakistan, he was still dilly-dallying over the accession, when Pakistan raided the state with the intention to grab it. Realising that his summer capital Srinagar was about to be captured following the invasion reported on September 4, 1947, the maharaja requested Govt. of India for help. The help was given only after the maharaja signed the instrument of accession to India. It was, however, agreed that after the state was cleared of invasion, its future would be decided as per will of its people.
Pakistani invaders were almost repulsed by Indian forces. But, when they were on the run, a high flying Indian leader, Jawaharlal Nehru, committing a diplomatic blunder under self-proclaimed benevolence, declared unilateral ceasefire, and took the matter to the United Nations Security Council. Pakistan was thus left with illegal occupation of about 35% area of J&K, which it is still refusing to vacate and has been projecting as so called Azad Kashmir. In fact, a 'council' based in Pakistani capital Islamabad manages the area, where by a secretary actually runs it on day-to-day basis. Further complicating the matters, Pakistan has since de-linked Gilgit-Baltistan territory of so-called Azad Kashmir and named it as Northern Areas, a part of which has been seceded to China.
With illegal foothold in J&K, Pakistan is clamouring to get the whole state. The issue has in fact been made a ploy by Pakistani leaders in their power tussle. They use it to divert people's attention from the real problems facing them by constantly whipping up religion-based anti-India feelings. Pakistan has already lost four wars to India over this issue and has brought atomic race to the region. By some queer logic, Pakistani leaders call their atom bomb 'Islamic'. They are also least bothered about the bleeding economies of the two developing countries. Of late, Pakistanis have taken to trans-border terrorism against India. This misdemeanour having already failed in Punjab, they are now concentrating on J&K, where they have since extinguished about 25,000 innocent lives. Rejecting a UN resolution seeking to decide the status of J&K as per will of the people and using the 'will' out of context, Pakistan describes its proxy-war against India as ‘holy’. How bizarre!
With the prolonged anti-India rhetoric, Pakistani leaders have created a generation of people full of distrust and anger against India. Reared in isolation of Islamic fanaticism, that generation is motivated only to hate and bleed India. It is a parallel army of ignorant fanatics, with no respect for any boundary or law. These fanatics live an illogical life, always ready to kill Indians and are even willing to die. Then there are single-track plain mercenaries making fast buck by killing Indians. They go scot-free, taking benefit of India's commitment to human rights protection, inadequacy of law and vote-catching tactics of some politicians.
Not all Pakistanis are inimical to India. The commoners have no voice there. The power tussle based on deceit is in the blood of Pakistani leaders. They are head hunters to the core, in line with the ‘kill and grab’ policy of Islamic invaders-cum-rulers of yore. Jinnah, the founder of this directionless country died of conspiratorial denial of medical aid in an advanced stage of tuberculosis. A Prime Minister Liaqat Ali was shot dead. An army man Ayub Khan took over power at gunpoint and enforced dictatorship. One Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who spoke of a thousand-year war with India was deposed and hanged by an army man Zia-ul-Haque, who in turn was killed in a well-planned aircraft explosion. Enter Benazir, who fleeced Pakistan and stashed her ill-gotten millions abroad. NawazSharief, a narcotic smuggler, replaced Benazir and forced her to go in self-imposed exile. His own army commander Musharraf, dramatically toppled Nawaz and the chain goes on. They are in fact all alien to the real Islamic principles: love of humanity, awareness of death and obedience to God.
Those assembling on the Indian side at Atari are mainly tourists visiting Amritsar. They represent the common-man of India having 'one man one vote' democratic right, with power to change governments overnight. Their psyche consists of age-old sufferings under the fore bearers of Islam, who came in waves to plunder and spread their faith by sword. They still remember Babur, Timmur, Mahmood Gazhnavi, Nadir, and Abdali. They have the haunting memories of their sisters and daughters being raped and herded to distant lands for auction. They have been paying a special tax, Jazia, to visit their own places of worship in their own land. Haunted by such memories, they have evolved a secular and democratic system of governance. Tolerance and forgiveness being their forte, they have no hatred for Muslims. They know that Pakistanis are their kith and kin converted to Islam under duress, during dark ages.
The most sensitive part of Atari post are two gates, blocking the main road and facing each other; one opening into Pakistan and the other into India. Pitted against one another across the road, on the narrow strip of 'no-man-land' between the two gates are national flags of the two countries. By their respective gates, border guards of the two countries stand in stony silence. They carry the most modern guns and are very smartly dressed: Indian Border Security Force in Khaki and Pakistani Rangers in Black. Visitors' galleries are provided on both sides.
The Pakistani leaders' demand to take J&K on the force of Muslim-majority principle is not logical. For that matter, there are more Muslims in India than Pakistan. What will happen to the non-Muslims of J&K with the state going to Pakistan? Genocide? If Muslim-majority principle were the basis of countries in the modern world, Pakistan is better merged with Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam.
As dusk approaches, visitors begin filling the galleries on both sides. They are entertained on high-pitch music. They are also allowed to go near the sensitive gates and a nearby border pillar, to get them photographed. 'Retreat Ceremony' begins with high-pitch rhetoric, raised by a border guard each on both sides at a pre-fixed time. That is followed by simultaneous drill, carried out in unison, by a number of guards on both sides thumping the road with strong-heeled shoes; while the gates are flung open, to have access to the national flags. The lowering of flags with the blowing of bugles and carrying to safe custody for the night in smart steps is over in few minutes. As the ritual is performed, Pakistani and Indian visitors cheer their respective contingents of guards, all forcefully raising the cries of “Pakistan-Zindabad!” and “Long Live-India!” The ceremony over with gates closed for the night, the curious visitors disperse and an eerie silence descends on the check post, day after day.
********All Rights Reserved********
These two slogans sum up the perpetual animosity between Pakistan and India. Warring groups of Pakistanis and Indians raise these slogans menacingly at Atari Border: the Indo-Pak joint check post. The shouting duel occurs during the routine 'Retreat Ceremony', when the border guards of the two countries simultaneously lower their national flags at dusk.
The post sits between Lahore city of Pakistan and Amritsar of India: both well-known landmarks on tourist map of Asia.
Lahore is painted 'green' with strange type of Islamic bigotry, which classifies terrorists as ‘freedom fighters’ and killing of innocents and even pilgrims in India as jehad. Amritsar, a repository of Indian unity in diversity is witness to the ‘Massacre of Jallianwala Bagh’, a prominent milestone of India's freedom struggle.
Bountiful crops, changing colours season to season, surround the joint check post, which regulates the only functional road link between India and Pakistan. The border-line dividing the two countries is visible in the form of a formidable barbed wire fence, raised by India. Rising above the crop line, dotted with watch towers and well-lit at night, the fence is India's shield against the Pakistani stratagem; Narco-terrorism. It has already helped India sniff out Pak-sponsored terrorism in Punjab.
Those who assemble on both sides of Atari Border every evening were once citizens of one country: India. They fought shoulder to shoulder for freedom from colonialism. As the freedom approached in 1947, some of them led by a power-monger Mohammad Ali Jinnah brought in the religion and carved out a separate country for them: Pakistan. Their venture involved the biggest ever religion-based shifting of population, causing death, destruction, and displacement, on a very large scale. As a result, the Punjab of yore, the land of five rivers was cut into two. They projected their dreamland as the protagonist of Islam and took to persecution of non-Muslims.
'A historical blunder' and 'A fundamental mistake', the actual partition came to be based on contiguous Muslim-majority states forming the new country. With freedom, the sovereign power technically returned to the princely rulers in some states, from whom it had been usurped by the colonial power. As various rajas/maharajas joined India or Pakistan according to geographical contiguity of their states, the Hindu maharaja of the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) state did not decide by the D-day: August 15, 1947. Nursing an idea of turning the state into an independent entity contiguous to both, India and Pakistan, he was still dilly-dallying over the accession, when Pakistan raided the state with the intention to grab it. Realising that his summer capital Srinagar was about to be captured following the invasion reported on September 4, 1947, the maharaja requested Govt. of India for help. The help was given only after the maharaja signed the instrument of accession to India. It was, however, agreed that after the state was cleared of invasion, its future would be decided as per will of its people.
Pakistani invaders were almost repulsed by Indian forces. But, when they were on the run, a high flying Indian leader, Jawaharlal Nehru, committing a diplomatic blunder under self-proclaimed benevolence, declared unilateral ceasefire, and took the matter to the United Nations Security Council. Pakistan was thus left with illegal occupation of about 35% area of J&K, which it is still refusing to vacate and has been projecting as so called Azad Kashmir. In fact, a 'council' based in Pakistani capital Islamabad manages the area, where by a secretary actually runs it on day-to-day basis. Further complicating the matters, Pakistan has since de-linked Gilgit-Baltistan territory of so-called Azad Kashmir and named it as Northern Areas, a part of which has been seceded to China.
With illegal foothold in J&K, Pakistan is clamouring to get the whole state. The issue has in fact been made a ploy by Pakistani leaders in their power tussle. They use it to divert people's attention from the real problems facing them by constantly whipping up religion-based anti-India feelings. Pakistan has already lost four wars to India over this issue and has brought atomic race to the region. By some queer logic, Pakistani leaders call their atom bomb 'Islamic'. They are also least bothered about the bleeding economies of the two developing countries. Of late, Pakistanis have taken to trans-border terrorism against India. This misdemeanour having already failed in Punjab, they are now concentrating on J&K, where they have since extinguished about 25,000 innocent lives. Rejecting a UN resolution seeking to decide the status of J&K as per will of the people and using the 'will' out of context, Pakistan describes its proxy-war against India as ‘holy’. How bizarre!
With the prolonged anti-India rhetoric, Pakistani leaders have created a generation of people full of distrust and anger against India. Reared in isolation of Islamic fanaticism, that generation is motivated only to hate and bleed India. It is a parallel army of ignorant fanatics, with no respect for any boundary or law. These fanatics live an illogical life, always ready to kill Indians and are even willing to die. Then there are single-track plain mercenaries making fast buck by killing Indians. They go scot-free, taking benefit of India's commitment to human rights protection, inadequacy of law and vote-catching tactics of some politicians.
Not all Pakistanis are inimical to India. The commoners have no voice there. The power tussle based on deceit is in the blood of Pakistani leaders. They are head hunters to the core, in line with the ‘kill and grab’ policy of Islamic invaders-cum-rulers of yore. Jinnah, the founder of this directionless country died of conspiratorial denial of medical aid in an advanced stage of tuberculosis. A Prime Minister Liaqat Ali was shot dead. An army man Ayub Khan took over power at gunpoint and enforced dictatorship. One Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who spoke of a thousand-year war with India was deposed and hanged by an army man Zia-ul-Haque, who in turn was killed in a well-planned aircraft explosion. Enter Benazir, who fleeced Pakistan and stashed her ill-gotten millions abroad. NawazSharief, a narcotic smuggler, replaced Benazir and forced her to go in self-imposed exile. His own army commander Musharraf, dramatically toppled Nawaz and the chain goes on. They are in fact all alien to the real Islamic principles: love of humanity, awareness of death and obedience to God.
Those assembling on the Indian side at Atari are mainly tourists visiting Amritsar. They represent the common-man of India having 'one man one vote' democratic right, with power to change governments overnight. Their psyche consists of age-old sufferings under the fore bearers of Islam, who came in waves to plunder and spread their faith by sword. They still remember Babur, Timmur, Mahmood Gazhnavi, Nadir, and Abdali. They have the haunting memories of their sisters and daughters being raped and herded to distant lands for auction. They have been paying a special tax, Jazia, to visit their own places of worship in their own land. Haunted by such memories, they have evolved a secular and democratic system of governance. Tolerance and forgiveness being their forte, they have no hatred for Muslims. They know that Pakistanis are their kith and kin converted to Islam under duress, during dark ages.
The most sensitive part of Atari post are two gates, blocking the main road and facing each other; one opening into Pakistan and the other into India. Pitted against one another across the road, on the narrow strip of 'no-man-land' between the two gates are national flags of the two countries. By their respective gates, border guards of the two countries stand in stony silence. They carry the most modern guns and are very smartly dressed: Indian Border Security Force in Khaki and Pakistani Rangers in Black. Visitors' galleries are provided on both sides.
The Pakistani leaders' demand to take J&K on the force of Muslim-majority principle is not logical. For that matter, there are more Muslims in India than Pakistan. What will happen to the non-Muslims of J&K with the state going to Pakistan? Genocide? If Muslim-majority principle were the basis of countries in the modern world, Pakistan is better merged with Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam.
As dusk approaches, visitors begin filling the galleries on both sides. They are entertained on high-pitch music. They are also allowed to go near the sensitive gates and a nearby border pillar, to get them photographed. 'Retreat Ceremony' begins with high-pitch rhetoric, raised by a border guard each on both sides at a pre-fixed time. That is followed by simultaneous drill, carried out in unison, by a number of guards on both sides thumping the road with strong-heeled shoes; while the gates are flung open, to have access to the national flags. The lowering of flags with the blowing of bugles and carrying to safe custody for the night in smart steps is over in few minutes. As the ritual is performed, Pakistani and Indian visitors cheer their respective contingents of guards, all forcefully raising the cries of “Pakistan-Zindabad!” and “Long Live-India!” The ceremony over with gates closed for the night, the curious visitors disperse and an eerie silence descends on the check post, day after day.
********All Rights Reserved********
