As the much awaited Pakistan-India talk takes place today, Wusatullah Khan asks the following:
Are Pakistan and India like Tom and Jerry – they can’t bear to be with each other yet can’t stand to be without each other either? Instead of being worried about their future, both countries are more worried about maintaining their false pride. Why are these 63-year-old countries acting like five or six-year-old school children who get into useless banter over every issue? How long will it take for them to stop this bickering?
Do you have any idea or suggestion?
Kya Pakistan or India Tom and Jerry hain – jinhain aik doosray kay saath bhi sakoon nahi or aik doosray kay bina bhi chen nahi? Donon ko apnay mustaqbal say zyada apni apni naak kay neechi ya oonchi honay ki fiqar hi kyun rehthi hai? Yeh donon 63 saala mumaalik, paanch chhay baras kay school janay walay bachon ki tarha, har maslay par guthm guhtha honay ki aadath say kab jaan churra sakain gay? Aaj bath ho gee iss par.
Aap kay zehn may bhi yaqeenan koi bath, koi sawaal ya koi tajweez ho gee. Iss kay liyeh humain likhiyeh.
Watch Wusatullah Khan live on DawnNews at 10:00 pm.
My apologies to Tom and Jerry.
Mr khan,
India is not 63 year old…it is much more than that.
Yes…Pakistan is only 63 year old….
It is tragic that people of both countries now do not acknowledge a shared heritage.
The Germans are smart. Divided since world war II they reunited in the nineties and are now an economic powerhouse. The Koreans have a movement going on to unite Korea one day.
Yet the people of the subcontinet chose to stay divided and waste their resources. Creation of a country on a religious basis is antithetical to a 21st century ethos. Pakistan was supposed to be the homeland for Muslims in the sub continent. That did not happen. Even it got splintered into Bangladesh. It is easy to see the two countries based on religion in South Asia (Bangladesh and Pakistan) having a tough time, while the one based on secular ideology growing from strength. There is a time in the history of separated people when the older generation that carries the seed of a common past is still alive. Once that generation is gone, the new generation will see nothing in common with each other. Nothing like Tom and Jerry, India and Pakistan are more like a couple that has gone through a bitter divorce and each is hell bent on making sure that the kids in its custody see the other parent as evil. The kids suffer in any such situation. I just wish the two countries realize that whether they like it or not they had a common past and they are destined to exist hugging each other in the geography of South Asia.
How true…
Its sad that muslims and indians take pride in getting divided and separated. We dont realize the ‘divide and conquer’ rule is never a help. You are very right, we need to think in terms of regional security, prosperity and welfare of people in the subcontinent rather than spending our resources on confronting each other. Even if we think in terms of religious priorities, the fact that muslims growth rate being much more than the indians would lead ultimately to the transfer of power in subcontinent to the muslims. Its sad that we make national heroes out of the people who were short sighted and were merely pawns in the hands of the Britiain serving their interests.
Well I take pride in being a Pakistani, but the division was to serve the purpose of welfare of the people rather than to be a place where the politicians, the aristocrats and the powerful turn into vultures living on the flesh of the poor…
It’s hard to accept the truth. But you cannot ignore the truth or hide from truth. The early the Pakistani realise it is better.
A Different Perspective.
I speak as an Indian who lives in Netherlands for the last 1.5 years. I have grown up in India in Mumbai to be precise all my life. My Knowledge of Pakistan to be honest stems from the media ( which unfortunately can be pretty biased ) and this creates so many perceptions which may/may not be the truth.
When I came to Europe and saw the freedom the European Union (In spirit and practice)enjoys with any EU citizen can work/live/travel anywhere in that region without formalities /visas it made me feel when can I have that kind of relationship with my neighbours. I know lots of pakistanis with whom I have interacted here in Netherlands and I should say that I find them so so similar to us. A common Pakistani or Indian just wants peace and nothing else. We are grappled with the same issues of terrorism, development, poverty etc. I do beleive that the mediating bodies between India and Pakistan dont want them to be friendly due to their own vested interests . Lets not forget the old british policy of divide and rule – there are lots of them in the west even today who live in the same rule albeit diplomatically.
Pakis are no different from Indians – I refuse to discuss religion becoz that has been the bone of contention for most problems we face. Inshallah /God Willing there will be a day when common man in india or pakistan can fearlessly visit each others countries and probably live or work there.I think it will be decades before we see that happening – I am not sure if I will be alive to see it but thats my dream as an Indian and a South Asian.
Indians and pakistanis become arch-enemies when it comes to issues like national pride, religion etc. but surprisingly they become extremly comfortable with eachother when it comes to person to person contact. My personal experience with Pakistanis has been very good. To me, they are family oriented and hospitable people.
Maybe India and pakistan are tom and jerry but these tom and jerry will reconcile one day. The change will be slow and will take a very long time.
I am surprise whether it’s an Indian news paper or Pakistani.
Here I find mostly Indians put there comments.
This means we from both side (PAK/IND), want to know about each other and
Want to leave peacefully; this is a good platform to share the ideas.
Keep continue sharing Ideas,
One day all realize that we are living beings and come to this earth to live happily, borders are created by few Man’s who want to ruled human beings, now they left this earth, now either we should remove the border or remove there thought.
Call is yours; live with fight or live with love …….decide man
Globe has fixed space, either draw more borders (barriers) or remove borders
When I read the comments what came up in my mind is that there are a lot of friends on the other side of the border and a sizable enemies or pessimists also, irrespective of which side of the border we are in. When we empathize with the first group of persons, solutions become easier, on the contrary if we react to the latter, we can never end the stalemate. Each of us must be resolute in that as long as there is one person on the other side of the border who takes a liberal view about Indo-Pak relationship, we too endorse that view. This is important for persons on both sides of the border. It would be unrealistic to believe that we can exist side by side without love, without cooperation, without understanding. Nor would it be feasible to live ignoring the other country as if it does not exist at all!
Let the saner elements of both countries unite for I feel that those elements who are united for hating the persons on the other side of the border have a common hidden negative agenda.
India is not worried about its future , Please dont compare us with you . We are not in the same leage anymore. we have gone far ahead of Pakistan while Pakistan is dragging itself back.
When we live in a house and don’t like our neighbour we have two choices
A) We move to another house.
B) Pray the neighbour moves to another house.
Well In this case neither can happen, so we will have to learn to live together, whether we do it the easy way or the hard way that’s upto the people of India & Pakistan.
In reference to the “Tom & Jerry” point if we notice that none of them end up hurting each other but makes mess of each other on which the spectators laugh. In the case of India & Pakistan we make issues of little things and the world laughs at us.
Its time we change our image and make sure people don’t refer to us as Tom & Jerry but refer to us as pairs of Batman & Robin, Sherlock Holmes & DR Watson, Asterix & Obelix, TinTin & Captain Haddok.
Dear All ……. I have gone through most of the postings and realise that we definitely are cartoon characters for the larger world like ‘Tom & Jerry’ who give the people at large a lot of fun to laugh on both of us. By our funny actions and reactions we provide happiness to children class (i.e. public at large) and business to mature class (i.e. politicians, arms dealers etc.).
Let us continue to play our roles and provide happiness to all. However, please do not bleed each other or ever think to harm other to the extent that the drama ends forever?
yes in a sense they are tom and jerry because boths issues never logically concluded………….
Well in spite of saying a well define and articulate words like above, I still wonder why we are still trying to bring disrespect on each other. When you know the problem and I know as well, why don’t we simply just sit and find a solution. But again!! in our suffering some body has a vital interest.
When the nations are carved-out purely based on religion, then there is no way the nations can get along. Thanks to the British curse, for the next 1000 years there is little hope for peace in South Asia….that is unless leader and the people truly get educated and start seeing beyond Hinduism and Islam.
I have one thing to say to my Pakistani friends – there can only be one god and we all pray the same god with different names… that’s all. You call it Allah, we call it Ram and others call them Jesus. For if there truly so many gods in the heavens….there will be daily Indo-Pak nuclear war between them!
In India we have many religions and we mingle with one another and understand each others religion fairly well (not fully though, I must admit), whereas in Pakistan its predominantly Islam and there is very little chance to understand other religions and their teaching and misconceptions/ignorance as I see in some of these posts are only natural….I don’t blame you! Hindus, Christians and Jews are not evils, they are human being very much like you Muslims.
We want to be upto date,and we also want to know about what your (paki) media is thinking about our country ………………but sadly these thing does not works on you paki guys, You guys have one directional view about any subject but we want to have multi-directional on any sub thats why pakis are so far away from truth
Muslims should show more tolerance with other religion. You can see the example of India. All other religions spread in India due to tolerance/support on of Hindu religion. Open your eyes and look the world, you can see only Muslims countries not keeping tolerance with other religion. Even the name of the country itself change to Islamic republic that you can not find in case of all other religion. Everywhere there is freedom for all religion (not extremism). This is the reason Muslims nations are left behind in many areas.
Yes it seems, but who is tom and who is jerry ?? :p
Well that is true, both the countries tried to become friends but those coutries who are playing the role of intermediaries for peace between India and Pakistan does not really play thier role that well, may be because they don’t want peace among them. And this is the reason why this situation is taking place over and over again. Why don’t these countries try to solve their issues without the help of these intermediaries. May be that will help in solving the problems.
This is really sweet I really adore cartoons!
I think India and Pakistan are realy Tom and Jerry. These two countries can’t live without each other, yet they are spending a large part of their resources against each others through different WAYS. People in this part of the world are in most miserable condition but instead of public welfare’ resources are being spent on weapons and on armies. Exteremist on the both side are feeding themselves by creating hate against each other. What will be the future of so powerful armies and such political parties whose only living source is to produce hate against each other otherwise they have no space. Such military and political factors are major hurdle in peace process. We must change our minds and try to understand the world with the philosophy of bearing each other through broadmind and new perspecive.
How can it be a fight between a Hindu and Muslim? I am a Muslim, and I am as much an Indian as is a Hindu, a Sikh or a Christian etc living here. And if there are any sides, I am on the Indian one, today, tomorrow, always.
Yeah you should be thankful to God that you were not living in Ahmedabad when hell happened there. Now same in Hyderabad…
Yes, Ahmedabad was bad episode – but we in India learn from mistakes/errors and there are checks & balances in system. India may not have the best systems in place but it has systems that deliver and Democracy works here.
Just to refresh your memory there were around 12-13 % Muslims living in India at the time of partition & there was similar number of Hindus & Sikhs in Pakistan. Do you know the percentage now? Muslims have not only survived – they have prospered in India but Pakistan has less than 3% minority population. Do you know the reasons? or ever want to know the reason?
My friend, I know many friends who in Ahmedabad and are Muslims and let me tell you truth is not what you see because it is largely twisted and manipulated. So search for some details on your own and you will come to know. Also its been 8 years since it happened and still I see people in Pakistan revise this again. But if I am talking about India there are many other issues as well and are not shown to you anyway.
Same with Hyderabad, that issue is not about religion for gods sake, its ‘regional’ issue and let me tell you, at least India most (not all) riots are part of political clashes but showed as riots, even Muslim leaders or secular leader are there to encourage riots without any reason just to gain political advantage so don’t get misled and conclude about whole country.
I assume some people has their interests in making Pakistani people hate India and that’s why selective stories are published and views spread across. Things are different on both sides but if common people keep believing all such stories then peace will be always difficult to get.
Muslims in Ahmedabad are more prosperous (and are more gainfully employed) than their counterparts in any part of India
We don’t like to see India and Pakistan as Tom & Jerry but like Ram and Lakshman.
lol
Listen.
This whole India Pakistan IDEA is a disaster. Best not to waste our time even talking about it.
Because. Because if you,
We will never be united, because you Hindus are all up with Rama Krishna, and you Muslims are all with Allah Allah. And in the middle, battering.
The only way we can be “brothers” are if! we are united as one country again. AND Learn that RELIGION DOESN’T MATTER. It’s just a BELIEF. Get over it and live as ONE!!!!!
I know how bad Pakistanis think of India. I know how much Indians talk bad about Pakistan.
Ultimate Solution: Be one again.
That’s not happening =) because Indians are arrogant. Pakistanis are Ignorant. We have no intentions in being together. A poll conducted by Jang, over 70% of Pakistanis believe they have no cultural similarities with India.
Exactly… cultural alignment, desire for unity, wish for united India-Pakistan, exists only in the Punjab and some disparate corners… for rest of the vast country of India, Pakistan is out of sight, out of mind… only seen in newspaper front pages for all the wrong reasons. This generation has forgotten that we were one, and learnt to live with it; this generation only sees Pakistan thru the prism of terrorism, as an irritable neighbour who doesn’t matter, but one has to live with.
Umesh
Tom and Jerry are animated stuff and Ii hate to admit that we are making them exist in the real world.
Lets just suppose its animation and we can turn our characters end fights between each other, but please not by arguing with each other just like at this blog.Please we need to grow up equally on both sides.
I can see comments that says Pakistani comments are acerbic and this and that and our Pakistani fellows debating about our different beliefs.
Come on!these things are the most negligible but effective catalysts in creating our conflicts sizzle.
In short we are making things impossible by our own.
I agree Ms Ammnah Khan, both sides need to grow up a bit and start acting like one. We cannot afford to keep looking at the History, which has been fabricated to please and support our own views and agenda, by both sides. EU countries were already very much developed and on the front line, but they have already realized that they cannot compete alone, so they joined together and formed EU. My vision for the sub continent is almost the same. We should have open borders, where people of both the countries can go freely. By communicating more, we can solve a lot, achieve a lot, and can make our lives lot easier.
The world knows that it is the same people carrying out violence in India and Pakistan and they are not Indians. The equation in this case is not simple.
Both India and Pakistan are not sincere to KASHMIR and the people of Kashmir. They do not want Kashmir for the love of Kashmir. It is all about the geographical advantage it posses and the natural resources it contains.
I think its in favour of everyone that let kashmiris decide about their future.
Now the time has run out. Presently India is at upper hand, and has lagged behind us in almost every field of life. There is too much disparity between the two nations right now. If we live together we have to accept the hegemony of India for which our nation is not prepared. First of all we should take care of our own country and start it putting on the right track. And after achieving some headway towards the progress we can be in position to start dialogue with our neighbours.
Tom and Jerry can settle the dispute as follows.
Accept LOC as the official border. No demand should be made for India to relinquish its part of Kashmir as a separate country or to Pakistan.
This will do it. This will also improve the lot of Muslims in India.
Your government is continuously deceiving your own people and rest of the world about the rights of minorities living in India. Could you tell me plz how many Muslims are recruit in your Army, Police and other Govt Institutions? I have one simple question to all Indians why you are discriminating the people of Indians on the basis of Religion? Why not you can consider them equal citizens??
As far as Kashmir is concerned, India is occupying Kashmir forcefully and not ready to give the rights of self determinations to the people of Kashmiries but even Indian is insisting to accept LOC as international border. It is not justified attitude for this disputed territory.
All the issues between us have the only one solution that we both nations engage with serious dialogue and try to resolve them otherwise prosperity and peace will become bad dream (unfortunately) for this region.
Mr.Aziz, we have more political parties to safe guard muslim and minority rights in India than majority hindus. If hindus make up 85% of Indias population then obviously dominant presence will be of them everywhere. And fyi. It happens only in India tht in a country where majority population are Hindus, the PM is a sikh (minority), party leader is a foreign national (sonia gandhi), former presedent is a muslim (APJ abdul kalam). How can u say tht muslims are opressed ?? In India it is your karma that decides your fate and not your dharma (religion). Muslim participation is negligible from mainstream as education level is lowest among all in our country. It is a tough job to bring them in mainstream as most of them have to opt for Madressa edu. which does not help them in gaining entrence into jobs.
Pakistan and India have been at it for over sixty years. How unfortunate that we have wasted so much time at slitting each others throats. Pakistan and India have equally indulged in this crime is what I mean to say for those who didn’t get the throat part.
Pakistanis should be allowed to travel to India and Indians should visit Pakistan, it is the only way many differences can be sheltered under a comfortable and trustworthy atmosphere. Again, we have been at this same debate, call it Tom and Jerry or Hindu versus Muslim or “I don’t like you because we are progressing at the moment and I don’t like you because I cant stand to see you develop economically with so much turmoil.”
We must sit, chat, coffee it up. Pakistan is developing economically and almost, just almost according to most statistics, half of the starving population in the world lives in India, with all its might and progress. See if I told an Indian that thought face to face, it would make a difference. When an individual will read it, out of the one billion at least 3-4 million will hate me, that is IF this is ever read.
Point being, that we have talked about this nonsense for too long. I want it to be that day, when we sit and talk and comment about what we’re doing in the future, it sounds more like a plan, exciting, something to look forward to.
I want to build a big bridge from Karachi to Mumbai, that would be the day.
A Pakistani Economist.
P.S – Indians are cool. No hate, as long as you don’t discriminate!
There should be a wall like china between both the countries. No trade, no communication both should be non-existent to each other.
Well nice to hear from you. But this kind of maturity develops only when you get out of comfort zone and find things more neutrally. But unfortunately most of narrow minded people don’t understand this and keep thinking about themselves only. As per my perception if ordinary people on both ends meet each other they have no issue. I met many of Pakistanis in few countries and I found great respect from them. But when it comes to politics in today’s era, people are supposed to behave more sincerely and engage themselves more in democratic process by voting, by thinking rationally about various issues and by working together for a country. So people on both ends as well hold responsibility to pressurize their respective politicians and governments to work first for people not for American arm producing companies. With Indian democratic system things are bit better than Pakistan at the moment. Apart from security people are also concerned about inflation, infrastructure and daily life issues. So it is time for other end as well to ask for more than mere security in democratic system. It will definitely demand more from politicians and give more to ordinary people (not to army). I don’t see religion having any issue at this level as such. With religion and related issues are global and India and Pakistan are no exception to this. So one step at a time will start the journey and one day things will be more easy. If not this at least next generations will live with love and peace. So direction we start walking is very important any distance is achievable with will power. And always admire many Pakistani sports people for their will power.
An Engineer from India
P.S. – Pakistani are generous people and I would love to enjoy their generosity as a guest one day.
Dude…Pakistan is Pakistan and India is India. We are not brother or sister. We don’t need any bridge from Mumbai to Karachi. We want live peace fully. Suppose Once we solved the Kashmir Issue, then there will be other issue. So its quiet natural. I am requesting you dear Pakistani’s you don’t try to come India and we will not come there. We want live peacefully we Indian youth dreaming for a Developed India.