There should similar Sindhi conference and Urdu which will bring Indians and Pakistanis together
Punjabi brings Indians and Pakistanis together in France
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 11:43:57 PM ]
PARIS: While Indo-Pak relations remain volatile as ever with little semblance of peace in sight, Punjabi language seems to be the wonder drug that has broken all barriers to bring together thousands of Indians and Pakistanis in France.
‘‘Language brings together people’’, says Zoravar Malik from Gujjaranwala who came to Paris via Italy six years ago. And since French was an alien language when we reached here the first attraction was towards people who speak the same language, he says. Indians, specially Punjabis and Pakistanis in Paris, stand up for each other and though a majority of them are illegal immigrants, they still care to listen to their hearts rather than political rhetoric.
As Punjabi seems reason enough to spark brotherhood amongst the two highly polarised communities of the world and that too in an alien land, the people of the two communities candidly blame politics for the stand-off between the countries.
And as if that is not enough, the two communities don’t mince words in blaming their respective politicians because of whom even a simple cricket match seems war-like. It’s all political rhetoric that keeps us separated, says Ahmed, an illegal immigrant from Pakistan who sells memorabilia to tourists under the Eiffel Tower.
‘‘I hated India till I was in Pakistan as we were continuously fed with an anti-India propaganda’’, he says. But after coming to Paris things changed.
‘‘I discovered that life demanded so much more than simply hating somebody. Poverty had to be taken care of, money had to be earned to be sent back home, food and clothes had to be organised and it was only when people speaking the same language got together that we started solving our basic issues,’’ says Ahmed.
Points out Gurmeet Singh: ‘‘We have forgotten that somebody was a Pakistani or an Indian as all of us speak the same language. We can communicate with each other more than anybody else and our culture remains the same even after more than 50 years of Partition. Which is why I don’t even realise that Ahmed is a Pakistani’’, he points out.
Punjabi brings Indians and Pakistanis together
Punjabi brings Indians and Pakistanis together in France
TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2003 11:43:57 PM ]
PARIS: While Indo-Pak relations remain volatile as ever with little semblance of peace in sight, Punjabi language seems to be the wonder drug that has broken all barriers to bring together thousands of Indians and Pakistanis in France.
‘‘Language brings together people’’, says Zoravar Malik from Gujjaranwala who came to Paris via Italy six years ago. And since French was an alien language when we reached here the first attraction was towards people who speak the same language, he says. Indians, specially Punjabis and Pakistanis in Paris, stand up for each other and though a majority of them are illegal immigrants, they still care to listen to their hearts rather than political rhetoric.
As Punjabi seems reason enough to spark brotherhood amongst the two highly polarised communities of the world and that too in an alien land, the people of the two communities candidly blame politics for the stand-off between the countries.
And as if that is not enough, the two communities don’t mince words in blaming their respective politicians because of whom even a simple cricket match seems war-like. It’s all political rhetoric that keeps us separated, says Ahmed, an illegal immigrant from Pakistan who sells memorabilia to tourists under the Eiffel Tower.
‘‘I hated India till I was in Pakistan as we were continuously fed with an anti-India propaganda’’, he says. But after coming to Paris things changed.
‘‘I discovered that life demanded so much more than simply hating somebody. Poverty had to be taken care of, money had to be earned to be sent back home, food and clothes had to be organised and it was only when people speaking the same language got together that we started solving our basic issues,’’ says Ahmed.
Points out Gurmeet Singh: ‘‘We have forgotten that somebody was a Pakistani or an Indian as all of us speak the same language. We can communicate with each other more than anybody else and our culture remains the same even after more than 50 years of Partition. Which is why I don’t even realise that Ahmed is a Pakistani’’, he points out.
Punjabi brings Indians and Pakistanis together
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