The tamasha at Wagah - Pakistani side

Ever since I saw the evening tamasha at Wagah on the Indian side...I wished it could end some day. But along with that I also wished if I could watch the tamasha sitting on the Pakistani side.

The wish came true when I visited Lahore for the first time in October 2010. The 'manzar' at the border is similar on both sides. Hordes of people descend at the border to witness it. While I had particularly noticed some Marathi tourists at the border on the Indian side....there were many from Karachi on this side. So, its a sort of national show on both sides. I also saw some school students lined up for the show.

The show on the Pakistani side is priced. You pay Rs 10 to get a ticket to watch the tamasha. As any visitor on the Indian side can gauge...there are two seperate enclosures for women and men respectively.

The rest of the procedure is same - cheering crouds instigated by the 'master of ceremonies' or is it 'master of cheeromonies'. On the Indian side I clearly remembered, a BSF guy in civil dress, coordinating the show.

Out here the gentleman didnt seem to be a army man but was doing similar business...prompting some well known lines...Jhule Jhule Pakistan....Pakistan ka matlab kya - La illahi ill llah, Pakistan - zindabad.

In no time I was one with the crowd and cheering for Pakistan. You just feel like cheering. It was interesting for me to cheer for Pakistan. But once you are in the crowd...you feel like being one. I must be the only Indian doing that...and how do you know in that crowd...who is an Indian and who isnt?

The ceremony as everybody knows is the same and is coordinated. There was nothing much dissimilar apart from the fact that I saw a man roaming around with a large framed picture of General Zialul Haq. I was amused and wanted to talk to that man.

Meeting with the middle class in Lahore, I had realised that Generali Zia didnt have much of a fan following amongst them. But Gen Zia's photograph. He replied ' Ay saade Pakistaan da Badshaah hai. Pakistan de gaddar ne ainu marya ai...jahaz de bich bumb rakh ke. Allah una nu aap maare' - " this is the king of Pakistan. Traitors of Pakistan killed him by planting a bomb on his plane. Allah will kill all of them". Was moved by his committment to Gen. Zia.

I have been planning to lauch a campaign to stop the pretended animosity at the tamasha...where they deliberately thump their boots and make angry postures at the sentries on the other side. Also, the deliberate and instigated cheeromony.

I have always wished the tamasha to stop.

A different experience - Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi

I VISITED THE PAKISTANI EMBASSY to make some enquiries about the visa process. Kya manzar hai! I have now visited quite a few embassies in New Delhi and I must say I got the best treatment at the Pakistan Embassy.

Generally the people manning the counters at European embassies are impolite but this man at the Pakistani embassy was 'Adab' at its best.Batayen Sir...Haan aapko visa mil jayega...aap ek letter mangvan le Pakistan se......." I felt really happy.

Even the people outside the embassy were different. Generally you find Sikhs all over the place in European..British embassies.But out here apart from people wearing the Muslim skull cap...there were people wearing huge pagdis...pathaan style and there were also Rajasthani pagdis...Perhaps a lot of people from Rajasthan have their relatives on the other side of the fence. It was quite an experience to be there.

One interesting thing is the fact that the ambience outside the embassy sometimes gives the semblance of a district court, with people sitting with typewriters. Its such a pain to get things typed. Interestingly and painfully, there is no soft copy of the visa form available on the website. So, we had to create one.

Not to take away from the experience, I guess one must visit the embassy in Delhi...its an interesting place to be in.

Quote on the Car

Just after coming back from Pakistan, I was on a high. Sharing stories of my experiences in Pakistan with a number of my friends and office colleagues.

Just then I found this car in front of me, which had the most blatant comment written about Pakistan 'Give Peace a chance, Destroy Pakistan'.

I could understand where that guy was coming from since his car had 'ARMY' written in bold...making it clear that the car belonged to an army personnel.

But thats true for a number of Indians, who think of Pakistan as nothing but an enemy.

thought of actually flagging that car and talk to its owner and share my stories about Pakistan...Just wish if I could do it.

Crossing Wagah 'on foot'

Its not everyday that one gets a chance to cross Wagah and that too on foot.

Well… I was fortunate enough to get an ‘on foot’ visa from the Pakistan High Commission and actually cross Wagah on foot.

I was with a grouop of students and a teacher.

Just as we reached the immigration counters on the Indian side of Wagah (which is actually called Attari)…we were told that we couldn’t cross the border on foot. The reason given to us was that we need to have special permission from the Ministry of External affairs to do so. The man at the counter actually showed us a copy of such letters from people who had crossed the border before. The letter was actually issued by the Indian High Commission at Islamabad requesting the immigration authorities to allow a person to cross on foot.

He said that he had no problems in allowing us to cross the border on bus. But then the Pakistan immigration would have stopped us saying that ‘ we were supposed to arrive on foot’. We were in a fix and getting a letter issued from a government authority is quite a pain in India.

Nevertheless, as mobile phones don’t work at Wagah (except Vodafone…as some say) and neither are there international or ISD phone booths at Wagah…I had to actually hire a taxi go back 4-5 kilometres to the place where my mobile started working. Then I had to make quite a few calls for the Indian High Commission to fax a letter to the Wagah check post. But let me say that the High Commission authorities were very cooperative and helped us out.

So, we were back again at Wagah at the same immigration counter with the same man…who now smiled at us.

Immigration: We had to fill up the standard Indian immigration form. But the fun part was filling up the ‘flight no.’ column. We had to write ‘on foot’ on it.

Customs: The immigration guys give you a slip, where the number of bags need to be filled up. This needs to be submitted to the customs. They scan your luggage and may want to manually check your baggage…ask a few questions…and you are on your way to the border. At Wagah its about half a kilometer walk from the customs to the border. Once you reach the border gate…the BSF people note down the passport details of the people who cross the border. And then you are right at the Indo-Pak gate

At the gate is a sentry from BSF…who checks your passports and just a metre away is the Pakistani sentry from the Rangers…who again checks your passports.

There is a line in between the two gates…which perhaps forms the border and the porter from the Indian side puts the luggage right on the line…from where the porter from the Pakistani side can pick it up.

Its just the reverse on the Pakistani side…first the entry with the rangers and then immigration and customs…and you are bang at Wagah on the other side.

The Pakistani immigration counters are much much better than the Indian side. While the Indian immigration counters give a feel of a railway station…the feeling on the Pakistani side is truly international…its like an international airport.

The Pakistani immigration counters even click photographs of people entering the country.

The walk is about a kilometer and a half…but its joy.

Manto ka Kauwa

Had read Manto's short story 'Manto ka Kutta' long time back. That was my first Manto read and I was damn impressed by his writing. Havent read much of him though.

Also, had heard a lot about the evening flag ceremony at Wagah Border a lot. My brother had told me that you must see the parade at least once.
So, when I visited Amritsar and had some time at my disposal...arranged for going for the Wagah ceremony. Had arranged for some up close seats near the gate but due to some miscommunication...we couldnt get those seats and had to see the ceremony along with hundreds of others. (actually glad that we didnt get thos 'VIP' seats)

What a crowd man...people from all parts of India...Marathis, Biharis, Tamils...everyone...armed with cameras and water bottles (Its damn hot in Amritsar). Everyone seemed to have reached much in advance...but there was no clue of any ceremony. The main gate was closed. Suddenly some songs started playing in the loud speakers..."Suno Gaur se duniya walo". There was a loud cheer in the crowd. People started chanting "Bharat Mata ki ....Jai". A gentleman came with a mike and starting prompting the audience to shout slogans aka "Vande..." and then the crowd was supposed to say "Mataram". He seemed to be a professional in what he was doing.

Initially...I also got charged with emotions of patriotism as some soldiers marched towards the gate. But soon...I got back to my nerves...and everthing seemed to be a tamaasha.

After that I dont want to describe...how things followed after that...people in the crowd were instigated to shout towards the Pakistani side...to make them hear....for them to understand that we are more in number and loudness.

After some reading...i was able to make out that the person, who was instigating the crowd was also from the Border Security Force, I suppose. A uniformed person (he was in civil dress at that time) instigating the crowd.

Moreover...the face off between Indian and Pakistani border guards just pissed me off. I mean...it felt like a bull fight wiht people instigating and the guards stomping their feet. All tamaasha....unneccessary dramatisation of a ritual...it seemed.

there was similar drama happening on the other side I suppose. I could see people shouting on the other side as well...but couldnt hear them as the entire game of the evening is not to let the other side make noise....so you keep shouting....thats it.

In no time...I was cucooned in a circle of my own in this massive crowd shouting pro-India slogans. In fact...may be for a while I couldnt even hear what they were shouting...it was just silence amidst noise. ...and I noticed one Crow sitting on the building of the Border security force fo India quickly take a flight and just glide towards a wall on the Pakistani side. Pure bliss...In a moment the crow...reminded me of the futility of the ceremony...happening. The border is just for humans not for these crows or some other creatures. I am sure that crow must be crossing the border plenty of times without a visa.

I wish I was a crow....I thought....and I was back in the crowd...

I dont know why it takes so long to pull down a flag...it should be a 5 minute thing. But solidiers keep marching from here to there to prove...I dont know what.

Later...when the ceremony finished...I joined the gang which gathers at the gate to look at the other side. To see how people 'look' on the other side. And they are shooed away later.

I was also curious to know ...how the other side looks like.

All people had left and all I could see was pet water bottles everywhere. Hundreds of patriots...who shouted patriotic slogans for more than an hour...left that place with hundreds of bottles, biscuit and chips wrappers. It hurt me a lot.

I didnt know...how to react...after all i was all enthusiastic about coming and seeing that ceremony.

The sun was setting and there were still as couple of people who had come out of that space but were looking at a clearning where you could see the Pakistani fence. There were such enthusiasts on the other side as well.

And I came back thinking about the crow...which flew across the border....'Manto ka kauwa' ...I would call that crow.

And...for once I wished...this tamaasha needs to stop...before any other peace initiative between the countries. Because not only is it a tamaasha...but it is a full fledged training programme in spreading hatred about Pakistanis to one and all.

May this tamaasha stop.

The title of this post is inspired from Manto's famous story 'Tetval ka kutta' which I remember as 'Manto ka kutta'

My first experience with a Pakistani

I guess I must have been in University...went to the famous World Book Fair...which is a ritual in Delhi. That year...there was a stall put up by Pakistan.
I was curious as to what must be selling there and went to have a look at that stall. There were many people...just looking at the books in Urdu and English. There were a couple of people (whom I were judging...whether they are Pakistani or Indian) manning the stall.
And these people started speaking in Punjabi. I belong to the hills of Himachal in India and understand Punjabi and also speak Punjabi.
"Yaar tere kol sau rupey de khule haige" question one man. (Hey fellow! Would you have change of Rs 100). "Main ta ithe da ek tella bhi ni rakhya" replied the other (I dont have a penny of this place). And I was just shocked...they (read Pakistanis) speak just like us.

As Indians, you generally dont think about Pakistanis...even if you think...you think of them as just 'enemies' or people on the other side of the fence (others...different from us). But here I was standing with Pakistanis who were speaking like anyone else in Jallandhar....then why are they the 'others'

While in Delhi there are many Pakistani scholars visiting the city but this was actually my first interaction. I have met many ever since...and have come a long way...long long way.

humans

Was just standing on the balcony of my apartment in Delhi …looking at the balcony of another apartment across the fence. A lady just came out and took away the clothes from her balcony. And I thought…the people who are in the Ministry of interior in Pakistan must also be simple people, who live in some Apartment in Islamabad…leading similar lives with worries about their kids, parking and all. They must also be having daal chawal or korma for dinner. Normal people, who have the control over my visa.

Wonder…how these normal people who know all the problems of daily lives become people who are demons…for people like me who are seeking visa.

May be…our request for a NOC from the Ministry of Interior will be rejected…or accepted.

But that’s what life is about.