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.