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Greetings,
Today, on New Years occasion, we would like to gift you the very first IPFC
Magazine. We are proud to launch the only magazine which features writers
from both nations. The mission of IPFC magazine is to promote Unity in
Diversity, eliminate misunderstandings, augment friendliness and harmony
among the fellow people of India and Pakistan, increase awareness of the
IPFC, and help IPFC achieve new heights.
This special issue will walk you through the history of IPFC, introduce you
to the changes IPFC brought in ones life, enlighten you with an old but
relatively less popular field of the medicineHomeopathymake you smile
with the poetry, make your nerves fire rapidly with the mind boggling
games, and last but not the least strengthen the bonds between the people of
IPFC from both countries.
Our special thank goes to the IPFC writers, Aminur Rashid, Anurag
Chaturvedi, and Arsalan Jamshed, without whom, this publication wouldn't
have been possible. We hope you will have fun reading YOUR magazine!
Sincerely,
Kashif Khundmiri and Vipin Gupta
E ditors' N ote:
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IPFC Speaks: Events shaping the IPFC & the Maintenance of the Common
Environment of IPFC
Flashback 2007
Across the Wagah - A journey from Lahore to Bangalore
Plane to Pakistan: and 35 minutes to land!
Unleash India-Pakistan friendship - A student's plea
Viewpoints
Poetry
Fun Facts
Have you ever been curious about Homoeopathy?
Cross Country Expedition
Movie Reviews
Puzzles and games
C O N T E N T S
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Change is in the human nature, is a reason forwars, a cause behind the formation of countries, a
motive to live, and the only thing constant on
earth. An idea for a change was sparked in the
mind of Rahul Mukhergi, the owner of the
community India Pakistan Friendship Club, onOrkuta Google based networking site for
people around the worldwhen Orkut was
launched by Google in January 2004 (Wikipedia,
search term Orkut). Today we are familiar with
that change in the name of India Pakistan
Friendship Club. Rahul was studying in Thailand
when he met with a Pakistani. They both were
partners in a project based on surveys in India
and Pakistan. Soon enough, they became good
friends and realized the common elements in the
cultures of both countries. When Orkut came into
existence, the friendship between two individuals
took the shape of an online community where
similar people from India and Pakistan can
interact with each other from the comfort of their
homes or offices and eliminate the
misunderstandings.
The India Pakistan Friendship Club was created
on May 9, 2004. The first two days, there were
only two members. As time passed by, new
members were attracted to the IPFC and the
population of IPFC started to increaseexponentially. By January 2006, the IPFC
successfully recruited more than 15,000 members
from both sides of the border and by June of same
month, IPFC crossed 20,000 members. Now, there
are more than 97,200 members and soon enough
the population of IPFC will surpass the 100,000th
mark. This rapid increase only portrays the
change of hearts and emergence of love for the
person from the other side of the border.
RUK (Rukh) JAAYENGE NEHI (Nahin) KAHI (Kahin) HUM HAAR KE (Mein)
KAL YEH JAHA (Jahaan) BADLAYENGE (Badlenge) HUMYEH WAADA RAHA
HUMARA (Hamara Aapse)! (Rahul Mukherji, community description of IPFC onOrkut).
Translation: We will never stop in any situation Tomorrow, we will change this
world This is our promise to you!
Similarly to any major organization, IPFC also
went through times and events which shaped
the IPFC that is visible today. The formation of
IPFC SNOBS in November 2004, the hacking of
the community in January 2006,the fight
between the moderators in April 2007 and the
return of the common environment after eachevent shaped the IPFC. All these incidents
were seen as the Berlin Wall which was
presumed to be the permanent divisions of
IPFC but never the less, the love across borders
brought down these walls and things at IPFC
returned to normal.
The beginning days of IPFC were dull and
uninteresting, like every new community. New
threads were rarely started. By the start of
August 2004, new threads were formed on adaily basis. As days passed by, new members
started joining the IPFC and this in turn
increased the thread count. By the end of
September 2004, the new-thread count
increased to an average of ten new threads a
day. As members increased, the threads
increased however, the spamming of the
community also increased. People from both
sides started grouping together in IPFC. One
such group named IPFC SNOBS was formed in
the IPFC. They separated themselves as
serious debaters. These active debaters were
regularly interfered by the hijackingposting
long blank posts with an intention to annoy
peopleof their threads. Orkut was not very
well developed at that time and it only allowed
only the owner to act like a moderator. Because
owner was not able to log in round the clock,
there was difficulty moderating the threads to
stop the hijacking.
IPF C S peaks: E vents S haping the IPF C & the M aintenance
of the C ommon E nvironment of IPF C
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The hijackers had fun interfering in the
discussion of the IPFC SNOBS members.
Frustrated with these hijackers and with the
lack of moderating, this group of
individuals went on to create a new
community in the name of IPFC SNOBS
which has strict criterion for membership.
This separation was seen as a partition of
IPFC. Nevertheless, more people joined
IPFC and things returned to normal. Like
always, there were threads directing the
other country and people started arguments
over the deficiencies both nations had.
People became good friends of each other,
love stories were observed between manyIPFCians, and again the groups were
formed. In February 2005 a group separated
themselves from IPFC in a new community
named Ripples which was eventually
deleted by the owner of that community.
Things came back to normal again and the
force of IPFC kept increasing. New
members became active and some old
members were hardly spotted. No matter
how busy a life of the IPFCian became, IPFC
was never inactive. Soon after theseparation of the RIPPLE, the India-
Pakistan region observed a major
earthquake which left thousands homeless.
Members at IPFC formed their local
extensions and helped the victims of the
earthquake in every form. A member of the
IPFC, Malaika Raza, came forward by
forming a IPFC London chapter known as
Londonmet Indo-Pak Society and collected
donations to go to the victims of the Indo-
Pak earthquake. During this time period,
IPFCians got closer to each other, formed
stronger bonds and kept the spirit of IPFC
alive.
On one fine dayJanuary 27, 2006IPFC
was hacked with a simple phishing website.
Rahul, as usual was in his office, carelessly
logged in to Orkut using a phishing
website. His ID was hacked and the IPFC
was transferred to a person with the screen
names Bad boy and King Khan.
This event shook everyone in IPFC. Earliest
members like Anurag, Aminur and Abhinav
received hundreds of messages and calls with
the same question: who hacked the IPFC? These
members were determined to get IPFC back
from the ill-minded hacker. They spoke to
people at Google Inc. and were asked to
register a complaint in Orkut and get a case id
number. The next day on January 28, 2006,
Rahul issued his statement on IPFC in a thread
named IPFC or No IPFC: Mission Remains! and
fortunately, it was not deleted by the evil
hacker. His statement was as follows:
.IPFC or NO IPFC: Mission Remains!
Well, it is unfortunate that someone has hacked mypassword to change the ownership in IPFC. Ithappened during my office hours so I was reallycareless about putting my password in the fakewebsite. Lessons learned and now onwards I will bemore careful on things on net.
Somebody throwing me out of IPFC community,which I created, will not stop me from the missionof India Pakistan Friendship. IPFC community doestell us that there are thousands across the border whowant solution to problems and peace in the sub-continent.
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, thismight be small but surely one of the means by whichwe arrive at that goal. I am still not aware why wasa friendship community hacked. The purpose of thehacker can only give you feeling that he can destroythe spirit of the community. Hacking is a criminaloffense. Google has been informed and Orkutsupport will look into the matter next week. Wehave been given a ticket #45079920 from Orkut helpdesk.
IPFC is a friendship club. Its a meeting ground ofpeople across the border. I might have been invisiblein creating threads but I did moderate anything,
which is hitting friendship with IPFC members help.I know sometimes some not so important threads get
popular. Not everybody wants to discuss seriousissue. SUCCESS OF IPFC IS IN MAKINGPEOPLE INTERACT AT VERY GROUNDLEVEL. Serious topics do take place at IPFC butsometimes due to large no. of members posting largeno. of forum it disappears from the top 5 very fast.But again sorry to those who feel I moderated
poorly. Well, all I can say I am such a point of mycareer where sitting on for 24 hours will put me outof IBM.
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I have always asked people to send me links incase you find some abusive or anti friendshipcomments. I always made sure it was deleted andthe member was banned (after a warning ofcourse) from IPFC.
In case you are just looking for serious discussionI had always suggested you join community likeRipples, IPFC Snobs, India Pakistan andKashmir. I have no issues on that. In fact sincethese communities are better moderated I wantthem to grow as well.
MY AIM IS FOR INDIA PAKISTANFRIENSHIP. I DON"T CARE HOW ITHAPPENS AND WHERE IT HAPPENS... ASLONG AS IT HAPPENS.
I started working for Indo-Pak friendship since1999 but it was 2001 when I really got attachedto the movement through PAKISTAN INDIAPEOPLES FORUM FOR PEACE ANDDEMOCRACY. www.pipfpd.org. Though mywork life makes me an inactive member but I ama supporter of the great cause and mission thatPIPFPD has taken up. When I started the IPFCcommunity in May last year I never expected thiskind of response from the Orkut members.This
just tells us that our generation has realized theimportance of peace and friendship.
We need to keep our goal and mission slow butsteady. We should also try and come out of OUT-
OF-THE-WEB and try to do some thingsubstantial. We together should dream of the daywhen we will bury the hatched of the past andshare a smiling future together.
The day when we will able to give a solution tothe Kashmir problem and see the Dal lake fillednot with blood but the Shikaras. We all shouldlook forward for the day. It might take some time
but I am sure it will happen in our lifetimesomewhere soon.I dont whether I will get back the ownership ofIPFC or not but thank you guys for the support.IPFC or no IPFC our mission remains the same.
Peace!'Rahul Mukherji'
Some people lost hope to get back thecommunity and went ahead to create a new
IPFC named India Pakistan GenNext Club.
Anyone who raised his/her voice against the
hacker in the IPFC was banned from the
community. Because this hacker was of
Pakistan origin, many Pakistanis who were
respected because of their interest in
Friendship showed their true color under the
guidance of the hacker. Some Pakistanis firmly
opposed the hacker and were martyred their
membership from the IPFC. Members from
both sides of the border who used to fight
against each other became one soul and fought
the hacker. After many efforts the IPFC was
back to its rightful owner, Rahul, on March 3,2006. The hacker was banned and people who
thought the IPFC will never be back to normal
were left embarrassed. People celebrated the
victory against the hacker.
Things came back to normal and the bond
between IPFCians was strengthened. Months
passed by and the normal environment of
IPFC was kept alive. Just after the first
anniversary of the defeat of the hacker, on
April 17, 2007 the personal grudges of themoderators turned into a fire which burned
down many fine members of IPFC. A simple
decision by Anurag caused the great IPFC fire.
Anurag banned a member named Xia for his
comments about IPFC and Hindus outside of
IPFC and for his past abusive activities. His
decision was questioned by other moderators.
A moderator, Smitha, went on and un-banned
Xia. Her act brought in egos of the
moderators. Anurag issued a fine statement in
response asking other moderators to not tointerfere or try to reverse the decision he took.
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This issue of IPFC was turned to the battle of
egos of all moderators. Mass banning was
done without any reports in the Mod-only
thread, many threads were deleted, people
raised there voice against the dictatorship and
few who acted boldly became heroes of IPFC.Arsalan Jamshed went on to ban Anurag for
his dictatorship and he resigned from the
moderator post. This Great Fire of IPFC took
away members like Arsalan, Smitha and
many more with it. Few people were brought
back from that fire and few are yet to come
back. Even the Fire of IPFC was not able to
intervene in the mission of IPFC. Again, the
relations strengthened, people from across the
borders became good friends, and the
common environment came back to IPFC
again.
IPFC went through phases which were each
seen as a dissection of the mission of IPFC but
the same divisions only reinforced the bonds
between IPFCians. Today, the mission of IPFC
reached new heights with the launch of the
IPFC radio, the IPFC Magazine and many
other real life advancements. From the very
beginning, we all have contributed to the
changing relations between the India and the
Pakistan and we will only increase our
contributions to this change. Truly, since thelaunch of this forum on Orkut, we are
following the opening description of the
community: Yeh Jahaan Badlenge Hum, Yeh
Waada Raha Hamara
Citations:
Launch of Orkut on Wikepedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orkut
IPFC community description:
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=55961
Chit Chat: IPFC History:http://www.orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=55961
&tid=2467743704123443663&na=1&nst=1
Banned People from this Community, started by the
Hacker after hacking the IPFC:
http://www.orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=55961
&tid=2444544676636110640&na=1&nst=1
Rahuls statement a day after the hacking of this
community, IPFC or NO IPFC: Mission Remains!:
http://www.orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=55961
&tid=2444814228776008687&na=1&nst=1
IPFC SNOBS: http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?
cmm=709633Moderators Only Thread, a look in to the Great IPFC
Fire: http://www.orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=
55961&tid=2495365753348032975&na=3&nst=372&nid=
55961-2495365753348032975-2527179840977545875
Breaking News, Smitha quits over Anurags words, a
thread from the times of the Great IPFC Fire:
http://www.orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=55961
&tid=2527336027473755242
IPFC Mission in your hand!, Rahuls plea to end the
battle of the egos:
http://www.orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=55961
&tid=2527880264227732463Malaika Raza once ran the Londonmet Indo-Pak
Society, which she believes to me a real life extention of
IPFC: http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=
762567
Private Chat with Anurag and Aminur is also a source
of information.
- Kashif Khundmiri
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While india accelerated its march towardseconomic prosperity ,pakistan made some decisive
leaps on the road to democracy. Here we take
a look at some of the pathbreaking developmentsthat occurred in 2007.
1: Surge of the Sensex:
The Sensex shot from around 14000 in beginning
of the year to cross the magical mark of 20000 on
29th October 2007.It was a long slow journey, as
the indian economy shed its socialist baggage and
underwent reform. It took 20 years to rise from
1000 to 10000, but only 20 months to make the next
10000.The total value of the stocks making up the
BSE Sensex is Rs. 2838000 crores, enough to buy
47300 Boeing 777 dreamliners!
2:Indo - US nuclear deal
President Bush and Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh announced an unprecedented
agreement that would provide U.S. nuclear power
assistance to India while allowing the country to
substantially step up its nuclear weapons
production. The agreement, which marked a
significant break from decades of U.S. nuclear
policy, highlighted the increasingly close
relationship between the world's two largest
democracies and enabled both leaders to declareBush's visit a success. However there were
oppositions in both countries to the agreement,
and the Indian government could not carry
forward the agreement, mainly due to
disagreement with the left parties that support it.
3:20 -20 cricket world cup
India won the inaugaral 20 -20 world cup held in
south africa after a close match against Pakistan in
the final.
4: India Inc. comes of age:
Tata Steel acquired Corus in the largest ever
outbound acquisition by an indian company. The
$12 Billion deal announced to the world, that indianmultinationals had truly arrived, making Tata steel
the worlds' 5th largest player in an industry led by
Lakshmi Mittal owned Arcelor-Mittal.
Subsequently Kumaramanglam Birla's Hindalco
acquired Novelis in a $6 Billion deal. Suzlon
snapped up Areva in a $1.5 Bn deal. Tata tea
completed a succesful bid for Glaceau whereas the
UB group acquired the liquor giant White &
Mackay. Tata Motors has put forward a strong bid
for Jaguar.
Indian economy grew at 9.4%, its fastest rate in 18
years.
5:Democratic process:
Pratibha Patil was elected the first female president
of India. Elections were succesfully held in the
states of Gujrat and HP.
6: Date with terror:
Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef is arrested at
Brisbane Airport, Australia, in connection with the
Glasgow Airport attack. Indians are implicated in
the terror attacks in Glasgow. Dr. Haneef
undertook a long and much publicised court battleagainst the government of Australia to finally win
back his right to stay and work in Australia.
7:The AIDS bugbear
did not turn out to be as scary as the doomsayers
had predicted. The 2006 estimates predicted 2.47
million people with AIDS in india as against the
2006 estimate of 5.7 million. The National AIDS
control project 3 was launched to scale up testing,
prevention and treatment.
Flashback 2007 - Insight India
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Events that shaped Pakistan's march in 2007,bearing a constant hope of normalcy, yet proving
to be a mirage at times. Equally enigmatic are the
actions and designs of the general turnedpresident at the helm of Pakistan's affairs.
an 9 : Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf
dismisses Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad
Chaudhry over serious allegations including abuse
of power.
May 12 : Pakistans suspended Chief Justice
Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry abandons Karachi
rally after clashes leave 30 dead.
uly 20 : Justie Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry isreinstated after being suspended from his position
for four months and 10 days.
August 29 : General Pervez Musharraf agrees to
resign as army chief and appears to be sharing a
pact with former premier Benazir Bhutto
September 10 : Former Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif is arrested and deported to Saudi Arabia,
four hours after his return from exile.
October 6: President Pervez Musharraf wins theelection for another five-year term.
October 18: Former prime minister Benazir
Bhutto makes a tearful return to Pakistan after
eight years of self-imposed exile. Two major
explosions hit the convoy of Benazir Bhutto,
killing more than 115 people and injuring at least
200 in Karachi.
November 3: General Musharraf declares
emergency rule and suspends the country's
constitution.
November 14: Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician
Imran Khan is arrested and charged under anti-
terrorism laws.
November 20: The Pakistan Election Commission
announces January 8 as the date for parliamentary
elections.
November 22: The reconstituted Supreme Court
dismisses the last challenge to Pervez Musharraf's
re-election in uniform, paving the way for him to be
sworn in for a second term as the president of
Pakistan.
November 25: Former Pakistani prime minister
Nawaz Sharif returns to Pakistan after seven years
exile in Saudi Arabia.
December 5: The Pakistan government retires 37
judges including Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry,
the former chief justice, who refused to approve
President Pervez Musharraf's emergency power.
December 15: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf
lifts the 41 day emergency rule after makingamendments to six articles.
December 27 : Benazir Bhutto assassinated.
Bhutto was often hailed as the all-important figure
in that return to a parliamentary process.
She waited eight years to go back to Pakistan in an
alleged power-sharing deal with the military ruler,
signed and sealed by the US. As head of a party that
is more about people at the grassroots level, she
was hailed as the hope who might deliver Pakistan
into a more modern and democratic environment,despite corruption cases still pending against her.
Groomed by her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, as she
was grooming her son Bilawal, Benazir became
prime minister of Pakistan for the first time in 1988
but was removed from office 20 months later, on
alleged corruption charges. She returned in 1993, to
fall prey again to similar charges in 1996. There
were those disillusioned by her over the years but
as the decade turned, the strident politician slowly
evolved into a voice for dialogue.
A tough woman, protective mother, an astute
politician, Benazir spoke about the need for a joint
solution to the Kashmir conflict between India and
Pakistan. She was also a vocal proponent against
terrorism, a reason for America choosing her as
their golden bid. With her death, there is a strong
leadership gap in Pakistan's transition from military
rule to democracy.
Road to D emocracy in Pakistan.
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S ports Roundup:
March 18: India and Pakistan make first round
exits from the world cup in west indies. Pakistan
cricket coach Bob Woolmer found dead in hotel
room.
March 19: Inzamam-ul-Haq quits as Pakistan Test
captain and retires from One-Day international
cricket.
April 2: Indias Viswanathan Anand is formally
crowned the world No. 1 in chess with 2,786 rating
points, replacing Veselin Ropalov of Bulgaria at
the top.
September 7: Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar is
expelled from the Twenty20 championship after
hitting his teammate Mohammad Asif.
September 19: Indian left-hander Yuvraj Singh
stormed his way to the record books after
clobbering six sixes in one over off Stuart Broad in
the Twenty20 World Cup against England at
Durban.
September 24: India clinches the inaugural trophy
of the Twenty20 cricket World Cup after beatingPakistan in the finals held at the Wanderers
Stadium in Johannesburg.
September 29: Vishwanathan Anand is crowned
world champion in chess after winning the
marathon tournament in the 2007 World
Championship in Mexico.
November 15: India beat Pakistan by six wickets
to win the fourth One-Day International and
clinch the ODI series by 3-1 in Gwalior.
Ace star Aisamul Haq Qureshi brought laurels for
Pakistan tennis after achieving top honours in
national and international circuit in the year
2007.Along with a series of wins in ITF
tournaments, He also became the first Pakistani
player to appear on Wimbledon main draw singles
after 32 years. Aisam, whose ATP ranking in 2006
was 484 in singles and 380 in doubles, jumped to
125 in singles and 90 in doubles in 2007.
W orld View:
anuary 11: Bangladeshs President Iajuddin
Ahmad resigns as the head of a caretaker
administration following imposition of emergency
but retains hold as titular head.
anuary 13: China and Russia veto a US resolution
in the UN Security Council calling on Myanmars
military junta to stop persecution of minority and
opposition groups.
March 14: At least 14 killed and 39 injured in
Nandigram in India as police open fire to quell
mobs and retake area they lost in January after
unrest over acquisition of farmland for industry.
April 6: The US acknowledges the global
challenge posed by climate change after a report
by UN experts warned of devastating damage to all
continents from global warming. 7 Johnny Hart, a
famous cartoonist and regarded as one of the best,
dies of heart attack at the age of 76. He also co-
created The Wizard of Id, which won numerous
awards.
April 26: President Vladimir Putin launches an
attack against foreign interference in Russian affairsand threatens to withdraw from a key defence
treaty in response to a planned US anti-missile
system in Eastern Europe.
une 7: Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialised
nations agree on the goal of halving emissions of
dangerous greenhouse gases by 2050.
une 24: Storms and torrential rains lash Karachi,
Pakistan, killing 228.
August 4: Heavy monsoon rains which causedrivers to overflow in northern India kill more than
250 people.
September 4: Two successive suicide bombings rip
through the city of Rawalpindi in Islamabad,
Pakistan, killing 25 people and injuring 68.
September 24: More than 100,000 people flood the
streets of Yagon, Myanmar's biggest city, to join the
Buddhist monks' protest against the ruling generals.
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Written by Asma Bashir
Monday, 26 February 2007
It was May 15th of 2005 a usual day in my life. Iwas busy with my office assignment when I got an
invitation from Art of Living Foundation India to
participate in their conference for women rights at
Bangalore. I just gave up the idea due to the
strained relationship between both countries and
registration fee for the conference. My friend
Masoora had a different view and she asked me to
search other options for funding. We talked to the
Naem Zameenda representative of Art of living
Foundation in Pakistan and he gave us a greensingle. He talked to his colleagues in India and
they agreed to waive our conference fee and
offered us for advance course of Art of l iving
foundation at free of cost.
Now Masoora and I got together to gather our
resources for our trip to India. Problem was this
that both of us couldnt afford the trip to
Bangalore by air. It was around about 50 thousand
Pakistani rupees from Islamabad to Bangalore. I
told her that train and bus are the two other
options to go to India. My relatives are living in
India and my family goes there almost after ever
3-4 years by train. But none of them could give us
any advice regarding our travel from Islamabad to
Bangalore via train. Another big problem was this
we both did not want to tell our families that we
are going alone to Bangalore. We told them that
from Delhi another group would accompany us to
Bangalore. My parents were too scared and they
resisted against my decision but I already took it
so they just warned me about the results.
Luckily we did not face any problem in getting the
visa and we got it just in one hour. Not only this
but next day they again granted us an extension of
10 days. My friend and me were pretending tolook very confident but within we were worried
as we were going to India without any train
reservations. On 28th May at 4.00 am we left
Lahore for Delhi. Before leaving my family
advised me to take care of the family values while
talking to my relatives in India, as they all are very
conservative. Furthermore, our one senior friend
advised us to live together not to talk to Hindus
too much dont take anything to eat especially
from a Hindu.
We reached Delhi at 5.30 pm. All roads in Delhi
were crowded badly. It was my first time in Delhiand I was anxious to see the glamorous and old part
of Delhi about which I heard so much since
childhood.
We both were happy that we reached Delhi alive
and without any big hassle. But we didnt know
that worst thing was going to happen. We quickly
reached at Delhi station after buying our return
tickets for Lahore. Rickshaw driver dropped us at
the office of a private travel agent; he took our
passport and 3400 rupees for getting the seats. After
one hour he told that there is no seat for Karnataka
express but he can try for other trains, which were
expensive. He advised us to stay in Delhi for one
night if we still wanted to go through the same
train. I quickly called my relatives in Himachal and
asked about anyone staying in Delhi they told me
that everybody was in Himachal for summer
vacations. Travel agent asked us not to tell anybody
that we are Pakistanis as we did not have visa for
Delhi and then we can be held liable for illegal stay,
though our entry and exit point was Delhi. This was
the time that our whole motivation to visit India
and the realization that we are at a foreign land
started biting us. Masoora asked me to contact
conference organizers. I looked at her surprisinglyas it was 9.00 pm but we did not have any other
option. I called the conference organizer in
Bangalore with speedy heartbeats. Surprisingly the
lady was too much supportive and gave us another
number of a women living in Delhi. We called that
women and she asked us to wait for some time. We
called her again after a few minutes and she gave us
the phone number of another woman called Rashmi
Paliwal living in Vasant Vihar. We were a little bit
relaxed after talking to Rashmi. She informed us
that her driver would soon pick us.
It was 11.30 pm and there was no sign of Rashmis
driver. Masoora and I were trying to console eachother but we both knew that we were in serious
trouble. The market at Ajmeri gate was closing
down. Masoora started crying and praying. Travel
agents were really very good and they were
consoling that see if nobody will pick you we can
arrange your stay but we were uncertain about their
sincerity. It was 12.00 am now I called Rashmi again
and she told that driver had left two hours before.
Her driver did not have any cell phone so it was
really hard to trace him.
A cross the Wagah - A journey fromL ahore to B angalore
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Imagine two single, alone girls standing outside
Ajmeri gate with no hope of finding any
trustworthy place. I started crying that why the
hell we were so foolish to came into this countrywithout any information and link? We were also
uncertain that whether we would be able to go
back to Pakistan to meet our family? Whether we
would be alive till tomorrow? These hotel agents
might take us to some brothels or anywhere else
from where there would be no way to come back.
Suddenly the boy standing outside at the PCO told
us that there is one car with the same number for
which we were waiting. The Driver Jyoti Singh
was finding us on Railways travel office for
foreigners. He was returning back to Rashmi when
he suddenly thought to check at private travelagents offices.
We were so happy that we did not say thanks to
the travel agents also who took our care during
that hard time. We just took our passports and
money and jumped into Rahmis car. After 30
minutes the car stopped in front of a beautiful
house in Vasant Vihar. Rashmi received us and
asked for food but we were so happy and tired
that we just asked for a bed. The AC in our room
was not working. Rashmi was quite concerned
about our rest. Though we told her that we are
habitual of living without AC it does not make any
difference. But she did not listen and sent us in the
basements lounge to sleep, which was quite cool.
We slept and got up early in the morning with
some familiar chants of Bhajans. Rashmi was
playing with Sitar and we listened to her. She told
us that there would be a short gathering of Art of
living people to have Long Karya (exercise). We
participated in that exercise, at the end Rashmi
requested all people to see if they can arrange any
ticket for us through their links to Bangalore.
People were surprised that how come two girls
from Pakistan came to Delhi alone? They were
more surprised to see that none of us was wearingBurka and we both were already working in our
own fields actively.
At night we met Rashmis mother and her elder
sister. Rashmis mother was born and raised up in
Rawalpindi my home state. She was badly missing
Pakistan and wanted to go their again. She was
asking about old areas of Rawalpindi and quickly
recognized the area of Masooras residence. She
asked us to stay with her again upon our return.
It was 7.00 pm and we were supposed to leave.
Rashmis cook was used to make small chappatttis.
We told him that your 7 breads are equal to 2
Pakistani breads. For our food he put more than 25chappatis in our lunch box.
We both slept quietly at night. Early in the morning
I saw Masoora was sitting with some other family
playing antakshari. I also took part in it and
suddenly my team was almost winning. The other
team was surprised as I was singing Pakistani songs
and they never heard that songs. They blame our
team for singing unknown songs. Then we
explained about ourselves and their response was
quite surprising. Again they were surprised to hear
that we both work in the offices and we dont wear
Burka or scarf. Finally we reached at Bangalore on
1st June 2005.We exchanged phone emails with all the people and
left the station in a happy mood. We got an auto
rickshaw. I stopped at a post office to post some
paper of my one friend to Delhi and to call my
relatives in Pune. one of my cousin lived in
Bangalore; his mother was surprised to hear that I
reached so quickly in Bangalore and alone. The auto
Rickshaw asked from Masoora Are you Muslim?
Masoora was scared and she said NO. Later on
we came to know that he was also a Muslim and he
saw Masoora praying silently in rickshaw.
We met a girl at ashram who showed us our room,
which was quite good and airy. The girl was too
much excited about Pakistanis and wanted to see
this land. Everybody was so helpful and friendly at
the ashram. We were famous in the whole ashram
by the name of brave girls who came alone to
Bangalore.
We were worried about our tickets to go back to
Delhi and I asked my cousin but he was too much
busy and he apologized to help in this matter. We
both decided to go again to the city. Again we did
not have much money so we took the bus towards
the city got our seats and decided to roam around
the city. Everybody in the shop asked us fromwhere we are? Because we were speaking
Urdu/Hindi and we thought that they can recognize
us. We were too scared to roam in the markets. We
did buy some small things and came back to
Ashram.
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On 11th June at 3.00 pm we left the ashram to go
back to Delhi. I met my one net friend at Bangalore
station who was a journalist. We waited for himfor 2 hrs. He promised to be there at 3.00 but
reached at 5.00pm. Masoora was quite angry due
to these things. We both decided that as we have
to stay for one day in Delhi so we would not tell
anybody during the journey about our
whereabouts. There were two young guys sitting
in front of us who passed a smile to us but we
ignored them. There were two other old Bihari
men sitting near us. There language was totally
unknown to us. We were scared from these Bihari
men.
I suddenly remembered old Indian movies wherea young girl is traveling alone in the train and
somebody kidnaps her and leaves her at brothel.
We both did not sleep till 4 .00 am. Finally they left
after 4 in the morning and then we slept. When I
got up the other two young guys said hello to us
again and this time I forcibly replied and started
reading newspaper. One of them asked whether I
am a student. I told him that I am a student who
came to Bangalore to attend that conference. I was
not interested in talking to them.
One of them offered us biscuits and Masoora whowas too hungry quickly accepted it. I was shocked
because last night we both vowed that we are not
going to talk anybody in the train. But then we
finally started talking to each other.
Both guys Sudhir and Manish were too friendly
and they were working in Bangalore. We enjoyed
our travel with them in till half of the way.
We talked to several other travelers also who were
very happy to hear that we are Pakistanis. My
uncle and cousin from Himachal came to pick us.
We went to stay with them in Najaf Garh. Next
day I called Rashmi and told her that we have got
our stay in Delhi her mother was very sad to hear
that we will not meet her again. On 15th June we
left Delhi early in the morning at 4.00 am for
Lahore. We were missing our home badly. When
we reached Wagah border we both started
jumping happily that we did it we did it.
It was really the most memorable and challenging
journey of my life. I would say that until and
unless we will meet each other face-to-face we
would believe media and politicians emitting
venom against each other. There is lot of myths on
both sides of border against each other. In India
people think that Pakistani girls are oppressed
badly they are illiterate, do not study and are just
imprisoned at home. The situation is quite
different women living in metro cities are totally
different from the ones that are living in ruralareas. They also thought that Pakistani girls get
marry at a very young age, which is quite wrong.
Our Indian friends were quite surprise to hear that
we both wanted to first settle in our career and
then about marriage.
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translated into actions. From, "lets switch beds,
mine will be more comfortable for you", to, "don't
take out any money please, I'll pay for the snacks",as though our friends were trying to make up for
having grown in a world with strained relations
and the onus is on our generation who havent
grown witnessing the gory partition, only heard
and read stories of the same.
Most conversations with one another revealed that
people across the border were willing to talk, well
aware of the fact that though we do lead similar
lives in many aspects, differences too, did exist.
Wajeeha Javed, was twenty, my age, engaged to
get married on completing her graduation.I heldmost of my fair and frank, one-to-one discussions
with herranging from Islam to Hinduism, from
why she couldn't care less to "slap hard any man
acting funny on the street". Her views seemed
familiar. I also got to sneak out for an exclusive
shopping trip with her a day before we had to
depart, travelled with her on bus, where there
were separate sections for women and men, and
yes got all the discounts I wanted.
All through the seven days I tried my best to
replace Hindi words with as much Urdu as I
could, and it was heartening being in anothercountry where there was not much of a language
barrier, at least when you spoke. But were there
any barriers at all? On my way back to what we
call 'home' this was a question I was still hoping to
find an answer to. But my idealistic self made it
clear that when you interact one-on-one, person-
to-person it should be without the burden of
politically erected barriers created on land or
textbooks, for, we exist as individuals after all,
irrespective of which cultural ethos or religion we
represent.
So on our flight back home when the Pakistan
International Airways plane was to take off and
the prayer was being read I didn't wonder as to
why must they say a prayer before a plane takes
flight, instead I closed my eyes and realised , it's
yet another question of the universality of faith
and we must appreciate one another and our
respective beliefsbeyond that we are all
individuals, representing the diversity of the same
planet.
Written by Smriti Vij
Saturday, 17 February 2007
It was my first stay in a hostel; my first visit'abroad' and I brought back memories of an
experience to be cherished for the rest of my life.
I had heard stories of my father's family shifting
from Pakistan to Srinagar and from there to Jammu
each time India and Pakistan fought on the
battlefield in the 1960s and 70s. Stories about
where you belong to often entice you towards
taking on journeys to trace your roots. As I stayed
in Delhi all through my life, having grown up
hearing that my father's family moved
from Muzzafarabad, a visit to Pakistan would be a
special one.
After a flying time out 35 minutes, we were out of
the plane and on to the road, welcomed warmly by
students and teachersthe first rendezvous
with our hosts. We were travelling on the brightly
lit Lahore highway and it took me a while to
register in mind that it was not Delhi, not even a
different city but a different country altogether. It
was night, the air was cool, the people were
warm.an entire family of women our age waiting
to receive us. As we reached Kinnaird College for
Women, our home for the coming week, familiarred walls welcomed us (familiar because Lady
Sriram College for Women, which we represented
has red brick architecture too). I was the lucky one
amongst our group of 11 who was put up as room-
mate with two of our hosts from Kinniard, that
meant I could spend more time interacting with
the 'other'.
Post midnight sessions on issues ranging from
what we want from life and whether we get it,
whether our societies permit us to dream and what
kind of dreams do we see for ourselves. This I felt,
was a true exchange. An honest exchange of ideas,thought, perception. At one level, it was two
college students talking, at a closer level, it was
two women talking.
While leaving for Lahore, my mind was too full
with questions about the place and its eoplethey
will be receptive surely, but will that be out of
diplomacy or will it be genuine. A week tightly
packed with site seeing, discussions and copious
amounts of food, passed and I felt that it sure
was..genuine..as what I saw was selfless hospitality
Plane to Pakistan: and 35 minutes to land!
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On some days, I buy him food from restaurants.
I came to know a lot about Pakistan and its people
through him. We exchange jokes and a lot of stories
about each others cultures.Alright, I am an Indian and
he is a Pakistani.Any third person would uncontrollably
get curious and wonder - What about Kashmir?
Whenever this name comes in our long conversation, we
suddenly become cautious and pause for a while not to
hurt each others attitude. Even when others mock us up
saying that India and Pakistan are eternal rivals and
how could we ever get along well as close friends. We
just reply that we are brothers who have some little
fights against each other at times.
I will go back to India in a couple of months once my
studies finish; but my time spent with this Pakistani
bhaiya will be an enduring memory etched in my soul
auguring well with the quote remembrances embellish
life. This bhaiya will go a long way in keeping mereminded forever that the spirit of humanity will
spontaneously and eventually diffuse into humanitys
hearts and emerge victorious in a world where people
are divided by differences in their minds.
To many, a student like me speaking about forging
India-Pakistan friendship might sound like a kid talking
about quantum physics. I dont think so, and I strongly
believe only the youths mind can be molded easily.
When we converse, we express thoughts like how united
were we before 1947 (before the India/Pakistan partition)
and why in the world should we have a difference in
opinions against each other later on? We have so many
similarities we speak similar languages, have uniqueart and music, dress alike, we have a cuisine that is same
and we were one family before we became neighbors.
Then how in the world did we ever let our paltry
differences outweigh our ubiquitous similarities?
Naseer Bhaiya and I unanimously agree that we have
our common enemies in various manifestations like
poverty, illiteracy, economic and scientific backwardness
and much more
Lets fight these common enemies
And not each other
In the end, all the religions of the world will not bring
eternal peace to mankind, but strong human-bonds will.
In this flat world of globalization, the day is approaching
fast when people will realize that
People are more important than policies and that the
spirit of humanity will rule eventually.
Written by Naveen Raju
Thursday, 12 April 2007
What do a hindu student from India and a muslim worker
from Pakistan, both in Malaysia presently, have in
common? Common opinion on human values!
I, Naveen Raju, study in a college in Seremban (65kms
from the capital Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia and I come all
the way from Coimbatore, India. I work part time in a shop
where Naseer Ahmed, who hails from Chiniot,
Faizalabad - Pakistan, also works.
I can remember well, when, on an autumn evening, we
became acquainted on the very first day we met in this
shop. At first, it was a casual self-introduction which
slowly lumbered up to become friendship. And by the time
when winter broke out, we were closest friends going
through the rough and tumble of life.
I call him bhaiya (elder brother) and he too calls me backas bhaiya - even though I am more than 20 years
younger than him.
In the beginning, I barely managed to communicate with
him since I knew a little Hindi and his way of
communication was Punjabi and Urdu - the languages that
mostly resemble Hindi. To mention, I come from India
where Hindi is widely spoken, whereas, I speak Tamil and
Kannada back home.
Now, I have picked up a lot of Hindi words and amassed a
whole lot of ways to express my thoughts in that language,
courtesy my relentless pursuit to communicate well with
this Pakistani bhaiya and, of course, the Hindi films which I
watch on many occasions. He, also a big fan of BollywoodHindi movies, has a small collection of them which we often
watch in leisure.
By observing the way he works, I learnt a lesson or two. I
could imbibe that he works hard to send money to support
his wife and three kids in Faizalabad. He is very thrift and
stretches every cent of money as far as it goes that,
sometimes, he even starves himself to save money.
All my previously held beliefs about Pakistan faded away
because of my friendship with this man. I developed a kind
of empathy upon this Punjabi man from Faizalabad,
Punjab - Pakistan and, to recall, it was surprising that our
countries, India and Pakistan, have fought three bitter wars
against each other.Some times, he cooks food by himself and heartily invites
me to his dinner. He makes such tantalizing Pakistani (or
Indian, of course!) rotis coupled with keema or chicken, or
mixed vegetable sabjis on some occasions.
U nleash India-Pakistan friendship - A student's plea
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Pride and Parochialism; O nly in the sub-
continent!Written by Usama Majeed
Saturday, 24 November 2007
I read with interest some of the contributions onthis site. Being of Pakistani Muslim background, I
can understand some of the resentment I note in
the language in a few comments of articles. I have
struggled with contradictory emotions myself in
the past until a voice from deep inside came up
with the answer; "Ask what you can do for
humanity not what humanity can do for you" (I
am sure Kennedy won't mind!). I understand thatthere may be (mostly perceived I might add)
grievances on both sides of the border, but the
cause is by no means unilaterally instigated.
Unfortunately, (and I say this with a great deal of
regret), the "experiment" (as Maulana Azad
described it) has failed miserably. When people
can't be allowed to have an open discussion on
this subject in my country, I am afraid no
progress in any fruitful direction is possible.
When we are denied the right to be a part of OUR
HISTORY going back thousands of years of
human civilisation, how can anyone be expectedto rise above silly parochialism. When there is this
inherent tendency to shun the "other", regardless
of who it is, having a strange sense of national
pride (what nation!) based on hatred of the
"other" (whoever that might be), what sense could
come out of it. I say this in the Pakistani context
as that is the reference closest to me; I am sure the
Indians have similar tendencies of their own to be
equally ashamed of!
In this 60 years history, based on denial of the
past 5000 years, what exactly do we have to be
proud of; that we are both "nuclear"! Is that ourbest achievement as the inheritors of an ancient
civilisation. Is this the best we could do! Is there a
human dimension to this all! Now we have the
capacity to destroy one another and we have
oined ranks with the handful of nations around
the world who possess this "distinction"; what a
shame! Shame indeed for what could have been
and what has become of us; ancient parochialism
reborn; well done!
How can we be proud of the sheer blatant poverty
we have in our part of the world.
How can we tolerate the images of the youngchildren rummaging through rubbish in the streets
of Karachi, Bombay, Calcutta or Dacca, with no
access to education or the minimum of human
decency, and still be proud; proud of what for
crying out loud!
If my sentiments are felt to be confronting by some
who log on to this site, I empathise but refuse to
apologise. I plead all those with rationalistic minds
to please help put an end to all the non-sense that
has plagued our world for so long; let us help each
other pick up the pieces and make something for
our future generations that they can really be proudof.
W ho is the enemy?
Written by Raza Rumi
Sunday, 01 July 2007
I am pleased to find this club hidden away in thelabyrinths of the internet. I would like to share a
translation of a poem "Kaun Dushman Hai" by Ali
Sardar Jafri - someone had sent it to me some time
back. Unfortunately, the name of the translator was
not sent with the text. I would be grateful if a
reader would like to clarify this.
You were slaves till yesterday, so were we.
And then came the season of freedom bathed in
showers of blood
Between you and us rage rivers of fire
Tall frowning barriers of hate
With a mere glance,
However, we can tear them down;
We can forget, forgive the cruel part;
And again embrace you, yes we can
But first you will have to break your swords,
And cleanse these bloodied garments;
After that we shall become no more strangers.
You bring us flowers from the gardens of Lahore,
We bring you light from the dawns of Banaras,
Freshness of the Himalayan breeze;
And thereafter we ask each other:
Who is the enemy?
Viewpoint
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A Voice of my H eart
Written by Mahreen
Wednesday, 07 March 2007
beautiful poem about the need of peace between Indiaand Pakistan.
Is se pehlay kay bahaut waqt guzar jaye,Tum aman aur pyar ke liye kuch kaam kardo.
Is se pehlay kay yeh pyar wali shaam kabhi na rahay,
Tum ek nayi subah is aman kay naam kardo.
Is se pehlay kay hum lartay lartay mar jayeen,
Tum mera ek chota saa kaam kar do.
Apne dil ki har dhadkan pyar aur aman kay naam
kerdoApne dil ki har dhadkan pyar aur aman kay naam
kerdo
Is se pehlay kay hamara naam layne wala koi naa
rahay,
kyun na hum ek acha kal apne aanay walon ke naam
kardein.
Is se pehlay kay yeah dunyia hum logo pe hansay,
Hum kyun na in logo ka munh hamesha ke liye band
kar dain.
Is se pehlay kay apne ye log ghurbat, bayrozgari semar jain,
Kyun na hum apna aaj in logo ke kal ke naam
kerdain.
Is se pehlay kay hum lartay larte mar jayeen,
Tum mera ek chota saa kaam kar do.
Apne dil ki har dhadkan pyar aur aman kay naam
kerdo
Apne dil ki har dhadkan pyar aur aman kay naam
kerdo
S arhad kay Paar tumne G har banaya
hain
Written by Magnus Sunshine
Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Itni taqleef main hain Ghalib,K Mahek phoolon ki bhi nahi aati!
Khusboohain fizaaon main,
Saanson sa kiyun mehroom rah jaati ?
Sarhad k Paartum ne ghar banaya ha,
Humse tumhe milne ki ijazat kiyun chin li jaati?
Khauff hain itna waadiyon main,
Masoom bachhon ki siskiyaansunaai kiyun nahideti?
Dard hain dafn itna seeney main,
Ashq palk on kneeche kiyun nahi aati?
Jubb kahte ho k dosti hain humare beech,
To siyasati zanzeereinkiyun nahi tootjaati?
Jubb alam muhabbat ka iss qadar hain uss paar,
To khhwab"humare aman ka" muqammmal kiyun
nahi ho paati?
Poetry
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K oshish
Written by Naresh Rana
Saturday, 17 March 2007
Rishto me esi kaai jami ki aaj shbab madhosh haiDilo me esi padi darare ki mudto se juban
khamosh hai
ek jaise ham ek fiza ek hi juban
Phir es dil me fark a gaya kahan
Milta hai sangeet, milte hai rasmo rivaaz
kya sarhde banne se bat jata hai jahan
Hoti ek jaisi sham, ek hi subah
Phir kyu badal gaye dil ke arman
Chahte tho hai ham girana ye deewar
magar lambe hai fasle -e- darmiyan
Dekh rahi hai rasta khamosh ye nigahe
shayad kahi juk aaye ye aasman
"K hwab" - a poem
Written by Shadow
Thursday, 18 January 2007
touching Hindi poem about India and Pakistan,
alongwith English translation.
Sansaar kay dher rango ka samanvay hai Bharat;Aur duniya ki khubsuratiyo ka ikhtilaat hai
Pakistan.
Suvichar, susheelta ka kaavy hai Bharat;
Tou haseen ghazalo ki maslihet hai Pakistan.
Apaar santo ki praarthna, maulviyo ki bhavna hai
Bharat;
Lekin aawam ki ibaadat, khuda ki bakhsheesh hai
Pakistan.
Par yuddh se asthhir, nirbal bana hai yeh sadradhBharat;
Aur usi jang se faatir mukaam par pahocha hai
pukhtah Pakistan.
Phir kyu aatank ke ghatao ke paav pasarta hai
Bharat?
Na jaane kyu fasaadi abr ki khwahish karta hai
Pakistan?
Nahi, yeh arth-heen Sangharsh nahi ichhati janta
Bharat ki,
Aur yeh khauf ki zindagi nahi chahta banda
Pakistan ka,
Aao saabit karein sarkaar ko, kya abhilasha hai hum
logo ki...
Aao yaqeen dilaye hukumaat ko, kya iraaden hai
hum awaam key!
Aaj hraday ki chot bhulakar, harday se lagein
hamare in yaar ko..
Sarhad aur mazhab ko chhor, aaj mauka de is pyaar
ko...
Phir Pakistan ki maitrayi par garv karega ek din
Bharat,
Aur Bharatiyo ke saath par naaz karega, usi din
Pakistan.
English Translation :-
Horde of global colors, is India;
And mark of mystic beauty, is Pakistan.
Rhyme of tradition, flow of virtues, is India;
Chime of verses, and holy hues, is Pakistan.
Where sanctifying hymns divulges glory, is India;
Where muezzin echoes embarks the mornings, is
Pakistan.
Land of wars, martyrs, which make us proud, is
also India;
Land getting nukes and the hype getting loud, is
Pakistan.
Sadly, we ego men who died in war, that we
waged....
Imprudently, we prance with bombs that we
engaged....
Duh! Lets hush this explosions once completely!
Either fight and finish, or rebuke the show of folly!
Because the sound of sage is heard no more,
Restrains of innocence is suppressed by uproar,
Because we want to live and not die and pain,
Because we want friends still, and we're not insane!
Lets brood over the balance sheet of this futile
enmity,And compare it with friendship, a bright possibility,
And then not impugn the mess we just made,
But wipe it off the shoulder and start ahead!
Lets conspire, lets desire, lets admire, lets get
higher,
Lets make sure that best friend of Pakistan, is India;
And the perennial strength of India, be Pakistan...
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Partition
Written by Gurpreet Singh
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
One land was divided into two parts,it is a matter of sorrow, not of art.
Some were crying and some laughed,
and many underwent blood bath.
Children were seperated from their parents,
it was in no way less than a world war.
No one could trust the other,
as anyone out there might be carrying their death.
Many were hiding in their houses,
saving there lives and holding their breath.
It was a horrible scene outside.
People were fighting with each other,
whom they had once, loved from their hearts,
May god, neither in hell repeats the past.
H um gandi galiyoon main pallay
Written by Mohammad Faraz
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
In ujlay mahloon ke talayHum gandi galiyoon main palay
soo soo bojh man par liye..
Mail aur mati tan pe liye..
Dukh sahtay, gham khatay rahay..
phir bhi hanstay gaatay rahay.
hum deepak, toofan mian jalay..
Hum gandi galiyoon mian palay..
Dunya ne thukraya hummay..
Rastoon ne apnaya hammay..
Sarkain maan, sarkain hi paata..
Sarkain ghar sarkain hi chitta..
Kyun aaye, kiya kar chalay..
Hum gandi galiyoon mian palay..
Dil mian choor kuch bhi nahi..
Hum ko parwa kuch bhi nahi..
Chaho tu nakara kahoo..
Chahoo tu awara kahoo..
Hum hi buray tum sab ho bhalay..
Hum gandi galiyoon main palay..
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Remembering Partition
Written by Sikandar
Wednesday, 13 June 2007
Taarik Shab hai Larzat-e-Khaab-e-Sahar GayeeSarpar Hamaaare ek Qayaaamat Guzar Gayee
Ghar Jal gaya mera, mere Ghar ke Chiraag Se
Aatish Bajaan Fiza hai Jidharko Nazar Gayee
Khanjar ne Mere, Mera Jigar Chaakh Kar Diya
Takleef Chaara Saazi-e-Zakhme-e-Jigar Gayee
Israar Zakhm-e-Dil na Dikhaayen tho Kya Karen
Qaatil ka Kaam Apni Talwaar Kar Gayee
Taarik Shab hai Larzat-e-Khaab- e - Sahar GayeeSarpar Hamaaare ek Qayaaamat Guzar Gayee
I T old H er A L ie!
Written by Rahul Mukherji
Thursday, 22 February 2007
I met a little girlsearching for her parents,from the wilderness of
the world.
I took a paper and
I pointed to the sky.
Rolled it,
and through it I saw a star.
I told her
that there they were
and looking happy.
They will come back soon.
She stared at me
I was on my knees to seea smile on her lips
and it happened.
She was happy,
there was no doubt.
But I tasted some salt
in my mouth.
Through my wet eyes
I could not see.
As I knew it was a lie.
Words from my eyes did start.
Blood burnt
around my heart.
Will loves bed be
always snowing here?
She seemed to hear
my silent voice.
But deaf were the mature.
Not love appeals to know peace.
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1: The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindh
6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived
from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navyis also derived from Sanskrit Nou.
2: The Taj Mahal is so proportionately constructed,
one never imagines that it is taller than the Qutb
Minar, the tallest minaret in the world! The Taj is
243 ft. in height while the Qutb Minar is only 239 ft.
3: India is one of only three countries that makes
supercomputers (the US and Japan are the other two)
4: In a case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, an
Indian-American woman scientist, Dr. Ananda
Chakrabaty, won the argument that persons may be
granted patents for useful manufacture of living
organisms. She defeated the U.S. Patent Office, that
argued that living things may not be patented, thus
establishing the legal foundation for the biotech
industry, (Diamond vs. Chakrabaty, 1980). Dr.
Chakrabaty invented a microbe that eats oil spills.
5: In the tower of the famous Se Cathedral in Goa,
which houses the holy relics of Sa. Francis, there is a
bell which can be heard in Panjim, 14 Kms. away.
And yet, when one stands next to the bell, its soft
melodious tones fall lightly on the ear.
6: The World's first university was established in
Takshashila (modern Pakistan) in 700BC. More than
10,500 students from all over the world studied more
than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in
the 4th century BC was another great achievement of
ancient India in the field of education.
7: The average person's left hand does 56% of the
typing.
8: Benazir Bhutto, who was assasinated in
Rawalpindi recently, was buried in her hometown
Larkana. Larkana, in the province of Sindh, is only 15
miles away from the ancient city of Mohenjodaro -famous as the showpiece of Indus valley civilization
from 5000 years ago.
9: Benazirs last name Bhutto is a modified version of
the original family name Bhatto which is actually a
village in the Indian state of Haryana. Benazirs
grandfather moved to Pakistan before Indias 1947
partition, and settled in the Sindh province. Benazirs
father Zulfiqar, who was educated in California,
changed the spelling of his last name to Bhutto.
10: Benazirs mother Nusrat Bhutto was Iranian-Kurdish
whose family are descendants of Saladin (Salahuddin
Ayubi), the famous 12th century ruler of Egypt and Syriawho defeated the Christian crusaders and conquered
Jerusalem.
11: On seeing the hopeless condition of one tenth of
India which was living in a hungry and half-starved
state Mahatma Gandhi pleaded with them to cease
bringing children into a world filled with, so much
misery and want.
12: Pakistan has some very special wildlife including the
Chiltan Markhor, (a mountain ungulate) and the
Balochistan bear. Lions, tigers and one horned rhinos
used to live here but are now sadly extinct.
13: The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail,
Himachal Pradesh.Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop,
this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
14: Pakistan`s national flower is Jasmine. That of india is
the lotus.
15: Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the
ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E,
and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the
world today.
16: The four religions born in India, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of
the world's population.20% of India's own population
does not belong to any of these religions.
17: Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to
humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated
Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
18: Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in
India.
19: Ronald Ross, awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology
or Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria, was born in
Almora, India, in 1857 .
20: The game of snakes & ladders was created by the
13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called
'Mokshapat.' . The game was played with cowrie shells
and dices. Later through time, the game underwent
several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e
good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-
births.
F un F acts
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IT IS THE MEDICINE OF FUTURE FOR SAFE CURES.
Homoeopathy: Ideal for children andInfantsBeing safe and natural, Homoeopathy works
excellently in kids who are spared from vast side-
effects of treatment by other systems of medicine.
Apart from being very effective in common
ailments of children, it also shows beautiful results
in their behavioural problems such as irritability,
stubbornness, phobias (fears), temper-tantrums,
thumb-sucking, nail-biting, bed-wetting as well as
in physical and mental retardation.
Homoeopathy can help you avoid Surgery
Homoeopathy is not against surgery. Surgery is an
art and science by itself. Surgery is called forth in
the conditions where medicines have limited or no
role, and where surgical aid (operation) can cure or
improve the condition.
But certainly there are number of diseases which
are labeled as 'surgical, but where homoeopathy
works curatively and can avoid surgery.
Some such ailments are : Septic recurrent Tonsillitis,Piles, Fissure-in-ano, Fistula, Appendicitis (except
gangrenous), Chronic ear discharge, Vocal cord
nodules, Polyp in nose-ear, Kidney & Gallbladder
(small) stones, small size Uterine Fibroid, Ovarian
Cysts, Warts , Corns, etc
An answer to psychological and
psychosomatic ailments
Stress, irritability, depression, paranoid behaviour,
all these are fruits of modern life-style and we have
no escape from these. They have become integralpart of our life. Homoeopathy is an answer to these
demons of modern living. These conditions can be
very effectively cured by homoeopathy thus
enabling us to take life in a positive way as it comes
and make us able to handle our problems with a
cool mind which is the primary need to thrive in
todays world.
I t i s no secret that Homeopathy is more a mystery
to most of us, t han medicine. Thi s arti cle by D r.
Kaur gi ves us a sneak peek i nto the w orl d of
Homeopat hy. I t removes t he veil shroudi ng t his
imp ortant system of medicine and places it i nto
our comfort zone.
Homoeopathy is an alternative method oftreatment, founded by German scientist Dr.
Samuel Hahnemann M.D (Allopathy) in 1796, and
has been verified experimentally and clinically for
200 years.
Homoeopathy is the revolutionary, natural
medical science, the remedies being prepared fromnatural substances to precise standards which
work by stimulating the body's own healing
power.
A Homoeopath doesnt believe in curing
individual diseased parts or organs of the body
rather he tries to bring harmony into the whole
system and strengthen it to the extent that body
starts its own curing process and repels the
disease.
Human body has enormous capacity to heal and
regenerate and this fact has been exploited by
Homoeopathic science in its endeavors to cure.
Why should Homoeopathy be the first choice of
therapy?
Homoeopathy is completely safe, has no side
effects (which are rampant with conventional
system of medicine) or toxic effects. It provides
long term to permanent cure of the disease and the
treatment is very cost effective as opposed to other
systems of medicine.
Homoeopathy is also a better substitute to
Antibiotics which are being so indiscriminatelyused these days. Homoeopathic medicines never
cause gastric upset and other common side-effects
while still doing the job perfectly plus it does not
stand the risk of fading out, as 1st generation or 2nd
generation antibiotics do, when newer ones arrive
in the market. The medicine which benefited you
20 yrs back would still be as effective.
H ave you ever been curious about H omoeopathy
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Busting the Myths
1: Homoeopathy is slow to act.
Homoeopathy is not at all slow in acting.
Rather it shows faster results than allopathy
or any other system in many instances
where case is handled properly.
Fault of perception and inability to act in the
required manner lies with the physician
concerned and not with the system.
2: Homoeopathy is a placebo
system of medicine
Biggest Bullshit that can ever be imagined.
If it were a mere placebo, it wouldnt have
traveled all the way from Germany to
spread all over the world and still not only
surviving with dignity but growing for
more than 200 yrs.!
3: Homoeopathy: Not a last Resort
To obtain the best results and full benefits ofhomeopathic science, one should resort to
homoeopathy in the early phase of sickness.
Because of ignorance and lack of awareness in
general public about the usefulness of
homoeopathy in all kinds of diseases ranging
from Common Cold to Cancer, many patients
approach homoeopathy late. By this time the
disease process advances to an incurable stage
and homoeopathy (or any other system of
medicine for that matter) can offer little then,
to the otherwise curable disorders.However timely given homeopathic
treatment could be a blessing to the ailing
humanity.
Dr. Manvinder kaur M.D
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Swat (Pakistan)
Location: Northeast in the N.W.F.P province ofPakistanAltitude: 975 meters
Best Time to Visit: May to October
Swat is the most historically interesting valley inPakistan. It is also one of the most beautiful ,green andfertile places on earth. In Lower Swat, the valley iswide, the fields on either side of the river are full ofwheat and Lucerne, and the villages are prosperous andsurrounded by fruit trees. The valley of Swat sprawlsover 10,360 sq. kms at an average elevation of 975metres. The maximum temperature in July is 38 C andminimum (during January) is 1 C. The normaltemperature is maximum 21 C and minimum 7 C.
For the historical and amateur archaeologist, Swatoffers several hundred archaeological sites spanning5,000 years of history. In 327 BC, Alexander the Greatfought his way to Udegram and Barikot and stormedtheir battlemens. Around the 2nd century BC, the areawas occupied by Buddhists, who were attracted by thepeace and serenity of the land.In the beginning of the
11th century AD Mahmud of Ghazni advanced throughDir and invaded Swat, defeating Gira, the local ruler,near Udegram. The land of enthralling beauty, whereAlexander of Macedonia fought and won some of hismajor battles before crossing over the plans of Pakistan.Swat was also the historical land where the Muslimconquerors, Mahmud Ghaznavi, Babar and Akbarfought their battles preparatory to conquest of SouthAsia.Popular Attractions:
Madayan Valley: An exact replica of the glorious Alpsin Switzerland. Like the Alps several mighty and highmountain ranges surround this expansive andenthralling valley.
Chail Valley is also a picturesque embode easilyaccessible from Madayan . Shanku .Bashigram Valley andMankial Valley are alsofrequented by visitors.
Buddhist Shrines In Swat:The report of Sung-Yun, who visited the enchantingvalley in the 6th century A.D, saya there were 6000images in the sacred monastery of Talo (Butkara). Themost famous of all the Chinese pilgrims, Hsuan-Tsangwho graced the valley by his presence in the 7th centuryA.D, mentioned 1400 monasteries in Swat, which
eloquently confirmed the extensive remains of theBuddhist period. Even today over 400 Buddhist stupasand monasteries may still be seen in ruins in Swatcovering an area of about 160 square km.The populer Buddhist stupas are:Butkara, Shingardar Stupa, Nemogram, Amluk DaraStupa, Najigram Stupa & Monastery,Janabad SeatedBuddha, Gumbatuna Stupa, and the Colossal Statue ofBuddha.
The valley can truly be called the Valley of Lakes,which not only feeds the emerald Green River Swat butalso provides ideal camping sites for adventurous peopleand nature lovers. Most of these lakes are hidden fromthe eyes of the common people due to their far-flunglocations and take three to seven hours trekking to reach
from the last village on the road.The frequented lakes are:Bashigram Lake (Danda), Daral Lake (Danda),Mahodand(Fish Lake),Saidgai Lake (Danda) and Kundal Lake (Danda)
Swat is the perfect package of enthralling naturalbeauty , opportunities for adventure, archaeology for thecurios, and piousness with its rich collection of religioussignature , as well as a cool and romantic hangout
PTDCMotel andSki Resort
SwatValley
The Colossal Buddha
Daral Lake
Aestheticbeautyof Swat
C ross C ountry E xpedition
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Kerala (India)Natural beauty, clean air and primordial greeneryamidst the vast expanse of water and sky, typifies thestate of Kerala better known as God's own country.If the strain of urban life has your nerves jangling,Kerala's popular Ayurvedic centres will help youunwind and drain the tension out of you.The state's richcultural past finds expression in dance forms like
Kathakali and Mohiniattam, while Kalaripayattu thetraditional martial art form of Kerala has been practisedfor ages.
Kerala tourism offers a great variety of travel
experiences. Whether it is about backwater tours ofKerala or a combi travel package, vacationers a reassured of a great holiday in Kerela.Beaches:One of the unique features of the beaches of Kerala arethe clean sands bound by incessant rows of palm trees.This adds to the magic created by sunbathing, boatingand swimming in these waters.Kovalam Beach, Papanasam Beach, Alleppey Beach,Kappad Beach, Bekal Beach, and Lighthouse Beachare the famous ones.Backwaters:The only way to discover the real Kerala is to cruisealong its backwaters. As you sail along on a houseboat
you drift into a land that time forgot and watch picture-book towns and ancient trading posts float by.
Monuments:Kerala is replete with monuments of historical andaesthetical significance. Bolghatty Palace, CheramanJuma Masjid, Cheruthuruthy, Alwaye palace, St.Sebastian Church, Bekkal Fort, Hill Palace Museum(Ernakulam) and Palace and Jewish Synagogue(Mattancherry) are some of the must visit destinations.Forts:
Kerala had been the hub of much political activity in the
past and has witnessed the influx of various foreignpowers, providing it a rich architectural heritage.Pallippuram Fort, Palakkad Fort, St. Angelos Fort,Bakel Fort and Dutch Palace are some of the beautifulforts.Hill Stations:
Situated along the western ghats, kerala is a land of vastnumber of hill stations. Ponmudi, Nelliyampathy,Lakkadi and Malampuzha are a tourist's delight.Lakes:There are 34 lakes in the state. Sasthamkotta Lake,Vembanadu Lake, Lakes of Alappuzha, Pookkode Lakeand Ashtamudi Lake make for ideal tourist destinations.
Wildlife:Kerala is the perfect abode forwildlife lovers. An abundant number of wildlifesanctuaries and bird reserves, inluding the famous
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary are present here.Temples and churches:A large number of temples and pristine era churchesmake kerala a great pilgrimage detination. Guruvayoortemple, Sabarimala temple, Malayattoor Church are thefamous ones.Waterfalls:Enchanting and serene waterfalls, located at Athirappallywelcome you at the entrance of the Sholayar ranges.Thommankuth waterfalls is another marvellous wonderof the nature situated at 74 kms from Cochin.
Kovalambeach
Ponmudihillstation
Chinnarwildlifesanctuary
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Taare Zameen Par
Director:Amir Khan
Music:Shankar,Ehsaan and Loy along with Shailendra Barve
Lyrics: Prasoon Joshi and Amol Gupte
Starring: Amir Khan, Tanay Chheda, Darsheel Safary, Tisca Chopra
Very rarely do you get to see a movie like Taare Zameen Par, which forces you toponder over the issue. This is a beautiful movie, sensibly made to appeal to all
sorts of audience across all strata of society. Hats off to Amir Khan for giving usan exceptional movie. Exceptional because it serves a higher purpose of art,
cinema in this case. Amir Khan has rocked it again ,not as a hero but as a director!
The real hero of this film is Darsheel Safary, who plays the role of an eight year
old kid, whose name is Ishaan Awasthi. This naughty little kid is least interested
in studies and sees a totally different world around him. He has already spent
two years in third standard, contrary to his elder brother who is very bright!
Frustrated, his father sends him to a boarding school as a punishment. Already
struggling with studies, Ishaan now has to deal with the pangs of separation. In
school, he goes from bad to worse, but no one seems to know the reason for his
dilemma. The truth is, he is dyslexic. In short, Ishaan has a learning disorder
marked by impairment of the ability to recognize and comprehend written words.But then Amir Khan(Ram Kumar Nikumbh) comes to rescue as his new arts
teacher. He spots the silent and brooding Ishaan and decides to help him.
The rest of the film is about how the shattered confidence of Ishaan is restored
and how he overcomes his disabilities and how he even surpasses his teacher in
his favourite passion painting. Darsheel Safary, for an eight-year-old gives off
an excellent performance worthy of a standing ovation. This is one bright lad who
has understood the character very well. Everything about Ishaan is perfect, from
his body language, to the way he delivers his dialogues to the expression in his
eyes which shouts for help.
The background score and music by Shankar Eshan Loy and Shailendra Barve is
excellent.
Over all a great movie.
Rating: Must watch
- Rashmi Patwardhan
M ovie Reviews
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ODHA AKBAR
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Music: A R Rehman
Starring: Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan
Release Date: 25 h January 2008
From the makers of Oscar nominated film Lagaan, to the critically acclaimed film
Swades, its Ashutosh Gowariker back in action with Jodha Akbar. It wouldnt bean exaggeration if it were said that, its the most awaited film since months. And
why not?! The crew is fantastic and technically speaking, should be a blockbuster
of the year. People have already started flooding the blogs with their reviews,
suggestions and expectations. The official trailer of the movie is already a big hit,
so is its background score. The sets, the costumes everything looks great! But is
this good enough to satisfy the public? Will the trio ( Gowariker, Akhtar and
Rehman) create magic again? Or will it be the Hrithik-Ash Jodi who will steal the
show? Well, all these questions will be answered only after watching the movie.
Till then we keep our fingers crossed!
Music Review:
Looks like the music maestro has done it again!!
The background score Azeem-o-Shehenshaa and Baharana
Are already big hits among public. The music release of Jodha Akbar was
suppose to be on 18th of December 2007, but got delayed due to some problems.
Its said that Rehman has made a hindi version of one of the songs from his album
Heaven and Earth which was earlier in Chinese and English. Instrumental tracks
have also been added in addition to the five audio tracks. With lyrics to match the
music, we can definitely expect great things!
Music Release: Some time in February 2008 (as the music release date keeps
changing).
- Rashmi Patwardhan
M ovie Reviews
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Wel come
Producer: Firoz Nadiadwala
Director : Anees Bazmee
Music: Himesh Reshammiya, Anand Raj Anand,Sajid Wajid
Lyircs: Sameer, Ibrahim Ashq, Shabbir Ahmed, Anjaan.
Starring: Feroz Khan, Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Paresh Rawal, Akshay
Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Mallika Sherawat.
WELCOME is a funny move by Bazmee. Its a kind of movie where no logic, nosense is required. The humour is pretty basic and even absurd at t imes, but it does
tickle your funny bone but the director stretches the joke too far. He overshoots
by almost half an hour! There are a lot of funny moments with well timed
comedy. But again, with such a good star cast one definitely expects more.
The basic story line: Paresh Rawal is in search for a perfect bride for his nephew,
Akshay Kumar. Unfortunately, Akshay falls for Katrina who is the sister of two
notorious thugs in the city, Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor. Meanwhile Anil
Kapoor has spotted Akshay Kumar on the streets and thinks that he is the perfectmatch for his sister.
Music is average. Tracks are repetitive with distinct Himesh Reshmiyya flavour.
Definitely NOT worth buying a Cd.
I would suggest this movie if you are damn too bored to do anything else.
One time movie and good entertainer in all (again considering the fact that you
are not logically analyzing it!).
Rating:
- Rashmi Patwardhan
M ovie Reviews
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34. An imaginary line through the center of the earth, from pole
to pole, around which the earth rotates.
36. A system of parallel, criss-cross lines, each line of which is
identified by numbers or letters, for example, on a map.
37. A narrow, deep valley with steep sides - many have a river on
their floor.
38. A -?- valley is a long, deep valley marking a major crack in
the earths crust. There is a "Great" one in Africa. In oceans, they
tend to run along the crests of oceanic ridges.
40. The capital of Portugal is -?-.
42. Cape -?- is the southernmost part of South America.
43. Because the word -?- pertains to producing (or caused by)heat, it is used in reference to clouds and nuclear reactions.
44. A large area with either level or rolling land - often treeless.
46. The capital of India is -?-. (two words)
49. The bed of a stream or river; the deeper part of a river or
harbor - especially a deep navigable passage.
50. Grassland; any of the open grazing areas of southern Africa.
(also:----t)
52. An island, especially a small one - used poetically, and in
place names
DOWN
1. Al