I studied for 2 years in an Indian school in Saudi Arabia and another 6 years in an Indian School in UAE, after which I moved to India.During the time I spent at school in the Middle East, I’ve played, studied,danced, and done everything else that kids do at school with other children who hail from our neighbouring country Pakistan. The only time I had anything against Pakistanis was during a India-Pakistan cricket match in Sharjah.
I dont know where the hatred grew.Maybe it was Kargil that hurt me.All those men who dedicated their lives so that we can goto bed in peace everynight. Maybe it is all the bollywood movies where a Pakistani is, in most cases, the bad guy.How many movies have a Paki guy as the good guy?It just doesnt sell.
I told myself, that there is no point in hating something so much for reasons I have no control over.Its just negative energy.And just when my hate level was decreasing, 26\11 happened.And this time I was deeply hurt.I cried.They raped my country.I cried.
Again, I had all those unanswered questions in my head.Why does Pakistan do it?Is this what the people of pakistan want?Is this hatred there somewhere deep down in the heart of every pakistani?I thought about it so much that eventually it reached saturation and the questions started fading.But I was hurt, and the hatred remained.
I came back to Dubai and joined my new office.Dubai is a spectacular city literally built up from nothing by Indians (Mallus in particular) and Pakistanis.Everytime I meet a Pakistani, there is an awkward pause in the conversation after the ‘Where are you from?’ question.My face gets the ‘hurt’ look and I go speechless.
After two such incident with people who have been really nice to me(A paki guy at work even helps me with my bags when I juggle with my camera , handbag and gym bag), I told myself , that its not the people of Pakistan and I told myself that I shouldnt keep such hatred.
I’ve improved in the last couple of days.I had some interesting converstaions with Paki taxi drivers on my way to and from work. About how similar Lahore and Delhi are and about holi celebrations in Lahore and projects coming up in Karachi.And the less hatred I accumulate, the more positive I feel.The more positive I feel, the happier I am. 
I cannot hate every Pakistani because of the actions of its leaders.I wouldn’t want anyone to hate me for the things that the guys who run our country do.
Lets just follow what JC said, ‘Love Thy Neighbour’ (even if he is a pain at times), because they are all not realy Bad people .
Live, let Live and Love.
Good to see ya back! hang in there… ciao 4 now…
I liked that “JC”
.
.
Couldn’t stop giggling.
The reason is (a bit funny/private/dirty/../.. thou!). We men/boys (appa,big bro,me,yng bro) use only white color undies and to distinguish we do have JC,PJ,JJ,TJ marked on them based on our name respectively
I hope you realise v r talking about Jesus Christ here!
I really donot know..I havent met many pakistanis but i will sure be speechless and not sure about what to speak when i have seen them abuse us so much in the online space..I really donno..what my reaction will be..
Good one!! After all, there are some nice bunch of people in every dirty crowd!!
I understand what you feel and actually there is a logical answer to your confusion. In my last 1.5 years of stay in UAE, apart from many taxi drivers, I have communicated at length with our 2 company drivers who are Pakistanis. And this is what I feel.. The Pakistan that borders or “neighbours” India is almost similar to India. The punjabi culture, the language, customs, food habits etc are very similar. The right-half of Pakistan is predominantly punjabi… including cities like Lahore and Karachi and that is where you feel the similarities, the festivities etc. Even the food of Karachi Darbar is loved by Indians because of its punjabi touch.
But as you go towards the upper western part of Pakistan, the afghan influence starts building up and the population predominantly changes to Pathans & Afghans. These people are majorly hardiners and violent. And that is I believe the breeding ground of all hatred and terrorism. Ofcourse that is why most of the internal fighting is going on in that part of pakistan only while cities like lahore and karachi are on their usual business.
That is why when we meet two diff pakistanis, we feel two diff emotions. Although most taxi drivers are pathans here but they have already spent so much time here that they have a totally changed thinking now and that is why we like to talk to them at times.
I also love to talk to them very much. Rather a few days back I was sitting in a mall food court and having lunch when a teenager boy and a cute lil girl came and asked to sit with me. As it was peak time, all the other tables were occupied so I allowed them. They were clearly pakistanis but the lil girl was wearing salwar kameez with beautiful bangles and a bindi. She was 99% same of what my lil sister looked like in her age. and even she called her brother ‘bhai’ just the same way my sister still does! They lived in Lahore, very near to my grandfather’s college and I live in Delhi very near to where their grandmother’s sister lives. After seeing all this, the whole concept of hatred becomes a joke! I believe if we shed our politically driven hatred, we could be the best of friends this world has ever seen!
But then, the same cannot be said for the western pakistan which is as unknown to me as probably vietnam!
Therefore, love thy neighbour, but dont go too far in the neighbourhood 
I was surprised to hear from one of my Pakistani colleagues who works with me in New York that in their school’s History books, they read more of anti India & less about their own country.
So for anyone who goes to school, his upbringing will have anti-Indian sentiments.
Also for any human being, most imp thing is to make sure that he has bread & butter for his family. And its when the resources for eating are no longer, then it is very easy to change the mindset of such people.
Unfortunately since Independence, Pakistan never had a stable Govt, so their economy never improved. Whatever they had, they spent in fighting against India. So there r many youths who r illetrated, poor.
Its easy for their agencies to turn those poor people into millitants & use them against India.
I have no hate feeling against Pakistani people, but I think that its high time where Bollywood should stop promoting Pakistani based musicians, singers.
Our cricket board is trying best to isolate Pakistani cricketers, even Bollywood should do the same.
I dont agree with you Nimesh. Putting a cork on the issue isnt the best way to solve it. I dont know what is, but this definitely isnt it .
and..Some of our best music does come from Pakistan.
I have also spent half of my life till now in the Middle east. I did my schooling at ADIS
. I could relate to every word from your post as that is what I also feel towards our neighbours, be it the pathan taxi drivers or the khabush makers. In Abu Dhabi and Dubai we all are one.
If you would have traveled in the taxis in Abu dhabi, some of the taxi drivers used to play the old Pashtu songs. When I used to hear them, i used to realize most of Altaf raja’s songs were direct lift from them.
@harishk on twitter