Cross-border friendship in Rome

Vijay Sabharwal

IT’S been seven decades since the Partition, but the relations between India and Pakistan are still complex, verging on hostility. Most people don’t know what goes on across the border, except what their media tells them. But there are many who refuse to harbour animosity against the other. And therefore, whenever they come across each other, they rarely see an enemy. In fact, owing to the similarity in food, culture and language, they tend to become friends with greater ease. I observed this during an exchange programme initiated during the tenure of the Vajpayee government. It is heartening to see those visitors maintaining ties with their counterparts to date. In my own experience, too, I have noticed during my foreign visits that whenever people from these two nations meet, especially in a third country, they go out of their way to help each other. My recent visit to Rome further strengthened my perception about the other side and the desire for amity.

I went to enquire about the city tour bus for Vatican City and found that it would cost 22 euros for a ticket and 40 for two. On my way back to the hotel, I was approached by a man offering me two tickets of another bus company for just 36 euros. Apparently, my familiar appearance in a foreign country prompted him to ask if I was an Indian. His face gleamed with joy when I nodded. ‘I am from Pakistan.’ I told him that I was born in Eminabad (now in Pakistan), to which he zealously responded that he was from Lahore.   

We began talking. I told him that though I didn’t know much about Pakistan, as I was a child when we moved to India, I had fond memories of my father’s friend, Sheikh Mohammad Ali, who had retired as Principal of Dayal Singh College, Lahore. ‘I used to call him Chachaji and he often visited our place even after the Partition.’ A look of astonishment crossed his face and he exultantly took my hand in his own, saying he was a graduate from Dayal Singh College, and coincidentally, his father had studied under Sheikh saheb in the same college! 

‘See how close we are, but it is the politicians who have separated people of the two nations,’ he sighed.

Introducing himself as Hanif, he further reduced the ticket price to 32 euros. Meanwhile, my wife joined us. He greeted her and started explaining the itinerary for the tour. When she told him that except for Vatican City we had already visited the rest of the places, he asked us not to waste money on the bus tour, and rather take the Metro. He took us to the nearby station and helped us buy return tickets for only 3 euros each. While we were lauding Hanif on our way back, we happened to meet another Pakistani who got us delicious biryani at reduced rate as a gesture of goodwill.

While cherishing Rome’s memories, Hanif’s words often make me ponder whether it is the lack of political will or positive vision that is not allowing these two nations to embrace each other. Whatever it is, the people don’t desire perpetuation of this separation.