Jain sees more commonness than division between India, Pak

CHANDIGARH, Feb 17: No more alienation, neither that feeling of hostility or suspicion; the message from across the border this time seem...

CHANDIGARH, Feb 17: No more alienation, neither that feeling of hostility or suspicion; the message from across the border this time seems clear 8211; quot;boundaries may divide but let hearts unitequot;. A delegation of 40 MPs who spent six days in Pakistan, returned saying: quot;We never felt we were in an another countryquot;.

There was warmth and bhai-chara in the welcome Pakistanis extended to the parliamentarians8217; goodwill mission. quot;It was apparent that the common Pakistanis are anxiously awaiting the Indian PM, Atal Behari Vajpayee, who is to reach Lahore by bus on February 20,quot; said local MP Satya Pal Jain, a member of the delegation.

The MPs met, among others, senior Pakistan leaders including PM Nawaz Sharif and former PM Benazir Bhutto at Islamabad and Lahore. Interacting with their Pakistani counterparts and common people, the Indian MPs discussed issues of bilateral concern and conveyed the message of peace and friendship to the people of Pakistan on behalf of the people of India. The delegation, led by former Union minister Balram Jakhar, which returned to India on February 16, was reportedly the first-ever delegation of Indian parliamentarians to Pakistan after partition. It included prominent MPs K.R. Malkani, Sushma Swaraj, Shanta Kumar all BJP, Madhav Singh Solanki, Kapil Sibal, Meira Kumar all Congress, Arif Mohammad Khan BSP and Vasudev Acharya CPM.

Jain, on his return here told ENS: quot;No matter how harsh the physical division, the basic feelings remain the same on both sides of the border. Everyone there seems to be anxiously waiting for the Indian PM, as there is a desire for more interaction and they want to continue the dialogue between the two nations despite certain sensitive issuesquot;.

During the interaction of the delegation, Jain said, when someone talked about quot;melting the icequot; between the two nations, senior Pak leaders felt it was time quot;to break the ice now, as melting would take too longquot;. The Pakistanis reciprocated the sentiment of goodwill extended by the delegation. They felt that there was scope for improving the atmosphere of goodwill, mutual trust and co-existence, he said, adding that, the fear of nuclear war also stalked Pakistanis.

The Indian MPs suggested exchange of Indian newspapers, magazines and cultural troupes between the two nations to the Pakistan premier, as well as allowing simultaneous celebration of Indian and Pakistan festivals in both countries. The MPs also expressed their appreciation for those who had initiated the bus-service.And, as the popular song quot;Tum paas aaye, yun muskuraye8230;.quot; from the Hindi film Kuchh Kuchh Hota Hai blared loudly on the streets of Lahore or Islamabad, there seemed no difference in culture, language or eating habits of the two nations; as to the people, it seemed they never were divided.That is perhaps why there is a reflection of Chandigarh in the physical fabric of Islamabad; also why a Pakistani is ready to pay 20 times the price for an Indian film magazine and also why an Indian blockbuster film is as much a craze there, as it is here.

There is, thus, more commonness than division. And, Pakistanis are realising this more than before.