of the British India on August 14, 1947 and then the next day, August 15, 1947
India got her independence.
As a Pluralist, I have always worked on the concept that we all belong to
the same family of Nations. Back in 1993, I started a Newspaper called
Asian News, with a page each dedicated to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal
and Sri Lanka.
In 1996, I started Asian News Radio, which continues today as Fun Asia Radio. A
few years later when Rehan Siddiqi took over the radio to 24/7 programming, I
continued to do different programs, and one of them was during the month of
August, from the 1st through 15th I shared a
different aspect of the subcontinent from the cultural, geographic, ethnic,
cuisine, clothing, singing to politics to national heroes of the nations.
What remains nostalgic to me was August 14th and 15th –
on that day I took live calls asking Indians to sing the Pakistani national
songs, and it was amazing so many Indians had learned the songs, and vice versa
happened on the 15th, our Pakistani friends sang Indian national
songs.
one land to the other and vice versa, perhaps it was the greatest human
migration in a single week ever. Of course it came with massive suffering –
people killing and butchering each other on both sides. Unless we both people
learn to acknowledge that the suffering and infliction of misery was mutual, we
will continue to harbor ill-will and inject that in our kids. Some people live
with hate and ill-will until they die and never receive the true freedom.
I hope we all grow up and not carry this forward or run the sewer of hate
in our kid’s veins.
Indian friends. As an Indian, I will do my own celebrations, reflecting on what
I can do to contribute towards the wellbeing of my motherland: India.
Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator on Pluralism
at work place, politics, religion, society, gender, race, culture, ethnicity,
food and foreign policy. All about him is listed in several links at www.MikeGhouse.net
and his writings are at www.TheGhousediary.com and 10 other blogs. He is
committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic solutions on
issues of the day.