Unwilling Enemies

India and Pakistan were two flowers of the same plant. One plucked and planted on a different land, surprisingly enough what grows is nothing but the same plant again. What was the point ?

 I am an Indian. That's my nationality. I am not an Indian only because I was born in the geographical region called India but also because this has been fed to me since I was a child. Everywhere around me be it at home, school, college; the identity of my nation has been fed to my mind. The idea of being an Indian does not come alone. It brings along the idea of being the arch enemies of Pakistan. People always define Pakistan as the other. Be it cricket matches (which, by the way, are no less than wars between the two countries) or politics or even boundaries for that matter. Indo-Pak border is not like any other. It is breathing patriotism, instead of the winds there is patriotism blowing everywhere, with songs, flags and what not, constantly trying really hard to demarcate the region, establish the fact that this is India and that on the other side, a few meters away is Pakistan. I wonder how did we become enemies in about a few months time (not to forget we all got "influenced" like they wanted, so we acted like they wanted) enemies enough to breed the hatred in all generations to come. In spite of all this, I could never recognize Pakistan as the 'other'. Aren't we one ?

Are we not a whole ? The way I see India is never without Pakistan. When I look at the political map of our country and see Pakistan as a different one, all I feel is regret. Regret of having lost something so indispensable and impersonal that I wish we had not.

Think about the places, the monuments, the markets that we will, most probably, never be able to visit. All we will see of Pakistan is what media has to show and what we have watched in films and Zingadi (the channel). Not all of us will be fortunate enough to get a first hand, personal account, telling details of how are the people, the places, the streets, the air, the men ;) in Pakistan. The TRP ratings of Zindagi are enough evidence of the amount of "hatred" Indians have for Pakistanis. The division has not only taken away a piece of land and what it has to offer, but also, a culture all together. While watching Zindagi for the first time, I wondered why do people not talk like that in India, I would have loved to talk like that. That's when it struck me, the loss of a culture all together, It ranges from the clothes they wear, language they speak, the television they produce and every other man made thing possible. But what they couldn't divide and remains immovable is the air we breathe, the rivers that comes through, the mountains we share, the feelings of many others like me in both countries who detest such political demarcations  and everything natural that was beyond their power to divide.

When one stands on a mountain top or maybe looks down from a plane flying high up in the sky, one realizes how feeble, in existent  and irrelevant are these boundaries in the eyes of the creator, who still sees them all as one, a large piece of land he created and nothing more.

Because My Master Says So!

                                           

 Dear God/Men/Writers of history/People in power,

 In a far away galaxy, unknown to us, beyond the reach of learned “men”, there exists a genderless society. A space where young girls do not  grow up listening to the tales of “a knight in shining armor” rescuing a “damsel in distress”. Where greatness does not come naturally to men, and women are allowed to serve more purpose than just bearing sons, who would one day be as glorious as their fathers. A region where, public and private spheres are not apportioned as masculine and feminine zones, respectively,  and a double-standard of virginity and promiscuity does not apply to the two sexes.

But, I must not speak of such things. My masters- my fathers, husbands, brothers and even, older women, see it as a “corruption of the mind and soul”. I am a woman. I need to be grounded by protectionism. My betters have told me, that, women are innately diabolical seductresses and need to be reprimanded frequently. I believe them. They are my Gods, they infantilise me to save the world from doom that I may cause. So, I have internalised my inferiority and accepted endless subjugation,  as my destiny. I must not think of studying, they say.  Women who possess such an outrageous mandate are evil, they contaminate the male territory by trying to enter it. Thus, illiteracy is "chosen" for me. I fear to even glance at a paper with words on it. How criminal it is of me, to even think of it !

Soon will come the time for me to leave. All women should be given away to another man, to ensure their parents' place in heaven. I too, would be "exchanged" as a property. But so I must, before I shame my family by being involved with a young boy, who would write love songs to me. I might seduce him into loving my body. After all, there is a seductress in every woman. I will be married to a man much older. How can a young boy limit my wanton self?

Now that I have a new master-my husband, I  must fear and obey him. I must lie down still, submissively, while he climbs on top of me and does what was promised to him in marriage. A license to make love. An ideal woman submits to her master, so shall I. Then, I will bear his sons and nurture them, so that, once they grow up into fine gentlemen, their brilliance can be proudly credited to their father, while I smile and applaud my master's eminence.

My husband and his sons will rule the outside world, while I am supposed to be happy in the dark insides of my house. If I am not, who am I to tell ? So, I will be. I will cook for them and serve them, until, my sons are married. Then, they will get their own help-maids. But my job doesn't end here. I will teach my daughter-in-laws, what I was taught. I will make them learn the gospel, 'because the master says so'. I thank Gods each day, for blessing me with my master. The base birth of mine would have led me to do monstrous things, without their dominance.

I have heard of some "new women", who fight against our godfathers and their norms. Not only have they learnt how to read and write, but they also go out in a man's world and earn. They discard the long prevailing system of society and strive to define their own roles. They question our "authorities". They demand as much as a right to vote. Their revolt I think is praiseworthy and should continue. But, I heard my master criticise them. They must be the "evil", unchecked women, I was always told about. I should not appraise them, lest my master should hear!

                                                                                                                                  - Woman