Redefining Cross Border Friendships: Meet Yash and Saaim

Yash Nimkar and Saaim Valiani are currently final year students at the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York, USA. In a candid Interview with Lighthouse Project , the young lads talk about their friendship, their plans of travelling across the border and how social media can bring the two neighbors close

1. Tell us about yourselves? What brought you both to the States?

Yash : I was born in Mumbai, India and grew up here till the age of 18. I then decided to purse by undergraduate degree in computer engineering in the USA at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2012 and have been studying there since.

Saaim: I am a Computer Engineering student at RIT. I was born in Pakistan and my parents moved to the States when I was young so that I could obtain a good education.

2. How did you meet each other? Did you ever think of having a cross border friend before?

Yash: I met Saaim freshman year during one of my math classes and since we were in the same major we became good friends and worked on projects together. Being the USA, you will always find diversity and people from different backgrounds and cultures. Even within my major today, I have a lot of friends from different cultures and countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Russia, and of course America.

Saaim: I met Yash in one of my classes in my freshman year. I came to find out the Yash was actually in the same major as me. I have quite a few friends from India that I met before I entered college.

3. Has your friendship changed your perception about the country across the border? Did it help you to move beyond the planted beliefs and image about your neighbor?

Yash: Even when I grew up in India, we always thought about Pakistan as an equal and never looked at it in a negative sense. I always portrayed Pakistan as a country rich of heritage, culture, and good people. I got to learn some new interesting things about Pakistan and its culture from Saaim, and it was enriching.

Saaim: I would not say that it changed my perception about India because I never had a negative perception about the country or Indians. I have always gotten along with my Indian friends. I find discriminating against Indians just because I am Pakistani to be ridiculous.

4. In your opinion, is there any rivalry or hatred between Indians and Pakistanis in the States?

Yash: In USA, since there is so much of diversity, I really don’t think there is an animosity or hatred among the people of both countries, at least among all the people I know and all my friends. There is probably a rivalry among people in the countries itself (India or Pakistan), but then again I think it is mostly among the older generations who are stuck to their views. I think the younger generations are more understanding that way.

Saaim: I have not personally seen any rivalry/hatred between Indians and Pakistanis in the States. If there is any rivalry/hatred, it most likely exists in the generation(s) before ours. I have never seen any hatred between Indians and Pakistanis in our generation.

5. Have you ever wanted to visit the neighboring country? What are the places or cities you would like to see while visiting the neighboring state?

Yash: I would like to visit Pakistan one day, especially the Lahore and Karachi. I have read so much about the Pakistan culture and cities from History class in school that they seem like good places to visit.

Saaim: I would love to visit India one day, I have always wanted to. I would like to visit Mumbai, New Delhi, Goa, Jaipur, and Agra.

6. How have your respective families responded to your friendship?

Yash: My family thinks Saaim is one of the smartest students in Computer Engineering at RIT and they know we have worked on many projects together over the years, so they are always happy that I have a good friend like Saaim.

Saaim: My family likes that Yash is a good friend of mine. They always ask if he is doing well.

7. How has social media played a role in bridging the divide between both the countries? Do you believe it can be used as a tool of peace?

Yash : Yes I think social media can be used to promote peace between the two countries. In today’s digital world, social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc are the very important in portraying certain messages or to help in awareness and can definitely help promote peace and friendship between India and Pakistan.

Saaim: Social media can definitely be used as a tool of peace. Without social media, it can be difficult to communicate with people in another country. It helps to spread awareness about different cultures and why each culture is great and unique.

8. What would be your message to people living in India and Pakistan about the power of love, peace and tolerance?

Yash: I think everyone should just live in peace and not live in the past. Older generations tend to create a divide for themselves or among other people for the events that happened in the past, but we cannot be stuck in the past forever. Both India and Pakistan have come long ways since independence and the people have made great progress in all fields and have achieved a lot of success over the years. We are in a good peace state now where people from both countries like each other and work with each other freely.

Saaim: Love is the most powerful force. It helps to bridge gaps and to promote peace. There is no reason to hate another person because they live in another country, even if there was a conflict in the past. Being fixated on conflicts in the past will not help to resolve conflicts in the present or the future.