#KnowYourNeighbour: In Conversation with Sheharyar Rizwan
Do tell us something about yourself for the benefit of our audience. Hello. My name is Sheharyar Rizwan and I’m a journalist from Lahore. I work with the Dawn newspaper as a sub-editor/writer. I’ve been in this field for around 12 years and have mostly been associated with the print media. My interests are food, movies, music, learning about different cultures and countries.
Do you think we are still connected through our lifestyle and love for food? Tell us something about your experiences. My only experience with Indians has been indirect i.e. I’ve not been fortunate enough – as yet – to cross the border though I’ve been longing to all my life literally. I completely agree that we are connected through our lifestyle and cultures, and the love for food is one factor that brings both Indians and Pakistanis together. Whether it is masala-laden chicken or a spicy vegetable or an all-time favourite like the gol gappa (pani puri), ours foods are deceptively similar and people on both sides love to eat. We share commonalities in cultures, love for family as an institution, language, lifestyle, our obsession with music and movies, there’s so much more that it’s not easy to identify an Indian and a Pakistani together. Even at times of grief in our neighbouring country, we come together to condemn, to express and stand in solidarity and raise our voices to fight the evils that plague our societies. So its not just happiness that brings us together, grief also keeps us close. The differences are all in our minds.
In your opinion, how can India and Pakistan benefit from each other? India and Pakistan are faced with more or less the same problems, from terrorism to economy to poverty and education. Pakistan has a booming textile and food industry, India has a better economy and cultural exchange prospects, for example, it can help Pakistan evolve its economy. India has often offered Pakistan electricity, which we’re still struggling to provide to the entire country. Why can’t we share with each other what’s good on our side? For the larger benefit of our peoples? But that’s only possible if the two sides start thinking for their people rather than indulge in bloody politics that’s not benefiting either side.
How do you think your trip to India/Pakistan has helped you break stereotypes? I haven’t been to India yet, unfortunately.
What have your experiences taught you about the other country? My indirect experiences with Indians have only reinforced my opinion that Indians and Pakistanis aren’t really different. Both sides have all sorts of people, both are loving, hospitable, friendly, fun with so much in common that you don’t feel you’re talking to some alien, as some people on both sides feel about the other side.
How can we, as citizens, initiate friendly relations between the two countries? As citizens, firstly we need to make up our minds about what we want and what we think about our dear neighbours. We need to talk to people around us, share our experiences and make them realize that the stories we hear from the media are and will always be twisted or sensationally one-sided; they don’t have to be true. What’s true and more believable is our own interaction with someone from across the border; we don’t need to and shouldn’t rely on hearsay even if it’s from the media. Our civil societies are vibrant now and are making exceptionally great efforts to bring people of the two countries closes even when their governments continue to be embroiled in their dirty politics. We need to participate in for a that promote peace with the other country and push our governments to at least relax rules and procedures for people-to-people contacts so that the common man doesn’t suffer from the games politicians and militaries play.
In your opinion, how is social media playing a role in bridging the gap between the two countries? I strongly believe social media is the biggest tool so far that has brought peoples on both sides this close. Whatever distance has been covered is due to social media. It has given and opened up so many platforms for ordinary people to communicate with the other side through video, audio or text messaging. And even if we can’t meet, I feel this little communication we’re having is proving to be greatly beneficial and should continue.
Your message for war mongers? For war mongers, I suggest they give peace a chance. Broaden their horizons. War is not an option in today’s globalised and developed and fast moving world where we need to first think about out people and then our differences. It’s very easy to hate someone on the basis of hearsay and past follies, but we forget that everyone makes mistakes, no side is infallible or has been unstained. We have both made mistakes and indulged in a lot that we shouldn’t have. For the sake of our future generations, let’s forget the past and move on because until we let go of our pasts we can’t build a better future for ourselves and our coming generations.