#KnowYourNeighbour: In Talks With Mr. Ashfaq Hussain
1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Call me an explorer and a reader, I keep close to my favorite people, love food and never say no to a never-ending supply of a brimming cup of piping hot tea! I am actually an ancient man born more than half a century ago in a small town in the northern part of India when internet was an alien thing and there was no toy called a Smartphone!
2. Do tell us more about your family here in India. What is your earliest memory of India?
All the memories of my childhood days, the founding days as one may call them, belong to India. I lived in a small town where everyone knew each other. In the closely knit village, life bustled with the splendor and vigor of youth. Both time and life were simple and much less complicated.
My fondest memory is of the sweets from the well-known Buddhu Halwai. I still long for them, especially the ‘gajar ka halwa’.
3. When was the last time you visited India? Do you have any relatives and friends here?
I have some relatives who live here. The last time I visited India was some ten or eleven years back for my niece’s wedding.
4. Please share your most memorable experience in India.
I had a big family with lots of cousins and friends with whom I share a handful of mischievous memories. We used to commit all sorts of mischief but our collective talent was that we managed to never get caught.
5. Which city have you always wanted to visit across the border? Is there any special reason for the same?
These are many places I would like to visit and explore. Given the beauty and magnificence of the ‘Taj Mahal’, I sure you can guess that it is one them.
A very pretty Delhi girl has promised to give me a tour of “Qutub Minar’. She says the monumental beauty is remarkable and it accentuates further during the hazy hues of winter. So that is on my bucket list too.
6. Do you think we are still connected through our lifestyle and love for food?
Definitely! It's the same heart that beats across both sides of the border. The grass is green on both sides of the fence. The beautiful transition yet consistency of sentiments can be seen when the love for a crisp cotton White Kurta shalwar turns into the love for crisp cotton White Kurta pajama in India. The tongues on both sides relish biryani and unabashedly shows the sheer love for it. In the end no matter where you belong to, it is the same thing which gives us life – the air we breathe.
7. Bollywood/Pakistani Dramas are popular in our respective countries. Do you think we need more easy access to entertainers from both sides?
Absolutely. I think the recent bans and prohibitions enacted due to unfortunate incidents are really disheartening and causes a huge loss to both sides in terms of both talent and money. An an easy flow of talent and foreign exchange would only benefit all. I am sure we all miss those high intensity Indo-Pak cricket matches.
8. How do you think we can break stereotypes?
I think entertainers are the best way to reach maximum people. The more we involve in cross border recruitment of entertainers, the better is. We should set up stronger business ties, allow and espouse cross border connections via all possible means and channels. Let love brew in the most hate sunk corners and see the countries prosper.
9. How can we stand firm against internal hate brewers? What is needed to be done?
For starters, we need just end the verbal war on social media platforms. We can put the facility of the Internet and technology to much better use. The altercation leaves people with a bitter attitude towards each other and does not help anyone accomplish any just view.
10. Do you think we get a glimpse of our shared history through our monuments or national heritage?
I definitely think we can. We have always been ‘one’ people and shared a deep bond and our monuments and history reflects the same.
11. Please tell us about yourself and your first brush with the divide which exist between India and Pakistan?
I am a big cricket fan and every time there is a cricket match, the tension and drama around it takes all forms of ideas about the divide. It is a difficult to explain how we are all different yet the same.
12. What is your message to Indians and Pakistanis?
Don't get beguiled by the political propaganda. Keep humanity at the highest pedestal and bury all hate.