Natural Affinity

Shootings, killings across our borders: no respite even for the New Year.

It was the film "Filmistaan" that I watched on an official DVD in my living room that proved a salve for my agitating spirit. I recalled my own experience bonding with the Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal teams when thrown into international conferences twenty five years ago. We were the 'poor', no credit cards, miniscule daily allowance, dowdy clothes. Grouped together as the sub continent team we proved formidable in competing in team tasks. What bonhomie in language....Hindi, music of Kishore Kumar, R D Burman, gazals of Mehdi Hasan Saheb, films of Amitabh Bachaan and Rajesh Khanna. Ah the food and debates on kebabs cooked best in Hyderabad, Lucknow or Lahore. Fish fried in Kerala, Kolkata or Dacca. We were friends and cricket was the passion as we held ourselves superior to the affluent west.

It seems so foolish to get riled on the rhetoric of people whose job it is to use it for their survival. Why and when did one stop listening to the natural affinities that connects us secretly, mysteriously, unseen?

My friend from Dacca has migrated to Australia, the lad from Pakistan who pulled me on to the dance floor after years of sitting out, lives in Islamabad holding an excellent position.

I send them festive greetings.