It's Politics Uber Alles In Kashmir ..... And India

tahmed:

As for my celebrations, I already posted something suitable on UP under "to pakistani chowkies". :)

tahmed#225:

I think that you know my views about Pakistani politics. I would celebrate if in a couple of years, the Pakistani civilian society does not get disillusioned by Pakistani politicians' shenanigans, which the politicians inevitably indulge in, and start wishing for another strong man to save them.

dost mittar: agreed. thus - living in North America, both you and I obviously have strong roots (i.e. emotional ties and interests with the panjab, with the respective religions and countries we were born in). and indeed, it is these strong roots that make it possible for us to have the self-confidence needed to appreciate the great cultures of North America we live in - indeed ironically, it is individuals lacking such strong roots in their own heritage and culture who have a need to put down other cultures.

Thus, you too can take pride today in this achievement of the Pakistani people - who have overthrown an absolute, lawless dictator through a democratic struggle led by lawyers! He was not dragged out on the streets and hanged like a common thug (as the romanian dictator was, e.g.), but allowed to resign - with the prospect of being brought to justice if the Chief Justice is restored.

This is an example of the "step forward" (not just for pakistanis, but for the entire region and indeed the world) that we can all celebrate, regardless of the fact that we are pakistani or not.

I fully agree with you. But I also believe that having strong roots make it for a strong tree. Other than that, I am with you.

#222 dost mittar: the rest of humanity (i.e. outside one's own ethnic, religious, group) feels "remote" only if one choses to treat it as alien. Love, like knowledge, does not diminish by being extended. So - wherever men and women have struggled to take us (humanity) a step forward (in science, in political philosophy) - we can applaud that and take pride in their achievement. when i used to travel (a lot!) i used to fall in love with every country i visited. so, while i love panjabi music e.g., i love bengali folk songs too.

if it helps, look at it this way - we are all together on this lonely planet. it is no longer a dream - but a reality we must recognize if we wish to see humanity as a species even survive the next few generations. and, like i said earlier, it also makes one's life that much more fun.

tahmed:

I agree, but it is easier to get self-esteem from something you can relate to in a less remote way, even if it is being an economist or a physicist.

#217 dost mittar: please dont say "zindabad" - hamidm said that about musharraf, and look what happened to him. :-(

but seriously - i think life is much more fun if one takes pride in the entire human experience, and does not simply restrict it to one ethnic, religious or other group. if nothing else, it drives some people nuts - thus, masadi gnashes his teeth when i tell him about the great American Revolution and the US Bill of Rights; arjun goes berserk when i talk about the message of Islam; hamidm starts swivelling like a murgha on a weathervane when i talk about the great struggle of the lawyers of Pakistan.

Thanks. I should thank Mr Madani for asking that question; it clarifies the reason behind the title of the artilce.

Dostmittar, the third verse of the song is the German national anthem, Deutchsland uber alles is not used because of the nazi affiliations, perhaps?

nb:

I read the same book by Mikes (pronounced Mikesh), maybe your mom and I had similar tastes. For all I know, it may still be Germany's national anthem.

tahmed#216:

tahmed zindabad! You have now started taking pride in your heritage and not equate it with your African ancestors.

Cobra: maybe when you become an IT billionaire, you can fund a Panini museum at Margalla hills.

Dostmittar, Deutschland uber alles is also the first line of the song of which the German national anthem is a part. It used to be a Nazi anthem, and is still (tahir or others who live there can correct me) used by neo-Nazi groups.
Regarding George Mikes, I remember reading How To Be An Alien as a kid, it was a copy which belonged to my mother in school a long time ago. His views on Nehru were interesting, but the book was funny, even though it was not just politically incorrect, it was outright bigoted and racist.

#213 your heritage is safe with us in Pakistan. inshallah one day there will be a monument to Panini - the great pothwari grammarian - at the place where he lived and worked. Islamabad!

We may even permit hindu pilgrims to come to Pakistan to bathe in the sacred river on the banks of which the hymns of the Vedas were first sung - the Indus. Till then, Ganges will have to do.

True that but we are not giving our name and the heritage. :)

#211 Indians are not Indians (i.e. from the river Indus) either. Kashmiris are the only true Indians (river Indus flows through there).