A sweet tale or two…

Cyrus Dadachanji &Mohit Midha
30th March, 2007

Pakistan is a very young country, having been in existence for less than six decades. The country has huge, modern metropolises like Lahore and Karachi, rural areas and remote frontier regions where tribal rule pervades. It may not have much industry, but it is rich in natural resources, which it exploits to the fullest. I could go on and on about the country and its economic state, but that’s not what the SAARC Rally is about. It’s about uniting people and creating mutual respect in a way that no course or textbook can prescribe.

As an Indian, I had only heard stories about the love and respect showered on Indians visiting Pakistan and vice versa. This rally gave me an opportunity to find out for myself.

Earlier this morning, our rally was flagged off in Islamabad by none other than the Honourable prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Shaukat Aziz. It was an important symbolic gesture which spoke of Pakistan’s commitment to the SAARC movement, currently represented by 100 odd rallyists driving through 8200 kilometres of SAARC terrain.

The first indication of the Pakistanis’ affinity for Indians came when our team walked towards the function area, waving the Indian tricolour. A large cheer was let out by the hundreds of Pakistani schoolgirls gathered at the venue. It was so spontaneous that it took us a little by surprise. The happily cheered all the teams, as they entered, but two teams received a special reception – ours and the home team.

After the flag off from Islamabad, we drove back to Lahore along the Grand Trunk Road. Built almost 500 years ago, this was one of the major highways of the East. It stretches from Lahore to Dhaka in Bangladesh, crossing Indian soil at various points. It was a marvel of transport history, with rest halts for travellers, watering stations for horses, and many small towns along the way. Today sheer horsepower, fuelling stations and towns dot the road, but the traffic is just as heavy. This road too is like a symbolic bridge between neighbours, connecting then to one another with the potential of trade and travel.

I decided to spend time with the Pakistani team today, as it was our last full day in their country. Over the better part of the afternoon, the tales came pouring out. It started with how they had always wanted to see India, but never got an opportunity to do so, until a few days ago. They were looking forward to the India leg of the trip, as they would have an opportunity to see more of their neighbouring country.

Jojo, one of the Pakistani rallyists narrated his experiences in India during the rally. On one occasion, as he and his team mates stepped out of the car at a small town, the local children touched their feet, asked for blessing and then welcomed them with flowers.

It was a simple, symbolic gesture that had nothing to do with their nationality, but implied a deep respect for them as guests in the country.

On another occasion, as we crossed the border from Bangladesh into India, they were approached by middle – aged lady, who sought them out. She told them that she had been waiting there for hours, just to speak to them and shake their hand. Apparently, one of her daughters was in Pakistan and she was unable to meet her. All she wanted to do was to meet some Pakistanis and talk to them. In another case, a man came up to the Pakistani team during a fuel halt, held Jojo’s hand and started talking to him. He showed him a family photograph and mentioned that he still had family members in Pakistan, but could not go across to meet them. What is it about these common people who seek out the Pakistanis in our convoy, just to talk to them? They welcome friends from across the border with open arms, hoping in some way to connect with Pakistan and their loved ones or memories there.

Later in the evening, I had an opportunity to experience Pakistani hospitality in an informal manner. It began with a trip to Liberty market to pick up some local souvenirs. Unable to get an auto rickshaw, we started walking towards the market. A motorcyclist agreed to give Jojo and me a ride to the market, although he was not going that way. It took us 10 minutes of weaving through traffic to get through the market. He refused to accept any payment and sped off with our blessings and good wishes.

The next pleasant surprise was at a restaurant called ‘Coocos’ Den’, a landmark in Lahore. This restaurant, located in an old building in the red light area of Lahore is owned by a person who grew up amidst the oldest trade in the world. The restaurant is set on a rooftop with access through a narrow seedy building staircase. The owner’s paintings inspired by his life in the Hira Mandi district of Lahore are haphazardly displayed in a room en route to the terrace. Once you step on to the terrace, you are transported into a world of romance and elegance. Dim lamps illuminate the tables as landmark monuments like the Minar E Pakistan and the Bada Masjid cast a golden glow on the skyline. We enjoyed a pleasant meal on the rooftop and were surprised when we were informed that the bill had been taken care of. We don’t know who settled it, but here was another case of Pakistani hospitality that swept us off our feet.

Lahore is known for its non-vegetarian cuisine and two eating establishments are must –dos on a short visit to the city. One is Cucoos’ Den, for its ambience and allegiant dining experience. The other is Food Street, for a truly debauched gastronomically experience. This 100 metre long pedestrian plaza offers everything from trotters to Biryani, Kulfi to Jalebi. One could spend a whole day here and not sample everything on offer, but half an hour of gorging delicious mutton and chicken delicacies, washed down with glass of chilled lassi is enough to leave you sated.

Pakistan transcends borders of time, space, culture and religion to offer a kaleidoscope that defies preconceived notions. But more than the country’s physical wonders, it is the ‘mehman navazi’ or warm welcome that is a real heart stealer – wherever you may come from.