How do you react when you meet a Pakistani?

I really don’t know what would be my reaction when I’ll meet a Pakistani in India.

When I was in UK and was returning back to India, I booked a taxi to reach airport, when I was comfortable and relaxed just to strike a conversation I asked driver, how do you manage to drive at night? Don’t you feel sleepy while driving? He said NO, I manage as I sleep during day. His accent was quite what it is of an Indian. I asked him – Are you an Indian? He said No I m Pakistani. The next question he asked was – Are you sacred about that? Yup, I was bit uncomfortable but not sacred for sure. I just answered him – Nopes why should I?

Meeting a Pakistani?

I don’t know, how and what my reaction would be when I’ll meet a person from Pakistan in India and that too after 26/11? Not talking about high celebrity, politician or some ambassador but just a common man like you and me.I’m sure there would be some sort of uneasiness. I won’t say that but trusting at first go would be tough!!!

Don’t know why I’m thinking that in spite of the fact that one time I had a huge crush on Shahid Afridi who is a Pakistani player., when I know the majority of people on the other side is same like ours and need peace . Even they dislike terror and many of them are there to fight against terror and not for terror!!!
On 27th Nov, when I came to office the first person from client side to ask me Are you fine was a Pakistani(working abroad)!!!!
Many of those short stories in TOI narrating about experiences in Pakistan portraits a completely different picture of the country and its citizens.
It is just the handful of people fighting and my reaction is applied to whole community.

Am I being irrational? Or my reaction is justified!!!

Keep Faith
Chakoli :)

20 comments:

SaTaN said...

Once in a tourist spot in Switzerland I met a Pakistani. Thought he had a quite good sense of humor, but in my back of the mind I found him quite irritating(Even though he didn't irritate me).

Me n my friend used to make fun of him, and I alwayz used to speak to him with a bad attitude. Though later on I realized I should have talked with him in a better way. If his nationality was nething else other than pakistani I would have definitely treated him in a nice way. I still regret that I spoke with him in a rude manner.

So according to me its possible that subconsciously you mite hate a pakistani when you meet him/her for first time

Chakoli said...

@Satan

yup quite true..
many a times heart empowers your brain...
and inspite of a person being rational follows his heart...

Anonymous said...

It is very much justified given the carnage that happened in Mumbai.

The environment we have got currently in the country would but naturally give this kinda reaction!!

I loved ur comment on my blog. If u dont mind, i m adding u up...Good to find smbody from my part of world....

Anonymous said...

i really dont know what a pakistani (comman man ) has to with these attacks ..

churningthewordmill said...

hmmm.. no, im thinking there wont be any uneasiness or awkwardness.. u will be meeting just another person who happens to be from pak. usually the common man has nothing to do with terror attacks... if wat i hear frm others is correct pakistani junta is actually very warm towards indians.
mandira

Anonymous said...

I think common hardworking people dont want violence at all. I have met quite a few Pakistanis here and they have all been nice....I mean they have the same values but I have not yet gone out of my way to befriend them :(

Keshi said...

**I’m sure there would be some sort of uneasiness.

aww why Chakoli? wut matters is the personality, not the nationality.


The ugly power struggles r between the Govts and the Terrorists...not between the Indians and the Pakistanis, nor the Sinhalese and the Tamils in Sri Lanka.


Keshi.

Ankur said...

u r being irrational... there are certain ppl in every community, state and nation, but we cant blame the whole for it!! :)

Anonymous said...

All, its very wrong to say that they are like us . We are peaceful nation, we dont thrive on HATE as they do...

there is a huge diff between us and them....

mazak said...

As someone very wise has said "hate the disease and note the diseased",disease in this case being terrorism and the diseased being Pakistan.To be very honest i find ur reaction very normal.We all have our prejudices and we then actively look out for information that confirm our biases and disregard info that is not in sync with our beliefs.Pakistan has been founded on a negative concept that is "Pakistan is not India" ... it has not got a separate identity of its own and an unstable Pakistan is not in India's interest ,one can only hope that Pakistanis see reason and try to curb the menace of jehadi elements that is as much harmful for them as it is for India.This was evident during the Lal Masjid standoff last year.
Coming back to ur question, beleive me if we happen to meet and i hope someday we do ,there would be the initial uneasiness and after that once u get to know the person better, u will like/dislike that Indian/Pakistani considering various factors nad nationality might be just one of them ...end of d day we all r prejudiced like it or not ;)

Chakoli said...

@Sam :))

Yup it is... but dont you think somtimes it is irrational?
I mean... I knw these are just your reactions...but somehow the way you respond might be different...

Sure thanska lot for adding up :DD

Chakoli said...

@Arvind

quite true... thats why I said... it is irrtaional but still on the back of mind... that struggling continues..

Chakoli said...

@Mandira:))

yups even I ahve heard the same...
they are warm and have nothing to do with these terro atacks... but people who are caught in these attack are also quite anormla public out there in pakistan...

Chakoli said...

@Phonix...

Nopes dear..
we dont keep on hating India...
There is still amjority of people loving it....

Chakoli said...

@Homy :))

thats good Homy :DDD

Chakoli said...

@Keshi

I knw Keshi...
but it would be there... may eb later on I try to be good with them...but the reaction cud be of uneasiness..

Chakoli said...

Ankur :))


Yups I knw... but some how reaction is something which doesnt have actrl :(
may be I respond in a different manner....

Chakoli said...

@mazak

Very true Mazak....

but when Ill meet you... it wouldnt be that u might be a terrorist...or u belong to a country from where... we usually get all etrror atacks..
meetinga stranger is different from... what I m talking abt..

~mE said...

i know someone who has visited Pakistan and the picture she gave me about the country makes me want to visit the country.
Whatever happened to Mumbai some few are responsible, and these few could be the reason for terrorism everywhere. Sad, but true a beautiful country like Pakistan is becoming synonym with Terrorism.

we all know this..so i guess its irrational to have anything against Pakistanis

SaTaN said...

I agree its irrational, and if I wouldn't have met that pakistani guy, I would have also emphasized here that chakoli its irrational and you shouldn't think like that etc etc, but after that incident I think its quite possible that subconsciously you mite hate pakistani if you meet him for first time, even though its irrational and it shouldn't happen at all.

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