THE OLD COIN OF PAKISTAN
Around 10.30 last night, when I last saw the score of India-Pakistan world-cup cricket-match, I knew, that India would win the match. So, I went off to sleep... It was a deep sleep. I was, literally, thrown off the bed when crackers created a ruckus outside our window and all around, near and far. “We won,” my wife declared...
Well, we both lost our sleep, then on!
We had won against two formidable teams earlier – South Africa and
Australia. But, we did not see the kind of joy or hysteria like we did last
night...
So much love for Pakistan? Or, so much hatred?
Till the day we – India and Pakistan - got our respective Independence from
the British rule, we were one big family – yes we were brothers and sisters of
the same family. What happened to that, then?
I simply cannot understand!
When the summer PD
programme of THE DAWN CLUB had begun in the second week of April, I had motivated
all our little ones, young ones and some select Indian adults, who were settled
abroad for many years, to write an article for our new book – ‘I AM GOOD, THE
WORLD IS GOOD’... with the baseline ‘Jaisi Drishti, Waisi Srishti’.This
200-page book was beautifully designed by one of our young ones – Tia Alex –
and was released on the 7th June, 2019, during the Certification
function.
Last night, when I was deprived of my sleep, I had decided to share in
today’s Blog one of the articles written by a dear friend of mine, Sudha Mehta,
a Math teacher working in Dubai. I hope, you will read this article and smile
in your heart... as the last nights’ victory is still sinking in your hearts...
BEING TRULY EDUCATED
-
Sudha Mehta
To me, being human is far more important than being a
citizen of any nation.
Some years ago, my husband and I moved to Dubai as
we were facing acute financial constraint back home. I found a job as a Math
teacher in an educational institute, where I came across many students of
different nationalities.
I had this 10-year-old student, named Saad, from
Pakistan. One day, he asked me which country I was from. Just to see his
reaction, I said, that I was from Pakistan (Karachi). Once, during the class,
he said, that he didn’t like Indians. When I asked for the reason, he said
because of Kashmir. I asked, if it was taught in his religion to hate people of
other religions. There was no answer. Once in the conversation, I said to Saad,
“God bless”. Immediately, I got a response from Saad, “There is only one
Allah.”
I asked Saad, “Will Allah like it, if we fight in
His name?”
Saad was astonished with such a piercing
question?
Some days later, Saad told me, that I was an Indian,
as his father had made it out from the dress I wore.
Now, I asked the little boy, “Do you still hate
Indians?”
Saad smiled and showed his changed thought. He said,
it made no difference if I was an Indian or a Pakistani, as I treated him like
my own son. He reminded me of my own 10-year-old son, who lived in India, and I
had told him that.
Saad started to develop a sense of respect for me
and my country. I started receiving a special gratitude from his mother Najia,
She, also, appreciated the fact that the young minds should be taught to be
neutral towards all nations and faiths. She reciprocated to me with the same
words, “Saad is like your own son; he loves you and shares everything with me.
Whatever you try to make him understand, he comes home and shares with me.”
Whenever they went to Pakistan, Najia would get
special gifts for me. It made me feel, that real education took place when one
was ready to understand the fact, that it’s all about our way of seeing the
world.
I would like to share another incident...
In UAE, people of all nationalities work and reside.
As my work place was far from my residence, I needed to go by a car-lift mainly
done by Pakistanis. I came across a
young man named Kashif, who used to pick and drop me, everyday.
Initially, Kashif hesitated to converse with me as
he thought he wasn’t ‘educated’ as I was. Also, the fact that he was a
Pakistani and I was an Indian. But, as I showed equal respect and trust to him,
I started to receive the same respect and trust from him, too. We began to
converse more - freely and fearlessly. Any help I needed, he used to be there
for me. For instance, if I had to leave early or got stuck anywhere due to bad
weather or rain, he would respond to my calls and say, “Madam, don’t worry; I
will come to pick you.” I still continue to get such homely treatment from him.
Last month, we had come to India for my annual leave.
One day, my husband opened a box of old coins which he used to collect in his
childhood as a hobby. My son, who is now 12, was seeing it. Suddenly, he came
across one coin and asked my husband with excitement, “Dad, which country’s
coin is this?”
My husband replied, “Pakistan.”
I was astonished to see my son’s reaction... “Tuk,”
he spat on that coin!
Unable to believe my eyes, I asked my son to justify
his action. He said, that they were our enemy; they did the blast in Pulwama
and killed many of our soldiers.
I felt guilty for not being around my son while he
was growing up. The financial necessity had made my husband and me to move to
the Middle East, leaving behind our innocent child back at home. Certainly, he
had been listening to the elders’ conversation at home... “Pakistan is our
enemy country, and Pakistanis should be shot dead, and so on!”
I tried to explain to my son, that it was not
Pakistan who carried out the terrorist act; it’s a small group of misguided
people. “Son, they do not understand, that mankind is the first religion of any
country,” I tried to explain, “Remember, Pakistan was a part of India which got
separated due to divide-and-rule policy of earlier rulers. I think, Pakistanis,
too, must be feeling that they are our brothers and sisters, from a beautiful
and diversified country, who just got separated due to political compulsions.
I told my son about Saad, Najia and Kashif. I hope, I will be able to create equality in
his mind, and help him view the world with a clear vision and not with ‘biased’
glasses. My Guru, always, used to say, “Jaisi drishti, waisi shrishti”.
Here is one more incident...
We had a new Science teacher in our institute. He
was a young Bangladeshi Muslim, by the name Mahfuz. He was fair and handsome
with a gentle nature. Being a senior in our institute, I would guide him and
advise him. As days passed by, we became good friends. One day, he asked me,
Ma’am, do you feel awkward when I eat beef during lunch time in your presence?”
As Hindus treated cow as scared, I replied, ‘I have high regards for my country
and religion, but will never disrespect the ways of other religions or
countries. I am born in Hindu religion;
so, I know more about it and follow it. Similarly, if I was born as a Sikh,
Muslim, Christian, Jain or Parsi, I would have followed and respected the ways
of those religions. I think, no matter which religion we are born into, it is
our duty to show respect for all.”
Mahfuz was very much glad to receive a positive
approach from me towards his religion.
Some months later, it was Diwali day. We were
performing Laxmi Puja. We had a Christian teacher, too, in our group. As the puja was going on, one of our teachers
went around applying tilak on every one’s forehead... The Christian teacher
moved away saying, “Don’t apply to me as we Christians don’t.” Mahfuz, on his
own came forward and asked to apply tilak on him. Moreover, seeing others how
to do aarti, he took the aarti thali from us and started to rotate it in front
of Goddess Laxmi’s photo. Most of the teachers in our Institute are Hindus.
They were surprised and felt very happy seeing such a rational approach from
him.
I think, the bias of any kind - political, religious,
cultural, or whatever - is the lowest form of education. We all have bias of
one kind or the other. I think, education of our hearts alone can help us
recognize our bias and what it does to our behaviour...
It’s a continuous education and takes place outside
the four walls of our educational institutes!
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic.: BBC SPORT
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