Reflection | The Partition! :)

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     As the days approach for the celebration of both Pakistan and India's independence, I take the time to reflect upon what I know, and what I have learned about the historical facts, and stories about the partition. As I have previously written, while the partition is / was celebrated by leaders, and individuals who wanted this, there were also deep divisions amongst the people, bloodsheds, relationships, families, and friends who were torn apart. It was very well known that Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, would converse, reside with each other, together as one nation. Today we see remnants of historical preservations, with religious sites of the various faiths in each country. We can simply take one well known example of the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. A creation commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. A Muslim tomb, tourist attraction, a historical symbol of love in India. There have been erosions and decay to this site. But repair is very slow. We can assume why. 

     The Indian Government has benefited from decades of wealth from this site, but slow to repair and carry out maintenance. We can think about relations with Pakistan and India today, with the continued tensions arriving with the fight for Kashmir. It is my hope that the destruction ends, and peace prevails. We have to remember that lands were torn, and of course divisions cannot be thought about without thinking about British colonization, the empires presence in these regions, and their involvement in creating  divisions. No one is separate, separations and divisions are created, in other words they are human made, arising from emotions such as envy, greed, jealousy or hate. If you think about it, if Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus were to continue to live together peacefully, this peace would not have been beneficial to the empire. Having said this, we continue to hope for peace, between neighbours, lands, and people that are not only inherently linked at the historical level, but also through culture, food, traditions, and celebrations. These links have often been revealed through Bollywood's film industry. 

    I was reminded of this idea when I decided to watch the film Fitoor, based on the novel by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations. I only watched about 30 minutes of the film, but I am grateful from what I saw. This was the films setting, which was in Kashmir. Portraying costume, designs, arts, the skills of wood carvings, jewelry, and lifestyles. We saw the difference between the rich and the poor. An example of the rich was revealed, as they supported the poor by offering assistance, embracing them as their honor, to be considered as family members. I thought about the industry and its value for the country of Pakistan, Pakistani actors / actresses and building diplomatic relations. Can film industries between both nations use their power, qualities, creativity, for building diplomacy between the two?

     The industries efforts matter because the industry is a powerful force, that is derived from its economic value, and not only that Muslim actors / actresses in Bollywood have historically, and to the present day contributed to the industries success. Positive points such as these could be built upon by the new Government and Pakistan PM elect Imran Khan. A cricket super star and former politician. This election win is one of hope. His education at Oxford University, UK, and cricket career is a mechanism of soft power diplomacy, these are potential key assets that could try to connect or resolve tensions with India and Pakistan, and the never ending occupation, and violence at the border, and in Kashmir.  

My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)
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These thoughts were originally hand-written on August 11th, 2018.
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