I was watching a Sikh program on the television just today where they were interviewing a influential Pakistani Judge (I am not sure what exactly his position was). He was talking about Sikh shrines within Pakistan and how he wishes to have more fluid and open borders to invite them over and more money to maintain the Gurdwaras. It was interesting as he was suggesting that the shrines in Pakistan are equivalent to Mecca and Medina for Muslims and that Sikhs should have open and free access to the country to be able to visit them (and should be encouraged to do so).
He was asked to give a final statement at the end of the interview where he stated that he wishes that the mistakes of the past should be forgiven by both sides and that into the future we can work to oppose what happen earlier for our future generations. To say the least, I was pleased to hear such things.
I have noticed that over time we are seeing more integration between both sides, especially so in Punjabi programs in both countries. Be it award shows, heritage shows and community television in the diaspora. These are only some of the signs that we are working to correct the mistakes of the past.
To add another point on which I will add another post later is that the extremism and fundamentalism that is growing in Pakistan could work to continue the mistakes of the past. With such extremism brewing in the nation and creeping out of some territories and into the Punjab I feel that those words of the Judge are losing some weight. Might we see the day that this extremism attack non-Muslim shrines, there have already been attacks on Muslim shrines themselves in Pakistan, so what is stopping them from hitting otherwise?
This type of violence will only feed communalism and hinder any progress to a more united Punjab. I wish to tell all those who propagate this terror that nothing will come of it. We are a single people in Punjab, keep your extremism to yourself.
What does the pakistani mean by ” mistakes of the past “, execution Guru Teg Bahadur and thousands of other sikhs by the Muslims ? The world is round and nothing has changed, only there is a coating of goodness which may come off any day !
Thank you Neel228 for your comment. Like I have said before, I am open to all sides of the argument. Saying that though, I feel that you are a little misguided in your statement. Muslims, as in the general Muslim population, did not commit those crimes (Especially true if you only consider Punjabi Muslims). Those crimes were propagated by Kings and Emperors who had their own agenda. Looking at the other side we see that there were Muslim rulers who were great, such as Akbar, and encouraged the growth of Sikhism and religious tolerance, not just in Punjab but in the whole of India. Now that I think of it, I may have to dwell on this point longer, maybe in a dedicated post.
The world is definitely round, but things do change my friend.