Looking at the Chinks in Our Armour Shivani Mohan (INDIA) / Khaleej Times17 February 2009

Well it’s not something I am extremely proud of. But I recently indulged in a bit of online sparring with a bunch of Pakistani youngsters on a page with a funny name. That this page created by Pakistani youth is dedicated to the worthy president of Pakistan set the mood for the kind of discussion we were about to have. It was debating school style-petty, petulant and anything but propah. The page had explicit, tongue-in-cheek illustrations of Asif Ali Zardari being compared to an assortment of comical characters; and dubbed a murderer, American sycophant and Sarah Palin’s lover amongst other things.  I stepped into the discussion assuming a higher moral ground. We the secular, stable democracy recently wronged by rogue elements from their country. I was shocked to see teenagers in Pakistan well versed with each and every India Pakistan pact-and breach of it —  since 1947. The emphasis they still attach to our age old differences was evident. If you ask an average Indian teenager about any of these issues, chances are he would draw a blank. And I am glad he does. Because youngsters in India are busy with the things they ought to be worrying about —  his next date, his iPod, his next snazzy pair of jeans or his career. But the way these youngsters were obsessed about India suggested that they seriously needed to go get a life.  They claimed that there are reports that many Taleban found dead or captured in FATA are actually turning out to be Sikhs in disguise. It showed the effect a bad, malicious media can have on young impressionable minds. I jested how this was indeed a very imaginative story and maybe Akshay Kumar should think of an end to his trilogy of disastrous movies —  Singh is Kking and Chandni Chowk to China —  with a befitting ‘Sardar in Kandahaar!’  But jokes apart, many of these Pakistani youngsters seemed stuck in a time warp. They had all our pre-independence princely states on their fingertips. They felt that besides Kashmir many other parts of India such as Junagarh, Hyderabad, most of North East and even Goa were not ethically part of India because they were Muslim or Christian-dominated. I defined secularism for their benefit, educating them on how so many religions had over centuries been openly embraced and welcomed by India. And that the pluralist nature of our society was our biggest USP! They spoke of the plight of the Indian Muslims. I retorted that a series of Khans have ruled our hearts for far too long for that argument to hold any weightage. We are extremely proud of our Azim Premjis, A R Rehmans, Javed Akhtars, M J Akbars, Sania Mirzas and Irfaan Pathans. We have had three Muslim presidents. And that Indian Muslims did not need their false mollycoddling and a pan-Islamic friendship that had little to do with actual empathy but meant more to harm the core of our secular roots.  They said that India was a country of slums and call centres. I said we were not too proud of our slums, though afterSlumdog Millionaire, even that aspect stands changed somewhat. And that working in call centres was better than becoming Fidayeen and hating almost every progressive idea under the sun.  And also that call centres happened to be just one of our booming industries that have made us the fourth largest economy in the world. They spoke of why Mumbai had become such an issue when Pakistan was itself a victim of terror. I asked then why did they need a wake up call as big as 26/11 to do something about it? And they still have the gall to ask us for evidence?  But I couldn’t help feeling sorry for a generation of youth totally shaken by the gravity of affairs in their country. I could sense their angst. In an absence of role models of any kind, they employ their youthful energies in India-bashing. Their anger against India and the world at large, acting as an opiate, providing them a flimsy raison d’etre. If this is the state of an educated youth with access to Internet, one can only shudder to think of the extent of this malaise in the hinterland of little dusty towns stricken with poverty. While a lot needs to be done in Pakistan to change all of this, we in India too have a job ahead.  Okay, so here’s the thing. Three points from them drew a blank from my side —  Modi, Sadhvi Pragya and Col Purohit.  The sad truth is that when we breathe down their neck about the Lakhvis and the Masoods of the world, they name these three people in the same breath. I know that we cannot equate one bad apple called Colonel Purohit in a ten million strong secular force with decades of active role that the Pakistan Army and ISI have played in patronising the growth of terror networks in Pakistan. But unfortunately that is what is happening. Even one Purohit or Sadhvi Pragya makes our contentions about being a great secular nation weaker.   Which brings me to the utter horror of watching India’s corporate czars nominate Narendra Modi as the perfect prime minister material at a prestigious forum recently. The whole spectacle gave nightmares to many Indians apart from a certain Advani. Given his global image, we cannot even dream of Narendra Modi as a possible figurehead.   We have entered the 60th year of the formation of our republic —  an election year at that. Let us ensure that the people who lead our country embody the secular ethos that were the foundation stones of our democracy. That no minority in India ever feels marginalised either through our policies or our actions —  overt or covert. That we shun all Godmen who preach hatred in the name of religion. That the Indian Army ensures through stringent measures that not a single Col Purohit emerges from its folds again.   We have had three Muslim Presidents but are still far away from the day where we can have a Muslim Prime Minister. But something about the winds of change — Obama —  makes it seem we will reach there some day. And yes, all this to prove our love for India. The very idea of India. We owe this to ourselves. And not just to dominate silly arguments on weird Pakistani web pages with obscene names. Shivani Mohan is an India-based writer. She can be reached  at smshivanimohan@gmail.com